Question Of the Day Q. Why-do some believers think that some saved people are going to be left behind if they are out in the world (back-slidden)? Im getting so confused. I think we are so close to rapture that confusion is everywhere. A. The term backslider comes from a Hebrew word that means “to turn back” or “turn away.” It appears 14 times in the Old Testament, usually in reference to a persons relationship with God. The Old Covenant was a conditional relationship based on obedience and a person who became disobedient was said to have turned away from the Lord. The word backslider does not appear in the New Testament because unlike the way things were back then, born again believers cannot turn away or turn back. The New Covenant is an unconditional relationship based on our belief (John 6:28-29). Paul said it began when we heard the word of truth, the gospel of our salvation, and believed it (Ephes. 1:13-14). Since then the Lord has become responsible for making us stand firm in Christ. He set His seal of ownership on us and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come (2 Cor. 1:21-22). We wouldnt have the option of turning away even if we wanted to because we are no longer our own, having been bought at a price (1 Cor. 6:19-20). That price was the blood of Jesus (1 Peter 1:18-20) and it made us Gods property. We are His and no one can take us out of His hands (John 10:27-30). No one. Therefore, the Old Testament term “backslider” is being improperly used in the Church by those who think we are in the same kind of conditional relationship based on obedience that Israel was in. They insist theres a “works” component to our salvation, and if we dont do our part to keep ourselves saved, well be at least left behind, and maybe even lost altogether. Fortunately for us, as well as for them, this mixture of Old and New Covenants cannot be supported in Christian theology. For it is by grace we have been saved through faith. Not by works lest anyone should boast (Ephes. 2:8-9).
Posted on: Wed, 22 Oct 2014 14:00:00 +0000
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