When you have just given your life to Christ, your desire is that Christ should just come immediately and take you home. Isn't it? The feeling is so comforting and pleasing that you never think of going back. The joy is overflowing that you will want it to continue and there is hatred for sin and pleasures of the world. The children of God will look like angels of God before you.
You enjoy the fellowship and love the brethren that backsliding is never in your vocabulary. If you are in the place of work you desire to quickly leave and not miss fellowship.
All these do not continue. You begin to hear an enticing voice to depart from God. If you do not yeild to that, there is no backsliding. You need to watch and pray so that you don't lose spiritual blessings. If you have fallen, the love of God is still calling out to you.
The warnings of backsliding
Overconfident people like Peter have fallen and so the warnings should not be overlooked. It is not the desire of God that anyone should backslide and that is why the word of God is warning us. We have our own parts to play. God's desire is that we need to the warnings.
When warnings come, it is unfortunate that some people push the message to other people. They say they are strong and the message is for the weak. That was what Peter did when Jesus warned him but he was overconfident.
Can a man of God ever backslide? Can a man with great spiritual gifts backslide?
Peter said he was above warning and there is no reason to cry to God for help.
Some people tl look at their position among other children of God and feel they can't backslide. Others who are weak even look at men of God and say that it is impossible for those men to backslide. Eventually, when these men of God fall, their hopes are shattered.
It is easy for a weak believer to be strong and make heaven. It is also easy for a strong believer to fall and go to hell.
Some look at others who are not taking Christian living seriously as they do and say if others are living their lives anyhow and nothing happens, they can also live their lives that way.
DON'T let anyone tell you that if you make friends with the world it is good. REMEMBER, the word of God says friendship with the world is enmity with God. That is the tactics of the devil. He will make you feel that the word of God is hard. The devil will bring different pictures that will make you to doubt the existence of God. That it is beginning of backsliding.
Cure for backsliding
There ought to be repentance.
There ought to be separation.
You will come to a life of daily devotion with God.
All the vows that youmade to God when you first came to the lord if you are backsliding and you want to be healed, you must fulfill all those vows. Vows like ' God, lwhatever people do to me I will not forsake you. I will not deny you for all the persecution I might face and I will never ridicule all those who are guiding me in the right way'
There will be continuity in the doctrine of the Bible.
Return to fellowship.
Offer your service to God.
Be prompt in obedience to God's word.
Be vigilant so that those things like women, Love of money, materialism, men,etc that made you to fall will not come back into your life.
Submit to rebuke and chastisement.
God loves you. If there's any prodigal son or daughter, God is looking for you.
Anybody can backslide. But we are children of a loving God, who is eager to forgive us whenever we backslide.