Can Backsliders Be Restored?

Summary

Summary prepared by Acts 2:38 Life from the transcript below — the preacher’s words follow in full.

What 'backslider' means — and the short answer, yes

• The question posed (in the host's frame): can a backslider be restored? If so, what are the requirements, for restoration? The host's question: the Old Testament makes reference, to something called backsliding. And anybody who's been around the church (the question names the movement), for any length of time, knows that we have picked that term up. What do we mean, though? Can you explain, maybe to the uninitiated, what the term means, when his own movement (the question names it) describes somebody as a backslider? And more importantly — the reason why we're even asking this question — is: can a person who has backslid, can they be restored? The answer: the short answer is yes. A person who has backslidden can be restored. Now, yes, as you point out: the term backslider is kind of like a Pentecostal term, or used by other conservative groups as well. It really comes to the Old Testament, not the New Testament. But we use it to mean: someone who was once an active part of the church. Saved. So we would understand that to mean: baptized in Jesus name, filled with the Holy Ghost, speaking in tongues. Coming faithful to church. And then, for whatever reason, they drop out of church. They're not coming anymore. They're not living the Christian Life. They're not paying their tithes, generally. They're not following some teachings, whether it be modesty of dress, or sexual morality. They're just living a sinful life. So: they're once living a holy life, coming to church faithfully, born again. Now they're not coming to church, and they're living a sinful life. So we call that backslidden. Now, we don't believe the so-called once saved, always saved ('once saved always say', as heard). And I think we discussed that, in an earlier podcast. So if someone turns — you know, we're saved by grace, through faith. But faith is a relationship. It's a way of life. The gospel is the power of God, to Salvation, everyone who believes (the Romans passage as he gives it). And then the next verse says (as he renders it): they'll go from Faith to Faith. The just shall live by faith. So we believe: faith is a way of life. As long as you're continuing to walk by faith, you should have Assurance of Salvation, confidence in your salvation. Yes, you're saved. Even though you're not perfect. And if you sin, you repent, you confess it, and God forgives you. You continue on, in your holy life. You are saved. You are continually in a condition of salvation. But if you deliberately walk away from God, rejecting the life of Faith: then you step out of Faith. No, you're not saved. And when the Lord comes — if you're in that condition, whether it's by death, or the Rapture — you won't be ready. Because you have stepped away from God. You've come out of that relationship of Faith. You're not living for God.

Scriptures: Romans 1:16-17

The two apparent exceptions — apostasy and the unpardonable sin

• So the question becomes: well, what if somebody is in that condition? Can they come back? And the answer is yes. Now, there are some passages, in the book of Hebrews, that are very, very strong warnings, against backsliders. That would indicate: well, maybe no, you can't. But those are what we would call apostasy. Apostasy is more than backsliding. Apostasy is denying the faith — in denying the reality of the faith (as the sentence stands). You have to understand: the book of Hebrews was written, to Jewish Christians. He was warning them. Some were thinking, or maybe even going back, to Old Testament sacrifices. And the writer of Hebrews is saying: if you turn away from Christ, and try to go back, to the old Covenant Ceremonies, for your salvation: you can't be saved. Because Jesus is the only savior. The Old Testament was pointing toward Christ. The ceremonies — ceremony alone — the types have been fulfilled, in Christ. So your salvation is in Christ. If you deny Christ, deny that he's a savior, and try to be saved, through the sacrificial system of the temple, then you can't be saved. Even then, I don't think he's saying: if you wake up, realize your error ('realize your air', as heard), repent, and call out to Jesus Christ for help — no, you can't be saved. He's saying: once you've known Jesus, and you've been born again, and then you come to the point, saying: I deny Jesus. I reject Jesus. I'm going to be a Buddhist. Or I'm going to be a Jew ('a a on a Jew', as the letters stand). Or I'm going to be an atheist. Well, then, you can't be saved, like that. So that's why the strong warning. Then there's also this: the so-called unpardonable sin. Which I think I've also referenced. And that again is not, that you get to a point, where God refuses to forgive you. It's: you get to the point, where you've rejected the Lord. You've rejected the work of the spirit — having truly known the work of the spirit — to deny it, to say it's nothing, to say it's of the devil, say psychological. And reject. You get to a point, where you've hardened your heart. God hasn't cut you off. But you've cut God off. And even when God — if he were to try to talk to her ('to talk to her', as the letters stand) — if other people would pray for you, and ask God to move upon you — you can't even recognize that. And let me just give you a very quick statement here. Many people fear they've committed the unpardonable sin. Well: if you are concerned about it, to me, that is proof you haven't got to that point. Because if you had gotten to that point, you wouldn't care. You wouldn't even believe. You wouldn't — so if you have a conscience ('if you have a conscious', as spoken), if you have conviction, if you have a desire to be saved: to me, that shows you're still capable, of experiencing God's grace. So no: it would be a trick of the devil, to say you've committed the unpardonable sin. So, with those exceptions: in general, we say yes. Of course, a backslider can be restored ('a backsider', as heard once).

Scriptures: Hebrews (book-only)

The pattern — the prodigal, seventy times seven, James, and 1 John

• And there are many, many passages. But over and over, Old Testament, New Testament: God calls his people — repent, turn to me. Not just people who've never known God, but to his own people. And you have the well-known story, in the Gospel of Luke, of the prodigal son, or the lost son. The whole story shows: about someone who is in The Father's House, who walked away, who lost the inheritance. But yet repents, comes back, and is restored. So that's a great example. Another statement: Jesus — the Apostle Peter asked Jesus, when he was talking about forgiveness — you know, how many times should I forgive my brother, if he sins against me? And so he tried to think of, well, an exaggerated number: seven times. You know, the number of Perfections (as he styles it). Surely that would be enough. And Jesus answered: no. Seventy Times Seven. And he wasn't meaning 490. He was meaning: as long as your brother sincerely repents, forgive him ('sincerely repents forgiven', as the sentence stands). Well: if Jesus is telling us, do that — obviously God would do no less. He will forgive us. Let me give you some scripture here (the James passage, as he gives it, read entire): Brethren, If anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know, that he who turns a sinner, from the error of his way ('from the air of his way', as the reading's letters stand), will save a soul from death, and cover a multitude of sins. So this is not just talking, about a momentary sin. But someone who goes away, from the truth. But if you're able to convert him, and restore, and bring him back: yes, you saved his soul. And then, even thinking of daily sins — or, we should live a whole life every day (as the sentence stands) — but what I mean is: not someone who's just going to openly backslide in life ('openly backs in life', as spoken), for a length of time. But even if you realize, at a certain time, I've sinned: well, forgiveness is available. The First John passage says (as he gives it): if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. So, based on these passages, and many others: yes. Whether it's the sin of the moment, or going back into a sinful life, over a period of time — which we would say is backslidden — either way: when a person repents, they can be restored.

Scriptures: Luke (book-only); James 5:19-20; 1 John 1:9

What restoration requires — renewed, not born again again

• Now, maybe the question would be: well, what has to happen? Do they need to be baptized again? Do they need to receive the Holy Ghost again? What needs to happen? Well, let me put it like this. We believe that when you're baptized, in the name of Jesus Christ — and of course, that's assuming you truly have faith, and you truly repented — that's a one-time experience. Now, if you're baptized as a baby, we don't really consider that a valid baptism. Or it could be: sometimes people are baptized as small children. Looking back on it, they don't even remember it. They question, whether they just did it out of peer pressure. Well, that might be a case there, that they should be baptized. But just because you're baptized as a child, or you're baptized as a new convert, that didn't have a full understanding of Holiness — well, everybody's like that. The main thing: if, at the time you're baptized, there was true faith, in Jesus Christ, and there was a true repentance, of surrendering to the Lord — as far as what you knew — then God accepted that. That is a one time. And then, when you receive the Holy Ghost, you speak in tongues. The initial sign ('the initial science', as heard). So we call that being born again. Well, you don't have to be born again, again. Okay. So once you're born again, you're born again. So it's like a child, born into the family. Yes, as that child grows up, that child could walk away from their family. Reject their family. Never come back for holidays. And be excluded, from their parents' will. And so, even though they're a child, they're disinherited. They don't enjoy the fellowship. And they don't enjoy the inheritance. But they're still the child. So: someone who has been born again, baptized in Jesus name, filled with the Holy Ghost ('for the Holy Ghost', as the letters stand at that point) — they're always a child. It doesn't mean they're automatically saved. They can walk away, from the relationship, and lose the benefits, of the present relationship, or the future inheritance. But when they come back, they don't have to be made a child again. So I would rather say: they need to be restored, to their original experience. And how are you restored? Well, you have to have a genuine repentance. And typically, we would pray with a person, until they speak in tongues again. Although there's not a Biblical statement, regarding the backslider like that. We would say: if you spoke in tongues before, we want to pray, until there's a renewing, where that same level of faith, and surrender, operates again. So we would highly encourage them, to keep praying, until you once again have that Liberty, and that anointing. But as far as technically: do you have to be baptized, in Jesus name, again? No. Do you have to be baptized with the Holy Ghost, again? No. You have to be renewed, to your previous experience. Restored, to your previous experience. And so the basic Avenue for that is a genuine repentance. Now, I can give you scripture for this, in Acts (the chapter as he gives it): Philip went and preached, to the Samaritans. They believed. They were baptized. So obviously repented. Then Peter and John came, and laid hands on them ('laid hands in them', as spoken). They received the Holy Spirit. There was a miraculous sign — which we know, from other texts, had to be speaking in tongues. Well: Simon the Sorcerer — he was a magician. And he believed, at least to the point, that he was baptized. So either it was a genuine repentance, or at least Philip thought it was a genuine repentance ('a January penance', as heard). But when he saw the miracle, of Peter and John laying hands on the people, and they received the Holy Ghost: he said, I want to buy that power. So that I could go lay hands on people, and they start speaking in tongues. You know — I would like to purchase that. Well, Peter rebuked him harshly. And said: you're in danger of Hell. Repent of your wickedness. But interestingly, he didn't say: and you need to be baptized again. So he said: you need to repent again. But he didn't say, you need to be baptized again. So that would be one practical example. That you don't find, in the New Testament, that once somebody has been baptized, in the name of Jesus Christ, that they would need to be baptized a second time, to restore them. And that's why I do say: when people go to the Holy Land, you know, and they want to be baptized in the Jordan River — wait a minute. If you're truly baptized, in the name of Jesus Christ, you don't need to be baptized again. Now, if you want to have a symbolic commemoration, you can. But it has no spiritual significance. It's not the Jordan River, and it's not the water. It's certainly not the same water. But anyway: I would discourage people, from being baptized again, unless — looking back — they truly felt there wasn't repentance, to start with. Or wasn't Faith, to start with.

Scriptures: Acts 8

The encouragement — God still loves, God still cares

• So our message would be, one of great encouragement. Anyone who strayed from God — whether it's one moment of sin. Or whether it's growing cold, in your heart ('whether it's going growing cold in your heart', as the sentence stands). And maybe nobody really knows it, but you. Or whether you have just openly walked away from God, into an openly sinful lifestyle. What you'll find is: God still loves. God still cares. God is merciful ('God is a merciful', as spoken). And if you'll come back, to where you left him. And you'll truly repent. And ask to be renewed, to your original faith, and original experience: God is gracious. He will forgive you. And you can, and will, be restored.

Scripture index: Romans 1:16-17; Hebrews (book-only); Luke (book-only); James 5:19-20; 1 John 1:9; Acts 8.