“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. Luke 15:17-24
The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways,
But a good man will be satisfied from above. - Proverbs 14:14
"When the prodigal son returned, what did he find his father to be like?
Irrespective of how the prodigal treated his father, and how the neighbors pitied him and said, “Oh, isn’t that a terrible way that boy treated his poor old father,” the father had not changed. His father was humiliated, shamed, grieved and heartbroken, but when the boy came back, he had not changed at all.
Jesus is saying to us, “You went away in Adam, but you are coming back in Christ. When you come back, you will find the Father has not changed. He is the same Father He was when you all went out—every man to his own way.” When we come back in Jesus Christ, we will find Him exactly the same as we left Him—unchanged.
That is the story of the prodigal son. The father ran, threw his arms around him, welcomed him, put a robe on him, a ring on his finger and said, “This is my son which was dead, and he is alive again.” This is the grace of God worth believing in.
Dear Father of all prodigals, of all generations, how thankful I am that the invitation to come home reached me just in time. How I praise Thee for the love Thou hast shown me, and others like me! I praise the name of Jesus. Amen" - A.W. Tozer
A backslider is a saved person who falls into sin. A lost sinner cannot be a backslider. You have to go somewhere before you can slide back. But one who is truly born again, a child of God who falls into sin, is a backslider. It may be outrageous and gross sin known to everyone, or it may be merely coldness of heart, a lukewarmness of heart instead of the burning fire of love for God. But when a Christian loses any of his joy, or loses part of his sweet fellowship with God, or falls into sin, then he is a backslider. Remember that only Christians can backslide.- Dr. John R. Rice
I backslid away from God many years ago when I was a young teenager. When I was about 12 I gave my life to Christ. But my faith was choked out by peer pressure, shame, and I felt forced to go to church. I thought living a Godly life was too hard and committing sin was easier. So I walked away from God.
When I joined the US Army in the summer of 1997 right after high school, I would tell myself that if I ever went to war, I would turn back to God. I may have gone to church willingly less than 10 times in the 11 years I served in the military. I was stationed in South Korea twice in my career and I was deployed to Iraq twice. Please, hold your applause because even my righteous acts are dirty rags in comparison to what Jesus did for all of us.
So I was put in war zones 4 times in my career and I never turned my life over to Christ. If I would have died, I would have been eternally separated from God and spent it in hell. When I was in the army, I was very reckless. I was border line suicidal. I had no self control, I liked driving fast and I liked fast girls. I remember the last time I was in Iraq I wanted to end my life. My life was a mess. I was thousands of miles away from home, and I was very lonely. I thought I had a loving girlfriend waiting for me back home, but she didn't love me. I was crushed. I was issued a M249 automatic machine gun and we carried live ammo all the time, even on base. We were always armed. I was sitting on my bed one night alone and I loaded the machine gun and I turned it towards my head and I had my thumb on the trigger. But I found out something. I was a coward because it takes courage to take your own life. This is just one example of my stupidity.
I got out of the service and I moved to Phoenix and I moved in with my new girlfriend, Erin. That was around August of 2006 when I left active duty. I thought I was going to start a brand new life with out the army. Well I did but it was not how I thought it would be. For the next 7 years I lived in a self made hell. Whats even worse was that I dragged my make shift family along with me in my sorrow.
I recall one night I was up very late at night, alone. I was finally tired of being up late and searching for porn. I gave up my search because I had seen so much of it, nothing else excited me. Plus I was smoking this stuff called "spice". It is imitation/legal weed. The package even said it was bad to smoke. I got really high and instead of heading to bed, I sat down on my recliner. Then I started to feel tugging at my ankles and my hands. No one was there. Plus I felt like I was being pulled from the inside. I was being pulled towards to the computer. I was scared because I had never felt this before and I was very scared. I felt like something was covering my mouth because I tried to call for help but I couldn't say anything. I was on my recliner begin restrained I called out to Jesus. I kept calling out and I stopped feeling the tugging. Did I turn my life over? No. But after that, Jesus started to draw me back to Him. I began to see Jesus draw me back to Him. I realize it now, but back then I didn't know it.
In 2013 I finally gave my life to Christ. I didn't feel worthy. I had sinned so much. I made my life a mess. But my salvation didn't count on my performance and it still doesn't. There isn't enough donations, tithes, homeless people I could feed and acts of kindness I can do that will grant me salvation. Jesus is the only name given unto man to receive forgiveness from their sins and salvation from God's wrath.
When I came back to Jesus, I felt a love like I had not felt ever. I was starving for Jesus and I was so desperate to be saved. I realized I was a sinner and I started to see the signs of the times. Things I had read about as a kid about the end times started to come about. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and I was terrified of the Lord. Plus the things that were going on in my life made me turn to Jesus. My point to all of this is, Jesus had every reason to forget about me. He could have let me go in my sin and let me die and I would have gone to hell. The end.
BUT..in His goodness, because Jesus is full of grace and mercy, He drew me back to Him. I was like the prodigal son. Every time I read the parable I weep. God was talking about me and all the backsliders out there. I deserved death but Jesus gave me life and paid my ransom. The offer was still on the table and still valid. I was no fool, I took it.
Now it is Him who lives through me. I am no longer a sinner because I am a blood washed believer in Jesus Christ. I have been justified and I am being sanctified. I have been brought back to life for the glory of God. Me, the weak one, the sinner, the womanizer, the show off..ME. Thank God I am not that man anymore. The old me is dead and He officially died when I was baptized on Cinco de Mayo 2013. Heaven isn't full of people who lived holy lives. Its full of sinners who were pardoned for their sins and were made holy by the one who is the most Holy.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
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