EXODUS 32:7-8 – And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them.”

THEME OF THE DAY. IT HAPPENS SO QUICKLY. It doesn’t take long. In fact, it may happen fast. And it requires no effort on our part. Just do nothing, and this sad condition will be upon us in no time flat. The condition I am referring to is becoming a spiritual backslider; a Christian who has lost zeal, passion, and self-discipline toward the Lord and His interests. This believer has grown lukewarm or cold. He or she may do external things that look like Christianity but the reality of the indwelling Christ and the joy of walking with Him has departed; replaced by a cold and lifeless religious practice.

King Solomon describes in vivid language the cause of such a God-dishonoring spiritual state; spiritual neglect. He writes, “I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction” (Proverbs 24:30-32). Picture the scene. The king is taking a walk. He comes across a vineyard. He may have known about this particular vineyard when it was thriving. Not now. He sees a sad sight. The vineyard is overtaken by weeds and shows glaring lack of attention. It is now worthless. And he says it was the fault of the owner. He neglected his vineyard and he paid a huge price for such laziness.

It is the same in the spiritual realm. In today’s scripture, God indicts His people. They have neglected His commands. They have gone the way of the world at the neglect of the Word. Notice the statement the Lord makes of them – “They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them.” The backsliding Israelites became such quickly. And what is even more alarming is what the Lord says of them prior to this statement. He tells Moses, “Go down, for YOUR PEOPLE” have corrupted themselves.” Wait a minute. I thought these were “God’s people”? They were. In fact, later in EXODUS 32, the Lord would acknowledge them as His people (Exodus 32:14). However, in their backslidden condition, they did not live as His people. That is what a backslidden Christian looks like to the world and fellow Christians; not God’s people. They have neglected spiritual priorities and responsibilities and lack the spiritual evidence of being a Christian. And like God’s people of old, it may happen quickly. How so? With that question, let’s consider the three primary areas of Christian living and what a backslider looks like in reference to them.

First, church attendance and commitment. A backslider misses the Lord’s Day with little to no regret. The day isn’t met with joy or anticipation of meeting the Lord. This spiritually-ill person has no problem allowing worldly things to take precedence over the Lord’s Day; a day the Lord has set aside for His glory, worship, and our spiritual rest and emphasis. And the backslider doesn’t have a sense of responsibility to other believers to model faithfulness on the Lord’s Day. In many ways, Sunday is a day off to be used for self-serving pleasures and purposes.

Next, Bible reading and study. A backslider is not in the Word. Oh, he or she may read a portion of scripture as a daily devotional or maybe even crack open a Bible a few times a week, but not with delight or diligence. The backslider neglects the Word personally and with other believers. And often, the backslider justifies such neglect. Backsliders usually get defensive with “I am too busy or too tired” and the Word is inactive in their lives. There is no desire to be in the Word to know Him who is the Word.

Finally, prayer. The backslider may give thanks over a meal, but the prayer is mechanical, lifeless, and lacks any sense of God’s anointing. It is simply a routine. For the backslider, prayer is a chore, a burden, and easily dismissed because it is in prayer God searches us, molds us, and reveals Himself. The backslider wants none of those acts of God.

So, backsliding is serious and something all of us may quickly fall into. It takes no effort. Simply allow spiritual neglect and this condition will be upon us quickly.

PRAYER: “Lord, please keep me sensitive to the first signs of backsliding and drifting away from You.”

QUOTE: “Growing cold to the Lord and being engulfed in worldliness happens subtly and quickly”