Doctrinal Myth Busters: The Backslidden Christian

    I believe I have a better chance of finding Big Foot than I do a "Backslidden Christian". Why? Because according to scripture I don't believe they exist. And here is why as we look at a couple of passages that most christians use to try to explain the existence of Backslidden Christians and then look at the definition of it as well. The one that many look at as the existence of this elusive creature is I Corinthians 5 where it speaks of "church discipline", however, I believe this is slightly misinterpreted. In verse 5 Paul says to get rid of the individual so that his soul may be saved. Well, this can mean only two things either by his sin he lost his salvation or he was never saved and implies that hopefully outside of the acceptance and love of the church Satan will bring him to a breaking point where he will finally repent and trust Christ. My take is the later as I don't believe that someone can "lose" their salvation.Which means this was not a "Backslidden" christian but a non believer in the midst of the church.
     The other big passage that people point to is in Revelations where Christ is speaking to the church of Laodicea. And this passage is really the core of the message which I want to get across. First lets get away of the traditional teaching (just because it is traditional teaching doesn't mean it is true to the text) that God wants you either Hot or Cold for Him, so that if your Cold he can deal with your sin. Firstly, God never in scripture says that he wants anyone to be cold for Him or involved with Sin. This is the first part we need to get away from and the second is that He says to those who are lukewarm that he will vomit us from His mouth. So our misunderstood notion is that if we are lukewarm that somehow we have found a loophole and God can't deal with our apathy and sin? Not to mention in the next sentence He says that he will vomit us from His mouth...I must say that doesn't sound pleasant to me.(I don't want my Father in Heaven, God of this Universe, or even Jesus who gave himself for me to want to spit me from his mouth) That sounds like rejection or at the least severe discipline. Thirdly, what is this metaphor that He is using? It is water so we have to understand that when He speaks of us being cold or hot that He is comparing us to water. Either you are Cold Water or Hot Water so in other words you are usable, effective water. But it is the lukewarm water that is ineffective and has no use so He spits it from His mouth.
     Ok so here is the point I am trying to make with all of this together concerning the "Backslidden" Christian. There is no such thing...You are either a mediocre "Lukewarm" Christian which God says he will deal with you harshly or you are an effective christian serving God and His kingdom. So now let's bump it up a notch and define the lukewarm christian.  Is this someone who is living in sin...possibly, but it also includes the moral individual that goes to church, but doesn't serve or minister. It is speaking about the one who is apathetic toward proclaiming and furthering God's Kingdom. In the same passage He states He will discipline them if they do not repent. He was giving the lukewarm christians a warning to repent because they were not repenting of their sin or their apathy. Understand those who live in sin need to repent and those who do not the works of righteousness need to repent just as much. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. (Jas 4:17)     The follower of Christ who will inherit eternal life will either have a repentant attitude and seek God's Kingdom being effective or he will be ineffective and God will have to discipline him because as it says in Revelations- As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. (Rev 3:19)     
      So I hope that I have made clear my point and findings that we will never find the elusive "Backslidden Christian" because there is no such thing only those who are being effective disciples, ineffective disciples and false disciples. But this gives me encouragement, because I know that when I am serving Him despite my imperfections...God Loves Me. When I am consumed with myself and the things of this world...God Loves Me, but things will get rough as he disciplines me. And for those of you who are being apathetic and sinful but there is no repentance or discipline...God loves you and you need to repent and trust in Jesus Christ for the redemption of your soul. So end your days as an ineffective or false disciple and become the Cold refreshing water or the Hot soothing water that the Lord takes pleasure in.