In today's episode, the guys discuss how to reach those who have strayed from the faith. The majority of people who have “backslidden” actually had a false conversion to begin with. This does not refer to the times in which a Christian struggles with his faith. There are many, unfortunately, who profess to know Christ but really do not. The longer we walk with the Lord, the more stories like this we will be able to recall.
There are gateway sins which open the door to stray further from God. Someone who has strayed may find themselves in the position of wondering how they got to the place in which they find themselves. In the book of John, Jesus speaks of sin as an addictive behavior. The way to put sin to death is by looking to the Cross. Only God can offer us the strength to write off the things which rob us of our everlasting joy. Research shows that 85% of Americans pray. However, most of these prayers tend to be selfish rather than giving glory to God. The prayers of the righteous, however, are angled towards the glory of God rather than the glory of man.
It is important to acknowledge that many people who stray from their faith have been hurt by their church. When a pastor falls, for example, it causes many people's faith to be rattled and confusing. For these people, we are called to be the rod of God and bring these lost people home by listening, understanding, and empathizing. We must go after people with the heart of Christ, welcoming others back to the faith. Similarly, we should be very careful of the judgmental spirit which may creep into us as the result of watching someone stray. Listeners are reminded that online pastors are not a replacement for having a local church of your own. The Bible often equates sin to not living. Then, listeners are offered points of self-reflection for consideration to determine if they are in danger of a backslide of their own. Finally, we receive valuable advice on how to avoid a potential backslide and reestablish our faith and relationship with God.
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Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.
Ray Comfort
Emeal (“E.Z.”) Zwayne
Mark Spence
Oscar Navarro
The Living Waters Podcast