The Ohio Independent Baptist, November 1970

k ~lidi11g {What To Do About It!) •• • • 111d l ,, ,II 11 <ll J'l 111 I lie" ,/irl111'i,! , by Warre n Wiersbc • • • 'fi.."111i,1l1 1 ni11ts n 1 ic ·t11r{' i11 tl1is \Ll ..... ]1' "''''I ,lt'i.:' l :l\."k.,l i ti11g t() , ('k. l\.' ' ~ t l 'C ,lll "' f l1, lln\ ' l1l"l'll ' .. \l )Ill' titl\C ,r ~\lll)tll l'r tllt' C('ltll– I ar ,\,11 llt)llltl 11 )t l1L' ll it I 1ct1lt to l 11l it' , t , l Il l . I 1'."' ~,ck11c" . l1ac1'. ,lH.litll?. ... or "iri t t 111g a,, ~1, t fl 111 .. t l1c 1 t1rLl) /Je.i.:i 11s ., , ,. , , l1crt 1 a11 ttl\ ~1,it)tl t1 111 c ,Jt t t\.lc. and tl1c ..gc r111.. 4Jt 1r1 ;ct u1l the ~) ~tc111. ti .. \11~. illne ~ 1, i,rc('cdcd t,, lack ot pr 11er not1ri~h– n1c11 t a11d t:\.Cr t~l. l 1 "t1.. 1ll). back.- l1J ,ng begin: ,, hen tl1e hri tian ...... ... tail, t f ccd on the \\ ord. t ngage in 11r.. 1, er and t er, e C hri t. h ~e 1 ne\.t a .~ra<l11al clecli11e . l ~hc per on \\ ho e ) ten1 i harbor– ing 1lln " becon1e tired. Ii tle , and often irritable. H e lo e hi appeti te and d e n 't \\ ant to talk. hat a per– te1.,;t p1 tt1re of the back liding Chri - t 1 an: h lo e hi appet ite for the \\ rd and hri tian fel}o\\ hip· he b on1e pirituall)' li tle and luke– ,, arm: he i hard to live "''ith. Th n. there i a szrdden collapse. per on doe n 't u ually become ill at once; the illnes i the re ult of da, s or \, eek of gradual decline. But. \~hen the illne hits, it hits him hard! One morning the per on dis– co, er he can't get out of bed! So 1t i \\'ith back liding; there i a period of hidden, gradual decline and then there is that udden fall. E,·en Peter' open denial of Chri t ,, as preceded b)' pride, lack of prayer, and elf \\ ill . The next tep is disco111/ort and pain. Pro\·erb 14: 14 \varns. "The back lider in heart shall be filled with hi o,, n v.ra) ·s. . .' ' obod} i more mi erable than a Chri tian out of touch \\•ith God. God doe n 't usually ha,-e to cha ten the back lider: i1is 01\ 1 11 ins chasten him! He has to reap \\ hat he has SO\vn, and the har, 1 est is alwaJ-s mi erable. Sad to a)' . \\ h1te he is 1n this " piritually ick·· condition, lie cart infect otl1ers . A back lid<len father or mother can ruin a \\ 1 hole famil, 1 • A backslidden church member can hurt the work of his church in a hundred different \\ a)'S. Like sickne s, back liding can lead to per111anen1 ,veakness or e,.ren death if not healed. And the longer ,, e \\ 1 ait to confess our sins, the worse the effect become. Yes. God \\ ill forgi, 1 e us, but the sad marks of "Ii l1l1l'ltic11 L" , , ill rc111ai11. 1 lany a ( l111sl1i.ltl lt)tl ~,,, i~ JJ 'r111anc11tl ) 1 c riJ)– lllc"I '()lrilllall, (ancl \OlllC /Jl1rvsi('{ll- 1,) l1l:Cc.l ll\C ()t l1ack\l1lltng that \\a\ llt)l l1ca ll ti ,0011 c11t)Ugl1. 1here t 'i r,:r(1c/11(1/ re<'cJ,·er.v even after tl1c tit . ca c •~ gone. We can C<.)tl f c ,s ttr \in . anti C,od wi J I for– g, , c thc111 (I John 1:9), bt1t it take ,, eek. . pcrhap 111onth~, for Lt to re– gai n ottr ~pir1lual trcnglh and lam– ina. e need to get on a good diet of the Word; \\'e need to breathe the pt1re air of prayer and exerci e our– sel ve in Chri ti an ervice. Only then can the Great Phy ician re tore u . There i no nattt ral i111111i1ni ty . If ) ou have ome di ea e once, you can forget about them; but not so \,\ ith back lid1ng. .LL\nd woe unto that hr1 tian who think that "it will never happen again!" We must con– tantly watch and pray and trust Chri t to keep u from sin. God make a promise through Jeremiah: ' I will heal your back– sliding." Any believer who is out of fellow hip with God can come back to Him, be forgiven, and be re tored. Beware, however, of false l1 ealing. Jeremiah saw a great deal of this shallow kind of healing in hi day : "They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace' ' ( J er. 6: 14). When a Christian sins and backslides, this i a serious business . Such backslid– ing cannot be healed with a quick prayer and a hymn! There must be deep heart-searching, true repentance, and a incere desire to turn from sin. Peter went out and wept bitterly, and a few days later was willing to cont ess his sins and be restored openly before the other apostle . A f al e peace is worse than no peace a t all, because it lulls the back lider into thinking that everything is fine between him and the Lord when everything is not fine. ··Return!' . i God plea to the backslider. "I will heal your back– slidings!" is God's promise to the backslider. With such a plea, and such a promise, who can refuse? "If we confess our sins He i faithful and ju t to forgive u our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteou - ne · ( I John: 9) . NOT TO BE REPRINTED WITHOUT PERMISSION. The Ohio Independent Baptist - Publiahod Monthly by - THE OHIO ASSOCIATION OF REGULAR BAPTIST CHURCHES SECOND CLASS POSTAGE paid at Xenia, Ohio POSTMASTER: Please send Form 3579 ta The Ohio Inde p e nde nt Baptist Box No. 160 Xe nia , Ohio 45385 Editorial Office: Box No. 160 Xenia, Ohio 45385 Rates of Subscription : $2.00 per year; $5.0< for three years; EVERY ACTIVE FAMILY PLAN $1.15 per subscription; BUNDLE LOT PLAJ\ (mailed directly to the church), $1.00 pe subscription. Minimum bundle order - 1 ! copies; single issue 20 cents. Your Editoria Office should have all news and advertis ing copy in hand no later than 30 day prior to printing. Advertising rates will bt sent on request. STAFF Editor .. . . A. Donald Moffa Box No. 160, Xenia, Ohio 45385 Circiilation Manager ... Stuart L. Chaff Box No. 160, Xenia, Ohio 45385 Women's Editor . Mrs. Inez Milne 2195 Brockway Road University H ts., Ohio 44118 State l\.1issionary .. .. .... Earl D. Umhaug} 2150 l\1arhofer A·ve., Stow, Ohio 4422· State Y oitt1i Director . ... Robt. Anthon~ 705 Graham Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, Obit 4422 Fi,nancial S ecretary . ... .. . David Dy, 92 N. Roys Ave., Col11rnbus, 0. 4320 1 - COUNCIL OF TEN Cliairman ..... .. . .... .... . . William F. ·Russe] 191 Whipple Ave., N.W., Canton, C 4470 Vice-Chairman ..... .. . Harold R. Gree1 Cedarville College, Cedarville, 0. 4 S31 Secretary .. ..... .. ..... Kenneth L. Andru 315 S. Kensington Pl., Springfield, 0 4550: Treasurer .. ...... . . William A. Broe] 4663 Trabue Rd. , Col11rnbus, 0. 4322! Program Chairman Richard L. Snavel: P.O. Box 195, Findlay, Ohio 45840 l\,1issionary Chair1nan, R. Kenneth Smelse 123 W. Liberty St., l\1edina, 0. 44251 Ediication Chrm. Raymond F. Hami1toJ Gallia St. at Waller, Portsmouth, 0 4566: Y oiing People's W ork Chrm. . .. .... ... . .. .. .. .. ... . . vV. Dean Henr: 541 Brown St., Akron, Ohio 4431 \Voodrow W. McCaleb, 276 Washington Avenu Elyria, Ohio 4403 Earl V. Willetts, 250 West Street Berea, Ohio 4401 '