IT is only as we are consciously standing in the grace of God that we are peaceful, or enabled to overcome in the hour of temptation. Very many things present themselves to take the eye and heart away from Jesus. Even the necessary occupations of life, the blessings that God bestows, the suggestions of our fellow-disciples, or seal in the service of God, may be used by our great Adversary, to draw away our affections from Christ. We need to be watchful, as well as prayerful, lest we enter into temptation. Our foes are many, subtle, and powerful, and often emanate from sources we little expect. Conflict we sometimes feel to be very sharp and close. We may be truly said to wrestle against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world. But Christ is in us as well as for us; and by His strength we can overcome all that oppose our heavenward course. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Phil. 4:1313I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. (Philippians 4:13).) This is the vantage ground on which the believer is set, and he is exhorted to be “strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might;” “to be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus.”
The course that our enemies pursue is very varied. The artful spell of flattery is as much to be dreaded as the lion’s roar. Self-love, fond desires, fear of man, pride, and creature confidence, are like so many strings stretched by the unbelieving workings of nature, ready for the touch of the Adversary, unless the new man, in the energy of faith, foil the wily foe. We feel this, and learn experimentally that we are kept by the power of God through faith; and thus are often constrained to look up to our God and cry, “Hold up my goings in Thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.” “Keep me as the apple of the eye; hide me under the shadow of Thy wings.”
Backsliding is the natural tendency of our deceitful hearts. The moment we walk by sight and sense, we cease to walk by faith; and, therefore, turn away from God. It is one of the most important points that a Christian is called to watch against. “Take heed.” says the Apostle, “lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.” (Heb. 3:1212Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. (Hebrews 3:12).) Unbelief is the root of every abomination. As the strength of our inner man is of God, and our many upholding’s, deliverances, and restorations are to be ascribed to the riches of His grace, so all our follies and falls are traceable to unbelief―to forsaking Him who is our only strength, and turning to some rotten staff of carnal confidence, or to some broken cisterns of our own hewing out.
It has been said by some, that a Christian is either growing in the divine life, or declining; and it is certainly true. Faith or unbelief, Christ or self, one or the other, each moment has the ascendency. In each conflict, we either prevail or are overcome. In each temptation, we either stand or fall. Every moment’s occupation is either sowing to the flesh or spirit. We walk either with Christ or with His enemies. We often try to convince ourselves that we are not walking in the flesh, and with the world, when we really are―that we are not backsliders, when we are not in communion with God. If we are living and walking by faith, we shall be abiding in the grace of God, for faith always looks to Christ; we shall be feeling our weakness, learning more and more our deep necessity of Christ, and realizing increasingly that all His fullness is ours. Such do not lean on their store of knowledge, their past experience, their gifts, their graces, their brethren, nor even on their prayers, but on Christ. They do not carry their own burdens, nor oppress themselves with their own cares, but cast them upon the Lord. They have an assurance in their own souls that there is no real blessing in anything apart from Christ, and that, severed from Him, they can do nothing. They know Christ to be a sure Rock to build upon, a safe Hiding-place, a never failing Refuge, an exhaustless Spring of joy, a River of peace, a Fullness of strength, their Life, Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption; their Bridegroom, Husband, Friend; their Altar, their all-sufficient Sacrifice, their all-prevailing High Priest; the Renewer of their strength, the Restorer of their souls, the Keeper of their feet; their Head, their Lord, their ALL. The Person, work, and offices of Christ are, by the Spirit of God, the ever-fresh and all-refreshing subjects of their meditation. They know God’s unspeakable Gift to be a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it, and so inestimably valuable is Christ to their souls, that they deny self, take up their cross, and follow Him. Conscious, however, that they have already attained but little of the knowledge of Christ, and learning more and more the deceitfulness of their own hearts, they still cry, Draw us, we will run after Thee! knowing there is no safety but in keeping close to Jesus, no joy but in the apprehension of God’s love. Their souls long to be able to comprehend more of the inexhaustible fullness in Christ for them, they long exceedingly to realize more of the powerful workings of Christ in them, and desire also more sensibly to enjoy the presence of Christ with them. Knowing that they are no longer far off, but made nigh to God by the blood of His Son, that the banner of divine unchanging love waves over them, they taste and enjoy something of the Father’s fellowship with His returned prodigal, in eating and drinking the flesh and blood of the slain Lamb; and while the wondrous burst of love from the Father’s heart is, “Let us eat and be merry,” each grateful response is, “He brought me to the banqueting-house, and His banner over me was love.” (Song of Sol. 2:44He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. (Song of Solomon 2:4).) They have a ceaseless song of joy in the knowledge of what they have been redeemed from, what they have been redeemed unto, and what they have been redeemed by. This is standing in grace. This is laying hold on eternal life. This is the profession of faith we are called to bear witness to.
Further. Those who live by faith go forward, feeling that the blood of Christ has made a line of demarcation between them and the world, and that they are not of it, but delivered from it. Christ is their comfort, their example, and their strength. Knowing they are saved, they choose the narrow road, the good path, the peaceful, profitable, and pleasant ways of wisdom. They grow in grace. They diligently “add to their faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.” In this path faith prospers, Christ becomes more precious, assurance strengthens, pilgrims “never fall,” God is glorified, and believers fight the good fight, and finish their course with triumph. (See 2 Peter 1)
Such seem to me to be a few essential points of the life and walk of faith, the fruit of abiding in Christ, of keeping near the Fountain of Living Water. Backsliding is the departure of the heart from the living God, and there may be much progress in the evil way, before it is manifest to any, except to Him who searcheth the heart. “The path of the just shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” But there is another path, and it looks enticing to the natural eye, but the eye of faith perceives that an unseen hand has inscribed at its entrance, “The way of transgressors is hard”― “Enter not.” Many are seen crowding into it, boasting of its antiquity, ease, pleasures, and refinements. Self-will, disobedience, and carnal wisdom abound. Religiousness, and many things highly esteemed among men― “The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of the life”―are also found in great variety; but there is no companionship with Christ. Human greatness, tradition, philosophy, and vain deceit, are upheld, to the rejection of the Spirit of God, the Christ of God, and the Scriptures of God. The honor of Christ, the finished work of Christ, the unchanging love of Christ, the speedy return of Christ, are matters little accounted of in this road; and every reason that can be invented, is pleaded for not praying in secret, not reading the scriptures, not loving the brethren. This path, however, though pleasant and attractive to the senses at first, sooner or later exhibits its real character. Those who pursue it find that murmuring, fretfulness, darkness, barrenness, and disappointment are here, without any solid ground to rest upon, or any true solace to compose the fainting or troubled spirit. The further it is followed, the more effectually the Lamb of God is hidden from the soul; and that scripture is fulfilled, “The backslider in heart is filled with his own ways;” the ashes of self is all he has to feed on, and restlessness, and vexation of spirit, mark his experience; till, by sovereign grace, he is quickened, and brought with confession of his sin into the presence of God and the Lamb, then he tastes the grace of God afresh, lays hold of His promises; and, realizing the all-cleansing power of the blood of Jesus, he confesses that “salvation is of the Lord.” All who have had much experience in divine things are well acquainted with the reality of these two ways― the way of faith, and backsliding. The scriptures abound with examples of these two things. Let us look at a few.
As long as Abram went on obeying the voice of God, building altars, and calling on the name of the Lord, a pilgrim and a sojourner, trusting in the daily care and preserving mercies of Jehovah, all went well with him; but when in the time of trial he did not stand with God, but took matters into his own hands, obeyed the dictates of fleshly wisdom, and went down into Egypt in order to deliver himself, we find not only that he lost fellowship with God, and fell into grievous sin, but so fearful, even in the eyes of the ungodly, was his lack of moral integrity, that they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.” (Gen. 12)
We also see in Rebecca’s history, that God gave her a distinct promise to sustain her soul, and guide her thoughts, concerning her two sons― “The elder shall serve the younger.” But the time came when God’s simple word was not enough for her―sure indication of a backsliding heart―so that she could not any longer tread the path of faith and patience. Speaking naturally, things were looking against the fulfillment of God’s word. Isaac had called for Esau to bless him. She could not then trust God. The subtle workings of unbelief guided her thoughts; and not only did she sin against God, and deceive her husband, but led her younger son astray, taught him to tell lies, and to deceive his own father; the bitter consequences they both severely reaped for many years. (Gen. 26, 27) O beloved, let us beware of the contriving’s of unbelief!
Look also at David. As long as he had no plans of his own, was content to walk in any path God appointed him, and went on day by day trusting in God, he was enabled to overcome self, the lion, the bear, Goliath, Saul, acc.; his soul evidently prospered, and grew in the knowledge of God. But when he turned out of wisdom’s ways, when he relinquished the life of faith, and ceased to lay hold of the truth that he was God’s anointed king, when he leaned unto his own understanding, and falsely concluded, “I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul;” from that time he left the highway of faith and holiness, entered into “the way of transgressors,” and the carnal stratagem of going into the land of the Philistines, very soon resulted in lying, deceit, and cruelty; until the Lord’s rod of correction came upon him, in burning up Ziglag, and taking away all that he had; when he again turned to God, and found His never-failing grace all-sufficient for him. “David encouraged himself in the Lord his God; and so richly did restoring grace abound, that the servant of the Lord recovered all, and he had much spoil beside.” (1 Sam. 27, 30) Saints of God, let us beware of unbelieving thoughts, lest they lead us into unbelieving ways, and their consequent sorrows! Let backsliders count upon the all-sufficiency of restoring grace, and encourage themselves in the Lord their God!
Love of ease, conveniences, luxuries, &c., often lead the souls of saints astray, for the life of faith is always connected with the fight of faith. This is the time for conflict and service; we shall rest by and by. As long as David fought against the enemies of the Lord, he was preserved and he triumphed; but when fighting was exchanged for lounging on the bed at even-tide, and walking upon the palace roof, then the Adversary was too strong, the lust of the eye prevailed against the man after God’s heart. (2 Sam. 11) Believers, let us remind each other how opposite the love of ease and luxury is to the way of faith, and let us take warning!
In Hezekiah, also, we have another solemn example brought before us. He was indeed a man of faith. When prayer and dependence upon God marked his path, the power and blessing of God were singularly with him: The work of God prospered in his hands, and there was great reviving. In answer to prayer, on one occasion, an angel was sent from heaven, and destroyed in one night, one hundred and eighty thousand of the enemy’s army; and, at another time, after pouring out his soul to God, in the last extremity, the prophet Isaiah was sent with healing blessing. But the honors and presents of the uncircumcised were the means of leading his heart away from the way of faith. Instead of witnessing to them of the grace and power of the God of Israel, the vain desires of nature were so stirred up, that he entertained them by chewing “the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the honor of his armor, and all that was found in his treasures; there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion that Hezekiah showed them not.” God’s solemn discipline followed. (Isa. 39) Beloved brethren in Christ, let us fear men’s smiles more than their frowns! “A man that flattereth his neighbor spreadeth a net for his feet.” (Prov. 29:55A man that flattereth his neighbor spreadeth a net for his feet. (Proverbs 29:5).)
But there is another point. The Old Testament gives us a solemn example of one prophet misleading another. (See 1 Kings 13) In the New Testament, also, we see repeatedly how the Adversary used Peter and the other disciples, to present temptation to the blessed Lord. These are indeed peculiarly weighty points for consideration, and will have a profitable effect upon our souls, if they lead us more sincerely and simply to walk with God in obedience to His word, not as serving men, but God which trieth our hearts.
Here let us pause, beloved. If we have been kept abiding in the enjoyment of the grace of God, let us adoringly worship, and give Him the praise. Much of the scriptures of truth are taken up with instruction and examples concerning the way of faith and backsliding. We see the perfection of the life and fight of faith in Jesus. He trusted in Jehovah at all times. He resisted sin unto blood.
‘He is now our nearest Friend,
And His love will never end.’
It may be that some who seriously ponder this subject, in the presence of God, will discover that they are no strangers to the backsliding path. The absence of earnest, persevering, closet prayer; the love of self, and ease, and luxuries; the fashionable furniture; the costly dress; the diligence in seeking after, or retaining uncertain riches; the worldly habits; the unready hand to minister to the Lord’s poor and needy, will, perhaps, read a tale to some, and convince them that they have wandered far from the highway of faith and holiness, which is the narrow, and only path of fellowship with the earth-rejected, heaven-welcomed Son of God. Should, however, such discoveries lead souls with confession and supplication to the Father of mercies, how soon will His restoring grace pat forth fresh vigor into their hearts, and conduct them into holier and happier ways, connected both with present blessing and the Lord’s approval in the day of His coming! O to be so satisfied with Christ, that feeling that in Him we have all things, and can want nothing which He is not able and willing to supply, our continual song may be,
‘Nothing on earth do I desire,
But Thy pure love within my breast;
This, only this, will I require,
And freely give up all the rest.’