Subtle Backsliding

The word “backsliding” has come to mean a believer who ceases to actively follow and obey the Lord Jesus Christ. In today’s ecclesiastical climate the word has been diluted until a professing believer may have to commit some heinous act in order to qualify as a “backslider”. But in general, when a believer begins to drink, or do drugs, or commit adultery, or even cease going to church, he is considered a backslider. We do not hear the word used anymore, and those of us old enough to remember the former days can recall praying for certain backsliders. We used to have prayer on Wednesday nights years ago. Imagine that!
But there is a subtle form of backsliding that goes unidentified as such. It is often demonstrated by believers who do not do drugs or commit adultery or get drunk. In fact, this kind of backsliding can be committed by believers who know the Word and are versed in doctrinal truth. This genre of backsliding flies beneath that radar. And this type of backsliding is subtle and roams freely within the community of faith. It entrenches itself in the lives of many believers who teach Sunday School, or who sing in the choir, or who even preach behind pulpits. This strain of backsliding lives unchallenged in many congregations, and in fact, these backsliders sometimes pray for others while being unaware of their own backslidden condition.
The people who are caught in this mode of backsliding are usually never prayed for as a backslider. Because this form of backsliding is usually not labeled as such, these believers are allowed to participate freely in the church’s ministry while embracing their backslidden condition. And this breed of backsliders actively reproduce in like kind. Unsuspecting believers are gathered up into the same order of backsliding and energetically seek others to enlist. Yes, this kind of backsliding is very powerful because it is so subtle and masquerades as a spiritual being.
This backsliding is not confined to one doctrinal camp; this backsliding moves in and out of all the different camps that name the name of Jesus. It is alluring and attractive. It is reinforced among those who are backslidden in this way. In fact, those who are backslidden encourage each other to remain so and strengthen themselves in their backslidden condition. Some preachers exhort their parishioners to surrender to and practice this very species of backsliding. Believers are told that God is calling people to backslide in this manner.
What is this “special” type of backsliding that is so clandestine and misidentified? It is called self righteousness, and it lives and breathes in power among much of the western church. A believer who does not do drugs, is faithful to his wife, reads his Bible and prays, and even supports missions, but is self righteous and proud, is just as backslidden as the drunk. The difference is that the drunk usually knows he is drunk and how he got that way, but the self righteous man is blind to his condition and often mistakes self righteousness for discernment and some mantle of prophetic correction, or in some communities using grace to mask carnality.
It is very subtle, and it is very powerful, and instead of hiding it becomes a chameleon. It will insist it knows the Word including the original languages. It will boast of being persecuted and attacked because it is standing for Jesus. It will spend much time in exposing others but precious little time addressing its own shortcomings. It will claim to be part of a remnant. It will delight in sharing the particulars of its persecution. It will continue a redundant drone about others. It may speak of the government and liberals and President Obama or President Bush, and it will complain about socialism or morality or homosexuality or Islam or almost anything outside its sphere of practice.
Redemption is just a doctrine and grace is divided into sections. The Bible is treated as an algebra book that can be parsed with a microscope and pieced together until the theme is lost. It posts articles about being filled with the Spirit with the unspoken and spoken suggestion that the writer is. Correction is never in house. Dead men are quoted as interpretive authorities. Humility is about verbally elevating the Scriptures and never about the appropriate debasing of the human conduit. And the entire spiritual ambiance of this class of backsliding is one of arrogance and superiority. Ultimately this backsliding presents itself as the champion of God’s cause and the caretaker of all truth, which of course, it knows all too well.
This species of backsliding is also its nature. And what could be more carnal and paradoxical than creating an atmosphere where self righteousness is robed with garments of the highest spiritual mission and calling? And what generation of backsliding could be more repugnant and counter to the gospel than self righteousness? Are there backsliders in God’s church? Of course there are. But make no mistake, some of them write books, some of them sing songs, some of them teach classes, some of them debate on platforms, some of them write blogs, and, yes, some of them preach. And some of them did not creep in unawares. Some of them are heralded as God’s warriors and came to prominence with great fanfare.
Now when one of these backsliders comes to a town to preach or hold a conference, their words are always meant to cement the base and to critique others outside their particular camp. Never do they call their own doctrinal choir to repentance in any meaningful way, and never, never do they admit to anything more than a benign doctrinal nod to their own human frailty. And after they have fared sumptuously in a post conference night banquet, they retire to the luxury of a hotel suite with all the trimmings. As they lay their heads down upon the cool smoothness of the pillow, they fall asleep confident that they have articulated doctrinal truth, enjoyed the adulation of the ecclesiastical proletariat, received a handsome gratuity along with their regular salary, and sold many books and CDs. It has been a profitable night. Does that not sound like the footsteps of Jesus?
You see, backsliding is a thespian with many faces and many roles to play. It can be so creative that it receives applause from the audience of believers and is honored as spiritual wisdom and sometimes discernment. It isn’t that this backsliding never speaks truth. Many times there is truth to hear from its lips and pen. But just like a filthy homeless man, surrounded by a cloud of dust, serving you dinner in a stray dog’s dish, the presentation makes the meal unpalatable and inedible. Like a drunken man sharing the gospel, so is this backslidden man when he shares God’s truth.
Humility is not an option, and it cannot be captured and mounted on a wall. Humility is elusive and it hides and resists. It does not surrender easily, and even when embraced it continues to look for any opportunity to escape. Humility does not come by nature, and along with its presence are thorns and pricks that cut us to our very narcissistic core. Humility is both a friend and an enemy. It draws us closer to Christ but leaves a trail of blood and bruises to every part of our ego and the spurious caricature from which we have allowed others to assess our spirituality. True humility filets our spiritual beings and exposes the repugnant entrails that we have so desperately attempted to deny, and more desperately attempted to keep hidden.
Authentic humility is very, very dangerous and profoundly vulnerable. In fact, when truth is spoken by a truly humble man, he is often anxious over the possibility that the truth he shares will be compromised by the authentic exposure of his own shortcomings and sin. And with carnal boldness being in vogue these days, humility is mostly seen as weakness and frailty. Warriors is preferred to servant; gladiator to slave; outspoken to soft-spoken; and brash to unassuming. Truth is seen as a war rather than a surrender. Sinners are seen as objects of ridicule and derision rather than objects of redemption.
Carnal boldness holds conferences; humble boldness holds prayer vigils. Carnal boldness markets itself; humble boldness shrinks from notoriety. Carnal boldness sells merchandise; humble boldness profits in the Spirit. Carnal boldness gains a following; humble boldness is never popular. Carnal boldness is practiced in public; humble boldness finds it voice in prayer closets. Carnal boldness speaks loudly; humble boldness speaks through tears. Carnal boldness claims to speak for Jesus; humble boldness hopes to live like Jesus.
And so it is. This form of backsliding has been exposed for the spiritual fraud it is. It has many human marionettes who dance to its dictates and perform its commands. But let it be known that this form of backsliding is a hunter, and it hunts all of us. We must rise daily with the knowledge that self righteousness is relentless and pursues us all with a passion unequalled by any of its fallen cousins. But this hunter can only capture live prey. It cannot kill that which is already dead. Therefore we can only avoid being abducted by this carnivore by dying first. And that prospect goes much deeper than doctrinal analysis and theological exposition. When it comes to dying to ourselves it involves an ancient practice that has long since fallen out of favor and exercise.

Until we all find a way to die, we will continue to live as subtle backsliders.