Digging Deep No. 77 Topic: Hands on the Plough – Part 1

INTRODUCTION: A ploughman who wants to plough straight and true must keep his eyes always forward. He must never look back, or else he will make mistakes. That is why the Lord said in Luke 9:62 “…No man having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God”. In other words, no man or woman, having decided to accept Christ, and changing his or her mind is fit for the Kingdom of heaven. Today we are beginning a series on backsliding under the title “Hands on the plough” it is our prayer that we will never backslide in Jesus name, Amen.

1. IT IS POSSIBLE TO BACKSLIDE, BUT IT IS DANGEROUS TOO: The Bible makes it plain that it is possible to fall from grace. Even after Salvation, there is the possibility of going back to perdition. Lot’s wife is an example. Demas is another. It is because of the way that backsliders end up that God says He has no pleasure in them. It is better never to have been saved than to backslide because sinners may have some excuses but backsliders have none moreover. Backsliders always begin their downward journey by ignoring God; then after they had gone back from Him, they are tormented by fear day and night. I Cor. 10:12, Luke 17:31-32, II Tim. 4:10, Hebrew 10:38-39, II Peter 2:20-22, Matthew 12:43-45, John 15:22, Psalms 53:1-5.

2. GOD DOES NOT TREAT BACKSLIDING LIGHTLY: HE CALLS IT “SHAMING MY SON, DESPISING MY HOLY SPIRIT: when backsliders start mingle with sinners again, those, who used to know them as children of God begin to blaspheme the Name of the Lord. That is why God does not regard backsliding as a light thing He calls it, “crucifying my Son afresh”, “putting my son to an open shame” “stamping on My Son” and “despising my Holy Spirit”. Backsliding is truly a dangerous proposition because it invokes the fiery indignation of God. Ezekiel 36:20, Hebrew 6:4-8, 10:26-31, Psalms 125:3-5, Matthew 11:23-24, Proverbs 28:1, Deuteronomy 32:29, Ezekiel 18:24.

3. IT IS POSSIBLE NEVER TO BACKSLIDE: INFACT IT IS GLORIOUS TO GROW OLD IN THE NARROW WAY: God’s plan for us is that we live a life that will be pleasing unto Him, a sanctified, holy, clean life. The way of the cross is the way of holiness, a narrow way of righteousness, but there is no death there, only life. Even if He tarries, press forward. To grow old in the way of righteousness is to be crowned with glory. Infact, to backslide is to admit that you do not belong to the great company of light: of joyful, victorious, triumphant people of God, the saints, I Thess.4:1-7, Prov. 12:45-48, Prov. 16:31, Ezek. 3:17-21, Prov. 26:10-11, I John 2:19.