 What is a backslider is brought up often people talk about backsliding in regards to us losing our salvation But I think it needs to be stated that the word backslide backslider or backsliding is not found in the New Testament It's found in the Old Testament as a matter of fact It's only found in regards to who Israel now Depend upon your translation is going to determine how often you're going to see the term backslider backslider or backsliding Any variation of that and so I want to go ahead and show you the two examples that show up Outside of the King James version, but then I want to look at the versions the passages that have the word the term backslide Or backsliding which are found in the new King James version of the King James version I want to look at those examples and we'll get an understanding of what it means to backslide or what it means to be a Backslider when you go to the NASB or the ESP or some of the other translations You're going to find it in one in Jeremiah 49 So let's pull that up on the screen 49 says how boastful are you about the valleys? Your valley is flowing away old backsliding daughter who trust in her treasure saying who will come against us And so this is an arrogant Israel because of who they are what they've had And so they are a bit both full about them We'll come back to this to this word in a minute because we're going to spend a little bit of time in Jeremiah But then if we go to Proverbs private 14 We'll see this again, and it says first 14 the backslider in heart will have his feel of his own ways But a good man will be satisfied with his and so if you notice the contrast between a backslider and a person who's not This backslider is thinking and feeling Focus only on him or his own ways Satisfy him, which is kind of what we see in Jeremiah 49 now I said though that this term backslider backsliding is Most commonly found in Jeremiah, especially the King James version look at that translation Also in Hosea, so I want to look at those but before we go there I want to talk about what it means to backslide So if we go back to Jeremiah 49 will look at the term and see if we can figure out what it means And it'll give us an indication as to how backslider applies then but does not apply now So if we go back to it the word for backslider is based off of One real root word, which is the word shoe the word shoe which means to turn back to turn away or to turn and The variation that we see here for backslider at least in this case The Hebrew word shebeba, which is the same as shoe It has a suffix I attached to the end of it But it's made up of the root word shoe Which means to turn to return to turn back or to turn away from well When we look at this word how often it's used in the new test matter of fact Let's let's pull it up a couple times and In the King James version and let's look at when it's used how often it's used we see it in Jeremiah 14 We see as a matter of fact Let's start from the beginning the first time that we see this term in the King James version the translation of it We see it in Jeremiah 2 Jeremiah 3 6 we see it in Jeremiah 3 8 3 3 12 3 11 3 12 3 14 3 22 5 and so forth and so we also see it in Hosea speaking about Israel verse 16 of chapter 4 it says for Israel backslided back as a backsliding heifer chapter 11 verse 7 and My people are bent to backsliding 14 for and I will heal their backsliding now that part is important when he speaks prophetically of what he's going to do To Israel he's going to heal their heart their backsliding heart now once famous passage We find is in Jeremiah chapter 3 where the Bible says or someone quote that God is married to a backslider Start off in verse 1 he says God says if a husband divorces his wife And she goes from him and belongs to another man will he still return to her will not the land be completely polluted But you are a harlot with many lovers yet you turn to me declares the Lord lift up your eyes to the Bear heights and see where have you not been violated by the roads you have set for them Like an Arab in the desert and you have polluted the land with your harlotry and with your wickedness so clearly He's talking about who about Israel God has done these things and Israel has still Constantly turned their back on him They'll say that they would not and then they do then they find themselves in trouble God God says him God rescues him and these cycles, which is what we see in the book of Judges These this constant cycle and it's never any God has already told them that that's what's gonna happen But notice what he says later on he says then the Lord said to me in the days of Josiah the king Have you seen what faithless Israel did? She went up on every high heel and under every green tree and she was the harlot there I thought after these things she would return to me But she did not return and her treacherous sister Judah saw it and I saw that for all the adulteries and faithfulness Faithlessness of Israel. I had sent her away and given her a writ of divorce Yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear her but she went and was a harlot also So he's speaking of Israel the northern kingdom and the southern kingdom That's important in verse 10 He says yet in spite of all of this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart But rather in deception declares a Lord now look what he says verse 11 And the Lord said to me faithless Israel has proved herself more righteous than treacherous Judah Go and proclaim these words toward the north and say return Faithless Israel declares the Lord now I want to focus on this word for return and you'll notice the root word for Return is the same word the root word for shoe or Shoe baby, which is where we get the term Backslide let's go back to it. He says return this word over here in the Hebrew is shoe the same word that's used in Backslide he says return he says I will not look upon you in anger for I am a great for I am gracious declares the Lord I will not be angry forever. So Won't go through all of the different passages But it gives an indication that God is dealing with Israel and God has only in the Bible called them a Backslider why because they started off with him. He went and gathered them for himself They made a promise to him after he makes a covenant with them and what do they do? They violated constantly over and over they have a backsliding heart They have a heart that is to turn away from him But he says turn back to me now they won't do it on their own And so what does he do? He is going to heal as he says no, Zea He's going to heal their backsliding heart. That's the reason why we don't see this in the New Testament The Bible knows of no Christian no one who has a spirit in them who also has a backsliding heart Because God said he's going to heal them. How is he going to do so? He's going to heal them by the Holy Spirit He's going to place his spirit in the heart of a believer He's going to cause them to believe number one, but then two by his spirit being in them They will never backslide they will never turn away, which is why you don't see this term in the New Testament It's only in the Old Testament and it's only ascribed to Israel It's not ascribed anyone else why because they there was no one else who who was with him and then left It's not in the New Testament because there's never going to be anyone who's going to be with him and then leave There are people that are going to have head knowledge They're gonna have an understanding of him and then depart from that understanding They'll depart from what they know is the truth But they never will be called backsliders because they never actually place their faith in Christ They were never he is to begin with and never left the whole idea of what a sheep is and so I hope this helps Understand to be a backslider. It's only applied to Israel and that is only before the cross. Amen