Return O Backslider, Why Will You Be Destroyed?

Posted on October 11, 2023

Home Blog Posts Return O Backslider, Why Will You Be Destroyed?

Exemple

Return O Backslider, Why Will You Be Destroyed?

2 Chronicles 33:9-18 tells the story of an errant son, Manasseh whose life tells a story for all to learn from.

So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel. And the Lord spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken. 2 Chronicles 33:9-10

Proverbs 29:1,19 declares:

He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy…A servant will not be corrected by words: for though he understands he will not answer.

The hard neck is used as figure of speech to speak of the stubborn attitude that resists and disobeys God. The man who is often rebuked (corrected) but does not listen to the rebuke.

Such was the case of Manasseh and he reaped the consequence and, in his case, a merciful consequence.

Wherefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. And when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. 2 Chronicles 33:11-13

Please take heed and do not neglect:

Gods’ warning: For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries…It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:26,27,31 (see also AMPC)
 
God’s rebuke: To persist in deliberate sin after we have known and received the truth, there is not another sacrifice for sin for us, for we are counted as enemies of God fit for burning in the raging fire of judgment—And have you forgotten his encouraging words spoken to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t underestimate the value of the discipline and training of the Lord God, or get depressed when he has to correct you. For the Lord’s training of your life is the evidence of his faithful love. And when he draws you to himself, it proves you are his delightful child.” Fully embrace God’s correction as part of your training, for he is doing what any loving father does for his children. For who has ever heard of a child who never had to be corrected? We all should welcome God’s discipline as the validation of authentic sonship. For if we have never once endured his correction it only proves we are strangers and not sons. And isn’t it true that we respect our earthly fathers even though they corrected and disciplined us? Then we should demonstrate an even greater respect for God, our spiritual Father, as we submit to his life-giving discipline. Hebrews 12:5-9 (TPT)

Discipline is no reason for rebellion; there is value in being corrected! Accept it and turn like Manasseh did and brought forth the fruit of true repentance.

Then Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God. Now after this he built a wall without the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish gate, and compassed about Ophel, and raised it up a very great height, and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah. And he took away the strange gods, and the idol out of the house of the Lord, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the Lord, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city. And he repaired the altar of the Lord, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and thank offerings, and commanded Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel. Nevertheless, the people did sacrifice still in the high places, yet unto the Lord their God only. Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer unto his God, and the words of the seers that spake to him in the name of the Lord God of Israel, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel. His prayer also, and how God was intreated of him, and all his sins, and his trespass, and the places wherein he built high places, and set up groves and graven images, before he was humbled: behold, they are written among the sayings of the seers. 2 Chronicles 33:13-19

In his story we see a clear manifestation of God’s kind of sorrow not like that of Judas Iscariot who committed suicide, the outcome of worldly sorrow.

For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. 2 Corinthians 7:10 NLT

So, I ask dear friend, is your walk as a Christian, a follower of Christ in contrast with the unfruitful works of darkness that is now commonly prevalent?  Your ways are a witness against you for the fruit of light is not sin but all (i) goodness and (ii) righteousness and truth. This 3-fold fruit of light is the template to check your walk, and if you fail the test, repent and do like Manasseh did for the door of mercy is still open. Shalom.

Pastor Afolabi Oladele

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *