Proof of the Heart’s Backsliding

1. The backslider in heart will pray or praise, or confess, or give thanks with his lips, so that all can hear him, perhaps, but in such a way that no one can feel him.

2. A want of the joy of faith is evidence of a backslidden heart. If we do not enjoy the service of God, it is because we do not truly serve Him. Always remember then, whenever you lose your joy, or the enjoyment of serving God, you may know that you are not serving Him right.

3. Religious bondage is another evidence of a backslidden heart. God has no slaves. He does not accept the service of bondmen, who serve Him because they must. He accepts none but a love service. The backslider in heart is often like a dutiful, but unloving wife. She tries to do her duty to her husband but fails utterly because she does not love him. Her duties become a burden. She is committed for life, and must therefore perform the duties of married life, but oh, it is such a bondage! Just so with religious bondage. The confessional must fulfil his duty.

4. An ungoverned temper. While the heart is full of love, the temper will naturally be chastened and sweet, or at any rate, he will keep it under and not suffer it to break out in outrageous abuse, or if at any time, it should so far escape from the control of the will as to break loose in hateful words, it will soon be brought under, and by no means suffered to take control and manifest itself to the annoyance of others. Especially will a loving heart confess and break down, if at any time bad temper gets the control.

5. An unkind, unmerciful spirit is evidence of a backslidden heart. By this, I mean a want of that disposition that puts the best construction upon every one’s conduct that can be reasonable—a want of confidence in the good intentions and professions of others. We naturally credit the good intentions of those whom we love. We naturally attribute to them right motives and put the best allowable construction upon their words and deeds. Where there is a want of this there is evidence conclusive of a backslidden or unloving heart.

6. A judgmental (censorious) spirit is conclusive evidence of a backslidden heart. This is a spirit of fault-finding, of impugning the motives of others, when their conduct admits of a charitable construction. It is a disposition to fasten blame upon others and judge them harshly. This state of mind is entirely incompatible with a loving heart, and wherever a judgmental and censorious spirit is manifested by one who professes to be a Christian, you may know there is a backslidden heart.

7. A want of interest in God’s word, is also evidence of a backslidden heart. Perhaps nothing more conclusively proves that a professing Christian has a backslidden heart, than his losing his interest in the Bible. While the heart is full of love, no book in the world is so precious as the Bible. But when the love is gone, the Bible becomes not only uninteresting but often repulsive. There is no faith to accept its promises, but conviction enough left to dread its threatening. But in general, the backslider in heart is apathetic as to the Bible. He does not read it much, and when he does read it, he has no interest in understanding it.

8. A want of interest in secret prayer is also evidence of a backslidden heart. If you find yourself losing your interest in the Bible and in secret prayer, stop short, return to God, and give yourself no rest, till you enjoy the light of His countenance.

9. A want of interest in the conversion of souls and in efforts to promote revivals. This, of course, reveals a backslidden heart. There is nothing in which a loving heart takes more interest than in the conversion of souls in revivals, and in efforts to promote them.

10. A want of interest in published accounts or narratives of revivals, is also evidence of a backslidden heart. While one retains his interest in the conversion of souls, and in revivals, he will, of course, be interested in all accounts of revivals anywhere.

11. The same is true of missions, missionary work and operations.

12. The loss of interest in benevolent enterprises generally is evidence of a backslidden heart. I say the ‘loss of interest’, for surely, if you were ever converted to Christ, you have had an interest in all benevolent enterprises that came within your knowledge. Religion consists of altruistic and well-disposed benevolence.

13. The loss of interest in truly spiritual conversation is another evidence of a backslidden heart. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” Matt. 12:14. No conversation is so sweet to a truly loving heart, as that which relates to Christ, and to our living Christian experience. If you find yourself losing interest in conversing of heart religion, and of the various and wonderful experiences of Christians, you have fallen from it and are a backslider in heart.

14. A loss of interest in the conversation and society of highly spiritual people, is evidence of a backslidden heart. We take the greatest delight in the society of those who are most interested in the things that are most dear to us. Hence, a loving Christian heart will always seek the society of those who are most spiritually minded, and whose conversation is most evangelical and spiritual.

15. The loss of interest in the question of sanctification is evidence of a backslidden heart. I say again, the loss of interest, for, if you ever truly knew the love of God, you must have had a great interest in the question of entire consecration to God.

16. The loss of interest in those newly converted, is also evidence of a backslidden heart. The Psalmist says, “All who fear Thee will be glad when they see me, because I have hoped in Thy word.” Ps. 119:74. This He puts into the mouth of a convert, and who does not know that this is true? Why, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth, and is there no joy among the saints on earth, over those that come to Christ, and are as babes newly born into the kingdom of heaven?

17. An uncharitable state of mind in regard to professed converts, is also evidence of a backslidden heart. Charity or love “hopes all things, and believes all things”—it is very ready to judge kindly and favourably of those who profess to be converted to Christ, it will naturally watch over them with interest, pray for them, instruct them, and have as much confidence in them as it is reasonable to have. A disposition, therefore, to pick at, criticise, and censure them, is evidence of a backslidden heart.

18. The want of the spirit of prayer is evidence of a backslidden heart. While the love of Christ remains fresh in the soul, the indwelling Spirit of Christ will reveal Himself as the spirit of grace and supplication. He will beget strong desires in the soul for the salvation of sinners and the sanctification of saints, Romans 8:26 and 27. If the spirit of prayer departs, it is a sure indication of a backslidden heart.

19. A backslidden heart often reveals itself by the manner in which people pray. For example, praying as if one was in a state of self-condemnation, or very much like a convicted sinner, is evidence of a backslidden heart, Such a one will reveal the fact that he is not at peace with God and has no fellowship with God. Instead of being filled with faith and love, he is more or less convicted of sin, and conscious that he is not in a state of acceptance with God. He will naturally pray more like a convicted sinner, than like a Christian.

20. A backslidden heart will further reveal itself in praying almost exclusively for self, and for those friends that are regarded as parts of oneself. It is often very striking and even shocking to attend a backslider’s prayer meeting, and I am very sorry to say that many prayer meetings of the church are little else.

21. Absence from stated prayer meetings for slight reasons is a sure indication of a backslidden heart. No meeting is more interesting to a wakeful Christian than the prayer meeting, and while they have any heart to pray, they will not be absent from prayer meeting unless prevented from attending by the providence of God.

22. The same is true of the neglect of family prayer, for slight reasons.

23. When secret prayer is regarded more as a duty than as a privilege, it is because the heart is backslidden. It has always appeared to me almost ridiculous, to hear Christians speak of prayer as a “duty.” It is one of the greatest of earthly privileges. What should we think of a child’s coming to its parent for its dinner, not because it was hungry, but as a duty. How would it strike us to hear a beggar speak of the “duty” of asking alms of us. It is an infinite privilege to be allowed to come to God and ask for the supply of all our wants. But to pray because we must, rather than because we may, seems unnatural. To ask for what we want, and because we want it, and because God has encouraged us to ask, and has promised to answer our request, is natural and reasonable. But to pray as a duty and as if we were obliging God by our prayer, is quite ridiculous, and is a certain indication of a backslidden heart.

24. The desire and pleading for worldly amusement, is also an indication of a backslidden heart. The most grateful amusements possible, to a truly spiritual mind, are those engagements that bring the soul into the most direct communion with God. While the heart is full of love and faith, an hour, or an evening spent alone, in communion with God, is more delightful than all the amusements which the world can offer.

25. Spiritual blindness is another evidence of a backslidden heart. While the eye is good the whole body will be full of spiritual light, but if the eye is bad, the whole body will be full of darkness.

Spiritual blindness reveals itself in a want of interest in God’s word, and in religious truth generally. It will also manifest a want of spiritual discrimination and will be easily imposed upon by the insinuations of Satan. A backslidden heart will lead to the adoption of lax principles of morality. It does not discern the spirituality of God’s law, and of His requirements generally. When this spiritual blindness is manifest, it is a sure indication that the heart is backslidden.

26. A self-indulgent spirit is a sure indication of a backslidden heart.

By self-indulgence, I mean a disposition to gratify the appetites, passions and propensities, “to fulfil the desires of the flesh and of the mind.” Eph. 2:3. This, in the Bible, is represented as a state of spiritual death. I am satisfied that the most common occasion of backsliding in heart, is to be found in the clamour for indulgence of the various appetites and propensities. Few Christians, I fear, apprehend any danger in this direction, for example as it relates to food. God’s injunction is, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God.” The table is a snare of death to multitudes that no man can number. Show me a gluttonous professing Christian, and I will show you a backslider.

27. A seared conscience is also evidence of a backslidden heart. While the soul is wakeful and loving, the conscience is as tender as the apple of the eye.

28. Prevalence of the fear of man, is evidence of a backslidden heart. While the heart is full of the love of God, God is feared, and not man.