Let’s be reminded today of the nature of our relationship with God. It is a covenant relationship. It is not casual and temporary. It is a formal relationship formed by an eternally binding bond. God’s payment for our sins (and the sins of all his people in every age) in Jesus Christ effectively purchased us. We already belonged to him before he did this but now we are doubly his. It is already a terrible thing to live in defiance of God’s claim when you have never taken hold of his salvation, but it is doubly terrible when you have received it and then subsequently fall away. Nothing is worse than a backslidden Christian. From God’s point of view a backslidden Christian is worse than someone far more corrupt in character who has never tasted salvation. It is a solemn point to make but it is true and worth stating given the content of today’s reading in Jeremiah. When you become a Christian, you give yourself over to be purchased by the blood of Christ. To do this and then fall away and live in willing and conscious defiance of Christ’s claim on you is the most serious scenario imaginable. We have been given much in Christ and with that we have a great responsibility to follow through with what we have received. Backsliding as a Christian is not an unforgiveable sin, but it does require some serious heart hardening to do this. It is a harder place to recover from and, frankly, it isn’t worth the risk.
Ask God to do whatever it takes to keep you walking close to him.
Read Jeremiah 11
