Death, Sinners and Backsliders

Death is a word we hear almost everyday. It is the permanent cessation of all vital functions, the end of life. When people die, they never get back up and you never get to see them again.

Let's talk about cessation. It means a temporary or final ceasing (as of action) to stop or cease. Do you know that you can be alive but in the spirit realm, you're dead? Do you also know that spirits that attack you or live inside you can be terminated? Their actions in your life and in your family can be permanently stopped.

Spiritually dead

Every sinner is spiritually dead even though they are alive walking around physically. The scriptures showed a good number of people who were spiritually dead. When Abimelech took Abraham’s wife, God told him that he was a dead man but he was still talking and lying down alive with another man’s wife. (Genesis. 20:3-7).

All the members of Achan’s family were aware that Achan had brought an evil thing into their house, but they kept quiet, and none of them owned up. This caused a spiritual death in their family even before they were stoned to death.

In the same way, the sons of Eli died spiritually the day they became the sons of Belial, but they were still seen physically and allowed to be priests in the house of God. When you politically manipulate yourself into a position or you leave your God-given duty and take over another man’s assignment because you can afford to, you become spiritually dead (1^st Sam 13:11-15).

You may still be praying, fasting, yet your heaven is closed and even though you may receive an answer, it comes from the queen of heaven from the second heaven, not from the God who lives in the third heaven. (1^st Sam 14:36-37; 1 Chron. 10:1-14).

The Wages of Sin

All sinners are under the devil's control, and as a result of their sin, they are spiritually dead. As a sinner, you cannot cast the devil and his demons out. You can not be his servant and his master at the same time. When you are under the devils authority, you cannot cast out demons. You cannot be a sinner and pray with results. You need to be born again and become the prince of life.

A sinner is someone who is not born again and still possesses the Adamic nature. He is a person who lives in sin. Many so-called sinners go to church, call themselves Christians, and assume the title of Christian. Some others assume the title of Christian just because of their being baptized in water or because they bear Christian names. Many people answer "Christian" without knowing the full implications of what it means to be a Christian.

A good churchgoer who is surrendered to religious activities but with a life crowded by the deeds of the old man has no place before God. Are you still living in the nature of your old man?

A Backsliding Christian

Have you gone back to your old ways? You're on your way down the road of sin the instant you open your doors to let your old life back in. You are on your path to backsliding if you turn to sin. Backsliding occurs when a person turns away from God and toward the world. It is allowing the flesh to take control over the spirit. Backsliding starts slowly, usually through the things that attract you, your weaknesses. It causes a crack in the wall of your relationship with God, and if you don't rebuild it, your wall will gradually crumble until you're totally lost.

Some things that can cause backsliding include:

• Immorality    1 Samuel 2:12-17, 22
• Love of money  1 Timothy 6:10
• Fear   Matthew 26:70-74
• Strong desire for temporary things above the spiritual blessings. John 6:10-15, 22-35,  60, 66
• Prosperity without God   Deuteronomy 32:5, 6, 15
• Pride and arrogance Proverbs 16:18
• Adultery and Fornication

Backsliding sets you apart from God and his will for your life. Some of the consequences of backsliding include:

• Loss of victory  Joshua 7:11, 12
• Spiritual death
• Loss of God’s favour  2 Chronicles 19:1, 2
• Exposure to satanic oppression
• The good records of his past life is forgotten
• Sickness, shame, incurable disease and death will characterize his life

Freedom

Sinners and backsliders are always visited by God's anger. True repentance, restitution, complete consecration, and total devotion to God are the only ways to turn God's wrath away from sinners and backsliders. You must quickly repent of your sin and maintain close fellowship with true believers as well as a deep communion with God through prayers, quiet time, and personal Bible study.

If you find yourself in this situation and you are praying fervently, nothing will change no matter how much you pray, fast, or do deliverance. You need to come back to God (Luke 15:11-24). Make deliberate efforts to turn back to God today, and as you pray, may God show you mercy in Jesus' name.