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1 Corinthians 9:24-27 see the Apostle Paul compare the Christian life to a long race where perseverance, bodily discipline, and self-control are necessary for runners to stay the course and reach the goal. We are likewise called to uphold these through the Holy Spirit in our walk before Christ, for the flesh, the devil, and the world system constantly entice us to go off course into rebellious backsliding. While spiritual growth and busyness may convince us that we are safe from falling away, Scripture reveals how easily we can go off course when our lives are not fully surrendered to Christ.
A small, yet sobering example of this is Demas. First mentioned in Philemon 1:24 and Colossians 4:14, Paul referred to him as a fellow worker of his alongside faithful believers such as Luke and Aristarchus. Given the Apostle's high regard for him, Demas was likely very helpful to Paul in his ministry and during his imprisonment. Despite these accomplishments, 2 Timothy 4:10 reveals that Demas had not lived a fully surrendered life, choosing instead to preserve his love for the world. Sadly, this offset in Demas' heart eventually derailed his ministry and led him to abandon Paul in his time of need. As exemplified here, a life that preserves carnal sins and worldly attachments is offset from Christ and risks drifting away from Him into backslidden rebellion.
Moreover, Scripture's many other records of self-redirection demonstrate its horrible consequences. For example, Peter in Matthew 26:69-75 denied knowing Christ three times to preserve himself, which quickly brought him tremendous sorrow and regret. Also, Moses in Numbers 20:10-12 misrepresented God by angrily striking the rock twice, resulting in God denying him the blessing of entering the Promise Land. Furthermore, David, Solomon, and Samson all fell in their lust for women, respectively resulting in the severe consequences of a broken family, a divided kingdom, and even death. In addition, King Josiah in 2 Chronicles 35:20-27 disobeyed God and needlessly attempted to fight the Egyptian king Neco, resulting in a slow and painful death. While these examples did not involve total backsliding, they clearly demonstrate that willful deviations from God's will and Word can result in serious consequences.
Thankfully, God has given us the tool of self-examination to help us check our spiritual condition to see whether we are veering off course from our new life in Christ. For some, this may require going so far as to see if they are truly saved and in the faith, as Paul states in 2 Corinthians 13:5. For those of us who are saved, we are called in 1 Corinthians 11:31 to judge ourselves, checking whether our life is truly following God's will and Word. An indication of this is whether our life is yielding the fruit of the Holy Spirit's person and work. If we find lack in these areas, we must come before God, inviting Him to test our hearts (Psa. 139:23), point out our sins both known and hidden (Psa. 19:12; 139:24), and righteously discipline us for them (1Co. 11:32). Though we are especially called to complete this self-examination before communion (1Co. 11:27-29), we should constantly perform it to ensure our lives are on course with God's will and our abundant life in Christ.
From Peter and Moses to Samson and Demas, Scripture repeatedly demonstrates that a life not fully surrendered to Christ is bound to suffer the consequences of going off course from the Christian walk. From unnecessary grief and forfeited blessings to spiritual backsliding and even physical death, these consequences are certain to take their toll if we remain unrepentant. Thankfully, the door to restoration is always kept open by our heavenly Father, who provides the tool of self-examination for us to earnestly review our life's direction. If we choose to continually do this and remain open to God's correction and redirection, we can avoid the shipwrecks of disobedience and remain on course to enjoy the fullness of His perfect will and best for us.
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