Dear Roger,
What does “downgrade” mean? I wish I knew because I think I did.
Kind regards, Meava
Dear Meava,
The fact that you’re worried about it means it probably is. Please don’t take this too personally. Most Christians backslide at one point or another in their Christian life!
What is downshifting?
I define “backsliding” as an interruption or setback in our spiritual growth.
Personally, I believe that turning back the clock is the Old Testament equivalent of the New Testament phrase, “Live in the spirit and not in the flesh (our sinful nature).”
Recidivism is a serious matter, because the greatest sin of Christianity is not growing spiritually.
When a baby with genetic problems can’t grow, our hearts break. In the same way, when one of God’s spiritual babies refuses to grow, their heart breaks.
My wife and I had a baby who couldn’t grow. She was born with three pounds and died with 5 pounds. It was horrible.
Unfortunately, American churches today are filled with baby Christians who have chosen, for whatever reason, not to grow up.
God’s design for all Christians is to mature spiritually, from spiritual children to spiritual young men and women to spiritual mothers and fathers. (Read 1 John 2:12-14 to understand some basic features of each level.)
What does it mean to downgrade?
Let me explain turning back the clock in the context of normal spiritual growth.
Imagine an upside-down handsaw with the teeth pointing upwards. Now lean to one side. The lower side represents spiritual babies and children. Now let’s go about halfway up along the inverted handsaw and we identify this area as spiritual young men and women. Finally, at the raised end of the saw, we see spiritual mothers and fathers.
This is the normal Christian life. As time passes, God’s design is for us to grow in spiritual maturity until we are able to guide the Church and lead it as Christ intends. The sawtooth represents the ups and downs of the Christian life. Following the Holy Spirit, we mount the saw. When we move away from the Lordship of Christ, we step back in our Christian maturity.
Unfortunately, we all have times when we live our way instead of Christ’s way. But overall, the general trend is toward upward progression in our spiritual growth. The number of ascending steps far exceeds the number of descending steps.
In retrograde, the saw begins to trend downward. Our spiritual lives are blocked. Spiritual growth stops and the backsliding has begun. The tragedy is that we do not stay at the spiritual level where we left off. We enter what James calls a “backward movement” whereby we turn away from Christ and slip on the upturned saw blade.
James calls these people “forget those who fully listen” because they actually begin to forget the lessons and things they have experienced in Christ (James 1:22-25).
When backsliders decide to return to Christ, we find that they do not pick up where they left off. Instead, they have slipped backwards and soon discover that they are less spiritual now than when they started their slide.
Some Christians slide on the saw faster than others. How quickly they will unfold depends on whether they surrender – or not – to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Signs of regression
Going back means satisfying the desires of the flesh instead of living according to the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:19).
Hindsight looks like Galatians 5:19-20: “The acts of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, etc.
Going back is like still being a spiritual infant or child more than three years after receiving Christ as Savior and Lord (1 Corinthians 3:1-3 And Hebrews 5:11-14).
Backtracking looks like lukewarmness toward the things of Christ. This looks like intentional sins, guilt and/or discipline and divine punishment.
On the other hand, advancing in our spiritual growth seems to be the fruit of the Spirit.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us stay in tune with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:23-25).
Backsliding is not the kind of game we want to play with God. Downshifting comes at a high price! Backsliders always lose.
Please note that demotion is not an unforgivable sin. Backsliding will not lead to hell because Christ’s grace forgives all our sins at the cross: past, present and future. However, the Lord Jesus uses a variety of tools to make the backslider’s life absolutely miserable.
Looking Back in the Bible
“Therefore a lion of the forest will attack them, a wolf of the desert will ravage them, a leopard will lie in wait for them near their cities to tear in pieces all who venture, for their rebellion is great and their infidelities are many. ” (Jeremiah 5:6).
“Your wickedness will punish you; your unfaithfulness will rebuke you. Therefore consider and understand how evil and bitter it is for you to forsake the LORD your God, and not to fear me, declares the LORD, the Lord Almighty. (Jeremiah 2:19).
“’You have rejected me,’ declares the Lord. “You keep going backwards. Then I will overtake you and destroy you; I’m tired of holding back'” (Jeremiah 15:6).
Going back is not the end of the world. Jesus is waiting with outstretched arms to welcome us back.
“They shall no longer defile themselves with their idols and their vile images, nor with any of their trespasses, for I will save them from all their sinful backslidings and will cleanse them. They will be my people and I will be their God. » (Ezekiel 37:23).
“Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. So they started to celebrate (Luke 10:23-24).
The cure for backsliding is to return to Christ as Lord.
“I want to know Christ – yes, to know the power of His resurrection and participation in his sufferings” (Philippians 3:10).
Follow Jesus’ model to renew your love for Jesus.
“Yet I blame you: you abandoned the love you had in the beginning. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your candlestick from its place. » (Revelation 2:4-5).
Notice that the Jesus model has three easy-to-remember parts.
- Remember what he liked;
- To repent that it is not so;
- Repeat the things you did when you were on fire for Jesus.
Personally, I have found this formula to be quite effective when I struggle with my love for Jesus.
Love, Roger
Editor’s note: Pastor Roger Barrier”Ask Roger“The column appears regularly at Preach it, teach it. Each week at Crosswalk, Dr. Barrier brings nearly 40 years of experience in the pastorate to bear to answer questions of doctrine or practice for the laity, or to provide advice on matters of church leadership. Send your questions to him at roger@preachitteachit.org.