The Epistle to the Hebrews part CXXXXIV

Jeremiah 3:12
"Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever."

Remember when we're using Exodus – what is it – 31? Where God says, "I will show mercy on whom I will show mercy, and I will show compassion on whom I will show compassion." He’s Sovereign. But on the other hand, He cannot show mercy to someone who has scornfully apostatized. But the backslider, yes. And so He says, "I am merciful, I will not keep my anger forever."

Jeremiah 3:13a
"Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree,…"

Remember the high places of Baal [male] and Astarteth [female...ie. Jezebel] (Both meaning self will, self gratification, self pleasure) or the god's of the groves as they were known because these were carved images usually of wood but also of stone. Alright that was the Old Testament’s format, that Israel could certainly backslide and they could turn cold but as long as they were still in that mode of trust and belief He would bring them back and He could forgive and be merciful.

Again, let’s come into the New Testament account. And I suppose the most flagrant instance of backsliding would be in 1 Corinthians chapter 5, and we’ll start in verse 1. There’s not one word of Scripture to indicate that this man was ever lost, because he was a believer. He fell into a horrible sin, but yet we know from the record that he was restored and he was never lost. He was a backslider. He was not an apostate. See the difference?

I Corinthians 5:1
"It is reported commonly (in other words, everybody knew it) that there is fornication (immorality) among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife."

In other words, his stepmother. And of course, the Corinthian church was admonished to deal with him and they did deal with him rather severely but, the man was restored, and he was forgiven. He was a backslider. And now we have the other comforting account in 1 John chapter 2. We all know that we cannot go through life sinless. The most spiritual are still prone to sin every day. If we don’t fail anywhere else, we fail in the thought processes. And we have this comfort that even though we fail, even though we stumble and we’re a true believer; God will never cast us out but instead He gives us that opportunity for restoration.

I John 2:1-2
"My little children, (what a term of endearment) these things write I unto you, that you sin not. And (what’s the next statement) if any man sin, we have an advocate. (we have someone there at the Father’s right hand interceding for us constantly) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."

So here we have this whole concept that there is such a thing as "backsliding." So, We’re more prone to remember what we simply heard. And that is that "backsliding" - falling into sin temporarily - backsliding can lead to a forgiveness or I’ll use the word restoration. We’re made right and are in full fellowship once again.

Whereas – "apostasy" - oh, what an awful word. Apostasy only has one thing ahead of it and that is judgment. There is no other way that God will deal with apostasy but by judgment. Remember we saw the first instance of that when Israel refused to go in at Kadesh-barnea. And it’s one of the themes of Scripture that is a constant warning, to not be as Israel was, when because of unbelief they failed to go in and take the Promised Land. It was scornful turning their back on what God had offered.

This is where the Hebrews are, out in time as they refused the offer of their Kingdom not once but actually four times. The first was from Jesus Himself, then there are three more times revealed in Acts. I have to note that it required the Nation to ratify the agreement to enter the Kingdom but as a Nation they refused. So now the individual Hebrew can enter but the Hebrews as a nation is another matter.

Hebrews 6:8a
" But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected,…"