Backsliding
A Sermon on Backsliding from Jeremiah 31:21
Originally preached Sept. 27, 1959
Scripture
21Set thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps: set thine heart toward the highway, even the way which thou wentest: turn again, O virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy cities.
Sermon Description
Christians who are unhappy may feel as though they are not receiving the Lord’s blessing as they once had. Jeremiah was a prophet to the people of Israel who were unhappy in their captivity in Babylon. In this sermon on backsliding from Jeremiah 31:21 titled “Wandering from the Highway,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones introduces his audience to the concept of “backsliding” from the Bible, and how the Christian can find his or her way back to blessing. Dr. Lloyd-Jones maintains that God chastises His people and gives them reliable instruction in order to drive them back to Himself. Dr. Lloyd-Jones discusses repentance, the first great essential, and the various marks of true repentance: realizing one has sinned; realizing the folly of struggling against God; realizing the depth of the sin nature; and casting themselves utterly into the hands of God. Dr. Lloyd-Jones charges his listeners to repent and set their hearts toward the highway. There is only one highway: it is spacious and it leads to God. They are challenged to seek God along the highway and look back so as to learn by self-examination where they went wrong.
Sermon Breakdown
- The prophet Jeremiah is addressing the Israelites during their captivity in Babylon. He is giving them a message of hope and encouragement.
- Jeremiah is speaking to those who are unhappy in their spiritual life and relationship with God. He wants to show them the way back to God's blessing and joy.
- The cause of their unhappiness and lack of blessing is their backsliding and wandering from God's way. They have failed to live as they know they should.
- When God's people sin and depart from Him, He chastises them. He also instructs them through His word and prophets.
- The way back to God's blessing involves several steps:
- Repentance: Realizing your sin, its folly and depth. Ceasing to struggle against God. Casting yourself on Him.
- Turning again to seek the highway: Setting your heart on God's way. Following Christ's example. Walking in holiness.
- Examining how you went wrong. Putting up waymarks and landmarks to guide you back: Bible reading, prayer, meditation, fellowship, etc.
- Doing a thorough work of repentance immediately. Not vacillating or looking for shortcuts.
- Despite their sin and unhappiness, God still loves His people. He remembers them, yearns for them, and will show them mercy when they turn to Him.
Sermon Q&A
What Does Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Teach About Spiritual Backsliding?
What is backsliding according to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, backsliding is "a falling back" or a "wandering from the true pathway." Using the imagery from Jeremiah 31:21, he describes it as "being sidetracked" or "wandering away from that straight road, the road that leads us ever, always to the Lamb." It is essentially "a failure to live the Christian life as we know it should be lived, and as we at one time have been enabled to do."
How does God respond to backsliding according to Lloyd-Jones?
Lloyd-Jones teaches that God responds to backsliding in two main ways: 1. He chastises us: "If we wander from God's way because we are his children, we are certain to be chastised. 'Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he calleth.'" 2. He instructs us: God "instructed these children of Israel, by sending his prophets to them." Lloyd-Jones adds that "the value of the chastisement is the instruction that it brings. It calls attention to the instruction."
What are the elements of true repentance according to the sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones outlines four essential elements of true repentance: 1. A deep realization of sin: "The man who truly repents is a man who sees the folly and the enormity of it all. He hates himself for it." 2. Realizing the folly of struggling against God: "Repentance means this partly that a man comes to see the unutterable folly of continuing in a struggle against God." 3. Recognizing the depth of sin: True repentance includes acknowledging "this final paralysis produced by sin, his utter hopelessness" to the point where one cries out, "Turn thou me, and I shall be turned." 4. Casting oneself utterly into God's hands: "Thy way, not mine, O Lord, however hard it be."
What does the "highway" represent in Lloyd-Jones' sermon?
Lloyd-Jones describes the highway as "this magnificent, this spacious, this straight and direct road of God." It represents the way of life that glorifies God. He explains its characteristics: - It is "the way the master went" - following Christ's example - According to Isaiah 35:8, it is "the way of holiness" - It is a life lived to the glory of God - It is a balanced Christian life engaging mind, heart, and will
How does one return to the highway after backsliding?
Lloyd-Jones provides practical steps for returning to the highway: 1. Set your heart toward the highway - make it your deepest desire 2. Examine yourself to see where you went wrong (intellectually, through heart desires, or failure of will) 3. Set up "way marks" - practical spiritual disciplines including: - Bible reading - Prayer - Meditation - Self-examination - Assembly with other Christians 4. "Make a thorough work of it" - be completely committed to restoration 5. Do it at once, without vacillation or seeking shortcuts
What encouragement does Lloyd-Jones offer to backsliders?
Lloyd-Jones concludes with God's encouragement from Jeremiah 31:20: "Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he a pleasant child?... Since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still." He assures backsliders that: - They are still God's children despite their condition - God yearns for their return - God will have mercy upon them - Like the father in the prodigal son story, God is waiting to welcome them back
Old Testament
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.