Taken from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (C) 1978 by the New York
Bible Society, used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
The Torrey Collection - Chapter 6
VI. THE BEST TEXTS FOR BACKSLIDERS
1. Careless Backsliders
JER 2:5, 13, 19 This is what the LORD says: "What fault did your
fathers find in me, that they strayed so far from me? They followed
worthless idols and became worthless themselves. . . .
"My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring
of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that
cannot hold water. . . .
Your wickedness will punish you; your backsliding will rebuke you.
Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you
forsake the LORD your God and have no awe of me," declares the Lord,
the LORD Almighty.
AMO 4:11-12 "I overthrew some of you as I overthrew Sodom and
Gomorrah. You were like a burning stick snatched from the fire, yet you
have not returned to me," declares the LORD. "Therefore this is what I
will do to you, Israel, and because I will do this to you, prepare to
meet your God, O Israel."
1KI 11:9 The LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart had
turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him
twice.
PRO 14:14 The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the
good man rewarded for his.
2. Backsliders who wish to come back to the Lord.
JER 3:12-13, 22 Go, proclaim this message toward the north:
"'Return, faithless Israel,' declares the LORD, 'I will frown on you no
longer, for I am merciful,' declares the LORD, 'I will not be angry
forever.
Only acknowledge your guilt--you have rebelled against the LORD your
God, you have scattered your favors to foreign gods. . .
"Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding."
"Yes, we will come to you, for you are the LORD our God.
HOS 14:1-4 Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God. Your sins have been
your downfall! Take words with you and return to the LORD. Say to him:
"Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the
fruit of our lips.
Assyria cannot save us; we will not mount war-horses. We will never
again say 'Our gods' to what our own hands have made, for in you the
fatherless find compassion."
"I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has
turned away from them.
ISA 43:22, 24-25 "Yet you have not called upon me, O Jacob, you have
not wearied yourselves for me, O Israel. . . .
You have not bought any fragrant calamus for me, or lavished on me the
fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened me with your sins and
wearied me with your offenses.
"I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake,
and remembers your sins no more."
ISA 44:20-22 He feeds on ashes, a deluded heart misleads him; he
cannot save himself, or say, "Is not this thing in my right hand a
lie?"
"Remember these things, O Jacob, for you are my servant, O Israel. I
have made you, you are my servant; O Israel, I will not forget you. I
have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning
mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you."
JER 29:11-13 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD,
"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a
future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will
listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all
your heart.
DEU 4:28-31 There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone,
which cannot see or hear or eat or smell. But if from there you seek
the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your
heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress and all these
things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the
LORD your God and obey him. For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he
will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your
forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath.
2CH 7:14 If my people, who are called by my name, will humble
themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways,
then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal
their land.
1JO 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will
forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1JO 2:1-2 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not
sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in
our defense--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning
sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of
the whole world.
2CH 15:4 But in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of
Israel, and sought him, and he was found by them.
2CH 33:12-13 In his distress he sought the favor of the LORD his God
and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. And when he
prayed to him, the LORD was moved by his entreaty and listened to his
plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then
Manasseh knew that the LORD is God.
LUK 15:13-24 "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he
had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in
wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine
in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired
himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to
feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs
were eating, but no one gave him anything.
"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired
men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out
and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against
heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son;
make me like one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his
father.
"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was
filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms
around him and kissed him.
"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against
you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'
"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and
put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring
the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For
this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is
found.' So they began to celebrate.
Taken from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (C) 1978 by the New
York Bible Society, used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
Index of Preacher's Help and Notes
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