Retraction

That's right, I need to issue a retraction. It turns out I was wrong in my earlier post entitled Backsliders vs. False converts. In that post I said I did not believe in backsliders, well I was wrong. I am a little surprised none of you called me on this one. Well today the truth was thrown at my head like a brick. It was delivered to me by Adrian Rogers. It turns out the same David I spoke of in my previous post was indeed a backslider. This is the same David that is the only man referred to as being after God's heart.

• Acts 13:21-23 21 And afterward they asked for a king; so God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22 And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’ 23 From this man’s seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior—Jesus—

You see David had been blessed for so long he began to get too comfortable in this state. He became over confident, and thought to highly of himself. This lead him astray, and eventually into sin with Bathsheba. Making him a backslider.

• 2 Samuel 11:4-5 4 Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house. 5 And the woman conceived; so she sent and told David, and said, “I am with child.”

So there it is. I was wrong. But that is alright, I have seen the truth now. There is a lesson there alone. Much like the song Amazing Grace says "was blind, but now I see". This is how spiritual growth works. When you become a Christian you don't just suddenly have all knowledge of The Bible. When you repent and trust Jesus alone you are transformed, and The Holy Spirit comes to dwell in you. As you go on living with The Holy Spirit you learn, and slowly The Spirit will open your eyes to a new way of seeing. In other words as you learn to walk closer with God things are revealed to you in due time. The ultimate goal of this process is sanctification, that being when you die and go to Heaven you are much closer to the image of Christ than when you were first converted.

So in closing here is the rest of the Psalm at the close of my previous post.

• Psalm 63:6-11 6 When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. 7 Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. 8 My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me. 9 But those who seek my life, to destroy it, Shall go into the lower parts of the earth. 10 They shall fall by the sword; They shall be a portion for jackals. 11 But the king shall rejoice in God; Everyone who swears by Him shall glory; But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.