BACKSLIDER
Proverbs 14:14 5472
BACKSLIDING
Jeremiah 3:6 4878
Jeremiah 3:8 4878
Jeremiah 3:11 4878
Jeremiah 3:12 4878
Jeremiah 3:14 7726
Jeremiah 3:22 7726
Jeremiah 8:5 4878
Jeremiah 31:22 7728
Jeremiah 49:4 7728
Hosea 4:16 5637
Hosea 11:7 4878
Hosea 14:4 4878
BACKSLIDINGS
Jeremiah 2:19 4878
Jeremiah 3:22 4878
Jeremiah 5:6 4878
Jeremiah 14:7 4878
4878: waywardness, backsliding, faithlessness, apostasy; turning away (Prov. 1:32)
5472: [Q] to turn away, be faithless, be disloyal; [N] to be turned back, be disloyal, be faithless; [H] to move, displace; [Ho] to be driven back
5637: [Q] to be stubborn, be obstinate, be rebellious
7726: faithless, rebellious, apostate
7728: unfaithful, traitorous, apostate
[H] Hebrew verb stem, Hiphil
[Ho] Hebrew verb stem, Hophal
[N] Hebrew verb stem, Niphal
[Q] Hebrew verb stem, Qal
APOSTASY: A “falling away.” The common classical use of the word has to do with a political defection. In the NT its more usual meaning is that of a religious defection. This is called “apostasy from the faith:” a withdrawing from the church, and a disowning of the name of Christ. Some of its peculiar characteristics are mentioned, such as seducing spirits, doctrines of demons, hypocritical lying, a seared conscience, forbidding of marriage and of meats, a form of godliness without power. The grave nature of apostasy is shown by such passages as Heb. 10:26-29, 2 Pet. 2:15-21, and John 15:22. Apostasy is the act of a professed Christian who knowingly and deliberately rejects revealed truth regarding the deity of Christ (1 John 4:1-3) and redemption through His atoning sacrifice (Phil. 3:18; 2 Pet. 2:1). Apostasy departs from the faith but not from the outward profession of it (2 Tim. 3:5). Apostasy, whether among angels (Isa. 14:12-14; Ezek. 28:15; Jude 6), in Israel (Isa. 1:1-6; 5:5-7), or in the church (Rev. 3:14-16) is irremediable and awaits judgment. Apostates are only professors and not actual possessors of true salvation, otherwise their defection would incur severe chastening or, if this failed to restore them, untimely (physical) death (1 Cor. 5:5; 11:32; 1 John 5:16).
Can a backslider be a Christian? No, because he has never slid forward to begin with.
Can a Christian be a backslider? No, because the mere definition proves they were never Christian to begin with. A Christian cannot jettison the faith and disown Jesus Christ.