"If ye forsake the Lord, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good."
Joshua 24:20
Here is the backslider, the one who has turned away from God and gone out after the things of the world, following after the fleshly desires of his mind, chasing after false gods of promise. He is simply refusing to do what is right and walk in righteousness. Sure, the backslidden Christian, if he really knows Christ is under grace. Disciplinary action sometimes requires taking a child to the woodshed, and that means painful lessons in life. Yes indeed, God will take the sword, the rod to His own children. He will never condemn His own, yet He will do what's necessary to bring them back home to a place of safety, comfort, peace, and joy. I experienced this first hand for ten years of my life. I knew the truth and yet lived in blatant rebellion and unrightessness as a worldling. God dealt with me over and over again, sometime severely, allowing me to visit cells of dark misery. God's sword can be used as a surgical tool of discipline to bring us back to a place of righteousness and sanity. It's best just to continue walking with Him. He is not above turning you over to the enemy for squeezing if necessary. If He turned Job (a righteous man) over to the enemy for His purposes, what would make someone think unrighteous living may not merit the same consequences?
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