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  WHAT CAUSES A CHRISTIAN TO BACKSLIDE?
  by Erlo Stegen
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Summary: A Christian's backsliding is caused by sin, which separates us
from God and others, and can be prevented by abiding in Jesus.

Duration: 9:16 Topics: "Spiritual Growth", "Backsliding"
Scripture References: John 15:4-17, Romans 8:13, Galatians 5:16, 1 John 1:7

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DESCRIPTION
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This sermon delves into the reasons why Christians may regress
spiritually and return to their old sinful ways, emphasizing the impact
of sin as the ultimate separator. It highlights the importance of
fellowship with the Lord and with one another, drawing parallels to the
unity within the Trinity. The message stresses the necessity of abiding
in Jesus to bear fruit and avoid spiritual withering, ultimately
pointing out that salvation hinges on remaining connected to Him.

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CONTENT
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Now the big question is, what causes a Christian to go back to his old
sin, to his old ways? Yes, that he regresses spiritually. How is it
possible that the Christian can have an experience that overflowing
life, where his heart is full of joy and overflows with the Christian
life and then it stops?

I remember at the wedding of Baba Jablan Dube, one Christian got up If I
remember correctly it was in 1968, this person got up And he said to the
bridegroom, he said, God has created us that we should be one There's
just one thing that can separate us And that one thing is sin, nothing
else can separate us other than sin Our text here refers to fellowship
with one another That we should have fellowship with the Lord Jesus as
the Lord has fellowship with God and at the same time enjoying
fellowship with one another And he said there's just one thing that will
separate us and that is sin And it says if we have fellowship, if we
walk in the light as he is in the light then we will have fellowship
with one another If we have fellowship So we can have fellowship and
should have fellowship with one another As the Father and the Son are
one and united and the Trinity is one so we should enjoy such fellowship
So how is it possible that you can have that fellowship with the Lord
and then you later forsake him?

And so if we have fellowship with the Lord we are one with him so we
will have fellowship and unity with one another as well In the Gospel of
John where the Lord speaks about the vine He said abide in me as the
branch abides in the vine If we don't abide in him we will wither We
will not bear fruit and eventually end up being thrown into the fire
That's tragic If you don't abide in Jesus Abiding in the Lord as that
branch abides in the vine That branch will just wither and die and end
up being thrown into the fire Salvation is only possible if we abide in
him as that branch abides in the vine If we do not abide in Jesus we
will wither You will notice You will notice You will notice such a
person that doesn't abide in the Lord and enjoy that fellowship anymore
He will wither, you will notice it, you will no longer have that joy he
had in the beginning And if we wither in our spiritual life we are on
our way to hell Spiritually we can only survive if we stay and abide in
the vine as that branch But the branch that doesn't abide in the vine
will wither, will not bear fruit and eventually end up in the fire

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Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/_9f1Mg7oxlo.mp4
Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/erlo-stegen/what-causes-a-christian-to-backslide/
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