Whenever we use a Biblical term in a non-biblical sense it is often dangerous and can have perilous consequences. The term "backslide" is a good example of this principal. It is often used of a believer who has fallen into a particular sin for a time or we call one who professes Christ and turns back to a life of sin a "backslidden Christian." However, in Scripture, the term is used exclusively of God’s people in the Old Testament as those who had forsaken Him and unless they would return to Him they would be lost and without hope. Israel had a unique relationship with God which was not enjoyed by the surrounding gentile nations. God chose the nation of Israel as His own possession and therefore everyone physically born in Israel became one of God's people and were called such irrespective of whether or not they were in a state of salvation. The entire nation was under a covenantal relationship with God and were to serve and worship Him alone. If at any time they would rebel and turn away and follow after the dictates of their own hearts, turning to other gods, they were considered backslidden.

 

It says in Jeremiah 2:13, 19,

"For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.

 

Your own wickedness will correct you, and your backslidings will rebuke you. Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing that you have forsaken the Lord your God, and the fear of Me is not in you,” says the Lord God of hosts.

 

The backslidden are described here as those who have forsaken the Lord and have no fear of God in them. They are unregenerate and apostate yet still being referred to by God as "My people." However, this is never the case in the New testament. In the New Testament we become God's people by spiritual birth and therefore all those referred to as God's people are regenerate and in a state of salvation in that all without exception are circumcised in heart. In other words, the physically circumcised in Israel were the people of God irrespective of whether or not they were circumcised in the heart but, every person in the true Church is circumcised in the heart if they are God's people. The term "backslide" would not then be used in the same sense of a Christian under the New Covenant in that those who would apostisize and fall away would be, even as backslidden Israel, unbelievers and not Christians. This would explain why the term is unique to the Old Testament people of God. Moreover, it does not speak of one who has, for a time, fallen into sin, but of one who has fallen away and forsaken God entirely. "'You have forsaken me' says the Lord, 'you have gone backward. Therefore I will stretch out my hand and destroy you.'" (Jer. 15:6)

 

The first commandment is, "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me" (Exod. 20:3). In the Old Testament, God gave His people Israel, severe warnings as to the fate of those who would go after other gods.

 

"Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today: and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known"(Deut. 11:28).

 

"Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the Lord your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish" (Deut. 8:19).

 

To serve and worship other gods is to turn from the God of Scripture and the "way" in which He commands us to walk. God says of those who have turned aside from the way, that, "they go a whoring after other gods" (Deut. 31:16). God speaks of the unfaithful as those that "play the harlot,"

"But you have played the harlot with many lovers; Yet return to Me," says the Lord (Jer. 3:1).

"...You cannot serve the Lord, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after He has done you good" (Josh. 24:19, 20) (emphasis added).

 

God refers to His people as His bride, and He requires of His bride that she be faithful. God separates Himself from the spiritual adulterer, the backslider, the unfaithful called by His name, and unless there was sincere repentance the separation would be eternal.

 

"'Have you seen what backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there played the harlot. And I said, after she had done all these things, 'Return to Me.' But she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also. So it came to pass, through her casual harlotry, that she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me with her whole heart, but in pretense,' says the Lord'" (Jer. 3:6-10).

 

The parable of the prodigal son, Luke 15:11-32, is often used to depict a backslidden Christian, however, when Jesus spoke this parable it was while still under the Old Testament dispensation and it was not until much later, Acts 10, that the salvation of the gentiles had even entered into their thoughts. Rather the parable was in reference to the backslidden as depicted in the Old Testament; the lost sheep of the House of Israel, the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which God had driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they had committed against Him (Dan. 9:7). The elder brother in the parable represents the house of Judah, who, although they did not leave the Father with their feet, their hearts were far from Him, even as the Pharisees, and their worship was in vain; in pretense and hypocrisy (Matt. 15:8-10). The younger brother represents the house of Israel who walked away from God in rebelliousness, and openly served the gods of foreign nations. In other words, the parable represents the two houses; the lost son is Israel and the son who stayed home is self-righteous Judah. Both were uncircumcised in heart and in need of salvation. Whom did Jesus come to save? Not the gentiles initially, but the lost sheep of the House of Israel (Matt. 15:24), the backslidden who had turned away from their God, as the "prodigal son" gives example.