Bible verses about "backsliding" | Sawyer

⁶² But Jesus said, No man putting his hand on the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

⁸ For by grace are you saved through the faith; and that not of you; [it is] the gift of God; ⁹ not of works, that no one may boast;

²⁰ For if having escaped the defilements of the world by a knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled and overcome by them, the last state of those persons is worse than the first. ²¹ For it is better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, having known, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. ²² But it has happened to them according to the true proverb, The dog returned to his vomit, and the swine that was washed to wallowing in filth.

^{1 (2:1)} To the angel of the church in Ephesus write, These things says he that holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, ² I know your works and your labor and your patience, and that you cannot bear the wicked, and you tried those who say they are apostles and are not, and found them false; ³ and you have patience, and suffered for my name, and did not faint. ⁴ But I have against you that you have left your first love. ⁵ Remember therefore whence you have fallen, and change your minds, and do the first works, otherwise I will come to you and remove your candlestick from its place, unless you change your minds. ⁶ But you have this, that you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. ⁷ Let him that has an ear hear what the Spirit says to the churches; To him that conquers will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of my God. ^{8 (2:2)} And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, These things says the first and the last, who was dead and lived, ⁹ I know your affliction and poverty, but you are rich, and the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. ¹⁰ Fear not what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that you may be tried, and you shall have affliction ten days. Be faithful till death, and I will give you the crown of life. ¹¹ Let him that has an ear hear what the Spirit says to the churches; He that conquers shall not be injured by the second death. ^{12 (2:3)} And to the angel of the church in Pergamus write, These things says he that has the two-edged sharp sword, ¹³ I know your works and where you live; where Satan's throne is; and you hold my name, and did not deny my faith in the days in which Antipas my faithful martyr was killed among you, where Satan dwells. ¹⁴ But I have a few things against you; you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put an occasion of sin before the children of Israel, both to eat things offered to idols and to commit fornication. ¹⁵ So in like manner you have also those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. ¹⁶ Change your minds therefore; otherwise I will come to you quickly, and fight with them with the sword of my mouth. ¹⁷ Let him that has an ear hear what the Spirit says to the churches; To him that conquers will I give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white token, and on the token a new name engraved, which no one knows but he that receives it. ^{18 (2:4)} And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, These things says the Son of God, he that has his eyes like a flame of fire and his feet like fine brass, ¹⁹ I know your works and love and faith and service and your patience, and your last works more than the first. ²⁰ But I have against you that you allow your wife Jezebel, who says she is a prophetess and teaches and deceives my servants to commit fornication and eat things offered to idols. ²¹ And I gave her time to change her mind, and she will not change her mind from her fornication. ²² Behold, I will cast her on a [sick] bed, and those committing adultery with her into great affliction, unless they change their minds from her works. ²³ And her children will I kill with pestilence, and all the churches shall know that I am he that searches the minds and hearts, and I will give you each one according to your works. ²⁴ But I say to the rest of you in Thyatira who have not this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden; ²⁵ but what you have, hold fast till I come. ²⁶ And to him that conquers and keeps my works till the end, I will give power over the nations, ²⁷ and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, and crush them like earthen vessels, as I also have received of my Father, ²⁸ and I will give him the star of the morning. ²⁹ Let him that has an ear hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

^{1 (2:5)} And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, These things says he that has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars, I know your works, that you have a name to live, and are dead. ² Be watchful, confirm the rest who are about to die. For I have not found your works perfect before my God. ³ Remember therefore how you have received and heard, and watch, and change your minds. If therefore you do not watch, I will come as a thief, and you shall not know at what hour I will come upon you. ⁴ But you have a few names in Sardis who have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy. ⁵ He that conquers shall be clothed in white robes, and I will not obliterate his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. ⁶ Let him that has an ear hear what the Spirit says to the churches. ^{7 (2:6)} And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, These things says the Holy One, the True, he that has the key of David, he that opens and no one shall shut, and shuts and no one shall open, ⁸ I know your works; behold, I have placed before you an opened door, which no man can shut; because you have a little power, and kept my word, and did not deny my name. ⁹ Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews, and are not, but lie, behold, I will make them come and worship at your feet, and they shall know that I have loved you. ¹⁰ Because you have kept the word of my patience, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which is to come on all the world, to try those who dwell on the earth. ¹¹ I come quickly; keep what you have, that no man may take your crown. ¹² Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out of it no more, and I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, and my new name. ¹³ Let him that has an ear hear what the Spirit says to the churches. ^{14 (2:7)} And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write, These things says the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God, ¹⁵ I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot. ¹⁶ Because therefore you are warm, and neither hot nor cold, I am about to spew you out of my mouth. ¹⁷ For you say, I am rich and have become rich and have need of nothing, and know not that you are miserable, and pitiable, and poor, and blind, and naked. ¹⁸ I advise you to buy of me gold purified in the fire that you may be rich, and white robes that you may put on, and the shame of your nakedness not appear, and an eye-salve to anoint your eyes that you may see. ¹⁹ As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore and change your minds. ²⁰ Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one shall hear my voice and open the door, I will enter in to him, and feast with him, and he with me. ²¹ To him that conquers will I give to sit down with me on my throne, as I conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. ²² Let him that has an ear hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

^{1 (3:1)} AFTER this I saw, and behold, a door was opened in heaven, and the first voice which I heard was of a trumpet speaking to me, saying, Come up hither, and I will show you things that must occur hereafter. ² And immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. ³ And he that sat was like a jasper and sardine stone, and there was an iris about the throne, similar in appearance to an emerald. ⁴ And about the throne were twenty-four thrones; and on the thrones twenty-four elders sitting clothed in white robes, and having crowns of gold on their heads. ^{5 (3:2)} And there proceeded from the throne lightnings and voices and thunders; and seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God, ⁶ and before the throne was as it were a sea of glass like crystal; and in the midst of the throne and about the throne were four living ones [cherubs] full of eyes before and behind. ⁷ And the first cherub was like a lion, and the second cherub like a bullock, and the third cherub had the face of a man, and the fourth cherub was like a flying eagle. ^{8 (3:3)} And the four cherubs had each six wings apiece. And they were full of eyes around and within, and they had no rest day nor night, saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty the Was and the Is and the Is to come. ⁹ And when the cherubs gave glory and honor and thanks to him that sat on the throne who lives forever and ever, ¹⁰ the twenty-four elders fell down on their faces before him that sat on the throne, and worshipped him that lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before his throne, saying, ¹¹ Thou art worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for thou hast created all things, and on account of thy will they are and were created.

^{5 (4:3)} Try yourselves, whether you are in the faith; prove yourselves; or know you not yourselves that Christ is in you unless you are reprobates?

⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

⁴ For those once enlightened and having tasted of the heavenly gift and been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and having tasted of the good word of God and the powers of the life to come, ⁶ and having fallen away, it is impossible again to renew to a change of mind, they having crucified again and exposed to shame the Son of God.