Becoming More Unfaithful to the Lord
God admonishes us when He sees that our heart is turning from Him. He gently draws us back by the wooing of the Holy Spirit. Then, if that doesn't bring us back, God begins to send difficult times into our life. These are designed to get us to turn to Him for help. However, some people do not respond to God's admonition by trusting Him. Instead, they turn away from God more and more. That is a very bad sign. The Bible tells us that King Ahaz did this. (II Chronicles 28:22) At the time of his distress sent by God to bring him back to the Lord, King Ahaz became more unfaithful to the Lord. We need to be very careful to take note of this response to God. It shows us something very important.
When we become a Christian, God gives us a new heart. The Holy Spirit comes to live in us. We are changed into a new person. Then, we want to do the right things, instead of continuing in our old sinful ways. However, we can still sin, and we do. We listen to the world, the flesh, or the devil and his demons, as they lure us from God. It is at that point that God begins His work to bring us back as I already described. He does this for all of His children. If we are His child, we will respond as God turns up the heat on us. We will be convicted of our sins. We will be so uncomfortable that we turn back to God, confess our sins, and we are restored in our close relationship with Him. If we don't respond well, but we become more unfaithful, it could be a sign that we are not really saved. Being unfaithful is unbelief in the Lord. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus. That faith lasts for all eternity, if it is real, living faith. Therefore, if we persist in unfaithfulness like Ahaz did, we have probably not become a new person, and the Holy Spirit is not in us. If that is what is happening to you, please, sincerely turn to Jesus in repentance and faith right now. Don't live another day without the joy and peace of the Lord.
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Tomorrow, I intend to read II Chronicles 29-31.