What Does the Bible Say About Backsliding?

Hebrews 6:4-6 ESV / 35 helpful votes

For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.

1 John 1:9 ESV / 26 helpful votes

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

2 Corinthians 13:5 ESV / 17 helpful votes

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

Jeremiah 8:5 ESV / 15 helpful votes

Why then has this people turned away in perpetual backsliding? They hold fast to deceit; they refuse to return.

Jeremiah 3:12 ESV / 15 helpful votes

Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, “‘Return, faithless Israel, declares the Lord. I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares the Lord; I will not be angry forever.

Proverbs 14:14 ESV / 15 helpful votes

The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways, and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.

Hosea 14:1 ESV / 14 helpful votes

Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.

Jeremiah 3:22 ESV / 13 helpful votes

“Return, O faithless sons; I will heal your faithlessness.” “Behold, we come to you, for you are the Lord our God.

Jeremiah 14:7 ESV / 11 helpful votes

“Though our iniquities testify against us, act, O Lord, for your name's sake; for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against you.

John 3:16-17 ESV / 10 helpful votes

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Luke 9:62 ESV / 7 helpful votes

Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Matthew 24:11 ESV / 7 helpful votes

And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.

Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV / 6 helpful votes

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Hosea 11:7 ESV / 6 helpful votes

My people are bent on turning away from me, and though they call out to the Most High, he shall not raise them up at all.

Jeremiah 3:14 ESV / 6 helpful votes

Return, O faithless children, declares the Lord; for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.

John 5:19 ESV / 5 helpful votes

So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.

Jeremiah 2:19 ESV / 5 helpful votes

Your evil will chastise you, and your apostasy will reprove you. Know and see that it is evil and bitter for you to forsake the Lord your God; the fear of me is not in you, declares the Lord God of hosts.

Deuteronomy 18:10 ESV / 5 helpful votes

There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer

Revelation 2:1-4:11 ESV / 4 helpful votes

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. ...

John 3:7 ESV / 4 helpful votes

Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

2 Chronicles 24:14-19 ESV / 4 helpful votes

And when they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, and with it were made utensils for the house of the Lord, both for the service and for the burnt offerings, and dishes for incense and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord regularly all the days of Jehoiada. But Jehoiada grew old and full of days, and died. He was 130 years old at his death. And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, and toward God and his house. Now after the death of Jehoiada the princes of Judah came and paid homage to the king. Then the king listened to them. And they abandoned the house of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols. And wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs. ...

James 4:6 ESV / 3 helpful votes

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

John 15:5 ESV / 3 helpful votes

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Hosea 14:4 ESV / 3 helpful votes

I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them.

Lamentations 3:22 ESV / 3 helpful votes

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;

Jeremiah 31:22 ESV / 3 helpful votes

How long will you waver, O faithless daughter? For the Lord has created a new thing on the earth: a woman encircles a man.”

Jeremiah 24:7 ESV / 3 helpful votes

I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.

Revelation 22:18-19 ESV / 2 helpful votes

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

Matthew 28:19 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Matthew 24:1-51 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?” And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. ...

Matthew 15:14 ESV / 1 helpful vote

Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

Jeremiah 3:11 ESV / 1 helpful vote

And the Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.

Jeremiah 3:8 ESV / 1 helpful vote

She saw that for all the adulteries of that faithless one, Israel, I had sent her away with a decree of divorce. Yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but she too went and played the whore.

Jeremiah 3:6 ESV / 1 helpful vote

The Lord said to me in the days of King Josiah: “Have you seen what she did, that faithless one, Israel, how she went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and there played the whore?

34 Bible Verses about Backsliding