Bobby Backslider?

A couple nights back, heading home at the end of the day, I passed a car. I’d just turned off the main-road and was beginning the 8-mile run up Sunshine Blvd home, when I passed a cross-street; on the corner of the cross-street sat a small car; hood up and driver pacing back and forth, calling on his cell-phone...I drove by. I felt a tug inside; turned around and drove back.

As it turns out, Bob had just installed a new battery in his little Hyundai the night before and had failed to properly tighten-down the positive battery terminal, thus his alternator was not properly charging his battery – in short...’he be stuck’. Bob was a little agitated, as he was rushing to pick up his dear wife at work. “You need a boost”, I asked Bob....yep, he did....but I could sense hope drop in him when I asked if he had cables...he didn’t. I cheerfully turned around with a smile & lined my van up with the front of his car anyway, figuring I’d find cables from someone. Half a minute later, a lady in the house right beside us began backing out of her driveway....she had cabled & loaned them to us....I boosted Bob’s car.

As I was disconnecting Bob’s car, I asked what would happen to him when he died...Bob was polite, but assured me he’d take the time to talk another time, but was late picking up his wife....what do you know; his car engine quite before he could drive off. I now had time to talk to Bob while I figured out why it quit (found the loose battery terminal & fixed it) then re-boosting the car.

It turns out that Bob is a sinner and a lawbreaker, guilty before God and deserving of punishment. Bob told me that he loves the Lord, but is a backslider. I told Bob that we don’t see that in scripture (i.e. a man who falls away from the faith, but is still on his way to Heaven)....I pointed out that I John 2:19 says “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.” That seemed to bother Bob; I trust he was convicted.

Pray for Bobby the ‘backslider’.

Glenn.