"The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire." II Peter 2:22
Scripture refers to a Christian backsliding as a dog returning to its vomit and a pig returning to wallow in the slop.
Mel Gibson produced the most impacting depiction of Jesus Christ-"The Passion." He started every work day with worship to Jesus Christ. His filming crew joined him before Christ's altar.
Obviously, Gibson worshiped the Savior, loving Him and witnessing to His saving grace.
However, now newsflashes inform the entire world that Gibson is living in sin, that is, if the words he is said to have said are genuine. What happened since worshiping Jesus Christ daily in filming Christ's earthly sojourn and now spewing forth the devil's brew?
Gibson has backslidden. Countless others sadly have experienced the same deplorable implosion.
Once a believer comes into Christ's grace, truly testifying to being redeemed by Christ's mercy, then turns his back on that Christ, he is backslidden. The Scripture states that that backslidden state is worse than one's soul was positioned prior to being saved.
Before one is saved, one's soul is in danger of eternal hell fire. What then can be worse than that?
Scripture states that having known Christ and the standing of "believer," then discarding that holy gift is to land one's soul in deeper hell than eternal hell fire. In other words, it is abominable to even consider what it means to have walked with Christ and then detoured for one's own sinful, selfish schemes.
Gibson once walked with Christ. Today he does not. His soul is in grave danger.
Christians need to pray for his being reclaimed. That is possible. If Gibson comes to the end of his egocentric love affair so as to crumble at Christ's feet in repentance, he can be reinstated in Christ.
That is the marvel of divine forgiveness. That is the extent to which divine mercy can reach and hold.
For others like Gibson, they need to consider seriously their frightening soul state. They once knew Christ only to forsake Him for sin and self. They have returned to the dog's vomit. They are wallowing in the slop with the swine.
J. Grant Swank Jr.
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