8 Bible Verses about Backsliding, Christian Examples

And there came two angels to Sodom at even. And Lot sat at the gate of the city. And Lot saw them, and rose up to meet them, and he bowed himself to the ground with his face. And he said, "See lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house; and tarry all night and wash your feet, and rise up early and go on your ways." And they said, "Nay, but we will bide in the streets all night." And he compelled them exceedingly. And they turned in unto him and entered into his house, and he made them a feast and did bake sweet cakes, and they ate.read more.
But before they went to rest, the men of the city of Sodom compassed the house round about both old and young, all the people from all quarters. And they called unto Lot and said unto him, "Where are the men which came into thy house tonight? Bring them out unto us that we may do our lust with them." And Lot went out at doors unto them and shut the door after him, and said, "Nay. For God's sake, brethren, do not so wickedly. Behold, I have two daughters which have known no man; them will I bring out unto you: do with them as it seemeth you good: Only unto these men do nothing, for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof." And they said, "Come hither." And they said, "Camest thou not in to sojourn, and wilt thou be now a judge? We will surely deal worse with thee than with them. And as they pressed sore upon Lot and began to break up the door, the men put forth their hands and pulled Lot into the house to them and shut to the door. And the men that were at the door of the house, they smote with blindness - both small and great, so that they could not find the door. And the men said moreover unto Lot, "If thou have yet here any son-in-law or sons or daughters or whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring it out of this place: for we must destroy this place, because the cry of them is great before the LORD. Wherefore he hath sent us to destroy it." And Lot went out and spake unto his sons-in-law, which should have married his daughters, and said, "Stand up and get you out of this place, for the LORD will destroy the city!" But he seemed as though he had mocked, unto his sons-in-law. And as the morning arose, the angels caused Lot to speed him, saying, "Stand up, take thy wife and thy two daughters and that that is at hand, lest thou perish in the sin of the city." And as he prolonged the time, the men caught both him, his wife and his two daughters by the hands; because the LORD was merciful unto him, and they brought him forth and set him without the city. When they had brought them out, they said, "Save thy life and look not behind thee, neither tarry thou in any place of the country, but save thyself in the mountain, lest thou perish." Then said Lot unto them, "Oh nay my lord: behold, inasmuch as thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, now make thy mercy great which thou showest unto me in saving my life. For I cannot save myself in the mountains, lest some misfortune fall upon me and I die. Behold, here is a city by, to flee unto, and it is a little one, let me save myself therein: is it not a little one, that my soul may live?" And he said to him, "See, I have received thy request as concerning this thing, that I will not overthrow this city for the which thou hast spoken. Haste thee, and save thyself there, for I can do nothing till thou be come in thither." And therefore the name of the city is called Zoar.

And it came to pass in the beginning of a new year, in the times when kings are wont to go forth to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel. And they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem. And it chanced in an evening that David arose from his couch and walked upon the roof of the king's palace; and from the roof saw a very beautiful woman washing herself. And he sent to enquire what woman it should be. And it was answered again, that she was Bathsheba the daughter of Eliam and wife to Uriah the Hittite.read more.
And David sent messengers and fetched her, and she came unto him, and he lay with her. And she was straightway purified of her uncleanness, and returned unto her house. And when the woman had perceived that she had conceived, she sent and told David, and said, "I am with child."

{To the chanter, a Psalm of David, when the Prophet Nathan came unto him, after he was gone in to Bathsheba} Have mercy upon me, O God, after thy great goodness; according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences. Wash me well from my wickedness, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my faults, and my sin is ever before me.read more.
Against thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight, that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and clear when thou shalt judge. Behold, I was born in wickedness, and in sin hath my mother conceived me. But lo, thou hast a pleasure in the truth, and hast showed me secret wisdom. Thou shalt purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Oh let me hear of joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Turn thy face from my sins, and put out all my misdeeds. Make in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy spirit from me. O give me the comfort of thy help again, and establish me with thy free spirit. Then shall I teach thy ways unto the wicked, that sinners may be converted unto thee. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, thou that art the God of my health; that my tongue may praise thy righteousness. Open my lips, O LORD, that my mouth may show thy praise. For if thou hadst pleasure in sacrifice, I would give it thee: but thou delightest not in burnt-offerings. The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, shalt thou not despise. O be favourable and gracious unto Zion; build thou the walls of Jerusalem. For then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness, with the burnt-offerings and oblations; then shall they lay bullocks upon thine altar.

And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired you, to sift you, as it were wheat:

I marvel that ye are so soon turned from him that called you in the grace of Christ, unto another gospel:

But now, seeing ye know God - yea rather are known of God - how is it that ye turn again unto the weak and beggarly ceremonies, whereunto again ye desire afresh to be in bondage? Ye observe the days, and months, and times, and years. I am in fear of you, lest I have bestowed on you labour in vain.

There goeth a common saying that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not once named among the gentiles: that one should have his father's wife. And ye swell and have not rather sorrowed, that he which hath done this deed might be put from among you. For I, verily, as absent in body, even so present in spirit, have determined already - as though I were present - of him that hath done this deed;read more.
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver him unto Satan, for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your rejoicing is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven soureth the whole lump of dough? Purge therefore the old leaven, that ye may be new dough, as ye are sweet bread. For Christ our Easter lamb is offered up for us. Therefore let us keep holiday, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of maliciousness and wickedness - but with the sweet bread of pureness and truth. I wrote unto you in an epistle that ye should not company with fornicators. And I meant not at all of the fornicators of this world, either of the covetous, or of extortioners, either of the idolaters - for then must ye needs have gone out of the world - but now I write unto you that ye company not together. If any that is called a brother, be a fornicator, or covetous, or a worshipper of images, either a railer, either a drunkard, or an extortioner: with him that is such see that ye eat not. For what have I to do to judge them which are without? Do ye not judge them that are within? Them that are without, God shall judge. Put away from among you that evil person.

This thou knowest, how that all they which are in Asia be turned from me; Of which sort are Phygelus and Hermogenes.