There are three major equations that govern the lives of men and to which everybody conforms to per time. Whether you like it or not, the present state of your life can always be resolved along the coordinates of one of these three life equations. These equations, when applied to any aspect of our lives, reveals like in a mirror, the condition of any particular aspect of our lives. They are life’s equation to which everyone must definitely conform to per time, irrespective of age, sex, religion and nationality. These equations are:
1. Past Better than Present = BACKWARD
2. Past Equals Present = STAGNANT
3. Present Better than Past = GROWTH
THE BACKWARD LIFE EQUATION (BLE)
The Backward Equation expresses a life whose past life, achievement, exploits, glory, success…is better than its present. That is, when we gather the parameters of this life in the past, and we compare it with its present parameters, the present parameters measures less than the past. The Backward Equation defines a life that is not making progress in life; a life whose velocity of motion has reduced compared to the yester years. The Backward Equation defines a life of reduction in grace, and glory; decrease in strength and achievement; retarded growth and development… a life whose end is lesser than its beginning.
The scriptures clearly show us the different pictures, manifestations and expression of the life that conforms to the Backward Equation.
A Dog Returned To It’s Vomit
II Peter 2:20-22
“For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, “The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.”
Apostle Peter presents to us the life that conforms to the Backward Equation as of a dog that is turned to his own vomit again; and that of a pig that was washed but now returned to wallow in the mud. This defines the lives of those who have once escaped the pollutions of the world through the saving knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, but now they are again entangled there in. It is the life of those who are now overcome by what they have overcome in the past. It is the life that turned around to the things he has left behind; a life that has built again those bridges it once destroyed. It is a life once washed and made clean in the past but now defiled and dirty by sin. This is the picture of a life that conforms to the Backward Equation. Backward Life Equation proves the truth: “A dog returned to its vomit”. And “A washed pig returned to the mud”. The scriptures says it very clear that “the latter end is worse with them than the beginning”. That means their present is worse when compared with their beginning (past). The Backward Life Equation is actually a life of backsliding! It is a life that starts well but ends poorly.
A Life In The Flesh
Apostle Paul in his own words describes this life as a life that started in the faith but now continues in the flesh:
Galatians 3:1-4
“O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Have ye suffered so many things in vain?”
Apostle Paul describes such life as a foolish, crazy, silly and thoughtless life- a life that sets out well but fails to hold out well and consequently fails to hold on well to the end. That is a backward life; a life whose present life of faith can be described as a life in the flesh. People whose life conform to this equation had a past life of faith in God and His word; they lived according to the leading and dictates of the Holy Spirit, but their present life now is void of faith and full of carnality and sensuality. Those who in the past would not dare to take any step or decision without first consulting God but now resolve to their own carnal wisdom as a guide of life. That is the description of a life that conforms to Backward Equation.
A typical case study of such a life is Saul, the first king in Israel. He had a good and glorious beginning but ended on a shameful note. He started well but ended badly. Saul in his beginning was humble, submissive, obedient and full of the Spirit of God. But in his later years, he became proud, arrogant, presumptuous, and possessed by demonic spirit. He started out as a patient king but later ended as an impatient king. He began with God but ended with Satan. He began in the Spirit but stopped in the flesh. He commenced on a victorious note but ended on the note of defeat. He set out as one who had communion with God but ended fellowshipping with demons. As we compared his past with his present, his beginning was better than his end. That is a Backward Equation life.
You also need to bring your life to measure with this equation as you ask yourself, “is my past better than my present?’’ You need to bring every aspect of your life to measure on the balances in order to find out if you are not already conformed or conforming to the Backward Equation.
How is your prayer life, do you prayed more now than then? How is your devotional life, do you have time for devotion as you had in the beginning? How about hearing God, do you hear Him now more clearly than when you first started? How about commitment and consecration; are you better today than the yester years? How about love for God and the brethren, can you say you have grown in love? How about your academics life, are you making progress? How about your relationship life, are you a better person in relating with people compared to the past? Examine yourself and see what you weigh in the balances of this life equation. If your answer to these searching questions is NO, then you are already conformed to the Backward Equation. The implication then is that you are a backslider! Remember, when your past is better than your present, your life has conformed to the Backward Equation.
God’s Recommendation
What then is the way out? Rev 2; 5 says, “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works.” People normally will conform to the Backward Equation when they stop doing the good they used to do. A past that is better than the present is the product of a life that fails to continue in the good he once started with. The Lord therefore, counsels as many lives presently defined by the Backward Equation to (i) Remember (ii) Repent and (iii) Rededicate.
REMEMBER: to remember is to have and bring to mind a memory of something; to recapture the past or keep alive the memory of something. Therefore remember how and where you started. Remember the good old days of fervent prayer life; unflinching faith; unalloyed commitment, continued consecration, passionate bible study life, unfeigned love of the brethren, sacrificial giving, dogged determination, aggressive evangelism, continued fellowship and love of the brethren…. take a pause to recapture the past. Stop and remember what is lost. This is the first step to recovery. It is a conscious, deliberate and personal self-examination and evaluation of your life to discover what and what is lost. If you lost something and you can’t remember what and where you lost it, the hope of recovery is non-existent.
“And Peter remembered the words of Jesus, which he said unto him, before the cock crows, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out and wept bitterly.”
Remembrance brings conviction and godly sorrow concerning the sad and pitiable state of a past life that is better than the present. That was the first step in the restoration and recovery of Peter from his backslidden life. When he remembered, he became sorrowful and wept bitterly for his lost state. The scripture says “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death”. Remember where thou has fallen.
REPENT: to repent is to turn from the wrong and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one’s life. To repent is to turn away from the present state of a better past. You must repent from laziness and compromise. If you are passionate about regaining the good old days for a better present and a greater tomorrow, you must repent of those bad things you have now embraced in place of former good things. As you remember where you have fallen you will equally know what to repent of. A remembrance without repentance profits nothing. “Repent therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out; and the time of refreshing shall come from the Presence of the Lord.”
REDEDICATE: As you remember and repent, the next thing is to rededicate yourself to the good things you dropped behind; you must, as a matter of seriousness and urgency be committed again to effective prayer life, Bible study, consecration and devotion… By so doing, you will discover that the cord which have broken will vibrate once more. “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works.”
“Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal y our backslidings.