In Proverbs, chapter fourteen, verse fourteen, the faithless are those who have turned their hearts away from God to go their own selfish way. Such persons will reap the fruit of their decision in heartache and misery, as in Proverbs one, verse thirty-one, Proverbs twelve, verse fourteen, and Galatians six, verse seven, respectively. However, those who remain faithful to God will reap the rewards of righteousness, both in this life and the next.
The beginning of the theme is, “The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways.” The Proverbs of Solomon section is the only verse that mentions a backslider. The meaning refers to a traitor, a deserter, or a hypocrite. A backslider is a person who looks back to their sinful nature from which they came and considers it, rather than moving forward with God. In Luke nine, verse sixty-two, “And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Remember, Lot’s wife is one of the shortest verses in the New Testament. Why does God want us to take note of Luke seventeen, verse thirty-two? First, this was the wife of Lot, Abraham’s brother, who failed to take heed to the warning in Genesis nineteen, verse seventeen, of the Old Testament, “And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.” Second, despite receiving this warning, the heart of Lot’s wife clings to the city, where she becomes a pillar of salt.
The backslider in the heart has other things in there, and there is no room for Jesus. This is the danger that can lead to destruction.