God's Promise of Healing For The Backslider ~Isaiah 57 Explained

Healing For the Backslider: Isaiah 57:14-21

Preparing the Way: God's Call to Remove Spiritual Stumbling Blocks So You Can Return To Him 

14 And one shall say,
"Heap it up! Heap it up!
Prepare the way,
Take the stumbling block out of the way of My people."

15 For thus says the High and Lofty One
Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
"I dwell in the high and holy place,
With him who has a contrite and humble spirit,
To revive the spirit of the humble,
And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
16 For I will not contend forever,
Nor will I always be angry;
For the spirit would fail before Me,
And the souls which I have made.
17 For the iniquity of his covetousness
I was angry and struck him;
I hid and was angry,
And he went on backsliding in the way of his heart.
18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him;
I will also lead him,
And restore comforts to him
And to his mourners

19 "I create the fruit of the lips:
Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near,"
Says the Lord,
"And I will heal him."
20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea,
When it cannot rest,
Whose waters cast up mire and dirt.

21 "There is no peace,"
Says my God, "for the wicked."

The High and Lofty One Who Dwells with the Humble: Isaiah 57:15

God reaches down to lift up those who humble themselves before Him. 

High and lofty may be rephrased as "Exceedingly Lofty" (2:11; 6:1; 52:13). This one of the ways in which Isaiah describes the transcendance and Holiness of God. He is above everyone - perfect and Holy.  

Inhabits Eternity: Not only is God eternal, without beginning or ending, He transcends time itself. In this way He is able to give all of His time to each of His people; He is not bound by the succession of moments that limits our experience.

High and Holy may be rephrased as "unsearchably high" (32:15; 33:5, 16). 

The Meaning of Contrite and Humble Spirit in Scripture

Contrite and Humble may be rephrased as "genuinely humble," referring to those who submit and repent under God's judgment (Psalm 34:17,18; 51:17; 1 Peter 5:6)

God's Promise: He Will not Contend Forever: Isaiah 57:16

Why We Would Fail Without God's Sovereign Grace in Salvation

God will not contend forever because humans will always fail. Therefore in His sovereign grace, the Lord "created" salvation (54:9, Genesis 8:21,22; Psalm 130:3,4). 

The Sin of Covetousness and Backsliding: Isaiah 57:17

I hid: For a related reference, see 1:15. I was angry: For a similar reference to the Lord's anger, see 54:7,8. Covetousness violates God's covenant (56:11; Jeremiah 22:17). Incline my heart to Your testimonies, And not to covetousness (Psalm 119:36).

Divine Healing and Restoration for the Backslider: Isaiah 57:18

God as the Great Physician: "I Will Heal Him" - The Lord's Guidance and Leadership in Restoration

I...will heal: The Lord is the Physician (30:26). I will...lead him: For similar imagery describing the Lord's guidance, see 40:11; 42:16. Mourners refers to those who lament the destruction of Jerusalem (66:10). 

By His Stripes We Are Healed: The Promise of Spiritual Healing: Isaiah 53:4-6

The healing that God promises to the backslider in Isaiah 57:18 finds its ultimate fulfillment in the suffering and sacrifice of the Messiah. The Old Testament Prophet perhaps says it best:

Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:4-6)

My Savior's Love - A Hymn of Redemption and Healing

As we reflect on Christ's sacrifice that brings healing to the backslider, let this beautiful hymn minister to your heart:

My Savior's Love

I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene, 

And wonder how He could love me, a sinner, condemned, unclean.

For me it was in the garden He prayed, "not my will but Thine"

He had no tears for His own griefs, but sweat-drops of blood for mine.

In pity angels beheld Him, and came from the world of light

To comfort Him in the sorrows He bore for my soul that night.

He took my sins and my sorrows, He made them His very own:

He bore the burden to Calv'ry, and suffered and died alone.

When with the ransomed in glory, His face I at last shall see.

Twill be my joy thru the ages to sing of His love for me. 

The Fruit of the Lips: Peace for the Repentant: Isaiah 57:19

Peace, Peace: Genuine Peace vs. False Peace

Fruit of the lips: For an explanation of the fruit, see Hebrews 13:15. Peace, peace indicates "genuine peace". Contrast the false use of this phrase in Jeremiah 6:13, 14; 8:10,11.

Salvation for Those Far Off and Near: Acts 2:39, Ephesians 2:13

Far off...near: For a similar reference, see 56:7,8 (compare Acts 2:39; Ephesians 2:13,17).

Isaiah's Prophecy: Isaiah 57:21

There is no peace...for the wicked: this phrase is also found in 48:22.

Preservation: Eternal Security in Christ

For those who return to God with humble and contrite hearts, His promise of healing includes the blessed assurance of eternal security. This is the guarantee from God that assures all those who have once been saved will forever remain saved.

Biblical Promises of Eternal Security - Once Saved, Always Saved - God's Guarantee (John 10:27-29)

That guarantee from God that assures all those who have once been saved will forever remain saved (John 10:27-29; 1 Corinthians 1:8-9; Phil 1:6). 

Understanding the Divine Exchange: Christ Became Sin That We Might Become Righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Christ became on the Cross what He was not -- namely, sin -- that we might become what we were not-- namely, righteous. The Son of God became the Son of man that sons of men might become the sons of God (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Blessed Assurance Hymn: Celebrating Our Eternal Security in Jesus

As we reflect on God's promise of healing and restoration for the backslider in Isaiah 57, let the timeless hymn "Blessed Assurance" minister to your heart. This beloved Christian hymn, written by Fanny Crosby in 1873, beautifully expresses the confidence and peace that comes from knowing Jesus as our Savior and experiencing His perfect love. 

Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste of glory divine! These powerful lyrics express the very truth we've just studied—that once we are saved, we remain eternally saved through God's unfailing guarantee. This is the blessed assurance every believer can claim. They remind us that no matter how far we've wandered, God's assurance of salvation and restoration remains steadfast for those who return to Him with humble and contrite hearts.

Watch and listen to this inspiring performance of "Blessed Assurance" and let its message of hope, faith, and divine assurance encourage your spiritual journey and strengthen your faith in God's eternal promises:

Blessed Assurance 

Just as Isaiah 57 promises healing and restoration, "Blessed Assurance" reminds us that our salvation rests not on our performance but on Christ's finished work.