How to own and keep a title
Content 36. How to own and keep
It is the gracious heart of Christ to be gracious to those he loves (Matthew 6:28-29).
Joshua is about to enter his “rest” after a long, arduous and long journey for God. Now he had become “old and old.”
And here we see his will and learn that his noble life reveals another facet of his bold death. It is a wonderful sight to see a former possessor of amazing faith living for the glory of God and now longing for God's rest in such a noble state. In this final will of Joshua to Israel we see how we are to receive an inheritance and keep it. It is important to receive what is God's, but it is also important to keep it according to God's will.
1. Here's how to get this possession
(1) It was made in the past salvation
“You came out of Egypt, from the house of slavery… … ” (Exodus 13:3), the power that had made them their slaves fell, and they could go forth to possess Canaan.
Gun's slavery was freed by God's salvation. So they were able to make such a marvelous march of blessing. This becomes a precious grace in our appearance. We who used to be Satan's servants and lived under his power, now come out of the power of Satan in order to become men of God.
First, you will be freed from Satan's bondage, and then you will enjoy the liberation of receiving wonderful blessings. You must first leave the things of this world to become people of amazing grace who look at the things of the kingdom of heaven.
(2) There is present salvation.
“The Lord your God is the one who fought for you” (verse 3).
Numerous obstacles appeared to prevent them from owning the inheritance promised by God. But Jehovah God was able to deliver them from all this. Those who have been delivered from the bondage of sin sometimes suffer from other hardships while suffering from these conditions. The world, lust, and the forces of evil are important factors that keep us from having the inheritance of Christ. They hinder us in many ways from entering the blessings of God, just as Israel suffered from entering the land of Canaan.
We live with the same God in the world who has given us wonderful grace for us and who enriches us with blessings. That God always and unchangingly adds new and rich graces to our hearts and our souls. God makes every provision to enjoy blessings “for us.”
“He will drive them out from before you and cause them to depart from your sight” (verse 5), a wonderful work of God's grace.
2. Here's a way to keep this possession
(1) It is forward-looking.
“If you regress and become acquainted with these nations that remain among you” (v. 12), they must be forward-looking. They will not look to Egypt, nor will they look back to the wilderness of sin. They must give up their old life and live with the new life in mind. There must be a decisive attitude to completely throw away the old man and his deeds, and to return all the past to the past (Hebrews 10:38-39).
An evil heart always tries to forsake God's will and pursue the lusts of the flesh (Hebrews 3:12). Extracting evil from the heart is like pulling a speck out of our eyes. The sooner this is, the better it is, so the work of God's blessing comes sooner (Numbers 33:55).
(2) It is not about having fellowship with the enemy.
“Do not go among these nations that remain among you” (verse 7). “Be friendly with these remnant nations” (v. 12), “Be not yoked with those who do not trust” (2 Corinthians 6:14). Being with Canaan does not improve the Canaanites, and it is always a problem for God's people. To be secularized to make the world a better place is to promote evil and live by it. Therefore, we must not follow the world, but have a strong and bold determination to transcend the world and live according to God's will.
We live in a village with our enemies, but we must abandon our attitude with them.
(3) There must be no disturbance of the mind.
“Be careful with yourselves, and love the Lord your God” (verse 11). Love is not a competition. Love is pure, beautiful, and sacrificial. The first commandment is “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). The Bible says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5). Jesus Christ said, “You shall love the Lord your God, and this is the great and first commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38). Lot's wife had her heart toward the world. So she was judged.
3. There are consequences of regression
“They are a snare to you” (verse 13), and regression has dire consequences. When Israel disobeys God's instructions and joins the Gentiles, God's grace disappears, and thus they receive terrible resistance from those around them. Retreating church members are no exception in this regard. When a believer's life deteriorates, true spiritual fellowship is cut off, and God's blessings are further lost.
Regression away from God's way and God's will means the following.
(1) Loss of ability.
God does not give grace to His people when they “regress.” This is a wonderful lesson in verses 12-13.
Deviating from God's way grieves the Holy Spirit and further leads to an act of complete disregard for His work. Those who cannot live a life of living and witnessing for Jesus Christ are sad and unhappy lives. These people are people who have lost their abilities, and it is the end of those who live according to their own will, not God's. When Samson turned back from disobeying God's instructions, the Lord left him (Judges 16:20).
Branches that fall from the vine lose their vitality and wither.
(2) There is a loss of comfort.
“A scourge in your sides and thorns in your eyes” (verse 13), this verse shows the consequences of disobedience. It is not a conqueror to be rejoiced in, but a miserable figure of sorrow. To depart from the light is to be in darkness. It is a very good thing that the sins of God's people arouse the conscience. The greatest tragedy that comes to the soul comes from trying to be happy without God.
The absence of God itself is the beginning of unhappiness.
(3) Loss of promise.
“I will perish from this good land” (verse 13). Annihilation in the Promised Land is a tragedy of tragedy. This, which is the result of distrust and disobedience, does not happen overnight.
When they depart from God, they bring their own tragedy every day, and eventually they lose the promised land God has given them as His people. To regress is to go against it, to go forward with Satan, but to go backward with God. And it falls into a sad state of not being able to enjoy the spiritual blessings that God has given them, falling into Satan's snare, and not even receiving the promise of God's wonderful blessings.
Therefore, in order to enjoy God's promises, we must have the attitude to live and put into practice what the Lord has told us.