MOSES MY SERVANT IS DEAD - PART 3

This third message in the series continues to explores how Joshua is a picture of Jesus Christ our Savior.  Because Christ has fulfilled the promises, then "in Him" they are ours as well.

"Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.  From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.  There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."  (Joshua 1:3-5).

God told Joshua that every place that the sole of his foot would fall would be his.  By association, therefore, all who followed him would gain the same ground that Joshua gained.  God further said that no man would be able to stand before Joshua in battle all the days of his life.  Again, this promise became true for Israel in general as long as they followed Joshua.  Joshua's victories became their victories because he was their captain.  The promises of God resided in him.  Likewise, every place that Jesus walked - every victory He won - He won for us, if we are following Him.  His is the total victory.  Every knee must bow to Him, and every tongue confess that He is King of kings, and Lord of lords.  We can be righteous because He is righteous.  We can overcome sin because He has overcome sin.  Our anger, dishonesty, lust, hatred, impatience, intolerance, dependencies - they are all strongholds and giants which Christ has already defeated.  The walls have been thrown down, not by our own struggles and efforts, but by faith in our Captain and our Lord.  He came from heaven to purify to Himself a people who are zealous to do God's will.  We now are more than conquerors through Him.

God clearly described the borders of the promised land to Moses, and later, to Joshua, so that they would know all that was given to them by God.  In the same way, God wants us to understand all that is ours in Christ.  He has given us the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth, and confirm to us God's promises through Jesus our Lord.  "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God." (1Corinthians 2:12).  As we allow Christ to dwell in our hearts by faith, we begin to comprehend the breadth, length, height, and depth of God's love for us.  (Ephesians 3:17-19).  We cannot understand it all at once - it takes time to grow in grace; but little by little, as we see Christ more clearly, we are inspired to believe greater things for ourselves.  Peter would have never thought it possible for a man to walk on water; but when he saw his Lord do it, his faith was suddenly awakened to do what he previously would have thought impossible.

It has always been God's purpose to create man after His own likeness.  Adam was formed in God's image, but soon fell from grace and the image was tarnished.  Through Christ Jesus, man can be restored to God's likeness as he puts on more and more of Christ and puts off the old carnal nature.  "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."  (2 Corinthians 3:18).  As we march forward into the promises of God, we must take care that we are following our Captain.  Little by little, and step by step, we will grow into the image and stature of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Israel didn't take the land all at once, but one city, one giant, one stronghold after another fell to them as they continued their advance.  We shouldn't get discouraged as we encounter new enemies of our soul even after we have defeated others.  This is our lot, but we know that faith is the victory that overcomes the world.

"Whom shall He teach knowledge? and whom shall He make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.   For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: for with stammering lips and another tongue will He speak to this people.  To whom He said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear."  (Isaiah 28:9-12).