Saved and Sanctified to Serve

“And the LORD drave out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve the LORD; for he is our God.” (Jos 24:18 AV)

We often think of our lives as a sporting event.  This is how we are acclimated.  We compartmentalize the struggle with the enemies of God as a separate and apart aspect of our lives that have little or nothing to do with other aspects of our walk with the LORD.  If we win the contest at the end of a day, then we relax and relish in the win.  We see each contest as a separate contest.  Each enemy as an individual enemy and the only point to defeating the enemy is to add another mark to the win column.  This is not how Joshua saw it.  He did not see the nation of Israel entering Canaan for the sole purpose of defeating the enemies of God so they might gain lands, houses, and goods.  There was a greater purpose here.  It wasn’t to enjoy the benefits of a win.  It goes much deeper than that.

Although we should apply this principle to our individual case, which I intend to do, one cannot miss the obvious application to our own nation.  Making America great again means nothing unless it results in a nation that fears God and seeks to serve Him.  As long as we protect baby murder and same-gender marriage, God cannot bless us no matter how many other unbiblical practices are ceased.  As long as we worship wealth and prosperity more than we do the God who created it all, we will end up like all other nations.  For the saint, there is also an obvious application.  God saved us from our sin.  He did not do so that we might have a vacation from it.  In fact, if that is how we treat our growth, then growth becomes counter-productive.  As an enemy of God is defeated, there is another willing to take its place.  If substance abuse is defeated, then lust can take its place.  Sin is replaced by service.  This is the principle Joshua was attempting to get across to he brethren.

The next book is perhaps one of the saddest of all books.  When I get to it, I have the feeling of remorse knowing I have to read of the failures of Israel.  What did they forget?  They forgot the above principle.  God brought them out of Egypt and defeated the enemies of Canaan so that the Jewish nation could serve Him.  They didn’t.  What resulted was repeated enslavement to the remaining enemies of God.  Instead of busying themselves in service to the LORD, they did every man according to what was right in their own eyes.