Thank You Mark for leading us again and Jake for the song, appreciate that and Arda, it was beautiful. Thanks Mark for reading that. 

I you know chapters 12 to 19 kind of go on like that because it's all about the dividing of the land and we're gonna kind of cover that. Normally in the course of our studies here at Living Hope Church, we tend to take just a few verses and mine out the riches of what God is saying to us. Our study particularly in the New Testament generally moves slowly and methodically through the text in order to really understand and grasp the great truths of the tremendous depth of the Word of God. So sometimes it's just a verse or two that fills an entire message.

As we've studied the book of Joshua and often in the Old Testament, we find that we've been working at about a chapter at a time. This is a historical narrative rather than a doctrinal epistle, and so the stories, the records of what happened generally hang together in longer texts and give us tremendous principles for application in our lives. 

This entire section is a record in chapters 12 to 19 of how God divided the land of the tribes of Israel, and it's very repetitive. There are lots of these cities and geographical markers and names that we aren't familiar with, giving the boundaries of the land that was divided to each tribe. But this is all God's Word; it's all profitable for us.

The significance of these chapters really is that God keeps His promises. God is faithful, God wins the battles, and brings us the victory. He always does what He says He will do. His Word is truth and we find some very important lessons in these chapters, some great applications, and we're going to explore those things in the New Testament today as well by way of application.

But I'm going to do something very unusual today; we're going to take this entire section, chapters 12 to 19, in one message. And don't worry, we're not going to read it all, but we will hit the highlights and, God willing, bring the essence of the message in our study together this morning. 

You remember early in our study of the book of Joshua, we saw the crossing of the Jordan. God dried up the Jordan, held back the waters, and the Israelites crossed on dry land. We talked about how this crossing of the Jordan has come to represent glorification in much of the church. Many sermons have been preached, multitudes of hymns written about the crossing of the Jordan as if it were passing on to heaven. 

However, it was our discovery in studying the text that this is an erroneous application. Crossing the Jordan does not in any way typify glorification, but we found that it more accurately represents justification, that is, the initial act of faith. The author of Hebrews in chapters 3 and 4 tells us that the children of Israel who came out of Egypt could not enter the land, could not receive the promise because of unbelief, and thus their corpses fell in the wilderness. 

And we saw in the crossing of the Jordan that the children of that generation that grew up in the wilderness entered the land, crossed over the Jordan in an act of faith by which they crossed the Jordan on dry land and entered the land to take it for themselves as God commanded and promised. 

Now this is an important distinction because it also speaks to the Christian life today and it is exhibited in our text. When Israel entered in, crossed the Jordan, it was not into final rest; it was not glorification, it was not a state of sinlessness and freedom from the enemies of God, the battles of this life of faith. Rather, it was only the beginning. 

And what we're going to see today in our lengthy text, this record of the dividing of the land, is that even in receiving their inheritance, even as the land is divided for them, the battles are not done, the conquering is not complete, and the dangers and temptations of the world and the sons of Adam still exist. 

The great need to trust in and depend on God and obey God is ever present in this life, in this time, on this earth. We're going to see the children of Israel, though they have been given the land and God has driven out so many before them with these great victories over 33 kings— including the two that Moses conquered and then the 31 that Joshua conquered—this is still not glory and battles are left to fight. 

We're going to take this application for ourselves and see in the new covenant time the nature of the battle we fight in the Christian life in this world and how God intends that we would have victory. 

Well, let's look at some verses from our text. Let's look at Joshua 12:1 to start. It says, “These are the kings of the land whom the children of Israel defeated and whose land they possessed on the other side of the Jordan toward the rising of the Sun from the River Arnon to Mount Hermon and all the eastern Jordan plain.” 

Now in chapter 12 we see a list of the kings defeated by Moses, Og, and Sion, and the list of kings defeated by Joshua, which was 31 on the west side of the Jordan. If you look at your map on the back of your outline, you can see the land and how it is divided among the tribes, and also get a feel for the size of this land. 

It's about a hundred and fifty miles by fifty miles, which is not that big—it's about the size of the state of New Jersey—and in it, on the west side of the Jordan there were at least 31 kings, 31 tribes and territories which Joshua defeated. 

Now if you look at Joshua chapter 13 at verse 1, it says, “Now Joshua was old, advanced in years, and the Lord said to him, ‘You are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed.’” This is the land that yet remains, and then God lists out the areas yet to be conquered. 

Remember it was God's intention for Israel to have all of the land promised. But we see through many events and some sinful decisions in the nation of Israel that they never possessed the entire land. Even under David and Solomon, the time of the greatest expanse of Israel, they did not have all of the land that God promised. And my friends, they're still fighting over that land today with their unconquered neighbors. 

Joshua 13:7, we see this command: “Now therefore divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half tribe of Manasseh.” You remember the two and a half tribes stayed on the east side of the Jordan and Moses had given them that land, and that left nine tribes and the half tribe of Manasseh to be dividing the land on the west side. 

So they're going to divide up the land and apportion it to the tribes, and they do this by lot. The land was to be divided completely to the nine and a half tribes on the west side of the Jordan even though conquering was far from complete. So God's plan was kind of divide and then conquer.

Now look at verse 13 with me of Joshua 13. It says, “Nevertheless, the children of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maccathites, but the Geshurites and the Maccathites dwell among the Israelites until this day.” In chapter 15 at verse 63 it says, “As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out, but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.” 

Chapter 16 verse 10 says, “And they did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer, but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites to this day and have become forced laborers.” We see this again and again in subsequent chapters, areas where the children of Israel either could not or would not drive out the inhabitants of the land. They coexisted with them, and this would cause them problems in the future. 

In chapter 14, we see a special blessing for Caleb. If you look at chapter 14 at verse 6, it says, “Then the children of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, ‘You know the word which the Lord said to Moses, the man of God, concerning you and me at Kadesh Barnea. I was 40 years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart. Nevertheless, my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the Lord my God. So Moses swore on that day saying, "Surely the land where your foot is trodden shall be your inheritance and your children's forever because you have wholly followed the Lord my God."’ 

And now behold, the Lord has kept me alive as He said these 45 years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness. And now here I am this day, 85 years old, and yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me. Just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war both for going out and for coming in. Now therefore give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, the Giants, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will be with me and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said.” 

And Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance. Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, to this day because he fully followed the Lord God of Israel. 

We will remember Caleb and Joshua were the only two spies that brought back a good report to Moses all those years ago. They had been heeded by the people; they could have gained their inheritance much sooner. Here we see that God blesses Caleb. God was in control of dividing the land and to which tribe He would give what territory. 

In 14:2 it says their inheritance was by lot as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses for the nine tribes and half tribe. And all the way through chapter 19, we see the specifics of each of the geographic areas laid out for each tribe as God intends and He communicated through the casting of lots. 

At the end of chapter 19 it says this; I'd like for you to turn to Joshua 19:49. It says, “When they had made an end of dividing the land as an inheritance according to their borders, the children of Israel gave an inheritance among them to Joshua the son of Nun. According to the word of the Lord, they gave him the city which he asked for, Temnath Sarah in the mountains of Ephraim, and he built the city and dwelled in it.” 

I like that part because it says he was old and advanced in years and then he went on the mountain and built the city. Gives me a little bit of hope. 

Verse 51, “These were the inheritances which Eliezer the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel divided as an inheritance by lot in Shiloh before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, so they made an end of dividing the country.” 

This is the dividing of the land—that's what chapters 12 to 19 are about—and I've given you four points on your outline. 

First, God keeps His promises. Second, God gives the inheritance. Third, God divides the land. And fourth, God empowers the victory. 

Well, we covered last week in our message on Joshua 10 and 11 the truth that God keeps His promises. We've seen incredible miracles, the moving of the hand of God in great power. We've seen His patience with His people to accomplish His will through them in order to bring to pass all that He promised. 

We discussed the importance of understanding this tremendous truth that God keeps His promises—for Israel, for the church, for every believer—because our assurance is based on promise. In Galatians 3 verse 13 it says, “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us, for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,’ that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” 

He says to Abraham and his seed were the promises made to his seed, and this I say, that the law which was 430 years later cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise, but God gave it to Abraham by promise. 

The gift of God's grace, the salvation He provides through Jesus Christ, His righteousness obtained by faith in Jesus—this is all based in the promise of God. Our faith is in His promise, His person, Jesus Christ, His work on the cross. We have nothing but the promise of God. And the truth that He keeps His word, that He keeps His promises, is our assurance, is our faith, and is our hope. 

This is what we see—God keeps the promise of the land of driving out the inhabitants before Joshua as He works in incredible ways, going to great lengths, even dealing with His own people and their unbelief and failings and shortcomings along the way. He does this to accomplish His will and purpose to bring to pass His promises. This is a great lesson for us, a great encouragement that God keeps His promises. 

Next, we see that God gives the inheritance. If there's one message that is clear from the book of Joshua, the theme and application for us is that God gives the inheritance. God, by His might and power, brings to pass the things that He has promised. The battle is the Lord's; we certainly see that in Jericho and in AI and all these events in the book of Joshua. 

It's not by our might; it's not by our power, our wisdom, or scheming or manipulating that we can gain the victory or obtain the promises. God is sovereign and in control; He is orchestrating His plan and purpose, and He brings it to pass. The amazing thing is to see that in His sovereignty, God has chosen to use His people to bring His will to pass. 

God uses us as we trust and believe Him, as we walk by faith. Think about the greatest work He has given us—the reason that we've been left on this earth in this time—that the world may know that Jesus is the Christ. 

Turn over to 2nd Corinthians 5 with me please. 2nd Corinthians 5 at verse 11. Paul writes, “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. But we are well known to God, and I also trust we are well known in your consciences. For we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God, or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. 

Verse 14: “For the love of Christ compels us because we judge thus, that if one died for all, then all died. And He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. Therefore from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh, even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he's a new creation. Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. That is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He who made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 

What tremendous truth! God has prepared us; God has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness. He has crucified us with Christ, given us a new heart and a new spirit, and come to make His home in us, empowering us, strengthening our inner man, encouraging and helping us to live for Him. 

We died that we might live for Him, and do what? Be His ambassadors. He's chosen us and sent us to be His ambassadors. He's given to us the word of reconciliation. We are His heralds, taking His message to the world, persuading men and imploring them to come to faith, to believe Jesus, and pass from death unto life. How great is our God! He keeps His promises. He gives the inheritance. 

Salvation, our inheritance with Jesus, is a gift—a gift of God's grace by the work of His Son. His death in our place, for our sins. Paul tells us in Romans 8 that we are co-heirs with Christ, children of God, that those whom He justifies He also glorifies. This is our inheritance: eternal life, and we have this now through faith in Jesus alone and what He accomplished on the cross. 

God gave the inheritance to Israel, the promised land, and we see Him dividing it up among the tribes of Israel by His sovereign will, a promise, a gift of grace. He has given us an inheritance in Christ, just as He promised. God gave it by promise, and He brought it to pass in His sovereign will, and He offers this gift of grace, this inheritance to any man who will believe. 

Next, we see that God divides the land. It's so interesting to me as we saw in our introduction and in the text we read that God divides the land by lot in His sovereign will at Shiloh at the door of the tabernacle. He gives the land; He divides it up before it is fully conquered. Seems like there's an application there somewhere. 

As many battles as Joshua won and all the territory and the 31 kings he defeated, these great victories that God won through Israel— even with all this, they are inheriting a land that is not yet fully conquered. There are many battles yet to fight. 

As we saw in several scriptures in our text, there were the enemies of God coexisting with the children of Israel, living beside them in the land. If you look at your map again, you can see on the edges several groups of people that have yet to be conquered: the Philistines, the Hittites, Moab, Edom, Amalek. 

We saw that there were several people groups that they were unable to drive out or they were unwilling to drive out, and thus, there was a coexisting with the world. Dangers, temptations, battles yet to fight, land to be conquered. This is how it was for Israel in the promised land. 

It was not heaven; not representative of glory. Rather, they entered in by faith, as in justification. And what we see is that there are still many battles to be fought in their walk through the promised land, in their time on this earth. My friends, this is an example for us. 

There are those who paint the Christian life as a type of glory. Just come to Jesus and all your problems will be solved. Jesus will fix your finances. Jesus will fix your marriage, save your kids, keep you from any kind of trouble in this world. God wants you to be happy. He wants you to be wealthy. He wants you to be healthy. 

There are varying degrees of this in the realm of Christendom today, but the message is there, and it's a lie. The fact is that in this world you will have trouble. James says all kinds of various problems, and it's every day and it's all the time. Our comfort is not in a carefree life. 

Our comfort is not in a trouble-free world. Our comfort is in a Savior who has overcome the world; in a life of purpose; in a sovereign plan in which we have a part to fulfill in bringing the gospel to the lost, living a life worthy of our calling, and glorifying God in all that we do. But make no mistake, my friend, this is a battle. 

This is a warfare that we are engaged in in this fallen world where Satan is the god of this age, the ruler of this realm. We have been given an inheritance. Jesus has won the victory at the cross, but John gives us great insight in 1st John 3. He says, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God.” 

Listen to this. He says, “Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God. Now we are children of God. But it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is, and everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” 

Crossing the Jordan, coming to faith in Jesus is not glorification, but we now walk in this cursed world full of trouble as children of God, as foreigners and sojourners looking for the city not made with hands, looking forward to the realization of our inheritance, the glorious revealing of the children of God, when we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 

We still have many battles to fight if we are to be productive in our mission in our time here on this earth. Daily, continual tension between the joy of salvation and the hope of the coming of Christ, the present possession of eternal life, and the great distress of living in this world that is not our home, amongst people who are the sons of Adam and not the sons of God. 

We live in the system of Satan, and there's a battle for the souls of men as we await the coming of Jesus to take us to be with Him forever in glory. 

So the salient application for us is this: it's God who empowers the victory. If we are to fight effectively, if we are to be fruitful and win the battles that yet remain; be witnesses for God and bring glory to Him in all things, then we must understand the nature of the battle. 

I'm preaching on eight chapters, so it's gonna get a little long, okay? But wake up now because this is the good part. The war is won; Satan is defeated; Jesus is victor. He's sitting at the right hand of God, waiting until his enemies are made His footstool. 

I thought of this verse when I was reading again about the five kings back in chapter 10, and Joshua had the leaders put their foot on their necks, right? Submission. This is such a picture. Jesus is waiting for the consummation of all things; the revealing of what is already done, already won, until His enemies are made His footstool. 

But in this life, on this earth, there is still a battle to glorify God. There's still a battle to win men to Christ. How does God intend that we win these battles? How does God intend that we have daily victory? The answer is the same as it was for Joshua: God empowers the victory. 

So often we hear teaching about sanctification, about the Christian life as a battle against sin, as a battle against our old nature, our old man—a battle to keep the law of God—some external standard. At the same time, we are taught that we are vile, wretched sinners, that we live in continuous defeat, where we never do the things we want to do and always perpetually do the things we hate. 

I mean, if the Apostle Paul can't do it, I don't know how many times Christians have said this to me: “Well, if the Apostle Paul can't do it, then what hope do I have?” All of Romans 7. My brother, if you don't understand, go back and get the CD and listen to Romans. These are all errant teachings. 

A total misunderstanding of the truth of who we are in Christ and what we have in Him. And a misunderstanding of the battle and how God intends to provide the victory one day at a time, one moment at a time, by faith, as we look forward to glory. 

I've often heard it preached that we as believers are to put off the old man, and we are to put on the new man, as if this is a command, or something that we must do. I'd like for you to turn to a couple of passages with me. First, Colossians 3. 

Colossians 3, Paul tells us in this chapter that we died with Christ, that our life is hidden with Christ in God, we're now to set our mind on things above. I want you to look at verse 9. Verse 9 says, “Do not lie to one another.” One of the Ten Commandments, right? Do not lie. This is a command. This is imperative. 

Paul says, “Do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man with his deeds and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.” Do not lie to one another. Why, Paul? A command, an imperative. Do not lie. But it's not just a command. 

They have this command down at the works-righteous religious centers in our communities. It's not just a command. Paul here lays a foundation, gives us a reason why we should not lie. The imperative, the command, is based on the indicative truth: “Do not lie to one another.” Why? Because you have put off the old man. 

“Put off” is in the aorist tense, a one-time event occurring in the past. You have put off the old man. Now, if God says that I have put off the old man, then why would I need to seek and strive to put off my old man? It's already been done. And if I have not put off the old man, then I have no basis for not lying. 

Because it is at least partially who I am, consistent with who I am, to lie. The clear teaching of the New Testament in passages like Colossians 3, Ephesians 4, and Romans 6 is that my old man is dead. That my old man was crucified with Christ.

The old man has been put off. It is done. And not only this, but you'll notice in these same passages it says I have put on the new man. Resurrection. I've been raised with Christ, a newness of life. 

And thus my outward life must be consistent with who I am on the inside. That's Paul's argument. Do not lie to one another because you're not a liar anymore. You're not in Adam anymore. This is a biblical definition of sanctification. 

It's an outward conforming to an inward reality. This is Romans 12:2. Metamorphome is the word—be being transformed by the renewing of your mind. It's the same word that was used of Christ on the mount when he was transfigured, when he pulled back his flesh and showed the essence of who he was. 

Let your outward man be being conformed to the reality of who you now are in the inner man because of what happened to you in salvation. The basic premise of the New Testament admonition to holy living is this: This is who you now are; therefore this must be how you live.

Look at Ephesians 4 with me. Verse 17. Ephesians 4:17: “This I say therefore and testify in the Lord that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk.” No longer. That means you used to walk that way like the rest of the Gentiles because you were one of them. 

Verse 20 says, “You have not so learned Christ if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him as the truth is in Jesus. What's that? That you put off”—and that's aorist tense again—“it should be translated how: put off, like it is in Colossians. You have put off concerning your former conduct the old man which grows corrupt according to deceitful lusts, and now we have a present tense verb in verse 23 denoting continuous action: and be being renewed in the spirit of your mind. 

You have put off the old man; that's done. You need to be being renewed in the spirit of your mind because you have put on the new man which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness. 

Now look what he says in verse 25: “Therefore, because of this truth again putting away lying, let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. 

Look at verse 28: “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor working with his hands what is good that he may have something to give him who has need.” Now we see Paul reiterate the same truth here, the truth that is in Jesus, that we have put off the old man, that we have put on the new man, and we are being renewed in the spirit of our mind, just like Romans 12.

We do not need to put off the old man, nor do we need to put on the new man. Listen now. We need to be continually renewing our mind to the truth that this has already occurred, that God has done this in salvation. 

This is Romans 6: reckon, right? Count up the facts of what God says and choose to believe Him. But we better look at Romans 6, verse 1. I want you just to follow as we read Romans 6:1 to 11, please concentrate on the words and realize what Paul is saying here. 

He says, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” Then he says, “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized”—now this is a dry verse here, baptized means to place into. I could baptize you into a car; I could baptize you into a house. I could baptize you into a lake; it means to place into—what were we placed into? Into Christ Jesus; we were placed into His death. 

Verse 4: “Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so, we also should walk in newness of life.” Listen to his reasoning: “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.” 

Knowing this, verse 6, “that our old man was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin, for he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ having been raised from the dead dies no more; death no longer has dominion over Him. Not only the death that He died, He died to sin once for all, but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 

Likewise, you also reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Notice verse 6, there's that old man again. What does this term mean exactly, the old man? The old man is the man in Adam. We see Paul lay a foundation for all that he's teaching here back in 5:12-21. 

The man in Adam is set in contrast with the man in Christ. Condemnation is set in contrast to redemption and justification unto life. And the essence of the old man, the man in Adam, in the context of Romans 6, is the man that is completely and totally controlled by indwelling sin. 

The man in Adam is under the law. He's controlled by sin. He's destined for death. My friends, this is who we were in Adam. But in Christ, we are under grace, experiencing righteousness and possessing eternal life. 

Paul explains how God did this in regeneration, a new birth at the point of faith in Jesus. Our old man, the man in Adam, verse 6, was crucified with Christ in order that the body of sin, what's the body of sin? The body is this physical body: my hands, my tongue, my mind, my eyes—all the things I sin with. 

This body controlled by indwelling sin is the body of sin. He says that He rendered it powerless. He did away with it by crucifying the old man. Why? So that we are no longer slaves of sin. 

You see, the problem with the two natures view is that it totally undermines the truth of regeneration. Our nature is the essence of who we are. I remember years ago, Pastor Krens called me and he said, we're talking about the scripture. He said, yeah, my dog, you know, I let my dog out and he said, I'm walking my dog and the dog's running around the yard. 

And so I looked over and there's a big fresh pile of bear poop. I thought, ah, before I could say anything there, the dog went rolling in that bear poop. Why'd that dog do that? Because he's a dog, right? He's a dog. That's his nature. That's who he is. 

The nature is the essence of who we are. We cannot be in Adam and in Christ at the same time. We cannot be the old man and the new man at the same time. We were in Adam, born the way that all men were, controlled, dominated by sin. 

But now we have been united to Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. We died; we were buried; we were raised to newness of life. This is what Paul means in Colossians and Ephesians when he says, “We have put off the old man and we have put on the new man.” When? When we believe Jesus. 

We were united, we were crucified, we were at the cross, and now we have a new nature, a new life. We have a new heart, a new quickened spirit, and the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have come to make their home in us. 

My friends, these truths are the very essence of the foundation, the reason why we can now live a new life of holiness, the indicatives upon which the imperatives are built: do not lie to one another. Why? Because you have put off the old man with his deeds. 

This is all about transformation. It's like that thief in Ephesians 4:28 we just read about. The man was a thief. He was in Adam. He was stealing to satisfy his own lust, his own desire. What happened? He got saved. He was crucified. He rose to newness of life, transformed, born again. 

The old man is dead, the new man is alive. He's being renewed in the spirit of his mind by the Word of God. And now he works with his own hands, minding his own business so that he might have something to give to him who has need. What a transformation! 

You can't do that. It wasn't by the power of positive thinking. He didn't read Norman Vincent Peale. It wasn't turning over a new leaf. He wasn't transformed and reformed in our prison system. He died. He was buried with Christ. He rose to newness of life. 

He's a new creation, and he died that he might not live for the one who died for him. And that's the passion that God's put in our heart. He's a new man; therefore, he must live like a new man. 

Just like Israel and Joshua in the promised land, we have entered this salvation, this promise by faith, crossing the Jordan, coming to Christ in faith. And just like Joshua, our battles are not done. The victory is done. Jesus has conquered sin and Satan and death itself. 

He will be revealed for who He is when He comes in judgment. My friends, we'll come with Him. But now, on this earth, in this time, while we are witnesses for Jesus living for the glory of God until He comes, we must fight the battle of the Christian life. 

But we must fight at the right point the right way if we're to have victory. And the truth is that the victory is by the Lord's power. Our battle is not against sin, per se. Our battle is not against the old man. Our battle is not in trying to become righteous or gain God's favor. 

My friends, all these things are done. They're finished, accomplished in Christ. Our battle is to reckon these things to be so, to yield to His life and power in us, to abide in Him one day at a time so that He might produce the fruit through us. 

Sin still dwells in us, amen? And believers, sin did not die. We died. We died to sin, and it no longer has dominion over us. In short, our battle is one of the mind, of reckoning God's word, renewing our mind to His word. 

I thank the Lord for not carnal but mighty in God, for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments—listen—taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. How do I do that? 

My favorite illustration, right? I come home, my wife says something inappropriate, and I feel it rise up in me. Sin is there. What's my choice at that point? I can rationalize in my mind, “I've been working hard all day, and she comes home and talks. What is her? I'm going to tell her, right?” 

I can do that here. What happens? Bad things. Or I can say in my mind at that moment, “I'm dead to sin. I love my wife. I want to build her up, hold her up. I want to glorify God. Help me, Jesus.” 

You do that in your mind at that moment, you won't sin. If you reckon God's Word, you recall that in your mind, when you feel that temptation. James explains this in James one; we don't have time to go there, how it's conceived, and it's going to come out. 

It's got to be reckoned; a battle has to be won in the mind, and the choice is to believe God or to believe my feelings and believe the sin that still dwells in me. 

Every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. When we are continually renewing our minds to the truth of God's Word and the truth of who we are in Christ and affirming in mind and in action how we then shall live, then we're going to live holy. We're going to see fruit. 

It's Christ in you. It's a walk of faith. It's reckoning yourself dead to sin, looking unto Jesus, depending on Him, trusting Him, obeying Him, so that my life might come into consistency with who I am inwardly. The battle is real, but we must understand God's way to win it moment by moment. 

Believe Jesus. Reckon His word to be true. Renew your mind to His truth and abide in the vine, because the branch can't produce any fruit. The vine has to produce the fruit as we abide. 

This is the Christian life, and only Christ can live it, and only by faith can we experience His life in and through our life for His glory. It was true for Joshua as they were going ahead. What happened? When they looked to God, when they sought His counsel, when they obeyed what He said, victory. 

When they went their own way, defeat. Who won the battle? God did, right? Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or think, to Him be glory in the church through Christ Jesus forever and ever. Amen. 

Let's close in prayer. Father, we thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. Thank You that You've won the victory and that You do win the victory through us as You accomplish Your will and purpose. Help us to be available, amen? Help us to be spending time with You in communion and prayer and in Your Word and thinking Your thoughts and choosing to believe what You say. 

Even if I don't feel that way, even if it maybe hasn't been my experience, I will believe what You say and trust You and yield to Your life and power in my life, Lord, that there might be fruit that remains, fruit for Your glory; in Jesus' name, amen.