The prophetic word

Keeping God's word is not just treasuring and cherishing it. If it is treated in these terms only, one runs the risk of being included in the notorious group of nominal Christians. Nominalism is figurative, it is symbolic, it does not creep, it remains in the epidermis of Christianity. Saving the word is doing it intentionally, consciously, practically . Every Sunday - usually - we hear sermons that challenge us, exhort us, encourage us to serve, to practice authentic Christianity. If that doesn't happen in your life as a Christian, you should talk to God about it. The truth is that only a very low percent of what is heard is put into practice. And to put into practice is to obey.

The entire book of Joshua stresses the importance of keeping God's word and obeying it. The Lord said to Joshua: “This Book of the Law will not depart from your mouth, but you will meditate on it day and night, so that you take care to do everything that is written in it. Because then you will prosper your way and you will be successful ”. (Joshua 1.8). The people would also prosper as they kept and obeyed the Law.

All of God's promises were fulfilled in Joshua's time for his people. The covenant of obedience to the Word was renewed. In the last chapters, the prophetic word of Joshua, about to die in his old age, exhorts the people again and again not to abandon the Lord, to serve him with all their hearts, to love him above all else, not to join in "Unequal yoke" with the idolaters who worshiped foreign gods from the conquered lands, to be faithful servants. He also warns them of the dire consequences of disobedience.

We need the prophetic word of men of witness who inspire us to live godly in Christ in a world of perversion and injustice. If you have found a man or woman of this caliber, do not lose sight of him. Just remember that a Christian is one who lives Christ's way, according to his word, according to his will. The opposite is fanfare and hypocrisy. Also remember that sanctification, in Biblical terms, is a process for everyone who has been born again. "But now, having been freed from sin and made servants of God, they have sanctification as their fruit, and eternal life as a result." (Ro 6.22).

One of the beautiful teachings of Joshua for the church and the Christian today is that to see the wonders (the marvelous and incredible deeds) of God, you have to sanctify yourself, circumcise your heart. The walls of Jericho fell because the people were sanctified, the Jordan was opened because Joshua's troops were circumcised as a sign of the covenant. A holy nation, separated for God - the church - is aware that sanctification is the logical and urgent process through which every Christian must go. "Because God has not called us to impurity, but to live in sanctification." (1 Ts 4.7)

The prophetic word of Joshua from God (Joshua 23 and 24) teaches us that God's providence, even without understanding it, always favors his people, which shows their immutability and therefore their fidelity. We are far from perfection, we sin, we fall ... but He raises us up by the undeserved gift of His grace. "Every good gift and every perfect gift comes from above, descends from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change or shadow of variation" (James 1.17).

The center of our life is Christ, separated from him, we can do nothing and if we ignore him, we condemn ourselves to certain failure. God's plan transcends our lives. Whatever we do, the plan goes ahead. Isn't it then better to keep and do the word of God so that things go well for us? Serving the Lord brings an indescribable joy, living the gospel close to his Word is a guarantee of peace, even in the midst of storms. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13.8). That is our true hope.

God bless your Word!

Suggested reading: Joshua 23 and 24. END