We’ve entered God’s Promised Land – now what do we do?
God brought us out of spiritual Egypt through the new birth, not to leave us in a spiritual wilderness ruled by our flesh, but to bring us into a spiritual Promised Land; meaning:
(i) We have crossed the spiritual river Jordan (Jordan means descending) by humbling ourselves and surrendering our will to God, so that we may be filled with His Holy Spirit.
(ii) We have ceased from all our own efforts to try and keep God’s laws and make ourselves good enough for God. Instead we continue to actively believe that we are only acceptable to God as we remain in His beloved, that is, submitted to Jesus Christ.
(iii) We have entered spiritual Canaan (Canaan means to be on bended knee) knowing we’ve been bought with a price, that we belong to God and Jesus is truly now our Lord.
What do we do now?
1. Occupy this spiritual territory and never draw back or retreat from it:
Luke 19:13 (Jesus) …Occupy till I come (again). KJV
Heb 10:38-39 “Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him." But we are not of those who draw back to perdition (eternal destruction), but of those who (continue to) believe to the saving of the soul.
2. Advance and take more spiritual territory; more of the Land of the Promises of God:
A. What exactly is this spiritual Promised Land and how do we take more of it?
(i) Since it is not a natural realm but a spiritual realm, this land can only be occupied by a Christian whose will is yielded to their re-born spirit, as opposed to their human or carnal nature, or flesh. And, their spirit is filled with the Holy Spirit, meaning their spirit is under the continual direction or leading of God’s Spirit. This is what it means for a Christian to currently live “in Christ”, in the Promised Land.
Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
So to be in the Land of the Promises of God means to be “in Christ”, for it is only when we are “in Christ” that all God’s promises can come to pass for us: Hence this is a spiritual place that flows with the milk and the honey of God’s promises:
2 Cor 1:20 For all the promises of God in Him (“in Christ”) are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.
(ii) In order therefore to advance or take more spiritual land we must stand, meaning we must put the full weight of our lives down on, each specific promise of God brought to us and revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. Here are some examples:
God’s promises:
Of our spirits being led moment by moment by the Holy Spirit;
Of our spirits being fed daily with God’s words by the Holy Spirit;
Of our being crucified with Christ, and made dead to our human nature;
Of our being made dead, in Christ, to sin, the law, the world and the devil;
Of our being conformed in our spirits to the image and likeness of Christ;
Of being sanctified or made holy as a saint of Christ, for whom He’s coming;
Of rescuing others (both the unconverted and carnal Christians) from being separated from God and captive to their flesh, to the world and to the devil:
By praying and believing God’s promises for them, as directed by His Spirit;
By preaching God’s promises to them, under the anointing of His Spirit;
Of taking Christ as the healer and health of our bodies;
Of taking Christ as our protection from all harm;
Of taking Christ as our all-provider of our every need;
2 Cor 1:19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached
among you by us…was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes.
B. What does God require of us to advance and take the land of such promises as these?
(i) Righteousness – this is the absence of sin and therefore in right standing with God. Since to live in the Promised Land means to live “in Christ”, and in Him there is no sin, so to live in this Land means to no longer commit sin:
1 Jo 3:5-6 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins
and in Him there is no sin. Whoever lives in Him does not sin…
In this way Christ has become our righteousness, for by His words in us we are kept from sinning. Now as the righteous we can inherit more of the land;
Ps 119:11 I have thought much about your words and stored them in
my heart so that they would hold me back from sin. TLB
Ps 37:29 The righteous shall inherit the land, And dwell in it forever.
(ii) Meekness of Heart – This is the heart of a true sheep of Christ, that always hears and obeys His voice. Where do we get such a heart or spirit? We can only get it from Jesus when He imparts His divine nature to us as we receive His words in our hearts. With meek, hearing hearts we inherit the Promises:
Jo 5:30 (Jesus) I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear (the Father) I judge;
Mat 11:29 (Jesus)…Learn (receive) of Me for I am meek and lowly in heart;
2 Pe 1:4 (There) have been given to us exceedingly great and precious
promises that by these you may be partakers of the divine nature;
John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice…I know them, and they follow me:
Ps 37:11 …The meek shall inherit the land…(the promises of God) ESV
(iii) Faith – being made and kept righteous by Christ, we live by faith. Hence we believe we hear His voice and we open the door of our hearts to receive the words He speaks to us so that we might be continually changed into His likeness. Where do we get this faith that can overcome every obstacle we face? We get it from Jesus Himself, by hearing His words of faith and obeying His Spirit of faith, for He’s the author and the increaser of our faith:
Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…
Rom 10:8 …The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the word of faith which we preach:
Rom 10:17 Faith comes by hearing and hearing of the word of God.
Mar 9:23 …If you can believe all things are possible to him who believes
(iv) Love – faith only works by love. Christ is the love of God. As He by His words, made living by His Spirit, continues to enter our hearts so God’s love in us increases and abounds. In this way our love for God increases which means our desire to trust Him with all of our lives has also increased.
Gal 5:6 For if we are in Christ Jesus (nothing) counts for anything, but faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love. AMP
1 John 2:5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
Eph 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
(v) Thoughts stayed on God – our adversary the devil operates through thoughts. We are not in conflict with people but with thoughts that oppose our knowing God more deeply and our doing His will. In order to remain righteous, to continue to hear God’s voice, to live by faith and to walk in love, we must be taught by God’s Spirit to bring every opposing thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. To do this and avoid falling into deception we must have a love for the truth – and God’s word is truth.
Isa 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind (or thought life) is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.
2 Cor 2:11 Lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices (the Greek word is Noema and means thoughts).
2 Cor 10:5 Casting down reasonings and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought (Noema) into captivity to the obedience of Christ (God’s words living in us),
2 Thes 2:10-11 …In them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth (a love of God’s word), that they might be saved.
(vi) Speaking God’s words – We can easily deceive ourselves and falsely assume we have believed God’s words (the truth). But if its genuine heart faith those words will be in and abound in our hearts. When there, we will constantly speak them by the breath of the Holy Spirit; in our prayers, in our witnessing and in our preaching. For the words we speak from our hearts are our spiritual feet, and just as with the Israelites, everywhere our feet tread (we stand on and speak His words) God gives us that spiritual land.
Matt 12:34 For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
2 Tim 4:2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season.
Eph 6:15 Your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Josh 1:3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon (every
promise you believe and speak from your heart) I have given you;
It is by Jesus Christ living in us, through His words and His Spirit, that we’re enabled to confess Him, that is, confess His words before men. We thereby advance the kingdom of God in the earth otherwise ruled by Satan. In this way Jesus becomes the High Priest of our confession, or of what we say.
Matt 10:20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father
who speaks in you.
Heb 3:1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession (of the words we are to speak to others), Christ Jesus,
So these are what God requires of Christians to thrive in the land of HIs promises, those through whom He expands His Kingdom; and God Himself supplies each requirement.
Are you in the Promised Land? Can God use you to increase His Kingdom in the earth?
