Now, the question is where are we in our spiritual walk this morning? Are you living in this power of Christ’s salvation? Or is your life heading in the wrong direction? God’s Word is a historical atlas that charts the lives of saints and sinners. In the Bible we see right and wrong decisions and the good and bad consequences. We see all of this in an inspired record, unedited by human pride and undistorted by human error. The Apostle Paul once summed up the whole record of God’s dealings with Israel in this way in 1 Corinthians 10:6, 11 “Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.”
Now, think with me just about Israel as a nation. God summarizes all His dealings with Israel by four specific geographic locations that were not only places that Israel lived, but also in God’s Word represent their spiritual condition. What do I mean? Well 1st let me share the four places that will make it clearer. When you think of God’s people you will always find them in one of these places: living in the land of Egypt, living in the Wilderness of wandering, living in the Promised land of Canaan, or living in the land of captivity called Babylon.
The four geographic locations seen in the history of Israel illustrate four spiritual experiences.
3. CANAAN was the place of promise, blessing, and riches. It was the inheritance and possession God promised to Abraham’s descendents. The Promised Land represents the Christian life, as it ought to be: conflict and victory, faith and obedience, spiritual riches and rest. It’s a life of faith, trusting Jesus Christ, our Joshua, the Captain of our salvation (Heb. 2:10), to lead us from victory to victory (1 John 5:4–5). = Mature Christian lives
4. BABYLON was where the nation of Israel endured seventy years of captivity because they disobeyed God and worshiped the idols of the pagan nations around them. This represents the periods in life when God’s children are willfully rebellious, their loving Father must chasten them until they learn to be submissive and obedient (Heb. 12:1–11). When they confess their sins and forsake them, God will forgive and restore His children to fellowship and fruitfulness (1 John 1:9; 2 Cor. 7:1). = God’s chastening
From TAB-27d – Where Are You on God’s Spiritual Map (010715AM) – https://youtu.be/qPznXjBOmho
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