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Every Single Word: Joshua 13-19, Part 2 — 2/10/2025 10:00 AM
Today's speaker is Dr. Thomas White, President of Cedarville University. Dr. White continues walking through Joshua 13-19, reminding us that God is a faithful God of unfaithful people.
Notes
Today in chapel, Dr. Thomas White led us through the second half of his sermon in Joshua 13-19. He showed us how our own lives are mirrored in the lives of the Israelites, who repeatedly failed to drive out the enemies like God commanded them. The consequences of their unfaithfulness are highlighted in Judges 1:27-36, 2:1-3, and 2:11-15. Despite God鈥檚 clear instructions, they allowed the Canaanites to remain in the land, which led to a cycle of oppression and hardship. The same pattern is often mirrored in our own lives as Christians. We fail to fully eradicate the sin that entangles us, and in doing so, we face the consequences of our unfaithfulness.
In our own lives, we often try to fight sin without the help of the Holy Spirit. Like the Israelites, we try to go to war against the sin in our lives with our own strength, but this is a battle we cannot win on our own. We cannot do it in our own power, nor should we try. We need the Spirit鈥檚 empowerment to fight sin effectively.
One of the reasons we don鈥檛 always destroy our sin is because it brings us comfort, pleasure, and ease. We hold on to our sin because, at times, it feels good or is familiar. But the truth is, we cannot make peace with our sin 鈥 it is far too destructive. Sin is a serious enemy, and God will not tolerate it in our lives. His holiness demands that we deal with it ruthlessly.
We must make war with our sin. We cannot afford to treat sin lightly or make excuses. Dr. White says that 鈥渨e cannot make peace with our sin; it is too big of a deal, and God will not tolerate it.鈥 Our goal as Christians is to love God more than we love our sinfulness. This is a commitment that requires daily effort, constant vigilance, and reliance on the Holy Spirit.
It鈥檚 important to remember that the battle is already won. Victory is coming. Jesus Christ has already conquered sin and death through His sacrifice on the cross. But we are still in the process of working out that victory in our lives. Our job is to stay the course, recommitting ourselves to the fight each day. Though we may fail, the Lord will not fail. He is faithful, and His grace is sufficient to pick us up when we fall.
The decision to make war with sin is ours. We must decide to fight with all the resources God has given us 鈥 His Word, His Spirit, and the support of the Church. Let us recommit ourselves to this battle, knowing that victory is sure and God will see us through to the end.