This is one of the most dangerous phrases in the ENTIRE bible... One that is so commonly misunderstood and misapplied....
Let's look at Joshua 5:13
"..... and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him "Are you for us or are you against us?"
Every single one of us that reads this passage EXPECTS to hear "I am for you"
BUT - what is The Lord's reply? Joshua 5:14
"NO"
HUH? WHAT DO YOU MEAN "NO?"
See, the danger in stating "If God be for us, who can be against us" is that it presumes WE take a position and then God validates that position.... Thus - WE decide what we want to do and then God says "Ok, I am with you"....
RATHER the correct position is:
If WE be for God..... The position WE DESIRE is to align OUR will with God - not the other way around.... That was Joshua's answer in 5:14 - "What does my Lord say to His servant" - Joshua is ALIGNING HIS WILL with God's.... The destruction of Jericho was God's will - not Israel's will....
When you look at what God had said to Israel - He said: "I am driving out these nations ahead of you.... Are you with ME or not?" When Israel said "No" - they got to spend 40 years in the wilderness thinking it over..... That's what happens when we want God's Love - but aren't really too keen on His Will.....
See - the danger is thinking: The Lord is with us... Therefore, WE are ENTITLED... God OWES us... WE are right.. and that simply doesn't follow.....
The Lord LOVES us - and BECAUSE HE LOVES US - he INVITES us to participate in HIS plan.... Sometimes, that plan means being taken into captivity.... Sometimes that plan means facing persecution... Sometimes, that plan means standing against the tide... It means that the world will hate us and lord it over us....
It ALSO means, though, that just because "The Mighty Hand of God" seems to be against us and we are "Losing" the battle for the culture and society - this doesn't mean God does not love us.. We don't GET it sometimes - for example, Jeremiah 12:16 - One of the reasons we are taken into captivity is so THEY can learn OUR ways.... So THEY can see OUR light..... Not for us to say "Well, the hand of The Lord seems to be against us - so we gotta give in and go along with their ways".....
Thanks
Let's look at Joshua 5:13
"..... and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him "Are you for us or are you against us?"
Every single one of us that reads this passage EXPECTS to hear "I am for you"
BUT - what is The Lord's reply? Joshua 5:14
"NO"
HUH? WHAT DO YOU MEAN "NO?"
See, the danger in stating "If God be for us, who can be against us" is that it presumes WE take a position and then God validates that position.... Thus - WE decide what we want to do and then God says "Ok, I am with you"....
RATHER the correct position is:
If WE be for God..... The position WE DESIRE is to align OUR will with God - not the other way around.... That was Joshua's answer in 5:14 - "What does my Lord say to His servant" - Joshua is ALIGNING HIS WILL with God's.... The destruction of Jericho was God's will - not Israel's will....
When you look at what God had said to Israel - He said: "I am driving out these nations ahead of you.... Are you with ME or not?" When Israel said "No" - they got to spend 40 years in the wilderness thinking it over..... That's what happens when we want God's Love - but aren't really too keen on His Will.....
See - the danger is thinking: The Lord is with us... Therefore, WE are ENTITLED... God OWES us... WE are right.. and that simply doesn't follow.....
The Lord LOVES us - and BECAUSE HE LOVES US - he INVITES us to participate in HIS plan.... Sometimes, that plan means being taken into captivity.... Sometimes that plan means facing persecution... Sometimes, that plan means standing against the tide... It means that the world will hate us and lord it over us....
It ALSO means, though, that just because "The Mighty Hand of God" seems to be against us and we are "Losing" the battle for the culture and society - this doesn't mean God does not love us.. We don't GET it sometimes - for example, Jeremiah 12:16 - One of the reasons we are taken into captivity is so THEY can learn OUR ways.... So THEY can see OUR light..... Not for us to say "Well, the hand of The Lord seems to be against us - so we gotta give in and go along with their ways".....
Thanks