FHBC Sermon Notes

Joshua 8 - This is a continuation of the story from last week. We know got hates sin, and yet God's grace is present.

Last week we looked at the beginning of this story, where God's judgement had fallen on the whole people for the sin of one man in their midst. This leaves them humbled and downtrodden.

God had exposed to them that he was a holy God, and that he hated sin. But it does not end there. God upon revealing his judgment and holiness, he also show his benevolence and his grace. This week we look at that flow of grace return unimpeded.

God has made us a holy people. Yet we are still "prone to wander, to leave the God I love." Only God's spirit and grace keeps and binds our hearts. The law of the land, the law of our lives cannot bind us except in slavery to that sin. (Galatians 3) Our salvation is "new every morning", from the hand of God, born on the blood of Jesus.

How does this grace work in us?

1. God's grace restores and renew us after he days with our sin. (8:1-2)

Do not be dismayed he says. In the face of God's judgement that hearts had melted like water. They had become just as their enemies. But God returns to them and restores them saying, "Do not be dismayed."

God's judgment on me was temporary, meant to discipline and return them to a right relationship before Him. He wants them to act on the basis of how he has revealed himself to them.

In chapter 7 the people did not have the direct instruction that they have from God like in v. 2 here. They had not sought Him. Our debt has been paid in Christ. One of the signs of a new heart is that in seeing God's grace we do not rejoice and return to what we want, but seek his face and his will alone.

2. God's grace compels us to obey him faithfully. (8:3-29)

What if you arrived at a job and were told to just start working without any instruction of what to do. God has not done this to us. He has given us his word, that we may know how we are to live. We love his word, his instruction, for they are his.

We lay ourselves under his authority. We no longer live by our own ways and laws.

It is important that we realize that the instructions of is word and not just to give us "better" lives, for human flourishing. We received it because our Lord has given it. It we believe the rule of law is what gives us this benefit, then we are mistaken. We deserve nothing. We have earned no wages but death. Only God's grace and hand give us benefits and blessings. We study and obey his words, his commandments, because we love him!

John 8:31-32 'So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."'

3. God's grace calls us to continue in an abiding relationship with him. (8:30-35)

In these last verses the nation renews their covenant with God. This wasn't just a ceremony to "fix" things, but an acknowledgement that they lived under the grace of God, that their relationship with him was an abiding one. They loved his word and read the entire thing aloud to remind themselves of his promises, and the covenant under which they lived.

Are we continuing to abide in a relationship with our Lord? If so, we can never be satisfied until all that we are and will be stand before him in submission.

Sin is not the final word in our lives. The gift of grace is the most wonderful we have ever received. Let us rejoice in the joy and victory of our LORD!

Amen.