The Lord Jesus made promises to us of eternal salvation, because of his own will, and by his own power and merit. We are mere recipients by faith. All who believe enter in. Everyone else, no matter how religious, perishes in unbelief. Put full confidence in the Captain of the Lord’s armies, our Lord Jesus Christ who is with us by the Spirit.

First, if we do not obey the voice of the Lord, then we will perish. Joshua 5:6, “For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished, because they did not obey the voice of the LORD; the LORD swore to them that he would not let them see the land that the LORD had sworn to their fathers to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey.” It doesn’t matter if we’ve been circumcised or baptized. Outward ceremony without inward obedience is damning.

Yes, God had the new generation circumcised to show faith in the covenant, but works without faith is damning. Do you believe the gospel or merely confess it? Are you a Christian or a pretender?

True faith leads to a life of obedience; it relies upon the blood of Jesus, the Spirit’s power, and it does God’s will: this is the only faith that takes us to heaven. Make sure that you possess it. We have nothing, if we don’t have Christ. If we do not truly believe, then we are perishing.

Secondly, God is merciful. He knows the pains of obedience. He knows that it hurts to obey, so he’s gentle with us along the way. Joshua 5:8, “When the circumcising of the whole nation was finished, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed.”

One of the worst tragedies is the view of God as ungracious! Our dependence upon him stems from his goodness. We believe that he will forgive us, and bring us to heaven. We believe that he will overcome our sins, and then he does it. The joy is surprising, because even though we believe it far off, having heard and seen it in others, the liberty and power of the Spirit still surprises us. It cleanses the conscience and invigorates life.

It is rational, however, that the GOOD GOD who gives us heaven and Christ is the Father of mercies, joy, and pleasure. He is the most satisfying fountain that we can drink from. He is abundantly good and gracious, pardoning sin. I love Spurgeon’s statement about finding Christ ten thousand times more kind than he ever imagined. It is true. Follow him, and you’ll see his generosity, which is his glory in grace. He’ll be good to us, tender and forgiving. He gives more than he takes.

Finally, Joshua is bold, but the Lord Jesus fights for us. Joshua 5:13-15, "When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, "Are you for us, or for our adversaries?" And he said, "No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, "What does my lord say to his servant?" And the commander of the LORD's army said to Joshua, "Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so." Jesus is the reason we enter the Promised Land and conquer. It is not because of us. Jesus, the Commander of the Lord’s armies, the place of holy ground in God’s presence, is the power and might in our salvation. It is not only his blood, but it is his Spirit. It is him coming to us as Comforter and Helper to deliver us from sin into godliness, soul prosperity, and peace. John 14:18 - ""I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."

Thank God for Christ and put all your trust in him. Be confident, daring, and bold. The Lord Jesus is KING OVER SATAN. He has power to subdue the flesh. This is not a battle we’re waging with a reluctant or absentee God. The Promised Land is given to us freely; it is not something that we planned or even asked for. It is his salvation that he purposed and brought to pass. He made promises to us before the world was made, and it is his blood that was shed.