On the 14th Sunday after Pentecost the three appointed readings for the 3-year lectionary are Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18 (Who will serve the Lord?); Ephesians 5:21-31 (Wives submit to husbands) and John 6:60-69 (Many disciples leave Jesus). For this Sunday we have one of the most well-known yet most misunderstood verses in the Bible; that is, Joshua 24:15 which reads in part, “…choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.”
As we have pointed out in prior blogs, every theological passage in the Bible can be interpreted in one of two ways–the wrong way and the right way. Theologically speaking, the two ways are that of self-glory and that of the cross. The theologian of self-glory reads what Joshua has to say and jumps to the conclusion that the verse means that we have free will in choosing whether or not to believe in the true God. The theologian of the cross, however, realizes that no work, including that of choosing, is possible for the unbeliever.
How then do we resolve the tension between the theologian of the cross and Joshua’s own words? Simple. Joshua is not speaking to unbelievers; he is speaking to believers. The proof of that is found in verse 17 in which the hearers make clear that they already believe that the true God was the One Who “brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt.”
Further evidence is revealed in the Gospel from John 6, verse 63, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.” And what was the statement that Jesus spoke that resulted in many of His disciples walking with Him no more? It is John 6:65, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”
Rather than give credence to the evangelical theories; that is, the decision-making “theologians” in our day, a careful reading of the text demonstrates that Joshua’s words cannot be used as a pretext for free will in spiritual matters on the part of the unbeliever. While believers do have free will to make spiritual choices, the only way that an unbeliever can believe is through a hearing of the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ as to how God became man, died and rose for you to provide the free, unmerited and unconditional gracious gift of faith.
Name:Tom Baker
That answers that question. Here’s another. Looking at that verse from Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18. Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. 2And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Long ago your ancestors—Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor—lived beyond the Euphrates and served other gods. 14“Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.
15Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” 16Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; 17for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; 18and the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”
Then if the Josuha veres is speaking to believers does that mean believers live by keeping the law as well? I think you would say No from what you have said in other blogs. Is that right?
As believers do we serve the Lord by keeping his law or by faith that he through his spirit in us keeps the law?
Hi Pastor Tom,
“While Believers do have free will to make spiritual choices”.
I always have a hard time reconciling this believe against “We are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves” and good works are a work of the Holy Spirit. It seems like believers do not have free will, but are in a constant tug of war between the old adam and the work of the Holy Spirit.
Thanks
Mike
You are correct that I would say no to the question as to whether we live by keeping the law. Note well the text that you cite which reads, “for it is the Lord our God who brought us…” There you already have faith prior to works that are subsequent to faith. Faith and faith alone not only is that which God looks to for becoming a believer but also for remaining a believer. The works are simply spontaneous outpourings of our response to all that we believe God has done for us as a free gift in Christ Jesus.
To Mike Mapus it is true that even as believers there is a constant struggle between the old Adam and New Man (Christ within us) as so well revealed in Romans 7 (“the things I want to stop from doing, I can’t…). However, while there is a constant tug of war between the two, as you say, the motivatino of the New Man in us when good works are done is always sinless. It is just that we have mixed motivation due to our fallen nature. On Judgment Day, God will ignore all the works of the old Adam and only look at the fruit of the Holy Spirit which we willingly did in Christ. Therefore the believer does have a will to want to do God’s will which no unbeliever possesses.