Author: Joe
Last saved by: PJD
Company: GDC

98-11-29-B.JSH-061 / 

©℗ 1998  Joe Griffin	Joshua

Joshua 1:7, Deviations to the Right or Left Involve Asceticism or Licentiousness; Loyalty to Doctrine Results in Spiritual Success & Prosperity

1)	Asceticism, legalism, and works.  These result in the futile attempt to earn spirituality or the approbation of God through morality or good works.
2)	Licentiousness, antinomianism, and self-gratification.  These result in a trend toward lawlessness and unrestrained immorality.
3)	NOTE:	We generally gravitate in the direction of our habitual trend.
35-	Therefore, the right-hand, left-hand motif makes reference to these two carnal deviations.
36-	The challenge to Joshua is to not so deviate but rather remain in the wheel-tracks of righteousness established by the Law of Moses and now reduced by him to writing.
37-	If he will do this, the Lord assures him that he will be prosperous wherever he goes.
38-	Please note that this is not a promise but a condition.  The Lord promised to be with him and never fail him in the execution of the mandates.
39-	He admonishes Joshua to be confident and courageous as he performs his duties while remembering that the Lord’s presence and promises accompany him.
40-	But success is possible only if Joshua does two things:
1)	Performs extraordinary diligence according to all the Law, and
	2)	Does not deviate from it into either legalism or antinomianism.
41-	So we see here the development of a system in which the Church Age believer is enabled to achieve prosperity in the Christian way of life:

1)	Development and advance in the four spiritual mechanics to the level of confidence.
2)	This confidence maxes out in the three stages of the sophisticated spiritual life:
a.	Spiritual self-esteem: Cognitive self-confidence derived from having personal love for God.
Romans 5:5 -	Hope [ ™lp…j: confidence ] never disappoints, because love for God is poured out in our streams of consciousness by the Holy Spirit who is given to us.

b.	Spiritual autonomy: Confidence developed from personal love for God is increased by virtue of providential preventive suffering during which unconditional love for one’s fellow man is tested.  The successful application of this problem-solving device results in cognitive independence in one’s dealings with others.
Proverbs 19:8 -	He who gets wisdom loves his own soul [ spiritual self-esteem ]; he who cherishes understanding prospers [ cognitive independence of spiritual autonomy ].

c.	Spiritual maturity: The believer enjoys a mature relationship with God, which does not depend upon blessings.  Thus, God can prosper him because his happiness does not depend upon the prosperity.  Utilizing cognitive invincibility the mature believer has maximum function of all problem-solving devices and is qualified to be placed under evidence testing.
Philippians 4:12 -		I have come to know how to get along with humble means and I also know how to live in prosperity.  In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.

3)	These advancing levels of confidence enable the adult believer to manage providential preventive suffering at stage one, momentum testing in stage two, and evidence testing in stage three.
4)	The personal management of one’s spiritual affairs among men requires the courage to apply the problem-solving devices under pressure.
5)	Thus we find the end result to be efficiency and skill in carrying out the imperative moods related to the execution of the Christian way of life.