The Gifts of God

I. Salvation is a gift from God, Ephesians 2:8-9.

A. People will argue that since it is a gift from God, nothing is required on our part.

B. If we say that one must do something (like be baptized), we are accused of trying to earn our salvation.

C. Therefore, it is often said, “you can do nothing regarding your salvation, it is a gift; God has done all the work.”

D. Yet God has given gifts to His people for which they had to do something.

II. The Promised Land

A. God promised to give the land to Israel.

B. In Genesis 12:7, God promised the land of Canaan to Abraham’s descendants. In Genesis 13:15-17 He restated this promise. He made the same promise in chapters 15, 17, 24. In Genesis 26:3-4, the promise was made to Isaac. In Exodus 6:2-4, God restated the promise to Moses who prepared Israel receiving the land of promise. Numbers 14:6-9 – After spying out the land, Joshua urged the people to be faithful to God who would give them the land. Deuteronomy 32:49 – Before his death, Moses viewed the land.

C. When the people come to the land, they would have to fight for it!

D. Joshua 1:12-15 Joshua 21:43-45

E. Though it was a gift, the people would lose it if they were unfaithful.

F. Joshua 23:11-16. Joshua 24:6-13

G. God promised the land as a gift, but the people had to conquer the land in order to possess it.

H. Modern day responses:

I. We do not have to fight for this land; it is a gift of God.“Joshua, if you take that army up to the Promised Land and fight the enemies and drive them out, you will have earned the land, and it is no longer a gift.” Was the land a gift that God gave to Israel? Yes. Did they have to do something to get the land? Yes.

III. Jericho

IV. Background

A. After Israel had wandered into the wilderness for 40 years because of their disobedience, God told Joshua to lead them into the land of promise, Canaan. God parted the Jordan River before the priests and all Israel could cross on dry land. Before them on the plain, was the large fortified city of Jericho, the first obstacle in conquering the Promised Land.

B. The fall of Jericho

C. God gave Jericho to Israel, Joshua 6:2.

D. It was a gift from God. However, they still had to take the city.

E. God instructed Joshua on how to take the city.

F. The people had to quietly march around the city once for six days. On the seventh day they would march seven times, the priests would blow the trumpets, and the people would shout. The result, Joshua 6:16, 20-21.

G. Jericho was a gift from God but the people had to do something to get it.

H. Jericho fell because of the faith of Israel, but they had to do something.

I. Hebrews 11:30 – By faith, the walls fell.

J. It was faith that brought the walls of Jericho down!

K. Did the marching bring the walls down? No. Did the trumpets and the shouting bring the walls down? No. So did any act, or work, of Israel cause the walls to fall down? No. But, they had to do it in order to receive the gift that God gave them!

V. Observations

A. Let us take our initial verse and adapt it for these stories.

B. “By grace Israel received the promised land through faith, that not of themselves, it was the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast.”

C. This would be a scriptural rendering.

D. Joshua 24:12-18– God drove the enemy out and preserved Israel. Psalm 44:1-3 – God’s power conquered the land but the people had to fight the enemies! They went to conquer the land through faith in God (the faithless fell in the wilderness) but God gave them the victory and the land.

E. “By grace Israel received Jericho through faith, that not of themselves, it was the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast.”

F. We have seen that Jericho was given to Israel, it was a gift. We have seen from Hebrews that by faith the walls fell. Did they earn Jericho by marching around the city? No. Could they boast that Jericho fell by their own power? No. Did they have to do something to receive this gift? Yes!

G. “By grace are you saved through faith, it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast.”

H. It is inconsistent to argue that since salvation is a gift, man can do nothing to receive the gift and, if he does something, that he earns salvation. My belief, repentance, confession, and baptism are like Israel marching around Jericho, shouting and blowing trumpets: commands to be followed, but I do not earn the gift. When I believe, repent, confess, and am baptized, I no more earn my salvation than Israel earned the land of Promise. (Deut 9:4-6).

I. Gift can be taken back.

J. Someone said that since salvation is the gift of God, if God took it back He would be an Indian giver.

K. God gave Israel the land of promise as a gift but said that He would remove them from the land if they were unfaithful. God has promised that if we are unfaithful to Him, we should have no hope of salvation, Hebrews 10:26-29; 35-39