“Step Into What God Has Already Given You”
- May 5
- 3 min read
“How long will you be so slow to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?”
Joshua 18:3
These words from Joshua echo like a living question in the heart of every believer. Israel had received the land as a gift. God had already promised it. Yet seven tribes still had not taken possession of what God had given them.
They moved slowly, even indifferently. They had received the promise, but had not taken hold of the land that was theirs.
That same question speaks to us today:
How long will you wait before stepping into what God has given you in Christ?
✦ The Old Testament: A natural picture teaching us spiritual reality
The Old Testament is not just history, it is spiritual instruction for us.
“These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us.” — 1 Corinthians 10:11
When God called Israel into the Promised Land, it was a natural picture of what God does in the heart of a believer today.
God said:
“I have given you the land.” (Deuteronomy 1:8)
“Go and take possession of it.” (Numbers 33:53)
“Make no compromises with what is there.” (Deuteronomy 7:2–6)
“Do not mingle with the nations.” (Joshua 23:12–13)
This was not cruelty, it was protection.
Everything they allowed to remain would later become their downfall.
And that is exactly what happened. They compromised, and it became a snare to them (Judges 2:1–3):
“I brought you up out of Egypt… I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you. You shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed me… They will become traps for you, and their gods will become snares to you.”
✦ The New Testament: The perfect fulfillment in Christ
Everything that was natural in the Old Testament becomes spiritual in the New.
The Land → the heart
The Nations → sin that wants to dwell within
The Cleansing → sanctification
The Promise → salvation in Christ
The Conquest → walking in new life
The Enemies → the flesh, the world, and the devil
Christ gives us:
a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26)
a new spirit
a new life (2 Corinthians 5:17)
a spiritual inheritance (Colossians 1:12)
everything needed for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3)
But we must take possession of it.
✦ No compromise with sin
Just as Israel was not to mingle with the nations in the land, the believer must not mingle with sin.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world.”
Romans 12:2
“What fellowship has light with darkness?”
2 Corinthians 6:14
“A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.”
Galatians 5:9
Sin is not neutral. It cannot be kept in a corner. It always leads to death (Romans 6:23).
Therefore the New Testament commands:
“Put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature.” (Colossians 3:5)
“Our old self was crucified.” (Romans 6:6)
“Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh.” (Galatians 5:24)
This is the same picture as in Joshua:
Cleanse the land, not by your own strength, but by the power of the Holy Spirit.
✦ Taking possession of what Christ has given
Christ has already won the victory. He has already given you freedom, grace, holiness, and new life.
“He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” — Ephesians 1:3
But you must:
step into it
believe it
live it
reject the old
give God full space
allow the Holy Spirit to shape you
walk in your calling (Ephesians 4:1)
This is not human achievement, it is partnership with grace.
✦ Final Call: God’s invitation to Smárakirkja
God is doing a new work among us. He calls us to:
walk into His promises
take possession of our inheritance
purify our hearts
reject compromise
live in holiness
stand firm in our calling
love God with all our heart
live Christ, not ourselves
Joshua’s question still echoes:
“How long will you be so slow?”
The time is now. The land is yours. Christ has already won it.
Step into it with faith, obedience, and joy.
Smárakirkja — let us take possession of what God has given us.
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