Would you like to see what we have written on a subject? Use the search below.

[If you purchase anything on this site, I may make a commission. Disclosure Policy]

Are We On God's Side?

God's side is where we want to be.

"And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? "And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?" Joshua 5:13-14, KJV

We often think of God as being on our side. When we encounter troubling situations in our lives, we wonder if He really is for us. Paul makes clear that, yes, God is on our side. He is for us. He is working for our ultimate good, whether we can see it or not.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Rom. 8:28, NASB

God's Side Or Our Side?

A more critical question is: Are we on God's side? In the Scripture above, Joshua was preparing for his first big battle in the New Land. As he walked alone, pondering the battle plans, he saw an unrecognized armed man. He demanded, "Are you for us or against us? The answer he got was basically, "I'm neither for you nor against you. I am for the Lord of Hosts."

Notice Joshua didn't argue about it. He did not say, "What will you do for me?" It is the child-level or immature Christian who is always looking for what they can get and resentful of having to give anything. [There is nothing wrong with being a child if we are growing - we all go from babyhood to adulthood - the problem is if we stop growing and become 40-year-old babies.] How many sermons or gospel presentations are all about what God will do for us? How many Bible teaching courses are man-centered instead of God-centered? We need to grow beyond that and look at the big picture. We must get on God's side to expand His kingdom on earth.

We need to take time to learn God's heart, God's plans, and what He wants to accomplish in our lives, in the part of the world we touch, and in the world at large. Israel's travelling in the wilderness was a time of immaturity, with all their needs being supplied by God without them having to do much. It was a socialist paradise in the hot desert, but it doesn't work long-term. Canaan was different. The manna stopped at Canaan's border. God still provided, but it was different. Now they were growing up. Now, they had to take responsibility. It was still God's plan, but it required a different level of maturity from them. It required them to think about being on God's side rather than just thinking of God being on their side.

Thinking Bigger

If we want to possess our Promised Land, we must grow up and take responsibility. We are going to have to think bigger than ourselves and our families. We will have to catch God's vision, a vision that includes a world in submission to the Lord Jesus Christ before His Second Coming. Don't let false End Times prophecy interpretations destroy God's vision for the world and your place in it. We often limit God... let's take the limits off and let God be God. Let's stop trying to give the orders and start taking them. God does not need our advice or help! God is on our side... are we on God's side?

To be on God's side means being willing to order our lives according to His instructions. It means laying down our preconceived ideas and treasured beliefs if they are shown to be in conflict with any of the Word of God. It means lining our lives, our families, our business relationships, and our nations up to Biblical Law. Most Christians shudder at the idea of God's Law. They want to follow a subjective leading of the Spirit, which they can manipulate to be whatever they want. They don't want an objective Word of God, which must be obeyed. They can feel spiritual reading their Bible and attending prayer meetings, just as long as they don't have to change their conduct. But being on God's side is the path of discipleship… the only path for a Christian. Anything less is an illusion which will be shattered in time.

For more information about Glenn Davis, see our About Glenn page or visit Glenn Davis Books.

Please note: We no longer have the commenting feature [maybe again in the future]. Joshua Institute students who have questions or comments on their courses can use the contact button and mention the course name and lesson number in the email. Thank you. Glenn