Adventures in the Land of Canaan Part 1

Adventures in the Land of Canaan.

by Robert Lee Berry.

FOREWORD

This book comes out of our heart. It is intended to go to the hearts of others. Some of the things written here were learned by long and bitter experiences. Our "Adventures" were very real, and it is our hope that some of them our readers will never have. The real battles are fought within, and the struggle for mastery goes on in the soul, hidden in the mysterious depths of the spirit. Usually these battles are fought out alone, many times when others are not aware that anything of moment is happening.

Super-critical minds may not find this book interesting; we do not know; we wrote with no other intention than to bless the hearts and lives of the great common man and woman.

We hope you will enjoy this book. We hope it will do you good. If it does, our purpose will be achieved, and we shall thank G.o.d, whose help we gratefully acknowledge in the writing of this book.

R. L. Berry.

INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER

THE LAND OF CANAAN

The story of the Israelites from their being in bondage in Egypt to their conquering Canaan is a type of the experiences of a man from his bondage in sin to his entire sanctification.

As a Scriptural basis for these remarks, see Galatians 3:6-29, where Paul, the great Apostle to the Gentiles, quotes a part of the Abrahamic covenant and applies it to Gentile Christians, the complete fulfillment of the covenant being expressed in verse 14, where the promise of the Spirit is spoken of as the "blessing of Abraham." It is also made plain in this chapter that salvation in Christ makes us "Abraham's seed," and therefore "heirs according to the promise." Hence the promise to Abraham has its complete fulfillment in New Testament salvation.

In Romans 4, Paul again dips deep into the promise of G.o.d to Abraham and brings forth beautiful teaching which shows that, to him, G.o.d's promise to Abraham was spiritual as well as material, that there was to be a spiritual seed as well as literal seed, and that "faith" is as potent as natural birth in making men children of Abraham. Also in these verses Abraham is made the "father of us all," even of Gentiles, which of course could not be true except in a spiritual sense.

The same subject is treated again in chapter 4 of Hebrews. Here the figure is "rest." The rest of the Israelites was their settling in Canaan, and in verse 6, speaking of the fact that some did not enter rest because of unbelief, allusion is made to the failure to enter Canaan from Kadesh-barnea. Then ten spies brought back such a bad report that the whole camp wept, and would not go over. For forty years these rebels wandered in the wilderness, until all were dead except Caleb and Joshua, the two faithful spies.

There is a beautiful a.n.a.logy between the events of the Israelites in their journey out of Egypt into Canaan and the fundamental experiences of the Christian. Note these parallels--far too close not to have been planned as type and ant.i.type by the great Author of salvation:

1. Abraham was promised two things: first, his seed should inherit the land of Canaan; second, in him should all families of the earth be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3).

2. Abraham was the father of both a literal and a spiritual seed, the first inherited literal Canaan and the second inherited spiritual Canaan (Romans 4; Galatians 4).

3. There was a rest promised both to the Israelite and to the Christian believer (Hebrews 4).

4. Israel was in bondage to Pharaoh and his taskmasters in Egypt, and sinners are in bondage to the devil and sin.

5. By a miraculous deliverance at the Red Sea, Israel escaped from Egyptian bondage; and sinners are saved by the miraculous new birth.

6. By another miracle of power, Israel entered Canaan through the bed of the Jordan River; and by a second work of grace, believers are wholly sanctified by the Spirit through the blood.

7. By refusing to believe and obey, the Israelites wandered for forty years in the wilderness, just as Christians fall away, grow lukewarm and backslidden many times when they see their privilege of being made pure in heart and refuse to walk in the light.

8. After the Israelites entered Canaan, they had to fight for their possessions; and so, too, do we have to fight for our spiritual possession in the state of holiness.

9. The literal land of Canaan was a good land, "flowing with milk and honey," where the Israelites ate the old corn and wine of the land. Just so spiritual Canaan is the best place of grace under heaven; indeed it is heaven's border-land, where saints have sweet communion with G.o.d and Christ and are ready for the great crowning-day.

In several chapters of this book we shall treat the subject of entire sanctification allegorically, using the types as prefiguring Christian experience. The battles of the soul against foes are real conflicts, which leave their scars and marks on many a Christian. Perhaps, out of the experiences of others, the reader will gather something of profit to himself, and be enabled to fight more effectively and not merely beat the air. There are spiritual powers in high places that challenge us to battle; blessed is he who has the armor, the courage, and the skill to win.

CHAPTER ONE

GETTING READY TO ENTER CANAAN

Can you tell me, please, the first step to take in obtaining the experience of entire sanctification? I have heard much about it, have heard many sermons on it, too; but the way to proceed is not yet plain to me, not so plain as I wish it were. Can't you tell me the first step, the second, third, and all the rest? My heart feels a hunger that seems unappeased, I have a longing that is unsatisfied; surely it is a deeper work I need!

And so I plead, "Tell me the way."

Gladly will the endeavor be made to point out the way into the "holiest"

of all (Hebrews 10:19). Probably the very first thing to know is that you must understand whether or not you are sanctified. Are you, or are you not? On which side of the Jordan are you, on the Canaan side or on the wilderness side? A definite answer to this question is essential.

Sometimes there are doubts in your mind whether you are or are not sanctified. Well, let us first get rid of all doubts. The experiences of G.o.d in the soul are too definite to need their possession entertained with a doubt; and to know where we are spiritually is unquestionably our privilege.

If you find yourself on the wilderness side of Jordan, the next thing to find out is whether you are yet out of Egypt--whether you are justified before G.o.d, whether your sins are all washed away and you are a child of G.o.d.

If you are sure you are justified now, but have not by faith entered the Canaan experience--are not wholly sanctified--then you may know for certain that the experience awaits you.

Then there is one more very essential thing--you must believe with all your heart that sanctification is unquestionably an experience which the Bible holds out to all believers. Do you thus believe? If so, all is clear, and all you need to do is to go forward; or, in the words G.o.d used to Joshua, "Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan" (Joshua 1:2).

Do you need your faith strengthened in this particular doctrine? Let it then meditate and grow upon these promises and words of G.o.d:

"Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate" (Hebrews 13:12).

"Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth" (John 17:17).

"And the very G.o.d of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray G.o.d your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish" (Ephesians 5:25-27).

"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of G.o.d" (2 Corinthians 7:1).

After you have meditated on each of these texts for ten or fifteen minutes, consider these further promises concerning the giving of the Holy Ghost:

"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world can not receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you" (John 14:16, 17).

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" (John 14:26).

"That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith"

(Galatians 3:14).

"And G.o.d, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith" (Acts 15:8, 9).

This great experience which Peter speaks of came to the disciples on Pentecost, when the Holy Ghost filled the whole company, and it changed a band of common men into the most powerful gospel band the world has ever seen.

Nothing feeds the soul as does the Word of the Lord. Meditate on the texts given, drink in the full meaning, comprehend what all of grace and love and spiritual power they hold for you; yea, consider at what a cost these blessings were purchased for you by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ!

That you may see what your duty is in the matter, permit reference to these things: