Adventures in the Land of Canaan

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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 God, whose help
we gratefully acknowledge in the writing of this book.

R. L. Berry.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introductory: The Land of Canaan

1. Getting Ready to Enter Canaan

2. The Crossing of the Jordan

3. The Jordan Memorial Stone

4. Troubles of Lingering at the Crossing

5. Exploring Canaan by Faith

6. The Best Inheritance in Canaan

7. In the Hands of Giant Accuser

8. Conflicts with Giant Mistake

9. In the Dungeon of Giant Discourager

10. The Torments of Giant Bad Feelings

11. The Routing of Giant Doubt

12. The Wine of Prayer

13. Pilgrims of the Victorious Life

ADVENTURES IN THE LAND OF CANAAN

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 God to Abraham and
brings forth beautiful teaching which shows that, to him, God'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 analogy 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 antitype 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 God 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 God 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 God, whether your sins are all washed away and you are a child
of God.

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 God
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 God:

"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 God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God 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 God" (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 God, 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:

On the cross of Calvary Jesus gave all, all for you and your salvation.
There He cried, "It is finished." There He paid the last debt of all of
us. There He proved His love, perfect, fadeless, unfathomable, boundless.

Go to the foot of that cross! See the Savior hanging there! Every motive
that can move a soul finds its fountain there. Can you, in the shadow
of the cross, be anything less than a full Bible Christian? Can you do
less than give all to Him? Does not any selfish feeling or thought of
holding back the full surrender seem sinful, utterly displeasing to your
soul and to God?

Your duty, then, is clear. From henceforth you can not be less than all
for Christ, you can not do less than go all the way for Him. Being a
faithful Christian, you can not do less than your duty, once duty is
clear.

Since conviction is a matter of knowledge, consider this: Christ's work
hobbles along because there are so few whole-hearted, wholly consecrated
souls to work for Him, whereas Jesus expects all to be whole-hearted in
their service to Him.

Will you think also of the sin there is in the world, gnawing ugly wounds
in the hearts and marring the lives of millions, and yet Jesus died to
save every mother's child of them.

What is Jesus going to do if there are not a greater number of volunteers
to carry on His work? For every sanctified soul is all the Lord's, ready
for anything.

After Jesus died on the cross, He ascended to heaven. One day the angel
Gabriel met Jesus and said: "Master, did you not suffer great pain on
the cross?"

"Yes," answered Jesus simply and quietly.

"And, Master, that suffering was to redeem men to God, was it not?"

"Yes," answered Jesus.

"Well, how many know of your death and your suffering to redeem men? How
will the world of sinners find it out? Have you made any plans?" asked
Gabriel.

"I have told Peter and his brother Andrew, and James and John, and the
rest of the twelve to go tell the people about it," said Jesus.

"Suppose they do not go?" asked Gabriel. "Have you made any other plans?"

"No, I am counting on them," said Jesus.

This is only a story, but it illustrates the point of how necessary it
is for us to be consecrated and ready for the Master's service. Jesus
is counting on us!

* * * * *

So you conclude you are still on the wilderness side of the Jordan? Very
well, thank God you are out of the Egypt of sin, that the wilderness
journey through justification is behind you, and that Canaan, that fair
land where milk and honey flows, lies just before you. Only the Jordan
intervenes. Of course the Jordan always is running strong and out of its
banks every time, it seems, when souls are to cross, just as it was for
Israel in Joshua's day. But this is only a necessary test to prove the
sincerity and valor of the soul.

Thousands have made bold to strike their feet in Jordan's waters in the
name of God and start across. You can see them over on the other side
from where you are. Be encouraged; cross over the Jordan and enter the
Canaan of soul-rest.

CHAPTER TWO

THE CROSSING OF THE JORDAN

Just how did you feel at the time you were sanctified? I have heard some
tell of how the holy fire of the Spirit seemed to go all through them.
Others have told of a deeper, more complete peace. Some have shouted for
joy. Others have wept for joy. And I am wondering how one ought to feel.
Can you tell me? And how can I know that I am consecrated? Every teacher
of entire sanctification that I ever heard says that the consecration
must be complete; but how am I to know when it is complete? I have
consecrated over and over, but I do not feel certain that all, really
all, is given up. Might there not be some self-will left that I do not
know of? Please help me.

* * * * *

Probably it might not be wise to tell you just how I felt when the Lord
sanctified me and made me whole, because it might tempt you to want the
experience in the same way it came to me; and, besides, while the blessed
experience is, in its essential features, the same in each case, yet
each person has his own feelings and personal experiences along with it.
These experiences are suited to each one's need; they follow the trend
of one's natural disposition, and are a source of pleasure to us. The
really important thing is to be wholly sanctified.

When Israel under Joshua arrived at the Jordan River, they were commanded
by the Lord to "sanctify" themselves and prepare to cross over. This
command to "sanctify yourselves" points to the perfect consecration that
must be made before the sanctifying power falls upon us. Crossing the
Jordan signified to them leaving the wilderness life forever behind them
and entering upon a new life on the Canaan side. And in order properly
to enter upon that new experience they were asked by God to set themselves
apart by a solemn purification and consecration of themselves.

To begin with, then, let us consider what a consecration is, and next
we shall consider the evidences of its being perfect and acceptable to
God.

Several words and phrases cover what is meant by consecration, as
"abandonment," "surrender," "lay all on the altar," "die," "subject the
will to the will of God," "let Christ have his way."

"Abandonment" here expresses the idea that from now on your soul, your
life, your interests, your time, talents--your all--are no more your
own, but are abandoned to the will of God. You know how some people
abandon themselves to a life of vice; they know no limit, but give
themselves entirely over to it. Well, you are to abandon yourself to a
life of holiness and service to God.

Did you ever see a potter at work on a piece of clay making a vessel of
it? He gathers up a lump of clay and lays it on the wheel. As it turns
and turns He builds up whatever it is that He wishes to make. The clay
being inanimate, dead, yields absolutely to the potter, who makes of it
whatever He pleases. This illustrates the abandonment you are to make--
though with this difference: you have a will and reason, and your
abandonment is to be the yielding of yourself to God because your clearest
reason and most mature judgment tells you that such is best. From now
on, instead of willing to do your own will, you are going to submit to
God's will; for the most blessed thing in the world is the will of God.

Just here is where you may be tempted to draw back; for something may
whisper, "Why, if you abandon yourself what will become of you? Maybe
God would require of you something very hard for you to do. Is it not
dangerous thus to yield?"

To illustrate this, suppose you are the mother or father of a boy. Like
all boys, yours has given you more or less trouble by wanting his own
way. There has been more or less of a battle of wills, his will against
your will. You feel, and rightly, that your experience gives you a better
idea of what is good for him than his experience gives. Suppose he were
to come to you tomorrow and say: "From now on, Mother, I will do anything
you want me to. I abandon my way and will for your way and will."

What would you do in that case? Would you make up your mind that now is
a good time to put hardships upon him and make life as miserable as you
can for him? "Indeed not," you would indignantly say.

Well, then, can the great God, who is love, take advantage of His children
and, when they give all to Him, lay heavy and grievous burdens on them
because He can? Just as you, when your boy yielded, would love him all
the more and do all you could to make life pleasant even if there were
some hard things in it, so God seeks to lighten the load His consecrated
children must bear. To abandon yourself to God is an act of highest
intelligence and wisdom.

"Surrender" implies the cessation of rebellion. Of course the sinner,
to be converted, must surrender, and does surrender. And you have already
surrendered in that way. Yet there is a self-life or a self-will that
shrinks more or less from the will of God until we enter the Canaan of
entire sanctification. This rebellion takes on the form of refusing or
objecting to some of the Lord's ways with us. For instance, we may feel
a call to special service--to the ministry, or to the missionary service,
or to personal work--and we may have mapped out an entirely different
life for ourselves and ate to submit to God's leadings.

Surrender of the will is a part of the consecration. There can be no
inner soul-rest so long as our wills pull us one way and God's will pulls
us another. When Jesus said His yoke is easy and His burden light He
meant it is easy if we pull with Him, not against Him. How can two walk
together except they be agreed? Then lay your will down; or, rather,
actively, enthusiastically, delightedly will that God's will be done in
and with you.

"Lay all on the altar" is a favorite expression with many teachers of
full salvation and the victorious life. The figure comes from the
sacrifices made under Moses' law. Every Israelite had to offer sacrifices.
The main thing about the sacrifice was, whether sheep, goat, lamb, dove,
or something else, it had to be a perfect, unblemished sacrifice. God
would not accept any lame, maimed, blemished, or otherwise marred
sacrifice. It had to be the best of its kind. After it was brought to
the priest and dedicated to the Lord, it was laid on the altar and
consumed. It was the Lord's. The one offering it had no more to say about
it whatever.

Then on God's altar you should lay all--time, talents, earthly goods,
soul, body, and will. Once when Abraham had made a sacrifice, birds came
to steal it. Abraham was careful to drive away the birds. A beautiful
figure is found in Abraham's action. We might say that after you have
laid all on God's altar you may need to guard the offering; for the birds
of self-will, pride, unbelief, and evil desire may carry off your
sacrifice.

"Die" is a favorite expression with other teachers of perfect holiness--
die to self; die out to God; die to all but Jesus. The figure is full
of vital meaning. Mrs. Cleaveland, in her delightful poem on the river
of death, pictures the clergymen of various denominations as losing all
their distinguishing marks as they cross the river, and over on the other
shore not one can be told from another so far as sectarian peculiarities
are concerned. This is even true of entire consecration, or crossing the
Jordan into Canaan; for in Canaan there is a delightful absence of
sectarian conflict; every one is too busy doing the will of God.

Dying is used to express consecration because some felt that the
consecration was so acute that it seemed they had to suffer the pains
of death. Others have not so felt. Whatever the feeling, there must be
the dying.

Two women, one a widow and the other her daughter, lived together. They
were both devout. The younger woman became sick, and grew worse and
worse. At last all hope of life was gone, and mother and daughter began
praying that the dying girl might have "dying grace."

The condition for obtaining this grace consisted in an absolute submission
to die, a yielding of all to God's will; as she met the condition, so
she received "dying grace." But the sequel was unexpected. While one
receiving dying grace was supposed to die, this young woman lived and
got well. But her "dying grace," as they termed it, was still hers. One
day she spoke of it to her mother and said: "Mother, I am coming to
believe that 'dying grace' is the grace we need to live by." And it is.

This young woman had made the deathbed consecration. God had accepted
the sacrifice, had poured out His grace, and the young woman was sanctified
wholly; and that was exactly what she needed to live by. She had died
to self.

Now, how shall you know that all is given up and the sacrifice acceptable
to God? This may well engage our attention.

First of all, remember that your will is your own, and that you yourself
know what your intentions are. Whenever you decide to go to town to buy
a hat or coat, you have no trouble in knowing your mind, do you? Of
course not! And you can be just as sure of your mind or will in the
matter of consecration to God.

You might begin this way: I desire to be wholly the Lord's: my will I
desire to surrender; and my life I wish to be lived for God. Since the
Lord in His Word has said, "By the mercies of God ... present your bodies
a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service" (Romans 12:1), you may rest assured that God only awaits this
surrender, and will be glad to accept it.

Now, do not only desire to be consecrated, but at once begin to count
yourself the Lord's, permanently, irrevocably, for time, for eternity.
Some, in the earnestness and intensity of their souls, in the solemn
hour of their complete and definite surrender or consecration have written
it out on paper, in the form of a will, and, signing it, have called on
angels and God to witness the solemn act of their souls. But whether it
is written out on paper or be simply the unchangeable determination
within the heart, the point must be come to when all is yielded. There
must be a final "yes" to God; the gift must be deposited on the altar,
and from henceforth you are to consider yourself wholly the Lord's no
matter how you feel about it. It must amount to a transaction, like the
signing of a deed, or a contract, and when it has come to this point
where you do actually hand yourself over to the Lord, body, soul, and
all to be His forever, then you are to count the offering complete and
the die cast forever.

Should you be tempted to investigate whether you "feel" that you are all
consecrated, remember that your feelings have nothing to do with it.
Your will is master here. As your will goes, you go.

"When thy soul is on the altar laid,
Guard it from each vain desire;
When thy soul the perfect price hath paid,
God will send the holy fire."

Do you lay all on the altar? "Whether is greater, the gift, or the altar
that sanctifieth the gift?" (Matthew 23:19). If you have everything on
the altar, your feet, like the priest's in Joshua's day, are dipping
into the brim of the Jordan. You are ready to pass over. Just pass on
over! Call the transaction closed. Your heart feels a deep security in
handing all over to God, and there is the witness of your own soul that
you have, now, given up all and God accepts the offering.

What next? Ask God to purge your soul until He is satisfied concerning
its purity. Ask Him to kill all the things which displease Him, and
destroy the last remains of inbred sin. Ask Him to restore the image of
God in your soul, to come in and possess His temple. Ask God to fill you
with the Holy Spirit, to let the Comforter take up His abode in you and
abide with you forever. Swing wide open your heart's door to the Spirit.
Believe that God does what He promised to do; believe He sanctifies you
wholly. Since you are His, you are to trust Him to carry on this work
in His own way. It is yours to yield and to believe. And we are "sanctified
by faith" (Acts 26:18). Our hearts are purified by faith (Acts 15:8, 9).
Let your faith wrap its arms around God's promise, and the work is done.
Oh, marvelous grace of God!

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