Living All In: Lessons from Joshua 22 on Avoiding Borderline Christianity

The Danger of Borderline Faith: Choosing the Promised Land Over Compromise

There's something deeply human about wanting to have it both ways. We want the blessings of God without the full commitment. We want to follow Jesus while keeping one foot in the world's comfort zone. We want the cake and the icing from two different bakeries, convinced we're making the smart choice.

The ancient story of Israel's conquest of Canaan offers us a sobering mirror to examine our own spiritual compromises.

The Commendation and the Charge

After seven years of faithful military service, the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh were finally released to return home. These warriors had kept their promise to fight alongside their brothers to secure the Promised Land, even though their own inheritance lay on the opposite side of the Jordan River.

Joshua's words to them were powerful: "You have done everything Moses the Lord's servant commanded you and have obeyed me in everything I commanded you. You have not deserted your brothers even once this whole time" (Joshua 22:2-3).

What a commendation. These were words any soldier would long to hear—the acknowledgment of faithful service, of perseverance, of sacrifice.

But Joshua didn't stop with praise. He gave them something more important: a charge for the future.

**"Only carefully obey the command and instruction that Moses the Lord's servant gave you. To love the Lord your God. To walk in all his ways. Keep his commands. Be loyal to him and serve him with all your heart and all your soul"** (Joshua 22:5).

Six imperatives. Obey. Love. Walk. Keep. Be loyal. Serve.

This wasn't new teaching. These were echoes of words Moses had spoken repeatedly: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength" (Deuteronomy 6:5). Jesus himself would later call this the greatest commandment.

The message was clear: You're crossing back over the Jordan now, away from the central place of worship, away from your brothers. Don't forget the Lord.

The Problem with Living on the Border

Here's where the story takes a troubling turn.

These two and a half tribes had made a fateful choice years earlier. Before Israel even entered the Promised Land, before they saw what God had prepared for them, they looked at the land east of the Jordan and said, "This looks good enough for us."

It wasn't the land God had promised. It was land they wanted for their cattle, for their convenience, for their own purposes.

Moses had given them permission, but with a condition: their fighting men must help conquer the actual Promised Land first. They agreed, and they kept that promise faithfully for seven years.

But now they were returning to a land of their own choosing, not God's choosing. They were settling for "good enough" instead of "God's best."

And this decision would create consequences they couldn't foresee.

When Misunderstanding Nearly Destroys Unity

After the warriors returned home, they built an enormous altar near the Jordan River. When word reached the other tribes, the response was immediate and fierce: "The entire Israelite community assembled at Shiloh to go to war against them" (Joshua 22:12).

How quickly things escalated. Brothers who had fought side by side for seven years were ready to slaughter each other.

Why? Because the western tribes heard about the altar and assumed the worst. They thought their brothers were establishing a rival place of worship, violating God's command that sacrifices be offered only at the tabernacle. This was treachery against God, punishable by death.

But they hadn't seen the altar. They hadn't asked questions. They had simply heard a rumor and prepared for war.

To their credit, they sent a delegation first—Phinehas the priest and ten leaders. But even then, they came with accusations blazing: "What is this treachery you have committed today against the God of Israel?" (Joshua 22:16).

The response from the eastern tribes revealed their true intent. The altar wasn't for sacrifices at all. It was a monument, a witness, a reminder for future generations that despite living on the opposite side of the Jordan, they were still part of Israel, still worshipers of the one true God.

But their explanation contained a troubling irony. They said they were worried that in the future, the children of the western tribes might say to their children, "You have no share in the Lord" because the Jordan was a border between them.

Wait. Who made the Jordan a border? Not God. They did. In their own defense, they tried to rewrite history, claiming "the Lord has made the Jordan a border between us" (Joshua 22:25).

No. They chose that border. They chose to live outside the land God had designated. And now they were building monuments to justify that choice and blaming future problems on everyone else.

The Cost of Compromise

By God's grace, war was averted. Phinehas and the leaders accepted the explanation, blessed God, and returned home with a good report. Unity was preserved.

But the cracks were already there.

History would prove that these two and a half tribes were among the first to fall away from God, to intermarry with surrounding peoples, to adopt foreign gods. Living on the border made them vulnerable. They wanted to be close enough to claim connection with God's people but far enough away to do things their own way.

This is the danger of borderline Christianity.

What Does This Mean for Us?

We face the same temptation today. We want to claim the name of Christ while maintaining our independence. We want the benefits of faith without the full surrender. We want to stay close to the world's values while occasionally showing up for worship.

But faithful discipleship requires wholehearted commitment.

**Love** the Lord your God—not partially, not conditionally, but completely.

**Walk** in all His ways—not just the convenient ones, not just the culturally acceptable ones, but all of them.

**Keep** His commands—not as suggestions, not as outdated rules, but as the wisdom of a loving Father.

**Be loyal** to Him—not to political parties, not to cultural trends, not to personal preferences, but to Him alone.

**Serve** Him with all your heart and soul—not with leftovers, not with spare time, but with everything you have.

The Promised Land isn't just about geography. It's about living fully in God's will, in the center of His blessing, surrounded by His people, committed to His purposes.

Yes, it requires sacrifice. Yes, it means letting go of what we think we want. Yes, it demands we trust God's plan over our own assessment of what looks good.

But the alternative—living on the border, one foot in and one foot out—doesn't lead to freedom. It leads to vulnerability, compromise, and eventually, falling away.

The Invitation

Perhaps you've been living on the border. You've made your own compromises, chosen your own version of "good enough," justified decisions that moved you away from the center of God's will.

Today is the day to cross back over. Not to the land Moses gave, but to the land God promises—a life fully surrendered, completely committed, wholeheartedly devoted to Jesus Christ.

The peace that comes from that commitment isn't temporary or fragile. It's the peace that surpasses understanding, the peace the world cannot give or take away.

Don't settle for borderline faith. The Promised Land is waiting.