The Bible Chapter For Those Who Desire Holiness

Many of us today have taken on the expectations of the microwave culture we are living in. We even have microwave Christianity. We want things in an instant. We want them now. That’s why some put so much value in actions that make religion all about what we can get quickly. If we don’t get it when we want it, we lose faith and feel that God is not for us. But God wants to show us that being chosen is about the journey. We are set on a path of ever-increasing righteousness, holiness, joy, abundance, favor, and wisdom. We don’t arrive at a destination in the chosen life. Living things grow. Dead things do not.

God is committed to our growth. Growth does not happen instantaneously. It happens over time. The path of life is a journey to growing in God so that what He wants to develop in us will bear eternal fruit—fruit that will last (John 15:16). There is treasure in us that He wants to pull out. How does God get treasure out of our earthen vessels? Through testing and training along the path of life. The treasure is our call, our purpose, our gift, or our measure of influence. It is our eternal weight of glory, and for it to come out we must be willing to walk this journey with God. We must walk with God along the path of life He has laid out for us.

Again, God is committed to your growth. It is not His will that you have a gift and no clarity—a gift and no maturity.

Proverbs 4:18 says that the path of the just, or the chosen, is a path of life and righteousness that just gets brighter and brighter. God is saying that these are days when there is a people He wants to bless. These are days when, as a chosen one, you will enter into the greatest times of blessing, but you must get on the path God has designed you to be on. It is a righteous path. God is saying, “I’m raising up people with righteous hearts.”

Our society is hungry. It’s like it’s going crazy because people don’t understand what righteousness is. They are trying to redefine things with their own finite views without seeking God, who knows all. The lack of foundation and compromised standards have seeped into the body of Christ. But I believe we are in a season where God is purifying our motives. He is setting us straight with what pleases Him and allowing us to walk in favor with both God and man. He has given His chosen ones divine instructions, and because we love Him and His presence, we are going to go after it. We will pursue Him on the path He has laid out for us. We’re going to be on the hunt to build and make the name of Jesus famous again.

Proverbs 3 is my go-to resource for what it takes to remain securely on the chosen path, which include:

·  Trusting in the Lord: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Prov. 3:5–6).

·  Fearing the Lord: “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones” (Prov. 3:7–8).

· Honoring the Lord: “Honor the LORD with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine” (Prov. 3:9–10).

· Keeping God as your confidence: “When you lie down, you will not be afraid; yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden terror, nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; for the LORD will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught” (Prov. 3:24–26). Fear will cause you to stumble. Fear breeds desperation. Fear will lead to your emotions being all over the place. The Lord will send His Spirit to strengthen and stabilize you. The Lord is your confidence, your foundation, your cornerstone, and your strong tower.

· Walking in kindness and generosity: “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so” (Prov. 3:27).

·  Avoiding the curse of the Lord: “The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the home of the just” (Prov. 3:33).

· Remaining humble: “Surely He scorns the scornful, but gives grace to the humble” (Prov. 3:34)

Proverbs 3 contains a few more points that are critical to our understanding as we journey with God along the path of the chosen.

This article was originally published September 2019.