Benefits Of Holiness, Part 2
OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL, NOVEMBER 15, 2023.
MEMORISE. Psalm 75:10. “All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.”
READ. 2nd Timothy 4:6 to 8.
6. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
7. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
MESSAGE.
We will progress in our study of the benefits of living holy today, as we look at how holiness can help you fulfill destiny. Nothing can stop you from fulfilling your destiny if you live a holy life. Let us consider Joseph. God revealed it to Joseph in Genesis 37:5 to 10 that he had a great destiny to fulfil. His brothers envied him, sold him into slavery and he found himself in the house of a rich man called Potiphar, whose wife wanted to sleep with him. Joseph refused because he did not want to do anything to offend God (Genesis 39:9). He remained holy and at the end of the day, impossible as his dreams seemed, he fulfilled them.
One major thing that has kept me holy is the fact that I know it is only God who can help me fulfil my dreams. If you really want to fulfil your dreams, then you must live holy. If God Himself gave you a destiny to fulfil, then you can be sure He is on your side, willing to help you fulfil that destiny. Romans 8:31 says if God be for you, who can be against you? Even the devil dares not. The only fellow who can be against you is yourself. When you start sinning, God will turn away from you and then the devil will come in to ensure that you don’t fulfil that destiny. King Saul was destined to be a great king and God was on his side until he started to sin. God took His spirit from him and sent a tormenting spirit to him instead. In the end, he failed in his destiny. Do you want to fulfil your destiny? Live holy.
Hebrews 1:9 says,
Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
If you want to be great, if you know that you need the anointing that will raise you above your fellows, if you want to receive a crown of righteousness at the end of your race here on earth (2nd Timothy 4:8), then you must love righteousness and hate iniquity. There are many people I have come across with great destinies; they started well but somewhere along the line, began to commit sin and thus never fulfilled that great purpose for which God created them.
Beloved, if you love yourself at all, you will stop committing sins and start living holy. That is the only way you can fulfil God’s plans for your life.
ACTION POINT.
Love righteousness and hate iniquity.
