The Holiness of God: Holy Service

Joshua 24:19-20 “Then Joshua warned the people, “You are not able to serve the LORD, for he is a holy and jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. If you abandon the LORD and serve other gods, he will turn against you and destroy you, even though he has been so good to you.”

Jesus spoke in the book of John about knowing a tree by their fruit. A good tree produces good fruit, a bad tree produces bad fruit. And a good tree cannot produce bad fruit and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. (Matt 7:17-18) Joshua was warning Israel the same thing. If you are not serving God, i.e. producing bad fruit God is holy and He will not stand for it. To serve God means living right and following Him.

In the same way we too are challenged to holy service and living. Yes you will be tempted by the things of the world but ultimately it comes down to choice. Will you choose the world and your own selfish desires or will you choose God and a life of holy service. The apostle John wrote in 1 John 2:15-17:

“Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

What Joshua told the people of Israel is still true today as it was in his time, whom will you serve God or the world?

As for me and my family, we will serve the LORD. (Joshua 24:15)