“To grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life” (Luke 1:74-75, NKJV).

We serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him. Or, if we want to serve God without fear, we do it in holiness and righteousness before Him. It reminded me of some other scriptures. In the Old Testament, prophets often came with hard words for the Israelites about how destruction was coming if they didn’t turn back. God speaks through Micah these words, “If you would do what is right, you would find my words comforting” (Michah 2:7b, NLT). Or New King James, “Do not My words do good To him who walks uprightly?” Or you could say there would be joy, not fear, if you walked uprightly, if you served God in holiness and righteousness.

The Lord’s words are powerful. We want Zephaniah 3:17—the Lord rejoicing over us—not Psalm 29:5, where the voice of the Lord breaks the cedars, splintering them. And there is a way to be on the good side of the Lord’s words. It’s living in holiness and righteousness before Him.

How do we do that? We surrender our lives over to Him to consecrate us, to set us apart for Himself. That’s a choice to die to self, and to live to Christ. Philippians 1:21—to live is Christ, to die is gain. It’s a choice to walk in His ways as He shows them to you.

It’s not instant perfection, but it’s a walk toward Him. You look to Him and go toward Him. A life of righteousness is one that has been washed by the blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, buried with Him in baptism for the circumcision of the body of sins, and being raised up to new life in Christ. I’m using Philippians, Colossians, Romans, Ephesians, Hebrews, a little 1 John too, in saying all that.

I’ve said this before, but a lot of what I’m saying is just Scripture. You can search “circumcision of the body of sins” and find that verse in Colossians. Some aren’t as precise: “looking to Him and going towards Him.” You could still probably search that with the words “Bible verse” and come up with what one of the verses I might be referring to. It’s things like: keep your eyes on Jesus, or let’s fix our eyes on Jesus from Hebrews 12, or my eyes are ever towards the Lord, Psalm 25. It’s also Philippians: pressing on to the upward call of God.

I’m seeking to share Scripture with you. That’s where life is. God’s Word. And when you read it, I want them to be good words for you, not words of wrath, but words that inspire love for God and others, because you are walking in righteousness and holiness before Him.