God Selects the Godly for Intimate Companionship

When the Lord chooses a man, He does not merely adopt him as a servant or subject. Rather, He sets him apart for Himself—to converse with him, to communicate Himself to him as a friend and companion, making him His delight. This is the profound meaning of Psalm 4:3: "The Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself."

Holiness is the prerequisite that makes us fit to dwell eternally with the holy God. Without holiness, we cannot see Him (Hebrews 12:14)—this stands as God's supreme aim. Being God's children, while precious, is secondary to this greater purpose: our transformation into His image and our fitness for His presence.

Consider the parallel Thomas Goodwin draws: just as a man must possess a rational soul and human nature before he can be adopted as another man's heir, so too must we possess holiness before we can truly live in God's presence. A being without reason cannot inherit; a soul without sanctification cannot commune with the Holy One.

God's first and foremost design in election, before even our happiness, is our holiness. Therefore, this must also become our primary aim. We are not chosen merely for comfort or blessing, but for transformation into vessels fit for the Master's use—prepared for eternal intimacy with the Almighty.