Be Holy

Leviticus 11:44-45

“For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves . . . For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am Holy.”

1 Peter 1:15-16
“But He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct. Because it is written, Be holy for I am holy.”

The root word for “holy,” occurs more than 150 times in the Book of Leviticus, more than any other book of the Bible. Holiness implies separation and is so defined in Lev. 20:26; “You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you aprat from the nations to be my own.” Holiness is a trait intrinsic to the character of God. It underscores the ”separateness” or “otherness” of God.

Therefore, sin must be dealt with if holiness is to be achieved and maintained. God can not condone sin, so holiness must be evident if God is to continue to abide among the people or in their worship. They were to imitate God as is the New Testament believer today (Matthew. 5:48 and 1 Corinthians 11:1).

The conclusion is that we must be totally, wholly, and completely committed to God. Whereas, some want to make the word “holy” to mean purity, that is one of the results of being holy. The focus for us is to follow and live for Christ. When we are truly walking with Christ, that is totally, wholly and completely committed to Him, we will be holy. Chapter 11 begins a unit on making a distinction between the clean and the unclean. Holiness means following God’s rules on what is clean. Uncleanness separates one from fellowship with God, whereas holiness opens the door for true fellowship with Holy God.

The reason the Israelites were to obey the dietary laws was that they were to be holy because they had been redeemed, delivered and cleansed by God. Their holiness was to set them apart from other peoples, and thus live so as to reveal who Holy God is. By their holy life they, and we, demonstrate the victory we have in Holy God as revealed in Jesus Christ. The principle of separation from what is unclean still stands. Paul described the immortality practiced by Gentiles as uncleanness (Rom..6:19; 2 Cor. 12:21; Eph. 4:19;: 5;3, 5); and 1 Thessalonians. 4:7-8 he said, “God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.”

God will not accept just any sacrifice. He is our Most Holy God, and He demands that we give Him our best. Anything less is an affront to Him. He sets the standard for holiness; we do not.