"Consecrate
yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your God." (Leviticus
20:7 NKJ)
I am presently
reading through Leviticus in my personal devotions. It is interesting to me
that every chapter begins with "and God spoke to Moses." What a
phenomenon! God wanted to communicate so he opened the conversation. God's
message was so important to him and to his people that he graciously called
their leader to discuss it and explain it clearly.
"Speak unto the
children of Israel." The conversation, of course, wasn't only for Moses.
God had a message he wanted Moses to convey to the people of God. Each chapter
describes specific aspects of God's holiness and his expectation for their response
in holy living. It was a holy message from a holy God to a people whom God
intended to be a holy nation.
Again and again
throughout this priestly record, God says, "I am the LORD your God."
And "I am holy so be holy." And "I am the Lord who sanctifies
you." He constantly reminds his people of who he is and of his expectation
for an appropriate response.
In the 21st century,
we almost forget that our God is holy. Without being hyper-critical or
super-saintly, I see very little in the way of holy living. Somehow, the saints
of Jesus Christ must regain the proper, biblical perspective of holiness and
how it works out in our lives and our society.
In a thoughtful
consideration of biblical holiness, it is clear that it isn't merely an Old
Testament, Jewish concept. The old, brash, and out-spoken Apostle Peter taught
it in the New Testament (1 Peter 1:15-16 (NKJ)).
And interestingly enough, Peter cites the Levitical exhortations.
Peter is also the
New Testament writer who warns and challenges the post-Resurrection,
post-Pentecost saints to a lifestyle of righteousness (2 Peter 3:10-13 (NKJ)).
What a thought-provoking query: Since this earth will be destroyed by fire, how
should we live?
Dear Father, thank
you for providing us with your explanation of how to live holy in an unholy
environment. Empower us to so live that at your appearing we may rejoice. I
pray this in the name of Jesus. AMEN
What do you think?
Is holiness the missing element in Christianity?
No comments:
Post a Comment