“They must be set apart as holy to their God and must never bring shame on the name of God.” (Leviticus‬ ‭21:6‬ ‭NLT‬)

“You must consider them holy because I, the Lord, am holy, and I make you holy.” (Leviticus‬ ‭21:8‬ NLT)

Typically we see the book of Leviticus as a long list of expired rules. The broad brush-stroke we paint tends toward ‘Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament legalities’ as we move on to the more exciting New Testament scriptures. We must be cautious not to dismiss what lies at the heart of Leviticus; God is holy. By association (proximity or touch), He makes His people holy. We must honor that.

Over and over again in Leviticus, He says it clearly. “I am the Lord who makes them holy.” We cannot achieve holiness in our own strength. It is a gift only God is capable of giving. Through Christ, it is ours. And we have an obligation to honor that.

So yes, we can breathe a sigh of relief that the entirety of the Old Testament law no longer rests on our shoulders. We are not hog-tied to an extensive list of do’s and dont’s. Yet, we are still tied to a basic and all-encompassing heart instruction: “Be holy as I am holy.” We are called to live in a way that honors Christ’s sacrifice every day. We are to refuse to defile the Spirit that dwells in us. We are entrusted with the task of Kingdom building, not destroying.

God’s heart for humanity has not changed. He makes us holy at great personal investment, so we can live and move and breathe in step with Him. Today, let’s seek to honor the holiness He offers us so freely.

“So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”” (1 Peter‬ ‭1:14-16‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

Lord, we are Yours. We acknowledge that all our holiness comes from You alone. We seek to honor that. Not living according to a long list of dusty rules, but living in a way that blesses You and lets the world know that we are Yours. Help us as we seek to honor the gift of Your Spirit in us today. Amen.