Be Holy

Read Leviticus 11:1 through 14:57

I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy (Leviticus 11:44).

Throughout the Bible, God commands His people to be holy. In the Old Testament He gave the Ten Commandments and an almost endless list of detailed instructions to help the Israelites live righteously. There were rules about what they could and could not eat, how they were to prepare their sacrifices, and how to purify themselves if they became unclean. The Israelites were to be different from the pagan nations surrounding them. God exhorted them to dedicate themselves to His purposes alone. Their behavior was to mirror His holiness.

When Christ came, He did what we could never do—He fulfilled all the regulations prescribed by the Law. The holiness that God requires of all His people is now in Christ alone.

We do not have an endless list of what we can and cannot do; instead we have the perfect example of our Lord Jesus Christ to follow. As we consecrate ourselves to walk faithfully in His footsteps, we will reflect His holiness.

Thought for Today: Holiness is found, not in doing, but in being like Christ.

Quicklook: Leviticus 11:41–45