Week 8; Day 1

Leviticus 11-14
There are two sets of verses that I want to focus on for today’s reading. Beginning at the end, take a look at Leviticus 14:18-20; “In this way the priest will make atonement for him before the Lord. The priest must sacrifice the sin offering and make atonement for the one to be cleansed from his uncleanness…..The priest will make atonement for him and he will be clean.” Read that again, “and he will be clean.” These verses cry out to us our Messiah, the one who was our sin offering, our sacrifice and our High Priest. Think about that: Jesus was our sacrifice and our Priest. Jesus not only went before the Lord on my behalf to make atonement for me, He gave Himself as my sin sacrifice. He gave Himself as the sin offering to make atonement and as a result, I am declared clean. Ladies, we are not just forgiven. Our guilt is removed. “Before the Lord” means in the presence of the Lord; in the presence of God Most High, I am clean. The instructions for the Old Testament sacrificial system should make us so much more deeply grateful to our Savior. Our salvation is greater than forgiveness. It is the removal of guilt; it is the covering of my uncleanness and being declared clean, pure. “He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
2 Corinthians 5:21

Now let’s go back to Chapter 11 and read verses 44-45; “For I am Yahweh your God, so you must consecrate yourselves and be holy because I am holy. You must not defile yourselves…For I am Yahweh, who brought you out of the Land of Egypt to be your God, so you must be holy because I am holy.”  Our salvation was not a get out of hell free card. We entered into a covenant with God. He is our God and we are to live as His set apart people. I am not talking about a conditional love from God. However, just as the Israelites were called to dedicate their lives to abiding in a life that honors God, so are we; “You were bought with a  price, therefore honor God in your life and heart which are His.” I have to share this with you that just blows my mind. “Therefore honor” means “to adorn or clothe oneself with splendor, to impart His glory, to render Him excellent, to make Him renowned, to cause His dignity and worth to become manifested and acknowledged.” Do you see the implications here? This is not some duty driven relationship. We were brought out of our slavery, to display His splendor, declaring Him to the world. Can you imagine? My life imparts the glory and excellence of God? I am speechless. We so often misread “be holy because I am holy” as a conditional statement. We think of God as this payback kind of God; I did this for you so you have to do this for me.” No. Jesus’ sin offering, sacrificed on my behalf, declares me pure and right before God. Now I have the incredible calling of adorning the splendor of the Holy God who bought me with the blood of His Son. I am speechless. Being holy is not declaring yourself holy; that is self-righteousness. It is God declaring you holy. In Leviticus, God says to “be holy, for I am holy.” ‘Be’ is a term that means to exist, abide, remain, continue, stand.” Living a life worthy of imparting His glory, declaring His excellence, making Him renowned, is only possible through abiding in His Spirit. There is no room here for the misunderstanding that I can decide that I am holy. Only by Him and through Him does my life declare the glory of God.