Leviticus 11:45

Leviticus 11:45

Thoughts from Dayna Spaulding

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For I am the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”

Leviticus 11:45

FOF- Behind the Scenes
Slide

Since we’ve been talking about sin at ACF leading up to Easter, I wanted to start by discussing holiness as it compares to sin. The Daily Grace Theology Handbook puts it this way: “Sin is the opposite of holiness as it corrupts and diseases everything in its path. Sin leaves creation the opposite of what God intended it to be. God’s holiness drives Him to rid the world of anything that is not holy because it corrupts what He has made.”

Slide

Tim and John from the Bible Project use the sun as a metaphor for God’s holiness. The sun is uniquely good and powerful. It is also dangerous. The sun isn’t dangerous because it’s bad–it dispels darkness and sustains life on Earth! Yet, because it is so immensely good, the closer you get to the sun, the more intensely its power is felt. Even 93 million miles away from the source of the sun’s power, we have to take protective measures when spending extended amounts of time in its presence.

Slide

The instructions contained in the book of Leviticus laid out a way for sinful people to live near God’s holy presence. Many of these rules seem unnecessary, overcomplicated, or just plain strange to us today. But these laws gave God’s people a clear way to be assured of their right standing with God, allowing them to safely draw near His presence. God used these practices and guidelines to teach them how to be holy as He is holy.

Slide

Paul explained to the Galatians, “the law was our guardian until Christ came” (3:24). But the law wasn’t the end of the story. The New Testament tells us Christ is the fulfillment of the law. He lived the perfectly holy life that we could not, and He made a way for us to live in God’s holy presence. Here’s what comes right after Galatians 3:24: “But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith” (3:25-26).

FOF- Make it Real
Slide

God has many names throughout scripture, but when Jesus taught His disciples to pray to the first person of the Trinity, He called God our Father. We are not merely commanded to be God’s servants or admirers; we are chosen to be His children! God is not a cruel master holding us to an impossible standard. Instead, He is a loving Father leading us to the most abundant life. Our loving Father doesn’t want us to be consumed by the destruction of sin, but to be defined by holiness, just as He is holy.

Slide

I love the way author and teacher Jen Wilkin puts it: “Growing in holiness means growing in our hatred of sin. But reflecting the character of God involves more than just casting off the garment of our old ways. It entails putting on the garment of our new inheritance.” Our inheritance as children of God is that we are not doomed to depravity. We are not left powerless against sin and death. We are filled with the resurrection power of Christ, equipped for every good work that He has prepared for us.

Slide

Does holiness feel unattainable? It 100% is so long as we rely on our own efforts. It’s easy to turn this calling to holiness into a life-sucking, obsessive pursuit. That’s what many teachers of the law did in Jesus’ time, and He confronted and condemned this behavior. He taught that He was the way, the truth, and the life–the only way to the Father. God made a way for us to enter into His presence through the righteousness of Christ, not by means of our own righteousness. We are then empowered by the Father’s gift of the Holy Spirit to be sanctified–to be conformed to the image of Christ, to be holy as He is holy.

FOF- End in Prayer
Slide

Father in Heaven, you are holy, holy, holy. All glory, honor, and power is yours forever. I have turned to so many things before turning to you. I’ve looked to books and teachers, friends and family, relaxation and entertainment. I’ve turned to despair and to anger when all my strivings fail me. And, when I finally accept the futility of my own efforts, I see you have been there all along, waiting. You weren’t waiting for me to reform myself. You were waiting for me to cast my cares upon you. Good, good Father, I know your yoke is easy and your burden is light. I surrender myself to you. Help me to be holy as you are holy. From your goodness, through your power, and for your glory only, Lord, amen.

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For I am the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.” 

Leviticus 11:45

Behind the Scenes

Since we’ve been talking about sin at ACF leading up to Easter, I wanted to start by discussing holiness as it compares to sin. The Daily Grace Theology Handbook puts it this way: “Sin is the opposite of holiness as it corrupts and diseases everything in its path. Sin leaves creation the opposite of what God intended it to be. God’s holiness drives Him to rid the world of anything that is not holy because it corrupts what He has made.” 

Tim and John from the Bible Project use the sun as a metaphor for God’s holiness. The sun is uniquely good and powerful. It is also dangerous. The sun isn’t dangerous because it’s bad–it dispels darkness and sustains life on Earth! Yet, because it is so immensely good, the closer you get to the sun, the more intensely its power is felt. Even 93 million miles away from the source of the sun’s power, we have to take protective measures when spending extended amounts of time in its presence.  

The instructions contained in the book of Leviticus laid out a way for sinful people to live near God’s holy presence. Many of these rules seem unnecessary, overcomplicated, or just plain strange to us today. But these laws gave God’s people a clear way to be assured of their right standing with God, allowing them to safely draw near His presence. God used these practices and guidelines to teach them how to be holy as He is holy.  

Paul explained to the Galatians, “the law was our guardian until Christ came” (3:24). But the law wasn’t the end of the story. The New Testament tells us Christ is the fulfillment of the law. He lived the perfectly holy life that we could not, and He made a way for us to live in God’s holy presence. Here’s what comes right after Galatians 3:24: “But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith” (3:25-26). 

Make It Real

God has many names throughout scripture, but when Jesus taught His disciples to pray to the first person of the Trinity, He called God our Father. We are not merely commanded to be God’s servants or admirers; we are chosen to be His children! God is not a cruel master holding us to an impossible standard. Instead, He is a loving Father leading us to the most abundant life. Our loving Father doesn’t want us to be consumed by the destruction of sin, but to be defined by holiness, just as He is holy. 

I love the way author and teacher Jen Wilkin puts it: “Growing in holiness means growing in our hatred of sin. But reflecting the character of God involves more than just casting off the garment of our old ways. It entails putting on the garment of our new inheritance.” Our inheritance as children of God is that we are not doomed to depravity. We are not left powerless against sin and death. We are filled with the resurrection power of Christ, equipped for every good work that He has prepared for us.  

Does holiness feel unattainable? It 100% is so long as we rely on our own efforts. It’s easy to turn this calling to holiness into a life-sucking, obsessive pursuit. That’s what many teachers of the law did in Jesus’ time, and He confronted and condemned this behavior. He taught that He was the way, the truth, and the life–the only way to the Father. God made a way for us to enter into His presence through the righteousness of Christ, not by means of our own righteousness. We are then empowered by the Father’s gift of the Holy Spirit to be sanctified–to be conformed to the image of Christ, to be holy as He is holy. 

Crystal Garnett

Crystal Garnett

ACF Digital Discipleship Director and Church Planter

End in Prayer

Father in Heaven, you are holy, holy, holy. All glory, honor, and power is yours forever. I have turned to so many things before turning to you. I’ve looked to books and teachers, friends and family, relaxation and entertainment. I’ve turned to despair and to anger when all my strivings fail me. And, when I finally accept the futility of my own efforts, I see you have been there all along, waiting. You weren’t waiting for me to reform myself. You were waiting for me to cast my cares upon you. Good, good Father, I know your yoke is easy and your burden is light. I surrender myself to you. Help me to be holy as you are holy. From your goodness, through your power, and for your glory only, Lord, amen. 

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