December 28, 2023

Leviticus 22: 31, 32 “Keep my commands and follow them. I am the Lord. Do not profane my holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites. I am the Lord who makes you holy.” (NIV)

Holiness is not optional.*

How to be holy. . . Based on this passage, it seems simple enough. Keep God’s commands and follow them. Do not profane his holy name. Acknowledge him as holy. . . But wait! I am the Lord who makes you holy. After all those steps, it seems we still need God to make us holy.

So much of our spiritual energy is spent on trying to earn God’s favor. When we see something like this, we are thrilled to have such clear directions as to how to accomplish it. Until we are smacked in the face with the truth: we can’t earn God’s favor. We can’t make ourselves holy. So why does he tell us to keep his commands and not to profane his name and all that? I don’t know. As Isaiah expresses it: “Who has understood the mind of the Lord?” (Isaiah 40: 13) In answer to Isaiah: no one.

But here is what we do know: before God makes us holy, he expects us to put some effort into the process. Keep his commands. Follow him. Do not profane his holy name. Acknowledge him as holy. And he will do the rest.

No man can make himself pure by obeying laws.*