be holy

i've been reading the Bible thru in a year since january 1st. i've done this before, but i'm finally using a chronological Bible a friend had given me a few years back. it puts everything in order from beginning to end - which is essentially how the "normal" Bible is laid out; however, this one lumps all of the laws in exodus and leviticus together, inserts some of david's psalms into his life story earlier in the old testament, etc.

so i'm plugging thru leviticus. growing up, i had a hard time getting thru this part of the Bible, and usually ended up stopping my reading plan short... which was usually in february. however, the last few times i've read thru this book, i've appreciated something new.

for instance, this time around, i loved the sections pertaining to how the priests, or levites... "... because priests are holy to their God. Regard them as holy, because they offer up the food of your God. Consider them holy, because I the Lord am holy - I who make you holy." (lev. 21:7b-8)

this made me think over to the new testament: "As you come to him, the living Stone - rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him - you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (i peter 2:4-5)

i'm blown away by the comparisons we can make. while we no longer have a need to sacrifice animals on altars (Christ came as the ultimate, final sacrifice), we who believe and follow Christ are to be holy. when you read thru leviticus and understand what it takes to be holy from a human perspective, you realize the higher calling you are meant to live. when you consider God's holiness, you realize you'll never make the cut; however, Christ died to cover our ugliness, and as leviticus says, priests are holy to their God. we're given freedom thru Christ's sacrifice, but the higher calling doesn't disappear. we should be spurred towards holiness out of love for Christ, reverance for the Father, and obedience to the Holy Spirit.

as i peter 1:15-16 says, "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'"

what IS holy? i'll let you define it. but suffice it to say that it's one of those words i'd keep in under the heading of "absolute"; there's no grey area with holiness.

and after you've figured it out - be holy.