“Here is the reason(again): I am the Lord. I brought you out of Egypt to be your God. Be holy because I am holy.” Leviticus 11:45
Last time we talked about how God, through Christ, makes us a Royal Priesthood. When we accept Christ, we also become a Holy Nation. This is quite a title for all believers. Think about it: God is building a new nation of people. He is drawing people from all over the world, people from all the nations of the world, and creating a new nation. What is the nation? It is the holy nation of God. Remember: the word “holy” (hagios) means separated, set apart, and different. Any person who is willing to separate from the sin and evil of this world and set his life apart to God, God will take that person and make them a citizen of His holy nation.
This is what holy means: to be different from the world, from its sin, evil and death. It means to be separated from the evil life of the world and set apart to the holy life of God. The one who turns to God becomes a citizen of God’s holy nation. That means that we serve God, we obey the laws of God’s nation, we are dedicated to follow the customs and life-style of God’s nation, and we speak up for and defend the nation of God. In other words we don’t talk like we use to, we don’t act like we use to, we don’t do the things that we use to. We are separated from that through Christ. We have a new standard of living, the Bible, the Word of God. Many of you might be saying that you can’t change, you can’t give up all those things, you are too weak to conquer it. Well, you can’t change them, you have to do your part by working toward the goal of holiness, but you need the power of God’s Spirit. You need the weapons of warfare and you need to join with the ranks of other believers in fighting the enemy in your life. However, you still have to discipline your life to live the way that God would have would have you to live. If you don’t apply what the Word says, then it is just meaningless words and your commitment to the Lord will fall by the wayside. However, if you do what God says, what His Word says, live the way He has commanded, and are holy, then you will have a power and will stomp all over the enemy instead of him stomping all over you.
God is calling us to be a “Royal Priesthood,” a “Holy People.” Next time we will talk about what it means to be a “Peculiar People.” Now this doesn’t mean that we are funny, or weird, it has a much deeper meaning than that. I do want to end this with the challenge to be Holy. Ask the Lord to show you through His Word, through prayer, and through His eyes what your life looks like. If there is something there that He shows you that you need to confess, get on your knees right then and there and confess it. Then get up and walk in the victory of God. Be a Royal Priesthood and become a part of the Holy Nation. Until next time, God bless all of you.
Pastor Rob
