What’s the Point?

You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. Leviticus 11:45

As my kids are taking high school algebra, geometry and trigonometry, I regularly hear, What’s the point? Why do I have to learn this? Reading through Leviticus, I must say, I’ve felt the same. I’m sure there are those who love the book, but I’m struggling through the hundreds of laws governing everything, including food, clothing, leprosy and menstruation. As I was slogging through it, wondering what the point is, I came across today’s verse. Be holy, for I am holy.

It seems that God was teaching the Israelites how to be holy, or set apart, for Him. If the Israelites claimed to follow God, they were to live differently than those around them. If they truly believed God, He wanted their faith to invade every aspect of their lives.

Though we do not follow all the same rules, the point remains today. If we follow God, it should invade every aspect of our lives and personalities. This is not just some archaic Old Testament rule. Peter repeated it, insisting that we should not be conformed to our passions but that we must be holy as God is holy (1 Peter 1:14-15). God wants our faith to impact all of our thoughts and actions.

If we truly follow God, we will live in a manner that sets us apart from the rest of the world. If we examine our lives and find that nothing really separates us from those who do not follow God, we are missing the point.

Do I daily deny self to follow Christ? Do I share the love of Christ with those around me? Do I regularly tell others what Jesus has done for me? If not, then I am likely not living much differently than those who do not follow God.

We often think that as we are saved by faith that we do not need to change our behavior or do anything. God says though, if you truly follow Me, you must think and live differently. That is the point.