As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled
into a way of life shaped by God’s life,
a life energetic and blazing with holiness.
God said, “I am holy; you be holy.”
(1 Peter 1:16 MSG)
I’m about a third of the way through Leviticus in my Bible Recap readings. If you’ve read Leviticus before, you probably understand how challenging it can be—it’s not the easiest book to connect with. It’s filled with countless rules and instructions about worship, ceremonial cleanliness, holy days, the Sabbath, and more. Many of these details feel distant from our lives in 2025, making it tough to read (or “slog through”). Still, if God included it in the Bible, there must be a purpose behind it.
I went to my NIV Study Bible introduction to the book and found these words:
“Leviticus is a manual of regulations enabling the holy King to set up his earthly throne among the people of his kingdom. It explains how the Israelites are to be the Lord’s holy people and are to worship him in a holy manner. Holiness in this sense means to be separated from sin and set apart exclusively to the Lord for his purpose, in his service and for his glory. So the key thought of the book is holiness…the holiness of God and his people (they must revere him in holiness). In fact, the word holy appears more often in Leviticus than in any other book of the Bible.” (p. 156)
One word keeps coming back in that quote: holy. God is holy and he wants his people to be holy and to worship him in a holy manner.
The Oxford Languages dictionary says “holy” means “dedicated or consecrated to God or a religious purpose; sacred.” It has connections to the sacred, the divine, and being set apart for a purpose.
God gave the Israelites all these rules for holiness – how they were to live and interact with their holy God – and, if you know the Biblical narrative, it didn’t really go well. The people couldn’t keep their end of the bargain. If unholy creatures can’t come into the presence of a holy God, then there is no hope for humanity to be in relationship with that God. Thankfully, this God of Love sent his Son to be the bridge between God’s holiness and our lack thereof.
So, in your church service today, whether or not you sing a song about God’s holiness, pause a moment to reflect on what that means. What does it mean to praise and worship a completely perfect and HOLY God? What does it mean to recognize Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah, the Grace-Bridge between us and the God of Love who wants to pour out his love upon us? What does it mean to live holy lives in this day and age, not necessarily as the ancient Israelites were instructed in Leviticus, but as the Apostle Paul instructed in his letters to the Church? What does it mean to be holy as God is holy?
Holy God,
Blessing and honor, glory and power be unto the Lamb who sits on the throne. You alone are holy and worthy of our praise, worship, and adoration. You alone are the perfect Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer whose Love overflows to we who cannot possibly be holy as you are holy. Yet, you loved us to much you sent your Son to be the bridge of grace for us to come into your Presence. Thank you for the amazing promises you give us. Help us to live a consecrated life set apart for your purposes. Help us to cleanse ourselves from anything and everything that contaminates our lives with unholiness. Holy Spirit, dwell within us an empower us to overcome temptation so that we can honor you in all we do. Holy God, to whom all praise is due, we stand in awe of you. We ask these things in Jesus’s name, AMEN.
Therefore, since we have these [great and wonderful] promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, completing holiness [living a consecrated life—a life set apart for God’s purpose] in the fear of God. (2 Corinthians 7:1 AMP)
For God has not called us to impurity, but to holiness [to be dedicated, and set apart by behavior that pleases Him, whether in public or in private]. So whoever rejects and disregards this is not [merely] rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you [to dwell in you and empower you to overcome temptation]. (1 Thessalonians 4:6-8 AMP)