PODCAST
Called To Be Holy
October 8th, 2018
Leviticus 18:1-20
Israel was called to be different. They were called to live differently than the pagan nations around them (v. 3). It is no surprise that, after issuing this command, God turns his attention to the issue of marriage, the cornerstone of any society. Some of the prohibitions regarding sexual relations in Leviticus 18 may seem strange, even obvious, to our eyes and ears. But they were accepted practices for many of Israel’s neighbors. And Israel was called to a different way of living, a holy way of living.
It is no different for the Church. We are called to be God’s holy people. This means holding to beliefs and practices, and abstaining from other activities, that are quite simply accepted, or at least tolerated, by the society around us. Not every law in the Old Testament will directly apply to our situation. If we will, in each situation, seek the Lord’s wisdom in how our actions will empower us to love God and love our neighbor, not only will the world see that we are different. They will also see that we have the character of our Lord.
Author: Joel Parsons
