AUG 7

Leviticus 20:26
Memorise Leviticus 20:26
“…for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people…”

The LORD commanded the Israelites to be holy for Him. As His people they ought to be holy as He is. Israel was God’s chosen people whom He severed from all the other people. To sever is to divide by cutting, often suddenly and with great force. God told them that He had already thus separated them away from the world, and unto Himself. Now they belonged exclusively to Him, and were to be holy unto Him.

For us, as the church, we are the body of God’s chosen children. Like Israel, we too have been severed from unbelievers through the gift of salvation, and are called to be Holy unto the Lord. This means that we must be separate unto Him, away from the filth and uncleanness of the world.

What happens if you mix precious clean drinking water, with a small amount of dirty water meant for washing the floor? All the water would be polluted. It would be impossible for it to remain clean and pure for drinking. If you had only one container to keep all the water, would you mix it anyway? Or would you throw away the dirty water even though it seemed a waste?

So likewise, the church is called to be and has been made like this pure and clean water. God has chosen us to be holy and therefore separate from unbelievers and the sinful things of the world. The church belongs to God, not the pastor or the members. It is not up to us to do what we like and feel is best. We exist to glorify God, not God us. Separation from compromising and disobedient Christians, apostasy, other religions, sin and worldliness is critical to the life of the church because it keeps the church holy and separate for the Lord and His work. However sincere, or well-meaning these people may be, just as 2 + 3 will never equal 4, the holiness of God and His truth are absolute and cannot be compromised. Complete obedience is the only obedience, and the only way for the church to be holy is as God has commanded and has called us to be.

Thought: What is the focus of your walk with God, you or God?
Prayer: LORD, may I be holy unto You.