YOU SHALL BE HOLY (Part 3 of 7)

I. What is Holiness?
II. Holiness is a Behavior Not a Covering
III. Teaching Holiness Through the Laws of Cleanliness
IV. The Consequences of Not Being Holy
V. The Challenge for the 21st Century Church
VI. Living as a Holy Person
VII. Do Not Wear Cloths of Wool and Linen Woven Together

TEACHING HOLINESS THROUGH THE LAWS OF CLEANLINESS

“Distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean.” (Lev 10:10-11)(Ezek 44:23)

To help teach the principle of holiness to the people of Israel, the LORD God set forth the commandments related to “clean” and “unclean.” The laws of cleanliness were given to teach the believer to “distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and clean.” In other places the distinction is referred to as “the holy and the profane,” (Ezek 22:26). Paul draws on this understanding encouraging believers to,

“Cleanse ourselves…perfecting holiness in the fear of God,” (2 Cor 7:1).

The term “unclean” is not synonymous with “sinfulness” because people can become unclean through the normal activities of life and not due to any fault of their own. “Clean” and “unclean” teach us that God makes distinctions even in areas where the average person would not make a distinction. Historically, believers gloss over distinctions in the Bible because we are “All one in Christ Jesus,” (Gal 3:28).

However, oneness does not mean sameness. God is a God of distinctions. One of His names is “Hamavdil,” The One Who separates. He formed the earth separating light from dark, the waters above from the water below, separating sea from dry ground, male from female…between the holy and profane…between the seventh day and the six days of work. Clean and unclean are important distinctions which God has chosen to make in scripture because they teach us to distinguish between the holy and the common.

Becoming clean and maintaining a state of cleanliness is seen by the Jew as an important step on the path toward developing holiness that allows a person to receive the Spirit of God.

“Zeal leads to cleanliness, cleanliness to ritual purity, ritual purity to self-control, self-control to holiness, holiness to humility, humility to fear of sin, fear of sin to saintliness, and saintliness to the Holy Spirit.” (Sot. IX:15) (Everyman’s Talmud, “Revelation,” page 121)

The original commandments were given to prepare each Israelite to come into the presence of the LORD, Who dwelt above the mercy seat in the temple, as it is written, “Do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you,” (2 Cor 6:17). In the wilderness, the people did not approach the holy mountain of the LORD until they first became clean. Preparing to approach the LORD in a clean condition remains an unchanging principle in scripture. The writer of Hebrews draws on this understanding instructing each believer to draw near to God “with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts, sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water,” (Heb 10:22).

The cleanliness laws have received much criticism from the modern believer as to “legalistic” and “outdated” for a salvation gospel that focuses primarily on the LORD’S mercy and man’s inadequacy. While the laws of cleanliness should not be seen as a complete means to an end, meaning they should not take precedent over loving my neighbor or worshipping God, they should be seen as profitable in developing a level of discipline that is very much lacking in the present day believers life. Am I saying that we are commanded to maintain the laws of cleanliness above all else? Certainly not!!!

What I am saying is that the laws of cleanliness, along with the laws of Kashrut, and observance of the Sabbath, all develop discipline in our life to the degree we purpose in our heart to keep them. “Godliness” is closely associated with “holy conduct” (2 Pet 3:11), which is achieved through a lifestyle of discipline, as Paul wrote to Timothy,

“Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” (1 Tim 4:8)

(to be continued - Scott)