Be Holy

 I don't believe that most people have the right concept of being a Christian. I am afraid their understanding and practice falls short of what the Bible clearly teaches about salvation and knowing the Lord. Some people believe it only takes asking Jesus to forgive their sins. Others believe they only have to believe God exists and that Jesus died and rose again. Either of these concepts leave out a crucial element for salvation.

God was very plain when He explained His relationship with the children of Israel. (Leviticus 11:45) He declared to them that He was the Lord who was bringing them up out of the land of Egypt to be their God. Therefore, He called on them to be holy, for He was holy. This is an oft repeated truth in the Bible, so let's make sure we understand it well.

Jesus is not just our Savior. He is our Lord. He has always been the Lord, the Second Person of the Trinity. He became the Savior when He came to die on the cross as the sacrifice for our sins and to be raised for our salvation. Since He is Lord we have to repent of our sins, trust Him as Lord and Savior, and submit to Him as Lord. That means we obey all that He commands, and we do our part to be holy like Him.

God is holy. He always does the right thing and never does the wrong thing. He is perfect in all of His character. Since He wants to be our God and for us to be His people, He calls us to be holy like He is holy. Therefore, a part of being a Christian is to live a holy life after our salvation experience. It doesn't save us, but it enables us to walk with the Lord. It is what happens when we surrender to Jesus as Lord which is a vital part of salvation.

#NHBaptistdotorg

Tomorrow, I intend to read Leviticus 12-14.