Leviticus 11
“If an animal that you are allowed to eat dies, anyone who touches its carcass will be unclean till evening.” Leviticus 11:39 NIV
In chapter 11, God clearly outlines what the Israelites should and should not eat. We no longer have to follow the laws set forth on what to eat, but this chapter reminds us that God has always cared about what we eat. In verse 39, He set forth a law that would protect the Israelites from disease. While we are in these physical bodies, God loves us so much that He wants us to remain healthy. We should remember to honor God by doing our best to remain physically healthy. The apostle Paul wrote the following: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
“I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves along the ground. I am the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.” Leviticus 11:44-45 NIV
This is the main point of Leviticus. God wants us to “be holy, because I the Lord am holy.” Now because of Jesus we ARE holy (see Colossians 1:22). Holiness is not something that we must drum up on our own, or that we must work for. Some might argue that if our holiness is a gift and is not a result of our own effort, we could just sin to our heart’s content, and be forgiven. Paul squarely addresses this argument in Romans 6:1-2 and says “Certainly not!” Paradoxically, when you start to believe what God says about you through Jesus – that you are actually HOLY in His sight, you start to exhibit holiness without actually trying to do it of your own effort. The more you try to earn holiness on your own, the more you become disappointed, just like the apostle Paul: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” (Romans 7:15). Your own attempts to drum up holiness are nothing more than self righteousness. We live in an unholy world and come into contact with unbelievers every day, which makes being holy very difficult. The amazing thing is that through the blood of Christ, and with the Holy Spirit’s guidance this difficult task is made possible to everyone who believes.