HOLINESS IS A FAMILY MATTER (Leviticus 19; I Peter 1:13-25)
Godly Families are God's School for Lovingly Shaping a Social Ethic that Transforms Civilization
"Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy." If we want to have a deep rich fellowship with God we must be willing to change: to become Holy according to God's definition of holiness. But what changes do we need to make and what are the benefits of making those changes? The answer to these questions becomes clear when we realize Leviticus 19:2 is quoted by the Apostle Peter in I Peter 1:15-16. The Holy Spirit has made this connection between Leviticus 19 and I Peter 1 to teach us some very important principles for growing in holiness that results in experiencing a pure true Love.
LEVITICUS 19 I PETER 1:13-25
(Leviticus 19:2) (I Peter 1:15-16)
19:3 "Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his
father: I Am the LORD your God." 1:14 "As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves
according to the former lusts in your ignorance"
19:3-4 "I am the LORD your God. Turn ye not
unto idols. I am the LORD your God." 1:17 "And if you call on the Father, who without respect
of persons judgeth according to every man's work,
pass the time of your sojourning here in fear."
19:5 "If ye offer a sacrifice of peace offerings."
19:21 "he shall bring a trespass offering unto the LORD.
And the priest shall make atonement for him. . .
for his sin which he hath done." 1:18-20 "Ye were redeemed with the precious
blood of Christ as of a Lamb without
blemish and without spot."
The great purpose of God is clearly revealed in all these seemingly insignificant laws in Leviticus 19
19:18 "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self: I
AM the LORD." 1:22 "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying
the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love
of the brethren, see that ye love one another
with a pure heart fervently:"
.
When we correctly understand the Principles that underlie the Precepts we are able to Perceive God's important, transforming, and glorious purposes. So today we are going to discover the ageless divine principles supernaturally revealed in the past so we can apply them to our lives today and "grow in fervent love with a pure heart!" The burden of forced obedience by the Old Testament law has been replaced by the empowerment for loving obedience by God's Grace! (Rom. 5:5; 13:8-10)
I.) THE FOUNDATION FOR A LIFE OF LOVE IS FOUND IN A HEALTHY RESPECTFUL FAMILY ENVIRONMENT
WHERE THERE ARE CLEARLY ESTABLISHED RULES (LAWS) OF BEHAVIOR (Prov. 1:8-9; 6:20-23; Eph. 6:1-4)
A.) "Ye shall fear every man his mother and his father" (19:3).
1.) Some translate fear as reverence. But the Hebrew word clearly has a meaning closer
to our English fear. A healthy fear of our loving parents lays the foundation for a
proper and healthy fear of our loving heavenly Father (Prov. 9:10; 16:6)
a.) Why? Proverbs 13:24; 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; 30:17.
We fear them because they have been entrusted by God with the authority to Discipline their children. Discipline carried out in harmony with the teaching of God's word will always bear witness to the moral standard God has instilled into every child through his conscience. So though a child might "hate" you for a while because of the pain of discipline; once the child understands God's good and eternal purpose behind the discipline he will come to love and respect his parents even more (Heb. 12:3-11). Laws without penalties are nothing more than good advice. We all must learn to avoid the severe consequences of sin by learning accountability to a higher power and authority (I Pet. 4:1-2).
II.) TO EXPERIENCE LOVE'S UNLIMITED POTENTIAL WE MUST MAKE THE TRANSITION FROM THE PHYSICAL
AND EMOTIONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR EARTHLY PARENTS TO THE ETERNAL SPIRITUAL
RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR HEAVENLY FATHER. (Lk. 2:48-52)
A.) "Turn ye not to idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods. I am the LORD your God."
(19:4) (Eph. 5:5)
1.) When the family is emotionally insecure or uncertain of their eternal destiny they will
fall victim to idolatry. They will look for emotional satisfaction or security anywhere.
2.) Security for the present and certainty about the future can only be found when
we have placed our lives in the loving hands of THE SOVEREIGN God!
a.) That is why God reminds us 16 times in 37 verses, "I am the LORD your God."
(Lev. 19:2,3,4,10,12,14,16,18,25,28,30,31,32,34,36,37)
b.) The Christian God is sovereign. He has the last word when it comes to what happens in
our life. Why would we worship any god that is less than sovereign?!
(Prov. 14:12, 27; 29:26). Why would you worship a god made by man instead of the one
true God who made all mankind?
III.) THE OPPORTUNITY TO MANIFEST GOD'S LOVE IS ALWAYS PRESENT.
It is the supernatural love of God that results from keeping the supernatural Word of God.
A.) In the family worship.
1.) We Demonstrate the Love of God when we make personal sacrifices to preserve peace (19:5-8)
a.) The restrictions of God's love reveal a supernatural wisdom (19:6-8)
i.) These restrictions would have saved many lives! [they would not eat food gone bad]
2.) We prevent the possibility of angering God by forsaking all idolatry (19:26,31)
a.) We show our faith and trust in God by refusing to use enchantment
(divination) or observe times (soothsaying, Chinese fong-shway) (19:26).
b.) We refuse to consult with "them that have familiar spirits (mediums,
channelers), or wizards (spiritists)," (19:31)
3.) We prepare for the wise use of our time by keeping God's sabbaths (19:30)
4.) We promote reverence for God by reverencing God's Sanctuary (19:30)
B.) In the family business.
1.) God provides opportunities to Love those who need but can't afford our services
(19:9-10). Keeping this law changed the course of History! (Boaz helping Ruth)
2.) God provides opportunities to Love the clients of our business (19:11).
a.) Ye shall not steal - (19:35-36) Keep just weights and measures. (Eph. 4:28)
b.) Do not deal falsely nor lie one to another - (Eph. 4:25)
3.) God provides opportunities to Love those employed by our business (19:13)
a.) Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbor, neither rob him: the wages of him that is
hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning. (James 5:1,4-5)
b.) Don't abuse authority and power to sexually exploit employees (19:20-22)
C.) In the families neighborhood.
1.) Teach an unprejudiced respectful Love and concern for all human life.
a.) the poor and stranger (19:9-10)
i.) Don't vex (make fun of, persecute) the stranger (19:33)
ii.) Treat the stranger "as one born among you" (19:34)
iii.) Love the stranger as thyself; I am the LORD your God (19:34).
b.) the handicapped (19:14) Don't curse the deaf because God is not deaf. Don't
trip the blind because God is not blind! (Prov. 5:21; 15:3)
c.) the elderly (19:32)
d.) thy neighbor (19:18)
Don't gossip (19:16 with Eph. 4:29). Be righteous (19:15 with Eph. 4:28; 6:14). Don't harbor hate
in your heart (19:17 with Eph. 4:32). Rebuke him when he sins. Teach him God's truth (19:17
with Eph.5:11-13). Don't take revenge (19:18 with Eph. 4:26-27, 32). Don't bear any grudge
(19:18 with Eph. 4:31).
D.) In the family educational and accountability structure.
1.) Model and hold each other accountable to channel the incredible blessing of sex
according to the Word of God (19:20-22, 29). (Eph. 5:3)
a.) Leviticus 19:20 is a powerful redemptive verse for those who have been victims of
the international sex slave trade! She will live because she was not free!
b.) Teach the consequences of corrupting love into lust. (Prov. 7:5-27)
The tragedies that result from lust have national consequences (19:29).
2.) Model and hold each other accountable to be generous and fear greed. (Eph. 5:3)
a.) Keep just weights and measures are required in all your dealings with people. (19:35-36).
3.) Teach everyone to accept and respect themselves and their bodies (19:27-28)
We must strive to live according to this wisdom of God so that both we and our children will learn to love all people fervently with a pure heart (Lev. 19:18; I Pet. 1:22). We will keep these inspired words of the LORD because it is He who saved us and set us free from our bondage and slavery to sin, evil spirits and other people (Lev. 19:36-37; I Pet. 1:18-21).
