Open your Bible to the Book of Leviticus and find chapter 11. I want us to read a few selected verses together that will lay the foundation for our focus today. Follow along with me, beginning in chapter 11, verse 43:
Leviticus 11:43-44a – “Do not render yourselves detestable through any of the swarming things that swarm; and you shall not make yourselves unclean with them so that you become unclean. For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy …
Now turn to chapter 13 and look at verses 45 and 46:
Leviticus 13:45-46 – “As for the leper who has the infection, his clothes shall be torn, and the hair of his head shall be uncovered, and he shall cover his mustache and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ He shall remain unclean all the days during which he has the infection; he is unclean. He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.”
And finally, look at chapter 15, verse 31:
Leviticus 15:31 – “Thus you shall keep the sons of Israel separated from their uncleanness, so that they will not die in their uncleanness by their defiling My tabernacle that is among them.”
[Prayer]
If you’re a parent or a grandparent, you know there’s something about kids, dirt, mud, and mud puddles that just seems inevitable. You turn your back for one second, and somehow they’re coated from head to toe! My kids loved playing in the mud, digging in the dirt, and splashing in the perfect mud puddle [Show photo]. And obviously, from this picture, Jotham still does. And they didn’t just get a little dirty—they got downright filthy! Mud smeared on their faces, dripping from their hair, caked on their clothes—dirt in every nook and cranny.
At that moment, they didn’t care one bit how they looked or smelled. They were having the time of their lives. But you take one look at them and think, “There’s no way I’m letting you anywhere near the house like that!” They’re practically untouchable until they’ve been thoroughly hosed down and cleaned up.
We’ve all seen that play out in other ways too, haven’t we? Maybe it wasn’t mud, but some social stigma—like the infamous “cheese touch” from Diary of a Wimpy Kid [show video]. “It’s worse than nuclear cooties”!!
[Here's a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73DxZPhVOYc ]
We might laugh at that clip, but the truth is, we often do something similar maybe even without even realizing it. Maybe it’s not as silly as a piece of moldy cheese, but we still mark people as “untouchable”—sometimes because of their past mistakes, sometimes because they just don’t fit our idea of what’s acceptable.
We distance ourselves from people who don’t measure up to our standards, whether it’s because of lifestyle choices, social standing, or something else entirely. It’s easy to look at someone whose life choices have left them in a mess and think, “They brought this on themselves.” Or to see someone whose past mistakes are still visible to everyone around them and quietly decide, “That’s not someone I want to get too close to.”
But now imagine that same sense of being untouchable magnified to a whole new level—where it’s not just dirt or a social label, but a spiritual reality that declares you unclean.
In the book of Leviticus, God instituted a whole system that distinguished between clean and unclean, pure and impure. These laws were more than just rules for healthy living; they were about how to live in relationship with a holy God. Being declared unclean meant being cut off from worship, community, and ultimately, from the presence of God Himself.
But as we’ll see today, these laws weren’t just about outward cleanliness. They pointed to a deeper truth about the human heart and our need for inward purity. Because no matter how hard we try to clean ourselves up on the outside, we still can’t deal with the deeper problem on the inside. And that brings us to the core truth for today: Only Jesus can make us truly clean, freeing us to live in holiness.
So, where does that leave us? If outward purity can’t address the deeper issue, then what’s the real problem? That’s exactly what the law in Leviticus sets out to show us. It exposes the problem of impurity—not just on the surface, but at the core of who we are.
I. The Problem of Impurity (Leviticus 11-15)
Leviticus chapters 11 through 15 meticulously address ceremonial impurity—everything from unclean animals to skin diseases and bodily discharges. And honestly, if you read through these chapters, it feels overwhelming—like an exhaustive and exhausting list of everything that could make someone unclean and then what to do about it. On the surface, it seems excessive and even very strange at some points. Why would God be so meticulous about something as seemingly minor as touching a dead animal or dealing with a skin infection?
A. The Reality of Uncleanness
But that’s the point. The reality of uncleanness wasn’t just about personal hygiene or physical contamination–although those things are important. It was about demonstrating that God’s holiness permeates every aspect of life. Nothing is left untouched by His standard. Every area—from diet to disease to daily hygiene—was subject to His call for purity.
Take a look at what God says in Leviticus chapter 11 and the beginning of verse 44: "For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy." God’s holiness is so complete and so absolute that even the smallest impurity would defile a person, making them unfit to come before Him. It wasn’t just about ritualistic purity—it was about being distinct, set apart, and completely devoted to Him. A holy God demands a holy people.
And it’s not just an Old Testament concept either. The Apostle Peter echoes this same truth reminding believers under the New Covenant that God’s standard of holiness remains essential. Listen to what he wrote – "But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy'" [1 Peter 1:15–16].
Here Peter quotes from Leviticus emphasizing that holiness is still fundamental to our relationship with God. Holiness isn’t just about following rituals; it’s about reflecting God’s character in our daily living.
We can’t brush this off as just an ancient, outdated system. It’s a sobering reminder that God’s holiness demands more than outward compliance—it demands inward transformation. The problem is that we often settle for the appearance of cleanliness rather than the reality of purity in our lives.
B. The Inadequacy of Rituals
Despite the rigorous purification practices laid out in Leviticus—sacrifices, washings, inspections—none of it could address the root problem. The rituals might deal with the symptoms of impurity, but they never cured the disease of sin. It was like trying to clean a deep wound with a damp cloth—it might wipe away some of the dirt on the surface, but the infection underneath remains.
That’s why the writer of Hebrews says, "... the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh ..." [Hebrews 9:13].
Notice what it says: those sacrifices could cleanse the flesh—they could address the external impurity. But they couldn’t touch the conscience. They couldn’t reach the heart. The Old Covenant rituals were never designed to be the ultimate solution; they were a shadow, pointing to the deeper need for inward cleansing.
And that’s where the frustration comes in for so many of us. We can get caught up in our own version of ritualistic purity—trying to keep up appearances, performing religious duties, and checking all the boxes—thinking that if we just do enough good things, we’ll feel clean on the inside. But the problem of impurity goes far beyond what we can fix with our own efforts.
If we’re honest, we know that no amount of good deeds can erase the guilt and shame of past mistakes. No amount of church attendance, charitable giving, or outward obedience can cleanse a stained conscience. Rituals might make us look good on the outside, but they’ll never heal what’s broken on the inside.
That’s why the insufficiency of rituals points us directly to Jesus. He didn’t come just to clean up our lives on the surface. He came to transform us from the inside out—dealing with the very core of our impurity. Only Jesus can make us truly clean, freeing us to live in holiness. We needed something more than ritual—we needed a Savior.
And that’s where the promise of cleansing becomes not just good news but essential news. The law showed us the problem, but Christ came to bring the solution—the kind of cleansing that goes beyond rituals and reaches the heart. Let’s take a look at what that promise means for us today.
II. The Promise of Cleansing (Hebrews 9:11-14)
Let’s turn to the book of Hebrews and find chapter 9, starting with verse 11 – But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
This is the key difference. While the Old Covenant's rituals only cleansed outwardly, Hebrews shows us Christ's sacrifice cleanses us inwardly. The blood of Christ doesn’t just purify our bodies—it cleanses our consciences, freeing us from the burden of guilt and shame that no ritual could ever touch.
A. The Purifying Power of Christ
This is where the power of Christ’s sacrifice becomes not just a theological concept, but a personal reality. Unlike the Old Covenant sacrifices that needed to be repeated over and over again, His sacrifice doesn’t merely cover sin—it cleanses our guilt and transforms our hearts. It’s not just a surface-level cleaning—it’s a total renewal from the inside out.
Think about what that means. His blood purifies us from within, setting us free from dead religious works and opening the way to serve the living God. That means no more trying to earn God’s favor by checking off religious boxes. No more striving to cover up past failures with good deeds. Christ has done what no ritual could ever accomplish. In Christ we can be made truly clean.
And I love how Jesus demonstrated this kind of cleansing during His ministry. One of the most powerful moments, for me anyway, is His encounter with a leperous man. It’s recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and it’s one of those stories that leaves a mark on your heart.
Let me set the scene. This man, completely ostracized by his community, covered in sores, living as an outcast, dares to approach Jesus and his followers. He’s breaking every social and religious boundary just by being there. And with desperation in his voice, he says, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” I love this scene from The Chosen series. I’ll let it tell the story … [show video]
[Here's a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ3HP_QJscQ ]
Jesus didn’t just remove outward uncleanness—He restored relationship and community. He crossed every barrier to show that His cleansing power goes beyond the surface. It reaches the heart. That’s the kind of Savior we have—One who’s willing to touch the untouchable and make the unclean clean.
But His touch doesn’t just leave us the way we were. It transforms us. His grace moves us from being outcasts to being welcomed into God’s family. That’s the kind of purity only Christ can give—one that restores, reconciles, and sets us free to serve the living God.
B. The Life-Changing Gift of Grace
And that’s the beauty of the life-changing gift of grace. Holiness under the New Covenant isn’t something we achieve by ritual or self-effort—it’s a gift that transforms us from the inside out. The Levitical laws were never meant to be the solution—they were meant to highlight the problem. Christ’s sacrifice delivers the solution—true and lasting purification.
Grace does what rituals never could: it changes us at the core and makes us acceptable before God. And when we grasp that kind of grace, it doesn’t just leave us standing still. It propels us into action. Do you remember what Hebrews 9:14 told us? The blood of Christ will “... cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”
In 2023, my daughter Courtney went on a mission trip to Nepal [show pics]. While she was there, she and her team ministered to the Musahar people—one of the lowest groups in the Hindu caste system. The name “Musahar” literally means “rat catcher” or “rat eater”—not because it’s some kind of delicacy, but because their desperate poverty leaves them with no other choice. These people are labeled as “untouchables”—the lowest of the low—facing constant discrimination and mistreatment. Most people wouldn’t even go near them.
But Courtney and her team didn’t shy away. They went to them—served them, loved them, and touched them with the hope of Christ. They didn’t see the Musahar people as unworthy or untouchable—they saw them as precious souls in desperate need of life-changing grace. In that moment, they reflected the heart of Jesus—the One who doesn’t just see the outcast as unworthy and unclean but draws near with compassion and grace.
And that’s the life-changing gift of grace. It doesn’t just change us—it changes how we see and love others. Just as Jesus touched the leper, He calls us to move toward those whom society might consider untouchable and unclean. He calls us to reach out with His love, seeing people as He sees them—worthy of grace and of His love.
Christ has made us clean—not just to remove our guilt but to transform our lives. So how do we respond to the cleansing grace we've received? That’s where the pursuit of holiness comes in.
III. The Pursuit of Holiness (Leviticus 11:45)
Being made clean in Christ isn’t just a status we receive—it’s a lifestyle we pursue. Holiness means living differently because we belong to a holy God. Just as Israel’s distinctiveness pointed to God’s holiness, our lives should reflect His purity and righteousness.
A. Living Set Apart
In Leviticus 11:45, God once again repeats this call to live set apart for Him. God says, “I am the Lord who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy.”
This is the call that’s echoed in the New Testament: "But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’" [1 Peter 1:15–16].
Holiness is not optional for believers. It’s an essential reflection of God’s character. The Israelites were called to be holy because they belonged to a holy God—and the same is true for us. Just as Israel’s distinctiveness pointed to God’s holiness, our lives should reflect His purity and righteousness. We are not called to fit into the world’s mold but to stand out as ambassadors of a holy God.
It means that our priorities, our values, and our choices are shaped by God’s standard—not the world’s. It means that our lives reflect the transformation Christ has brought in us. It means choosing integrity when it would be easier to compromise; showing kindness when it would be easier to dismiss; pursuing purity when the culture around us is anything but. Holiness isn’t just about the big moral decisions—it’s about our everyday choices; it’s about living out the identity Christ has given us.
B. Guarding Our Purity
And so, as believers, we must be vigilant guarding our purity; guarding against attitudes, thoughts, and actions that can corrupt our witness and hinder our fellowship with God. Holiness isn’t automatic—it requires intentionality and perseverance. We have to guard our hearts and minds against influences that would compromise our purity—whether that’s what we watch, listen to, or dwell on.
Living as a holy people is not about ritualistic purity but about reflecting Christ’s purity in every aspect of our lives. It’s not just about saying the right things or following the right rituals—it’s about being transformed from the inside out. When we truly grasp this life-changing gift of grace, it propels us into action. As Hebrews 9:14 says, the blood of Christ cleanses our “... conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”
The pursuit of holiness isn’t about perfectionism—it’s about transformation. It’s not about trying to live up to a standard in our own strength but allowing Christ’s power to shape us daily; living every day with the desire to reflect the holiness of the One who made us clean.
The call to holiness in Leviticus finds its fulfillment in Christ, who makes us clean and calls us to live as His holy people. Just as Jesus restored the leper—removing impurity and bringing him back into community—He restores us. He takes our guilt, our shame, and our sin–only Jesus can make us truly clean ...
But He doesn’t stop there. He frees us to live in holiness. He calls us to live set apart for His glory, reflecting the purity that He alone can give. Let’s not just talk about being clean—let’s live it out. Let’s be the kind of people whose lives shine with the holiness and grace of Christ, reaching out to the broken, the outcast, and the hurting with the same compassion He’s shown us.
