Leviticus 20:26 - Homiletics

The command, " Ye shall be holy unto me: for I the Lord am holy," is binding upon Christians far more strongly than on the Israelites. For—

I. CHRISTIANS HAVE A POWER GIVEN THEM WHEREBY THEY CAN BE HOLY WHICH THE ISRAELITES HAD NOT . St. Paul, having declared that the final purpose of God's election and our adoption in Christ is "that we should be holy and without blame before him in love" ( Ephesians 1:4 ), goes on to say that to those who believed, on hearing the gospel of their salvation preached, there was given the earnest of the Holy Spirit, with which they were sealed unto the day of redemption ( Ephesians 1:13 , Ephesians 1:14 ). The Spirit of holiness is given to every baptized Christian soul, in a way in which he was not imparted to the Israelites, the dispensation of types and shadows having given place to that of spiritual realities, and the promised Comforter having been sent, not only to be with us, but to be in us ( John 14:16 , John 14:17 ; John 16:7-15 ).

II. CHRISTIANS HAVE IN CHRIST AN EXAMPLE OF DIVINE HOLINESS WHICH THE ISRAELITES HAD NOT . They are therefore able to realize more fully than the Israelites the manner in which they are to "be holy, for the Lord your God is holy." They see before them the example of One who is God, and who emptied himself of his glory and power, and was made man, and lived a life of perfect holiness on earth. On this model they can, by the help of that Spirit vouchsafed to each Christian, form their own lives. It is an ideal never to be attained, but yet to have an ideal is an inexpressible help.

III. CHRISTIANS , BY THEIR UNION WITH CHRIST AS THEIR HEAD , RECEIVE FROM HIM OF HIS HOLINESS . God has given Christ "to be the Head over all things to the Church, which is his body" ( Ephesians 1:22 , Ephesians 1:23 ), and has gathered "together in one all things in Christ" ( Ephesians 1:10 ), that we "may grow up into him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ: from whom the whole body … maketh increase … unto the edifying of itself in love" ( Ephesians 4:15 , Ephesians 4:16 ). "Christ is the Head of the Church, as the husband is head of the wife" ( Ephesians 5:23 ), and "we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones" ( Ephesians 5:30 ). The Word is "full of grace and truth … and of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace" ( John 1:14-16 ). From the mystical union between Christ and his Church there flow down graces upon those who are the members of his Church.

IV. CHRISTIANS CAN BY FAITH APPROPRIATE TO THEMSELVES OF THE HOLINESS OF CHRIST . By faith the holiness, whereby satisfaction was made by Christ for the sinfulness of all mankind, may be so realized by the believing Christian as to be regarded as though it were his own in respect to his own sins.