God is Holy, and He expects His people to be like Him

Today's Reading:
Matthew 24:1-28
Leviticus 1-3

"...see that no one leads you astray."
- Matthew 24:4

"You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, and holy."
- Leviticus 19:2

At winter camp a few weeks ago the theme was "Reflection." That as God's people our life should reflect God's love and holiness. I think as Christians we can sometime just stop at love and go on about our lives...and I think that is a mistake. Not that loving is easy or not important. It is. Jesus himself said you are to ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

But sometimes I think we forget what was said first by Jesus when He was asked what was most important. “ ‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment."

and how do we love the Lord you ask?!?! “If you love me, obey my commandments." (John 14:15) and when we follow His commandments we live as Jesus did...a holy life.

God knows we aren't perfect but we are still called to reflect His holiness and live as Jesus lived.

Today, as I read Leviticus 1-3 I learned something new. First of all, Leviticus is a crazy book. So many rules, so much procedure, such detail. But there is a reason...because God is Holy. He is perfect and a holy life is a life of detail...taking nothing for granted. I also learned about the different kind of offerings. I learned about a burnt offering which was meant to atone for one's sins and restore someone to fellowship with God.

This is what Jesus did

A grain offering I learned about as well. It was meant to honor God with a worshipful gift. I feel as though that when we accept Jesus sacrifice as the thing that brings us back to God we are called to honor Him with our lives by following Him. And then the peace offering, meant to express thanks and gratitude to God....

That's life. When we look to a holy and perfect God to bring us back to Him and then we honor and thank Him with or life...by following Him and reflecting His holiness

and then I read in Matthew 24:4 where Jesus says "See that no leads you astray." God sacrificed everything for us, to bring us back to Him so that we might live the life we were created to live...and we should see that no one comes between us and God.

God is Holy, and He wants us to be Holy and live and love as He did.

I can't wait to keep reading...so that I might get closer to Him :-)

Tomorrow's Reading:
Matthew 24:29-51
Leviticus 4-6