Salt Guide to Practical Holiness

LEVITICUS SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS ____________________________________________________________ The sacrifice had to be exactly that: a sacrifice. Does the Christianity of professional foot- ball players, movie and TV stars violate the specifications of an offering to the Lord? Is the kind of Christianity of the Grand Ole Obedience Full Opry "Christians", who sing gospel country music on Sunday then in night clubs and casinos the rest of the week, a life of full obedience? Is this Christianity on God's terms? Is there a brand of Christianity today that is being offered to the Lord which utterly disregards the specifications that make the offering acceptable to God? It is a fallacy of fundamentalism that believes belief in the blood of Jesus constitutes acceptable salvation, Amos 5:18,23, or that believing in the return of Christ auto- matically makes our Christianity valid. The sacrifices had to be presented on God's Sacrifice Terms terms. 1) They had to be a certain kind of animal; 2) They had to be spotless and with- out blemish, the best; 3) They had to be brought through the priest at the tabernacle; 4) The sacrifice had to be salted with salt. 10:1 AND NADAB AND ABIHU, THE SONS OF AARON, TOOK EITHER OF THEM HIS CENSER, AND PUT FIRE THEREIN, AND PUT INCENSE THEREON, AND OFFERED STRANGE FIRE BEFORE THE LORD, WHICH HE COMMANDED THEM NOT. 2. AND THERE WENT OUT FIRE FROM THE LORD, AND DEVOURED THEM, AND THEY DIED BEFORE THE LORD. THE NEW CONCEPT OF CAPABILITY It is quite possible to be proficiently capa- Ministry Evil ble and spiritually (morally) unqualified for ministry in the church. 1) Messengers were sent out to give David the news of Absolom's death. Both capable, but only one was quali- fied. 2 Samuel 18 2) Uzzah and Ahio were Obedience capable of escorting the Ark of the Covenant on the ox cart, but they were unqualified. 2

LEVITICUS SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS ____________________________________________________________ Samuel 6:6 3) A man can be extremely capable rhetorically, but spiritually, or biblically unqualified. The modern church world is filled with capable Charismatic personali- ties. They are capable of getting results, but carnal, secular philosophy disqualifies them. The fire must be of a purely divine source! A man may be a master of rhetoric, brimming with personality, but if he's been divorced three times, he is biblically unqualified. In this end-time, the ranks of the ministry are filled with men who are educated, but not dedicated, capable, but not qualified and competent, but not anointed. Jeremiah 2:3; Isaiah 58 10:8 AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO AARON, SAYING, 9. DO NOT DRINK WINE NOR Liquor STRONG DRINK, THOU, NOR THY SONS WITH THEE, WHEN YE GO INTO THE TABERNACLE OF THE CONGREGATION, LEST YE DIE: IT SHALL BE A STATUTE FOR EVER THROUGHOUT YOUR GENERATIONS: 10. AND THAT YE MAY PUT DIFFERENCE Contrast BETWEEN HOLY AND UNHOLY, AND BETWEEN UNCLEAN AND CLEAN; 11:44 FOR I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD: Sanctify YE SHALL THEREFORE SANCTIFY YOUR- SELVES, AND YE SHALL BE HOLY; FOR I AM HOLY: NEITHER SHALL YE DEFILE YOURSELVES WITH ANY MANNER OF CREEP- ING THING THAT CREEPETH UPON THE EARTH. 45. FOR I AM THE LORD THAT BRINGETH YOU UP OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT, TO BE YOUR GOD: YE SHALL THEREFORE BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY. 47. TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE UNCLEAN AND THE CLEAN, AND BETWEEN THE BEAST THAT MAY BE EATEN AND THE BEAST THAT MAY NOT BE EATEN. Holiness as the purpose of new life in Christ is clearly set forth in this verse; 1) Bring- eth you up out of the land of Egypt, 2) To be your God: 3) Ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. That is, "Ye shall desire to be morally perfect as I am morally perfect."

LEVITICUS SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS ____________________________________________________________ Notice the three steps upward in this as- cension in holiness; 1. "Out of the land of Egypt" (Atonement) 2. "To be your God" (Under His Lordship, government) 3. "Be holy" (The goal of personal character) 16:30 FOR ON THAT DAY SHALL THE PRIEST MAKE AN ATONEMENT FOR YOU, TO CLEANSE YOU, THAT YE MAY BE CLEAN FROM ALL YOUR SINS BEFORE THE LORD. Cleansing from all sin is always the effect of atonement and never the result of the works of the law, the works of the flesh, growth, gradualism or anything else except atonement. *1 ========================== *1 THOMPSON, PEPPER, Daily Holiness TextBook LEVITICUS 18 - 22 HOLINESS In a strict sense, chapters 17 - 27 are all included in the Leviticus Holiness holiness code. But the dietary laws, and Moral the regulations concerning ritual un- Ceremonial cleanness, are dismissed in later reve- lation. The call to moral purity remains a vital part of relationship with God. Every moral issue discussed here is relational. Even more important each rest on an intimate relationship between God and the people he calls to holiness. No less than 30 times in these 5 chapters does God state, in explanation of His commands, "I am the Lord," "I am the Lord your God," or "I am the Lord who makes Lord you holy." God's own character is the source of the commands. Relationship with God makes holiness necessary. And experience of God as "our" God is the motivation for holiness. *1 20:7 SANCTIFY YOURSELVES THEREFORE, AND BE YE HOLY: FOR I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD. In connection with this verse read Leviticus 11:44; 20:26; and I Peter 1:15,16, Because ========================== *1 RICHARDS, The Word Bible Handbook, p.100