Holiness, the Cost of Sin, and Our Response

In Leviticus 20-22, we see the call to holiness

“You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy” Lev. 20:26 CSB

Yet the reality is that we cannot be holy on our own. This is clear through the first four books of the Bible, and especially seen in Leviticus.

Ministry was a bloody job! Back then, the cost of sin was visible, and tangible as you would feel it financially. So why the constant reminder that the animal had to be unblemished? Maybe because humans will always minimize the cost of their sin and desire to offer that which is less valuable.

One of the places we see this is in the book of Malachi. The Lord holds them in contempt for presenting “defiled” offerings. The priests are offering animals that are less than desirable. They are accepting and presenting to the Lord sick, blind, and lame (chapter 1) animals.

They desired to pay for their sins with what was undesirable. To take that which was of little worth to make atonement for their sins. This is why God continued to say the value of the animal to be sacrificed. So the people might understand just how great the cost of their sin was.

Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God, sacrificed His life on the cross for our sin. God Himself came down sacrificed everything for us, so that we can be holy through His blood. The blood of God. This is the cost of our sin.

Why should we, then, minimize our sin? Our freedom, our holiness came at great cost! For all Jesus did, we should take the call to a life of holiness seriously. We will never be perfect, but we can strive for perfection. Whatever “perceived” sacrifices we might need to make are no where near the sacrifices He has made.

Let us go forth with a renewed desire for holiness with a recognition of the price that was paid for it. May we never take it for granted, and may we understand that the greatest sacrifice we can offer is to live our lives in a way that pleases Him and gives Him honor and glory.