God is the one who says, "Be holy, for I am holy." As I have been reading Leviticus, I have encountered this phrase at least 3 times, maybe more. This is said by God as He is giving the people of Israel the instructions for how they are to live. God wants them to be different from the people around them. He wants them to understand that He is not just any god but that He is God of all, of every aspect of their lives.
What I find most interesting is that over and over, God gives a rule for living and then says, "I am the Lord" or "I am the Lord your God." But several times He says. "I am the Lord who sanctifies you." To sanctify means to make holy, to set apart, to make separate. God is saying be holy but I am the one who makes you holy.
I can not become holy by following the rules. Only God can make me holy. Throughout Leviticus God tells His people about the sacrifices to be made for sin and guilt. This sacrifice always required the slaughter of an animal; the shedding of blood. But 2000+ years ago, God said now is the time for me to offer the sacrifice - the perfect sacrifice. Jesus Christ, God's only son, became a man and went to the cross to pay the penalty for my sins, then rose from the dead so I could be holy. The price for my holiness was HUGE!
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