April 25, 2022 -- Leviticus 19:1-2 -- Holy messengers

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.” Leviticus 19:1-2 ESV

[Jesus said] “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 ESV

Why is the holiness of God’s people so important? Here is a wonderful illustration (I heard it two times yesterday, in two different sermon podcasts, from two different ministers!). Imagine you are having brain surgery. You are anaesthetized, but wide-awake so that the surgeon can make sure you are responding well; also being alert will help the surgeon know the fix he is effecting won’t cause more damage to nerves, or major organs and so on. Midway through the surgery, the doctor drops the scalpel. You see him wipe it on his gown, which you plainly observe is soaked in your blood. The scalpel remains dirty and there is a long hair on it. He then takes it and wipes the scalpel under his armpit and there is no more visible blood on it. The hair which had just previously been tenaciously clinging to it is gone. Would you be frightened? Terrified if the doctor continued to use this scalpel on you? You bet. So unclean. Such an invitation for gross infection.

The people of God are sent as heralds, in the Name of the Great Physician. We apply the Word. Holy people speaking the Word of the Holy One show the sin-damage the heart and the head unsanctified people carry. As witnesses, we declare what God has decreed, the danger of remaining sin-stained when such a state will invoke the wrath of the Physician, the Very God Who has given the cure in Christ.

A sin-carrying herald, like dirty scalpel, cannot work on a heart or head that needs to be clean. Such a sin-infected herald would spread the infection of sin even further. Be clean, people of God. Cleansed by the redeeming work of Jesus Christ, kept clean and holy by the Spirit Who works in you. As those so cleansed, like the sterilized scalpel, can declare the healing work of Jesus Christ to any and all who are now condemned by the wrath of God against sin. The Father in heaven has given the cure, Jesus Christ.

Almighty God, before Whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from Whom no secrets are hid; cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love You, and worthily magnify Your Holy Name, through Jesus Christ our Lord — Amen.
Prayer, Gregorian Sacramentary, A.D. 590

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