1. Weekend of May 18/19, 2013 Leviticus 18:1-5, 20-26; 20:6-8
Living in Holiness
Weekend of May 18/19, 2013
Leviticus 18:1-5, 20-26; 20:6-8

2. What will we cover today?
God has set us apart for holy living. As we live in this world, God encourages us to separate ourselves from all unbiblical aspects of our culture.

3. Separate from Society’s Standards
Leviticus 18:1-5 1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'I am the LORD your God. 3 You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you.

4. Separate from Society’s Standards
Do not follow their practices. 4 You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the LORD your God. 5 Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the LORD.

5. Separate from Society’s Standards
The word “holy” really means to be set apart for a special purpose.
For the
Lord
Israel is
set apart
From the
World

6. Separate from Society’s Standards
For Israel being set apart from the world included two things:
Do not follow the practices of the land of Egypt where you use to live;
Do not follow the practices of the land of Canaan where you will live;
Any of these would ultimately result in death;

7. Separate from Society’s Standards
Instead, Israel was to follow the Laws and Decrees of God;
When these two words are used together, they carry the meaning “the whole of God’s revelation.”
Israel was not only to keep God’s laws on the surface, but they were to become part of their inner, personal life.

8. Separate from Society’s Standards
It is easy for us to condemn Israel for her frequent falling away from God.
We too have been set apart for God, just like Israel;
We too have been set apart from the world, just like Israel was;
Are we fairing any better?

9. Separate from Society’s Standards
Holy living before a Holy God demands a conscious day-to-day and moment-by-moment decision to live life counter-culture in today’s society.
This was not optional for the Israelites;
This is not optional for us;

10. Separate from Sinful Practices
Leviticus 18: "'Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor's wife and defile yourself with her. 21 "'Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD. 22 "'Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable. …

11. Separate from Sinful Practices
23 "'Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion. 24 "'Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. …

12. Separate from Sinful Practices
25 Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. 26 But you must keep my decrees and my laws. The native-born and the aliens living among you must not do any of these detestable things.

13. Separate from Sinful Practices
God listed five detestable practices that Israel should not participate in nor tolerate in her land:
Sexual immorality (adultery);
Child sacrifice (offering to Molech);
Profaning the Lord’s Name;
Homosexuality;
Beatiality;

14. Separate from Sinful Practices
Any type of sexual relations with a woman other than one’s wife was forbidden;
It breaks apart the primary unit of society – the family unit;
Proverbs 6:32 “the one who commits adultery lacks sense; whoever does so destroys himself.”

15. Separate from Sinful Practices
All child sacrifice was forbidden;
To our knowledge, Egypt did not sacrifice children to their false gods – although Egypt did not protect her children either i.e. Moses had to be put in a basket on the Nile River;
In the Land of Canaan, child sacrifice was practiced, especially to the god Molech.

16. Separate from Sinful Practices
“I thought the car was stolen.”
To profane God’s Name is to make it unholy by misuse or to use it in ways not honoring to God.
Woman at a stop light behind an elderly gentleman;
Policeman pulls the woman over and is about to arrest her;

17. Separate from Sinful Practices
Homosexuality is universally condemned throughout the Old and New Testaments;
God calls it “detestable” – an abomination or an abhorrence, something to be avoided;
Today, homosexuality is not considered a sin by most people;
It is argued, “if you are born that way, how can it be wrong?”
Aren’t we all are born with sin, so does that make it okay?

18. Separate from Sinful Practices
When Christians do speak out, we are often considered:
Narrow minded;
Prejudicial;
Truth of the matter is that these are Cod’s commands and not our ideas;
Regardless of the social pressure, and it is only going to get worse, we must be true to God’s Word.

19. Separate from Sinful Practices
Bestiality is also condemned throughout Scripture, punishable by death;
Exodus 22: "Anyone who has sexual relations with an animal must be put to death.
Deuteronomy 27: "Cursed is the man who has sexual relations with any animal."

20. Separate from Sinful Practices
The Canaanites would be driven out of the land because they “had defiled themselves by all these things.”
In Genesis 15:16, God had told Abraham that He would not deal with the Canaanites as they deserved until their sin “reached its full measure.”
For 500 years, God waited for the nations to repent, but they did not.
So, as Israel entered the promised land, God said “destroy them.”

21. Separate from Sinful Practices
We can learn two important truths:
We must embrace human sexuality as God’s gift and enjoy this gift according to God’s Word;
Children are gifts from God and are more important that materials things, personal agendas or careers;

22. Separate from False Spirituality
Leviticus 20:6-8 6 "'I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute himself by following them, and I will cut him off from his people. 7 "'Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God. 8 Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the LORD, who makes you holy.

23. Separate from False Spirituality
People today seem to “dabble” when it comes to spirituality;
The Bible is quick to point out this is folly;
Down right spiritually dangerous;
Israel was about to enter a culture very similar to ours, because in the land of Canaan various types of occults practices were accepted;

24. Separate from False Spirituality
The Bible forbids Occult practices like:
“Divination” – trying to communicate with the dead through a séance – This is called necromancy;
“Fortune Telling” – Crystal Ball, Palm Reading or the use of Taro Cards;
The idea of Ghosts and other kinds of paranormal activity;

25. Separate from False Spirituality
Why is the Bible so against these practices?
People turn to these things because they want more information than God has already provided;
There is another kingdom besides God’s and that is Satan’s kingdom against which we don’t stand a chance – so best not dabble in these things at all;
Do you remember the Ouija Board?
Burn it!
Satan or Devil

26. Separate from False Spirituality
Instead, the people of Israel, and us, are to abstain from such practices because we serve a Holy God and we are to live out that same quality – holy living!
Bible calls this life style the narrow road as compared to the broad and wide road.
Only in Jesus’s blood are we made holy and finally will be taken to Heaven.
Difficult and hard road with few traveling it.
Broad and wide road with many traveling it.