The Call to Holiness in the Last Days: Those Who Are Not Set Apart Cannot Walk With God
In these last days, God is still calling His people to walk the path of being set apart and becoming holy.
Although many profess to believe in God, their lives are still influenced by the values of the world, fleshly desires, and sin. However, the Book of Leviticus clearly reveals that holiness is not the responsibility of only a few people, but the life calling of all God’s people.
God Himself is holy; therefore, everyone who belongs to Him must also be separated from the world and live a life of obedience, reverence, and glory to God. From the Old Testament to the New Testament, God’s desire for holiness has never changed. Only those who truly follow Jesus and obey the Word of God can become the light and salt of this corrupt generation and bear witness to God’s glory.
In these last days, followers of Jesus must fully understand the meaning of being “set apart” and “becoming holy.”
In Leviticus, holiness and consecration are central themes. The following passages are especially important:
1. God Calls His People to Be Holy
Leviticus 11:44
“I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.”
This verse reveals that God Himself is holy, and those who belong to Him must also be separated from the world. Holiness is not merely outward behavior; it is the manifestation of a life that belongs to God.
Leviticus 11:45
“I am the Lord who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.”
This passage shows that God first delivers His people and then calls them to holiness. Holiness is a way of life that responds to God’s salvation.
2. The Entire Nation Must Be Set Apart
Leviticus 19:2
“Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.’”
This is one of the most well-known declarations of holiness in Leviticus. It shows that holiness is not only the responsibility of priests; all God’s people are called to live holy lives and belong fully to God.
Holiness includes worshiping God, obeying His commandments, being separated from the world, refusing to love the world, upholding God’s righteousness and love, and not being controlled by sinful desires.
3. Obedience to God’s Commands Leads to Holiness
Leviticus 20:7–8
“Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy.”
These verses teach that people must willingly purify themselves, but ultimately it is God who makes them holy. Holiness is deeply connected to obeying God’s Word.
4. God Separates His People From the Nations
Leviticus 20:26
“You are to be holy to Me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be My own.”
This passage reveals that to be “set apart” means to belong to God. God’s people must have values different from the world. Holiness represents identity and belonging.
5. Priests Were Required to Maintain Holiness
Leviticus 21:6
“They must be holy to their God and must not profane the name of their God.”
Because priests drew near to God and served Him, they were required to remain holy. The priesthood also foreshadowed Jesus Christ, the sinless and holy Lamb of God. Only the holy and spotless Lamb could redeem the people of the world through His blood.
The Central Meaning of Holiness in Leviticus
The holiness described in Leviticus is not merely about religious rituals. It means being separated from the world, fully belonging to God, obeying His commandments, glorifying Him in daily life, and remaining pure in worship, morality, speech, and conduct.
The New Testament Extension of Leviticus
1 Peter also echoes the teaching of Leviticus:
1 Peter 1:15–16
“But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”
This passage shows that God’s standard of holiness has never changed from the Old Testament to the New Testament. Holiness is the life path of every true follower of Jesus.
Conclusion
In this last generation filled with confusion, darkness, and distorted truth, being set apart and becoming holy is not merely an Old Testament command — it is the life path every follower of Jesus must walk.
Leviticus clearly reveals that God is holy. Therefore, those who belong to Him must turn away from sin, fleshly desires, and the value system of the world, and fully dedicate themselves to God.
True holiness is not merely an outward religious form or a verbal confession of faith. Rather, it is a life in which one’s thoughts, words, actions, and entire character are surrendered to obeying, following, serving, and glorifying God.
God first delivered His people from Egypt before calling them to holiness. In the same way, Jesus first redeemed us through His precious blood and then called us to leave the world, take up our cross, and follow Him.
Holiness is not a human effort to earn salvation. It is the response of a grateful heart that loves God and desires to live differently from the world. While the world pursues lust, money, power, and self-glory, God’s people are called to pursue truth, righteousness, love, and obedience to God’s will.
1 Peter once again confirms the teaching of Leviticus, proving that God’s desire for holiness has never changed. God does not merely desire people to worship Him in gatherings; He desires His people to live out holiness every day.
A person who truly belongs to Jesus cannot claim to love God while deeply loving the world and serving mammon. One cannot confess the name of the Lord while still remaining under the bondage of sin and fleshly desires.
Furthermore, the holiness of the priests in Leviticus foreshadowed Jesus Christ, who is completely sinless and perfectly holy. Only Jesus, the holy Lamb of God, could cleanse the sins of humanity through His blood. Therefore, those who follow Jesus today must guard themselves in holiness with reverence toward God, lest they profane His holy name.
Being set apart and becoming holy is the true spiritual mark of God’s people and an essential testimony that Christ’s disciples in the last days must never lose.
Only those who do not love the world, do not become friends with the world, do not conform to this age, do not follow worldly customs, do not accept human traditions above God’s truth, but instead obey God’s Word and persevere in holiness to the end, can truly love God with all their heart and soul, long for Him, wait upon Him, abide in Him, walk with Him, serve Him, glorify Him, and stand before Him without fear on the day of His return. Amen.
