The Big Idea

An Introduction to Be Holy

by Ken Baugh

Where were you on September 11, 2001? When I learned that America was under attack, I was sitting in a staff meeting at the church I was serving just outside Washington, D.C. I had friends who worked at the White House and on Capitol Hill, and many members of our congregation worked at the Pentagon, including the husband of one of our staffers. We waited tensely for news about our friends as we watched the towers of the World Trade Center burn. As people jumped to their deaths from the burning buildings, and as the buildings ultimately collapsed, I realized that this day would change America forever.

As a pastor, I was deeply affected by this event, and I promised that I would never let God’s people forget that terrible day. Even now that I serve a congregation in Southern California, on the weekend before every September 11, our church remembers those who died on that tragic day, and we pray for the many loved ones who were left behind. There are certain events that change everything, and September 11, 2001, was one of those events.

Two thousand years ago, there was another event that changed everything. Jesus, sitting in an upper room in Jerusalem, told His disciples of His impending death. The apostle Paul reminds us of what took place on that historic night:

The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (1 Cor. 11:23–26 NIV)

Jesus’ death on the cross the next day changed everything forever. His atoning work on the cross sums up the Big Idea of the book of Leviticus, because that book points to “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29 NIV). Almost everything in Leviticus anticipates the life and death of Jesus. The sacrifices, festivals, rituals, and laws foreshadow God’s redemptive plan. Jesus becomes the means to remove the guilt and penalty for sin through His substitutionary death on the cross. His death provides the final atonement for all sin.

Each of the five sacrifices that Leviticus requires of the Israelites points to Jesus’ life and death. The burnt offering symbolizes Jesus’ offering of Himself to the Father as the spotless Lamb of God. The grain offering points to Jesus’ life, with the flour representing His perfect character in word and deed. The fellowship offering symbolizes the peace we have with God through Christ (Col. 1:20). The sin offering explains Jesus’ death on the cross, when He took the place of every sinner who would ever believe. Finally, the guilt offering points to Jesus’ payment for our sins against others. None of these sacrifices actually forgives sin, but they point toward the ultimate sacrifice of God’s Son, who makes complete atonement for all sin (Heb. 10).

It is through Jesus’ death that every believer is made holy in the sight of almighty God: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21 NIV). But not only has Jesus provided the means for our positional holiness, He also demands us to live with a practical holiness: “For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life” (1 Thess. 4:7 NIV).

This practical holiness is possible only through the power of the Holy Spirit, who gives us both the will and desire to obey Jesus’ commands (Phil. 2:13). A. W. Tozer said, “The true church understands that it must live a disciplined life. Although our High Priest loves us in spite of our weaknesses and failures, He encourages us to be a holy people because He is a holy God. Holiness may be an unpopular subject in some churches, but holiness in the Christian life is a precious treasure in God’s sight.”1

I think you can see how important and practical the book of Leviticus is for us today. It speaks of the finished work of Christ on the cross that secures our positional and practical holiness. As you study Leviticus, I encourage you to look for more symbols and signposts of Christ. You may even want to use the book of Hebrews to help. As you do, remember that Jesus’ death on the cross two thousand years ago changed everything forever.

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Dr. Wiersbe’s commentaries have been a source of guidance and strength to me over the many years that I have been a pastor. His unique style is not overly academic, but theologically sound. He explains the deep truths of Scripture in a way that everyone can understand and apply. Whether you’re a Bible scholar or a brand-new believer in Christ, you will benefit, as I have, from Warren’s insights. With your Bible in one hand and Dr. Wiersbe’s commentary in the other, you will be able to accurately unpack the deep truths of God’s Word and learn how to apply them to your life.

Drink deeply, my friend, of the truths of God’s Word, for in them you will find Jesus Christ, and there is freedom, peace, assurance, and joy.

—Ken Baugh

Pastor of Coast Hills Community Church

Aliso Viejo, California