July 29, 2022 Memory Verse

Leviticus 22:32 It Is God Who Makes You Holy

Do not profane my holy name, for I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites. I am the Lord, who made you holy Leviticus 22:32

Being able to accomplish something on their own is what most people like to strive for. Praise is often given for those who are self-made millionaires. It displays hard work and dedication to succeed when it appears that they did it on their own.

No one can really succeed completely on his own. Everyone needs at least some help from others to make it big. Some will recognize this, but many do not.

God reminds the people to not profane His holy name, because He must be acknowledged as holy and is the One who made them holy.

Throughout the church there are many people who take great pride in following the rules and commands of God in their life. They feel as if they are holy because of all the things that they do in obeying God.

While obeying God is great, it is not what makes one holy before God. From the moment a person sins one time as a child, he is no longer holy and can never be holy in his own abilities or power. There is a death sentence upon his head for the rest of eternity, unless removed by God.

The Israelites, under the law, had to offer certain sacrifices in order to be made holy. When the sacrifice was offered, God made them holy, not the work that they did.

Jesus, dying upon the cross and raising from the dead, became the sacrifice for all mankind. It is by His sacrificial blood that any person is made holy. All a person must do is believe in Jesus, repent of his sins and God will make him holy, not his own personal sacrifices.

Nothing you can personally do will ever make you holy before God. Sin has infected your life and will keep you from ever being holy on your own.

The good news is that Jesus can make you holy. Turn away from sin, so that you do not profane God’s holy name, believe in Jesus and allow Him to make you holy by removing all of your sin.

Once your sins are removed, live in the holiness God has given you. Begin to obey His commands and flee from all sin. Be holy as He is holy.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will know the forgiveness of sins Jesus offers; that you will allow Jesus to make you holy; that you will live a holy life as God has called you to live; and that you will trust God for your holiness.

Galatians 2:16 It Is Faith, Not Works, That Saves

know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. Galatians 2:16

Every day people are doing good things to look good. They are trying to please someone else and often to cover their mistakes.

People put their trust in what they are doing and so they continue to strive to do more and more or to require more and more of themselves.

Paul points out that no one is justified by the law, but by faith in Jesus. Doing works of the law will not justify or save anyone.

In many Christian groups there are often a variety of things that people are expected to do or not do to be a believer. The focus of these rules are on the law, rather than on the relationship with God and others.

Individuals that are in groups like this, then often tend to do good things in order to please God, so that they may be saved. They want to ensure that they are saved. As this is done, they are not saved, but trusting in their own works, which will fail in the end.

Doing these good things does not make a person more or less saved. Only faith in Jesus will save a person. Once saved, a person does good works and obeys the law, because of God’s love for him and the salvation given to him.

The focus has changed from doing good things to be saved, to doing good things because one is saved.

The only way you can be saved from your sins, is by repentance and trusting in Jesus for your salvation. He provides salvation by faith and faith alone.

Do not allow yourself to be caught up in the ways of the world in trusting yourself to earn your salvation. It will not happen. Believe in what Jesus has done for you. Then, as a believer, choose to obey the law out of love for God and what Jesus has done for you.

God has great works for you to do, but not to be done for salvation, but out of love for God and for others.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will believe in what Jesus has done for you for your salvation; that you will obey the law out of love for God and others; and that you will know you are justified before God by faith in Jesus.