Holiness in Christ

Under the Law of Moses, God commanded to keep the sabbath day holy (Exodus 20:8).  After creating the heavens and earth in 6 days, God rested on the seventh day, blessed it and made it holy.  Later in the book of Exodus, God explained how the sabbath was a sign to the Jewish people, not only that He created the heavens and earth in 6 days but that He made them holy, sanctified as His people.  Exodus 31:12-13 (LSB) says, "Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, ¹³ "But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘You shall surely keep My sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am Yahweh who makes you holy."  Even under the Law of Moses, it was God--not the keeping of ordinances--that made them holy, set apart and sanctified.

God's people were made holy by God, and they were also commanded to be holy--to sanctify themselves unto God by keeping His commands, doing what is right in His eyes.  Their privileged position was to be adorned by a lifestyle of holiness to God.  Passages like Leviticus 19:1-4 emphasise this point:  "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ² "Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: 'You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. ³ 'Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths: I am the LORD your God. ⁴ 'Do not turn to idols, nor make for yourselves molded gods: I am the LORD your God."  Having been made holy by God, they were to lead holy lives.  God chose them, and their choice was to trust and obey Him.

The covenant of Law God made with Israel was fulfilled by Jesus who established a new covenant in His own blood, that all who repent of sin and trust in Him will be forgiven, redeemed and adopted as children of God by His grace.  Consider what Peter wrote to Christians--both Jews and Gentiles who have received Jesus by faith--in 1 Peter 2:4-5:  "Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, ⁵ you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."  He continued in 1 Peter 2:9-10:  "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; ¹⁰ who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy."

God blessed the sabbath and hallowed it, and Jesus is the Sabbath rest for all who have received the Gospel, those whom Peter referred to as a "holy priesthood" and a "holy nation."  Rather than submitting to ordinances or traditions of men, we are made holy by faith in Christ and are called to submit to Him by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.  Since Christians have been raised to life with Christ, the Law that condemned us was nailed to the cross, and Jesus triumphed over all satanic power and authority, Paul wrote in Colossians 2:16-17 (NIV), "Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. ¹⁷ These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ."  Holiness is not obtained by keeping the sabbath day according to Law but by faith in Jesus Christ.  It is by spiritual regeneration and obedience to Him that we heed His command to "Be holy, for I am holy."