The holy and the common

“You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean.” Leviticus 10:10
Most people don’t get a lot out of reading Leviticus, but if there’s one verse that could sum up the book, this is a good candidate. God was very specific in how He wanted the children of Israel to worship Him. The reason was so they would separate themselves from the other nations and thus be a witness to the world of how a nation submitted to God would be blessed.
As Christians, we too have been called out of the world and its mindset, to be set apart (the meaning of the word ‘sanctified’) for God’s service. While we are still in it, just as the nation of Israel was among other nations, we are not ‘of’ it.
Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world” – a more literal translation might be, “Do not let the world squeeze you into its mould.” Think about it for a minute. What does the world at large hold as being important, and things to strive for in life? Money, fame, beauty, etc. But the Bible says we are to lay up our treasures in heaven, that if we want to be great in God’s kingdom we should be the servant of all, and that true beauty is that of a heart completely submitted to God.