Daily Devotion | Leviticus 19:1–8 | 2026 February 26

Title: Daily Devotion | Leviticus 19:1–8 | 2026 February 26

Scripture: Leviticus 19:1–8 (ESV, reference only)

Date: 2026 February 26

Speaker: Rev. John Chen

Transcribed, translated & edited by: Joseph Wang (Yufan)

Alright, dear brothers and sisters, peace. Thanks be to God for his grace. We have come to a new day to study our Daily Devotion. Today’s passage is Leviticus chapter 19, verses 1 through 8. Let us pray.

O God, we thank you. We thank you for placing such a beautiful law before us, so that we may follow it and carry it out. Lord, we ask that you would show grace, and among us give us a holy heart—one that is willing to follow your law. In Christ’s name, amen.

Alright, we thank God for his grace. We have come to chapter 19 today. Let us look at verses 1 through 8. Now, verses 1 to 2 of chapter 19 are a declaration.

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.”

Alright. So here God gives Israel a command: you shall be holy. And the reason is: because I am holy. So brothers and sisters, notice this—God’s commands to Israel, and God’s commands to us today, are the same in this respect: we must live a holy life, a life set apart.

“Holy” in the original language means “set apart,” separated out. Our conduct must be completely separated from the conduct of the nations. On this topic, I want to speak a bit more.

Although in preaching, and in Daily Devotion teaching, I often say this, I still feel I need to say it, because this issue is truly ignored by many people.

The first point I want to remind everyone of is the difference between the means of grace and a holy life. I have said this repeatedly before in Daily Devotions and in sermons, and I want to say it again. These two are obviously related; they are very closely related.

Because if you want to live a holy life, but you are not in the means of grace, then it is certainly impossible, right? If you do not listen to the Word, and you do not read Scripture, then how could you possibly live a holy life? That is impossible.

So the means of grace are the prerequisite for a holy life. The means of grace are the safeguard of a holy life. But these two are different. This is something you must understand clearly.

That is: if a person only reads the Bible, only prays, or is very active in attending gatherings, yet in actual daily life he is unwilling to actively obey God’s statutes and rules, then he still is not living a holy life.

This is something many brothers and sisters—especially in the past, even in evangelical churches—often did not understand. They say, “I already attend gatherings. I also listened.” Some even say, “We also give.” But they might rarely truly tithe, right? Still they say, “I also give.”

“What else do you want me to do? What more should I do? How can I pursue God? How am I not believing in Jesus well?”

Actually they are confused. What is the key point of truly believing in Jesus well, and earnestly worshiping God? The key point is: in actual daily life, live a holy life—fully obeying God’s statutes and rules.

Now, what specific statutes and rules? This is what we previously spoke about in Exodus, chapters 21 to 24. And now, here today, we are also speaking of Leviticus chapter 19.

These are very practical matters of life—every layer of your life. You must force yourself, you must forcibly “switch” yourself onto this track. This track is the track of being set apart. This is what “set apart” looks like.

You know, we live on two tracks. If in your life you follow the world, love the world, and you are unwilling to turn to God, then your life will certainly be bitter and hard.

And that is still the “better” outcome, because God still disciplines us—God still deals with us, God still strikes us. But if on that worldly track you slide farther and farther away, then you may directly slip into hell.

So you must forcibly switch your life onto another track. What track? The track that is God-centered, the track that is centered on God’s law.

So here, brothers and sisters, I think I must first remind everyone and also require this: you must have spiritual sensitivity. You must be very sensitive.

No matter whether it is your work and daily living, your marriage relationship, raising children, or even dating and looking for a spouse—you must be very sensitive. That is, you must sensitively discern: what is God’s will in Scripture?

Because what is our human inertia? It is like this. For example, you say, “Look, I have work. I have daily life.” Right? In my work and life, perhaps there is no particularly obvious sin that violates God’s law. Maybe there is no such sin. Right? Maybe not.

But your life is completely centered on the world, completely centered on money and Mammon. There is no trace of God’s law at all. How could you possibly receive God’s blessing on that track? That is impossible.

Let me give an example. I am just giving an example.

You go to share the gospel with an older sister—no, not share the gospel; you go to visit her. In her household, her son and daughter have very good jobs, earning 300,000 a year. But he is a Party member, right?

Then you say to this older sister, “Auntie, big sister, you need to share the gospel with your children, right? Because this concerns eternal life and eternal death. If later he does not believe in Jesus, then later he will go to hell.”

And she says, “Ah, I know this. I am very clear about this matter. But now, I cannot let him believe in Jesus. Why? Because right now he is a Party member, right?”

“You see, he has such a good job right now, right? Earning tens of thousands—tens of ten-thousands each year. When he retires later, then I will share the gospel with him and let him believe.”

Brothers and sisters, when you hear this, you feel like you are almost persuaded by her. It sounds very reasonable, right?

“If he believes in Jesus right now, doesn’t that ruin things?” Right? “Then the job, the income, the life will be affected.” Right? “Are you asking me to be unemployed?” Right? “My days are going well.”

“I am not unbelieving. I will believe later. Right?” You are almost persuaded by her.

But brothers and sisters, let me test you. You can pause the recording here first. If it were you, how would you break this deadlock? Where is this person’s problem? You can pause here and think. If this were a case and you were a shepherd, how would you handle it?

She sounds very reasonable: “I am not saying I won’t believe. I know Jesus is good. But I will believe after retirement. For now, don’t disturb my life.”

Alright, you can pause there. Now I will give the answer. Brothers and sisters, where is the problem?

The problem is that this kind of person lives completely on that one track. He treats himself as the master of life. He thinks that when to believe in Jesus is up to him.

He says, “I will believe after retirement.” “I will believe before I die.” And he is filled with infatuation for worldly life. He is filled with attachment to this sinful life, to this life that treats the world as weighty and treats the world as the center.

This kind of person is destined to go to hell. So there is no such thing as “believing after retirement,” and there will not be “believing before death.” He will simply go along with this world into destruction.

So brothers and sisters, you must know: verse 2—“You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy”—this God is an extremely sensitive God. He is a God who is extremely sensitive to sin.

He is exceedingly angry at our sin. He is very urgent. His heart is like a blazing fire.

So at this point, what are we still waiting for, to turn back? When do you still hope to turn back? Do you hope to enjoy everything in the world and then turn back? There is no such reasoning.

Jesus does not play that game with you. Jesus calls you, and at that moment you must immediately return to God—leave Egypt.

Why did God not remain in Egypt and have Israel overthrow Pharaoh’s rule, and then live well there? Why did God not do it that way?

And why did God not have them live well in Canaan, as if following the Canaanites and living well? Because there is no “living well” like that.

We only have one path: to obey God’s law. Brothers and sisters, that is the holy life.

Do not hope for God’s blessing in an unclean life. Do not hope for God’s blessing in a sinful life. This is a misunderstanding many Christians have.

So today I said many things, because I truly see this situation and it makes people grieve. He outwardly attends gatherings; he is not someone who refuses to attend. He may even do a little offering. He may even love the Lord and say, “Should I offer my house to host and receive God’s church?” He may have such thoughts.

But his life is a mess—completely centered on the world. In daily life he violates God’s statutes and rules. And with this kind of situation, it is hard even to tell him: what does repentance look like?

He says, “What do you want me to repent of? What do you want me to do to believe Jesus well?” As he talks, he is about to cry, right? “I believe very well.” But brothers and sisters, it is not like that.

You must, in every dimension of life, measure yourself by the law and act accordingly.

God’s new intention—early each morning you read Scripture and pray, and then the daytime life is completely looking up to God, completely placed into God’s will.

And then at work, you think: can I say this? can I do this? is this obedience to the law? Keep an extremely high sensitivity.

And whenever you see something sinful, you avoid it and stay far away, because this is what God hates.

And clearly, obedience to the law may cost you your job. Your leaders may scold you. You may lose the network and circle that you worked so hard to build. Others may dislike you.

At that time, let them dislike you. Let them despise you. In the end your life falls into despair. And then—good. At that moment you begin to live by faith.

At that moment you have “found” the road. You begin to walk on this road of faith. Do you understand?

So do not remain in the world, full of sorrow, full of pain, complaining about God. Some even wipe tears and say, “No matter how I believe, I can’t believe well.”

And even included in this is that simply going to church—this kind of thing, strictly speaking, does not have much to do with true faith.

What is the key point of faith? “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.” You must live a holy life, and in daily life, with all your strength, obey the law.

Of course I repeat again and again: we are not justified because we keep the law. Our obedience is only an expression of our justification. We are justified by faith in Jesus Christ, and therefore I must live a holy life. This is what Leviticus 19:2 clearly tells us.

Right? Why did God save them? Not because they did well. They did terribly. But because of the Abrahamic covenant, God brought them out of Egypt.

After bringing them out of Egypt, what happened? They came to Mount Sinai, God gave the law, and he made covenant with them. And they sinned, right? We have been reading the Pentateuch up to now, right?

Then what? Then God gave them cleansing ordinances. And then in chapter 19 he tells them: how do you pursue holiness morally? This is God’s purpose.

And then when you come into Canaan, what then? You still must live this kind of holy life, so that you are distinct from all peoples.

Actually, once we have this sensitivity—once we center our thoughts on God’s law, on God’s holiness—we will immediately meet obstacles and resistance in life. This thing cannot be done; that thing cannot be done. Good—turn back.

So there are two tracks, brothers and sisters. Do not think there is only one track. Do not hope that on that worldly track, someone will still help you, still sympathize with you, still have mercy on you. Impossible. You must switch over. You must turn over.

And that turning is indeed painful. I admit that. It is like two tracks—you know, squeaking and grinding when you switch over. Inside you struggle. You are in pain. This cannot be done; that cannot be done.

And suddenly you discover you cannot live at all. Yes. When you discover you cannot live, that may be when you truly begin to believe.

But if we keep charging forward on the worldly road and still hope God will bless us—there is no such thing, brothers. Do you understand?

So I spent time on verse 2 first. We must think clearly what faith is. Do not expect that we can live in this world loving the world—concerts, scrolling short videos, all kinds of worldly pleasures—and then laugh, and then feel like life is beautiful. In my view that is not very possible.

You must switch over. If you do not switch over, then the road of faith is still—well, it is his, and it is yours, and they never meet.

But I am not saying that if we do not do this we are necessarily not saved. I am not saying it is an “unsaved” issue. But even if saved, it is barely saved, and it is miserable.

It is like you still have not understood what is going on. You ask, “Why study Leviticus? Why study the Bible?” Doesn’t the Bible tell you? It is profitable for correction and instruction in righteousness.

That is, you must live a victorious life now—not wait for some retirement, or some deathbed moment.

There is no such thing. It must be now—immediately switch over, immediately come onto this track, walk by faith. There will be difficulty. There will be hardship. Look to God.

And you have many fellow travelers. John Calvin is your fellow traveler. And you also have many witnesses—Jacob, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob—these are our witnesses, like a cloud surrounding us. This is our road of faith.

Now, let us look at verse 3...