Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.
The command is for God's people to sanctify themselves, to set themselves apart, and to be holy. To be holy in this sense is to keep and do God's statutes in obedience to Him. This holiness is grounded in who God is as the LORD their God, and He Himself is the one who sanctifies His people. In its setting, this is further explained by the truth that follows, that they are holy to Him because He has separated them from other peoples to be His own.
The separation required is separation from evil, and specifically from the forbidden practices of idolatrous nations. Holiness therefore includes refusing idolatry and all occult contact, such as seeking after wizards, communicating with familiar spirits, and having communion with evil spirits.
Though this instruction was given to ancient Israel, it remains profitable today as a warning against such practices.
The command is for God's people to sanctify themselves, to set themselves apart, and to be holy. To be holy in this sense is to keep and do God's statutes in obedience to Him. This holiness is grounded in who God is as the LORD their God, and He Himself is the one who sanctifies His people. In its setting, this is further explained by the truth that follows, that they are holy to Him because He has separated them from other peoples to be His own.
The separation required is separation from evil, and specifically from the forbidden practices of idolatrous nations. Holiness therefore includes refusing idolatry and all occult contact, such as seeking after wizards, communicating with familiar spirits, and having communion with evil spirits.
Though this instruction was given to ancient Israel, it remains profitable today as a warning against such practices.