How does Leviticus 15:31 connect with New Testament teachings on purity? Leviticus 15:31 at a Glance “Thus you shall keep the Israelites separate from their uncleanness, so that they do not die in their uncleanness by defiling My tabernacle that is among them.” (Leviticus 15:31) • God defines purity, not culture or preference. • Impurity brings death—spiritual distance from God. • Purity protects the place where God dwells among His people. Why Purity Mattered in the Tabernacle • The tabernacle was the visible center of God’s presence (Exodus 25:8). • Unclean worshipers threatened the sanctity of that holy space (Leviticus 16:16). • Separation from impurity preserved covenant life and fellowship. From Tabernacle to Temples of the Spirit • The New Testament says God now dwells in believers: – “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16–17). – “For we are the temple of the living God…‘Therefore come out from among them and be separate,’ says the Lord” (2 Corinthians 6:16–17). • The same principle rises off the page: God’s dwelling demands holiness. Christ’s Once-for-All Cleansing • Old-covenant washings pointed forward to Christ’s blood (Hebrews 9:13-14). • “If we walk in the light… the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). • Jesus removes the penalty of impurity and grants the power to live pure lives (Titus 2:14). Practical Outworkings of NT Purity • Moral purity: “This is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). • Inner purity: “Let us draw near… having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience” (Hebrews 10:22). • Ongoing vigilance: “Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8). • Spirit-empowered living: “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). • Corporate purity: “Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word” (Ephesians 5:25-26). Summary Connections • Leviticus 15:31 grounds purity in God’s nearness: He lives with His people, so they must stay clean. • The New Testament lifts that same truth into every believer’s daily life: God now indwells hearts, making personal and corporate holiness essential. • Christ accomplishes the cleansing Leviticus anticipated, and the Spirit enables believers to maintain the purity that honors God’s holy presence. |
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