We need to be given a new heart in order to enter into an intimate relationship with God. He is holy, and we cannot earn righteousness—but He is merciful.
God warned the Israelites of the consequences of disobedience. But the tangible idols of this world drew their hearts away from Him, just as they do ours.
The people whom God has called must be sanctified in order to reflect His holiness. The book of Exodus told the story of God redeeming the Israelites and calling them to be a holy nation. Now, Leviticus represents a guidebook for the new nation of Israel.
Both the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread represented the Israelites' deliverance from bondage in Egypt. With the coming of Jesus Christ, however, they were fulfilled and their meaning was explained.
At first, the 7 feasts of Israel may not seem like something Christians need to worry about. But these feasts are prophetic, typifying the coming of the Messiah. Israel's feasts demonstrate the holiness of God and the sinfulness of humanity, looking ahead to the efficacious sacrifice of Christ.
Peter wanted his readers to grow in faith and in confidence in their calling, and he left them a last will and testament in this epistle to plead with them to live for what really matters.
God's laws do not call us to mere external actions. Instead, they go deeper, commanding us to reorder our internal attitudes before the holy splendor of our God.
The best antidote for heretical teachings and spiritual counterfeits is a firm grasp of biblical truth and growth in the personal knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.