Leviticus 20:22
“Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, spue you not out.”
Once a summer, my family would go to the cucumber field to pick cucumbers so that my mom could make pickles for the year. Once we got home, my mother began the process of making pickles. The process of preserving those pickles was arduous, but it kept them fresh for the family throughout the year. We had to follow a recipe and process to make sure those pickles didn’t spoil. We wanted the taste of those pickles to be what we originally made them to be.
God wants the Christian to have a certain taste. This taste is not measured by the world’s taste, but they are measured according to God’s taste. The verse above shows us what it takes keep the taste right. Just like my family would go through a process to keep the taste of those pickles right, God has a recipe and process for the Christian to keep the right taste that He desires.
First, keeping God’s commandments will help in preserving His desired taste. It says, “Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my judgments…” In other words, we are not to change God’s laws to fit our desires, but we are to keep them to fit His desires. Too many times we are trying to conform what God wants into the taste and desires of the world. You must realize that God is not interested in the world’s taste, He is only interested in His taste. We are not to live to be accepted by the world, but we are to live to be acceptable to God. Christian, you don’t have a right to pick and choose which commandment to keep. You are to keep the commandments for they produce a taste that God wants.
Second, performing God’s commandments will help you preserve the taste God desires. Notice in the verse above that you are not only to keep God’s commandments, but you are also to “do them.” We can tell people what the Scriptures teach concerning God’s desired lifestyle for the Christian, but He wants us to do them as well. Have you ever seen a school that had rules they didn’t keep? Rules are worthless if not enforced. Likewise, God expects His children to keep and do His commandments. Talking about them is not enough to produce the taste God desires. It is also in their performance that gives the proper taste.
Third, keeping God as the measuring stick for righteousness will help you preserve the taste God desires. Verse 23 says, “And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation…” Notice, God’s commandments and rules don’t change according to the manners of the world. It is not the world’s manner of living by which we are to live, but we are to live according to God’s commandments. God expects us to live according to His holiness.
Friend, you are to produce a taste that God desires. If our life doesn’t produce a taste that God desires, then we will lose that sweet fellowship with Him that we desire. When you follow the process it takes to produce the taste God desires, then that taste will influence a world.