God defines what is clean and unclean, holy and unholy, appropriate and profane, because these designations reveal His nature, character, and way of life. Just as a parent teaches a child right from wrong so the child will mirror the parent's values, God instructs His children so they will reflect Him rather than follow their own devices. To be unconcerned with what God defines as acceptable is to be unconcerned with God Himself. Profane, from the Latin profanus, means "against" or "far from the temple," that is, far from the true worship of the true God. People, behaviors, and instruments of worship, not only foul language, can be profane. God treats the matter with utmost seriousness. He established the death sentence for working on the Sabbath, killed Nadab and Abihu for offering profane fire of human origin, and judged Israel with scattering for profaning His Sabbaths and name. A future time is coming when God's priests will teach the difference between holy and unholy and between clean and unclean, and His people will keep His laws and hallow His Sabbaths. For now, holiness is not transferable, so a holy leader, spouse, or friend cannot make anyone holy, but uncleanness is transferable, so contact with the profane contaminates and makes the work of our hands unfit for God's service. Those He calls must be holy as He is holy and must distinguish between clean and unclean, and in doing so they come to know Him.