The Way of Life

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Apr 22, 1903

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 29, No. 16.

“If thou wilt enter into life,” said Jesus to the rich young man, “keep the commandments.” Matt. 19:17. There is no other way of entering into life; for all God’s commandments are righteousness (Ps. 119:172), and “in the way of righteousness is life, and in the pathway thereof there is no death” Prov. 12:28). He who hopes to obtain life by ignoring God’s law will find that his feet have been set in a way which “seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” By this we do not mean that our keeping of the commandments will earn us life. Nothing that sinful man can do can earn life. Jesus did not say, If you will keep the commandments ments, you shall have life as your reward; but He did say that the way of the commandments is the way of life, and that the only way of being in that way of life is the keeping of the commandments. How to do that is another question. It can come only through faith in Jesus Christ. He is the door into the way of righteousness, the keeping of the commandments through the life which God gives. For the young man to enter into life would be to accept Jesus Christ; but whosoever accepts Jesus Christ will keep the commandments of God.