Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.
The verse lays down that life is given to the person who keeps and does God's statutes and judgments, making living conditional on obedience. The requirements meant are the Ten Commandments, which were ordained to life and are not arbitrary, so that there is life in keeping and doing them. That arrangement by itself offers no forgiveness for breaking its terms, and with its curse on failure to do all its words it cannot bring righteousness to sinful people who are unable to keep the law. The law itself does not save, but under the new covenant forgiveness and renewing grace through Christ's merits free people and enable the heart to live in obedience to that same law. The same conditional principle still holds, so obedience brings blessing in this life and the life to come while transgression brings guilt, separation from God, and death.
Covenant Terms and Promise
Leviticus 18:5 states the terms of the old covenant, that the man who does God's statutes and judgments shall live in them, making life conditional on doing what the law requires. This arrangement offers no forgiveness for breaking its terms, and the law cannot justify those who through sinful nature cannot keep it. With its curse upon everyone who fails to continue in all its words, it cannot bring righteousness to sinful people unable to keep the law.
God's statutes and judgments were ordained to life, and in the keeping and doing of them there is life. They are not arbitrary requirements imposed without purpose. The divine precepts meant are the Ten Commandments, called the royal law of liberty, spoken by Christ from the pillar of cloud declaring that those who do them shall live in them.
The verse presents God as the authority for His requirements in the declaration, I am the LORD, so His word must be kept without departing from it to exalt human commands or traditions. Applied alongside the Sabbath command, this upholds keeping all His commandments, including remembering the seventh day and keeping it holy. Doing what God requires is tied to life, where obedience means eternal life and disobedience means death. The promise links life to doing God's commands through complete obedience, for the law requires obedience from every person at all times, with blessing promised in this life and the life to come, and guilt, the curse, and death for disobedience.
Christ and Obedient Life
The commandment was ordained to life, and Paul's testimony agrees with this, for he found it to be unto death not because the law is at fault but because sin took occasion by the commandment to deceive him and slay him, so that sin revived and he died. The law itself does not save, yet under the new covenant forgiveness and renewing grace free people and enable the heart to live in obedience to the same law. This freedom comes through Christ's merits and righteousness, and the way to life is opened for those who look to Jesus as the world's only hope.
Christ's great sacrifice was not made to let sin continue, but to bring fallen people back to loyalty so that they keep His commandments and live. Humanity is wholly dependent on divine power, and obedience is within the reach of all, for Christ in human nature kept God's law through the moral power given by God. Human ability therefore does not depend on wealth, earthly wisdom, or learning. In obeying the law people assimilate to the divine character, because the character of God is expressed in His holy law.
The commandments are a safeguard in the spiritual struggle against evil. They provide an education directed toward life that measures with the life of God. They are given for people's good and protect them like a hedge around a vineyard, bringing blessing in obedience. They are to be kept as carefully as the apple of the eye.
History and Present Application
God's promises to Israel were conditional on keeping His statutes and judgments and covenant and walking in them, and life is found in keeping them. Israel's failure to obey explains why the adults who left Egypt were not brought into the promised land. That history is recalled in Nehemiah's confession, where a person who does God's judgments will live in them stands against the people's sinning against His commands and refusing to obey them.
The statutes and judgments were ordained to life, and keeping and doing them gives life to the obedient who live by keeping them. For the transgressor they bring punishment under the civil law given to Moses, and that punishment also restrains others through fear. The same life-by-doing promise was given again with the Sabbaths as a sign of sanctification, and Israel's rebellion in despising those judgments and polluting those Sabbaths brought threatened judgment. The promise of life applies to obedience, while rebellion brings punishment, and those penalties were not good for the transgressor and could end in death.
The same conditional principle applies to God's people in the present, where disobedience hinders God's work and delays the sealing until people have opportunity to hear and accept the last message of mercy. Obedience to God's righteous laws is the way to life, summed in loving Him supremely with no other gods and loving neighbor as self by treating others as one wishes to be treated. Loyalty to God's law is part of living in the way He commands, and obedience is connected with life and blessing. God is the authority for these requirements, so His word must not be set aside to exalt human traditions, and applied alongside the Sabbath command this supports keeping His commandments including remembering the seventh day and keeping it holy.
Those who keep God's law will live in it, and obedience brings blessing while transgression brings its sure result including separation from God. Calamity, disease, and death in the world are consequences of making God's law void. God's commandments are for His people's good and protect them like a hedge around a vineyard, and His promises remain conditional on keeping His commandments. The command to keep God's law and live applies to missionary work, where people are to be taught God's commandments so they may keep them and live. Keeping God's commandments gives life, with His law kept as carefully as the apple of the eye, and perfect obedience to the law of God is the test by which it is known that love toward Christ is perfect, with those who obey received as His friends and as friends of the Father.
The verse lays down that life is given to the person who keeps and does God's statutes and judgments, making living conditional on obedience. The requirements meant are the Ten Commandments, which were ordained to life and are not arbitrary, so that there is life in keeping and doing them. That arrangement by itself offers no forgiveness for breaking its terms, and with its curse on failure to do all its words it cannot bring righteousness to sinful people who are unable to keep the law. The law itself does not save, but under the new covenant forgiveness and renewing grace through Christ's merits free people and enable the heart to live in obedience to that same law. The same conditional principle still holds, so obedience brings blessing in this life and the life to come while transgression brings guilt, separation from God, and death.
Covenant Terms and Promise
Leviticus 18:5 states the terms of the old covenant, that the man who does God's statutes and judgments shall live in them, making life conditional on doing what the law requires. This arrangement offers no forgiveness for breaking its terms, and the law cannot justify those who through sinful nature cannot keep it. With its curse upon everyone who fails to continue in all its words, it cannot bring righteousness to sinful people unable to keep the law.
God's statutes and judgments were ordained to life, and in the keeping and doing of them there is life. They are not arbitrary requirements imposed without purpose. The divine precepts meant are the Ten Commandments, called the royal law of liberty, spoken by Christ from the pillar of cloud declaring that those who do them shall live in them.
The verse presents God as the authority for His requirements in the declaration, I am the LORD, so His word must be kept without departing from it to exalt human commands or traditions. Applied alongside the Sabbath command, this upholds keeping all His commandments, including remembering the seventh day and keeping it holy. Doing what God requires is tied to life, where obedience means eternal life and disobedience means death. The promise links life to doing God's commands through complete obedience, for the law requires obedience from every person at all times, with blessing promised in this life and the life to come, and guilt, the curse, and death for disobedience.
Christ and Obedient Life
The commandment was ordained to life, and Paul's testimony agrees with this, for he found it to be unto death not because the law is at fault but because sin took occasion by the commandment to deceive him and slay him, so that sin revived and he died. The law itself does not save, yet under the new covenant forgiveness and renewing grace free people and enable the heart to live in obedience to the same law. This freedom comes through Christ's merits and righteousness, and the way to life is opened for those who look to Jesus as the world's only hope.
Christ's great sacrifice was not made to let sin continue, but to bring fallen people back to loyalty so that they keep His commandments and live. Humanity is wholly dependent on divine power, and obedience is within the reach of all, for Christ in human nature kept God's law through the moral power given by God. Human ability therefore does not depend on wealth, earthly wisdom, or learning. In obeying the law people assimilate to the divine character, because the character of God is expressed in His holy law.
The commandments are a safeguard in the spiritual struggle against evil. They provide an education directed toward life that measures with the life of God. They are given for people's good and protect them like a hedge around a vineyard, bringing blessing in obedience. They are to be kept as carefully as the apple of the eye.
History and Present Application
God's promises to Israel were conditional on keeping His statutes and judgments and covenant and walking in them, and life is found in keeping them. Israel's failure to obey explains why the adults who left Egypt were not brought into the promised land. That history is recalled in Nehemiah's confession, where a person who does God's judgments will live in them stands against the people's sinning against His commands and refusing to obey them.
The statutes and judgments were ordained to life, and keeping and doing them gives life to the obedient who live by keeping them. For the transgressor they bring punishment under the civil law given to Moses, and that punishment also restrains others through fear. The same life-by-doing promise was given again with the Sabbaths as a sign of sanctification, and Israel's rebellion in despising those judgments and polluting those Sabbaths brought threatened judgment. The promise of life applies to obedience, while rebellion brings punishment, and those penalties were not good for the transgressor and could end in death.
The same conditional principle applies to God's people in the present, where disobedience hinders God's work and delays the sealing until people have opportunity to hear and accept the last message of mercy. Obedience to God's righteous laws is the way to life, summed in loving Him supremely with no other gods and loving neighbor as self by treating others as one wishes to be treated. Loyalty to God's law is part of living in the way He commands, and obedience is connected with life and blessing. God is the authority for these requirements, so His word must not be set aside to exalt human traditions, and applied alongside the Sabbath command this supports keeping His commandments including remembering the seventh day and keeping it holy.
Those who keep God's law will live in it, and obedience brings blessing while transgression brings its sure result including separation from God. Calamity, disease, and death in the world are consequences of making God's law void. God's commandments are for His people's good and protect them like a hedge around a vineyard, and His promises remain conditional on keeping His commandments. The command to keep God's law and live applies to missionary work, where people are to be taught God's commandments so they may keep them and live. Keeping God's commandments gives life, with His law kept as carefully as the apple of the eye, and perfect obedience to the law of God is the test by which it is known that love toward Christ is perfect, with those who obey received as His friends and as friends of the Father.