284. Live in the Law
Ezekiel 20: 11, 13, 21 And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them….My statutes, my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them….my statutes, my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them.
The repeated promise is: ” you shall live in them.” If you keep the commandments, then you will live. True life, real living, a good life comes through the blessings of keeping the Law of God. God gives the Commandments in order to facilitate a good life. God wants us to live happily and well, so He gives the Moral Law to make it happen. The blessings of obedience will come into effect if you do the Commandments. “If you do, you will live.” Living according to the Law and doing the Commandments guarantees good results and many blessings. This is true whether we believe it or not. This is true even for atheistic heathen. It is a natural law embedded in the universe by the Creator.
The Law is good. The problem is that we as sinners cannot keep the Law perfectly. Therefore the principle is this: the curses of disobedience come into effect. But what we do or do not do according to the Law affects our life. It is easy to learn and to know the Law, the guidelines from God, and the right thing to do, but it is impossible to do them. Keeping the Commandments is life: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” “You know the commandments.” The Law is good. I am not good. Therefore, the conditional promise here leads either to despair or to the Gospel. There is despair because I cannot keep the Law and be good; therefore, I die..
But after life disappoints us and the Law convicts us, then we turn to the Gospel, and in the gospel we find life. By faith in Jesus the promise comes true: “We shall live.” “The just shall live by faith.” Faith makes us just (justifies). Because of Christ the promise of living comes to us: He lives for us, and He dies for us to give us life and righteous obedience to the Law. The blessings come into effect. Most people would give anything for their life. What would we give for eternal life? Eternal life is a good, beautiful, rich, folly satisfying, and abundant life. And it never ends. Jesus keeps the Law for us and gives us the blessings, rewards and benefits of obedience. If I am not enjoying life I listen to the Gospel again. Then I live.