So now we arrive at Leviticus 18. This chapter deals with sexual sins. And in this chapter dealing with sexual sins, we find that God does not deal in loopholes. He knows the human heart, and He knows that when He gives us commands, we are bound to try and wiggle our way out of judgment by saying “Well, yeah, You said we couldn’t do A, B and C—but you didn’t say anything about D, E, or F.” And as He lays out these prohibitions, telling the people “You may not lay with this one or that one or the other one,” He shuts down any loopholes the people may imagine. Then, after the prohibitions against various forms of incest, God lays out prohibitions against the other various forms of sexual sin the people may be inclined to do. And if there is one thing to note about all these eighteen prohibitions, it is this: none of us (that is, none with a logical and rational mind) would object to seventeen of them. But today there is an ever-growing chorus of the population who would say that one of those prohibitions is not fair, and should be done away with. This chorus has not come along only recently, but has been around for quite some time, and its voice is growing exponentially over not simply years, but as months (even, shall we say, weeks? Days?) go by. Sadly, there are many in this chorus who claim the name of Christ (although He may not claim them). And as we read along, we will see the lunacy and hypocrisy of their position. That said, let us begin with the opening words of this chapter.
Leviticus 18:1-5—1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “2 Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘I am the LORD your God. 3 According to the doings of the land of Egypt, where you dwelt, you shall not do; and according to the doings of the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you, you shall not do; nor shall you walk in their ordinances. 4 You shall observe My judgments and keep My ordinances, to walk in them: I am the LORD your God. 5 You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the LORD.’” Before we go any further, we have come to a statement that teaches that under the old covenant men were kept (not saved, but kept) by adhering to a list of statutes and ordinances—but under the new covenant, men are saved (not kept, but saved) by faith in Christ.
Let’s look at verse 5 again. Specifically, the first part of verse 5: “You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments.” Why did God spend so many words telling the people what He expected of them? Why did He tell Moses to write word after word, page after page, of all these statutes and principles that the people were to obey? Why? Well, we find that answer in the next part of this verse, “Which, if a man does, he shall live by them.” Under the old covenant, how was a man saved? By being perfectly obedient to each and every little rule and ordinance contained in these books of the Law. So then, we see that God gave these statutes and judgments so that: “if a man does [them], he shall live by them.” All a man had to do was be obedient—perfectly obedient—to this Law, and everything contained therein. Every single jot and tittle of this Law, if a man did them, would guarantee that he would be accepted into the presence of God. And out of the millions who lived under that old covenant, how many do you think were able to do that? Yeah, you're right. It was impossible.
But wouldn’t that make God unfair? I mean, why would He give people this Law, tell them that they had to live by it perfectly, condemn them if they didn’t—why would He command them to do all this, knowing they couldn’t do it? That’s not fair! That means God is not fair! No, He is not fair. And if you know Christ as your Savior, you should thank God every day that He’s not fair! Because if God was fair, we would have no hope, and would have no chance to be reconciled to Him, and we would have nothing to look forward to except for an eternity burning in the fires of Hell. If God was not fair, He would not have sent His Son to die for us. Yeah, God’s not fair—and I am so glad He isn't!!
So then, let’s talk a little about the phrase, “if a man does them, he shall live by them.” What did it mean under the old covenant? Well, it meant that if they did not do these things that God forbade, the person would not be put to death. He would not be “cut off from his people.” He would not suffer the physical death proscribed by this Law, Leviticus 18:29—“For whoever commits any of these abominations, the persons who commit them shall be cut off from among their people.” As for their eternal state, I will not speak, but let the mighty Judge determine who was fit for His kingdom from among those who lived before the advent of the Savior of all men. We do know that, however, those who did commit such abominations as incest, bestiality, or homosexuality, would be put to a swift end, by the magistrates or by the hand of YHVH Himself. Now, under the old covenant, men had the Law of God, and the commands contained therein, so that “if a man does them, he shall live by them” and would not be “cut off from among his people.” But this is not the last place we find this principle. No indeed, we find Christ Himself, and His apostle to the Gentiles, showing the force, and extent, and meaning of this saying. For once the old covenant was done away with, and a new covenant ushered in, established upon better promises (Hebrews 8:6), a new meaning was given to the phrase “if a man does them, he shall live by them.”
First, consider the words of our Lord, as recounted to us by the faithful Gentile physician Luke. In chapter 10 of his gospel, we find Luke’s account of Jesus telling the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37). But what brings Christ to open His mouth with this parable? It is nothing less than a man trying to justify himself. A man who thought he was performing the letter of the Law—when in fact he was obedient to neither the letter nor the spirit of the Law he was seeking to use as his justification before God. The man thought he had it right, and was in fact not too far from having it right (as was the scribe in Mark 12:28-34). But should a man fall short of the perfection required by our Sovereign, he is counted as a most miserable rebel, and subject to the perfect condemnation of God, For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all (James 2:10). Yet if a man will but look to Christ, all of his shortcomings will be pardoned, and will be welcomed into that glorious kingdom. But we will address that in the conclusion of this section. For now, let us look at how Christ gave new meaning to the phrase “if a man does them he shall live by them.”
Luke 10:15-18—25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" 26 He said to him, "What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?" 27 So he answered and said, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself.'" 28 And He said to him, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live." The man knew what the Law said. He knew who the Law was speaking to. But he did not know what the Law meant. He thought that if he did good to his fellow Israelite, he was doing well. He did not understand, however, that even the Samaritan was his neighbor, and should have also received the good of his hand. He did not realize that the command to love the LORD your God meant that he should love even those with whom he did not agree. But even more than this, we find in these words of Christ that the clause that said “if a man does them” was not to be strictly applied to the 613 commands in the Law; neither did the clause “he shall live by them” refer simply to temporal life. The Law brought physical death. The Law could not impart life to anyone. Galatians 3:12—If there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. The only thing the person living under the Law could hope for was another day to exist in their body, in this world, and for their life to be extended for one more day—a day which still contained the threat of new temptations overtaking him and placing him under the condemnation.
Which is what the writer of Hebrews tells us in Hebrews 9:12-15—12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. The goal of these sacrifices and ordinances was not to make anyone perfect. That was impossible. The Law could not make anyone perfect. It simply kept safe those who belonged to God, until the promise of faith came in the fulfillment of the Law by Jesus Christ. Galatians 3:19-24—19 What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made…21 Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law…23 Before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
And now, Christ, the Word of God, speaking not through the mouths of prophets but by Himself, is saying that it is love toward God, and toward your neighbor, that brings not simply another day of breathing air, but eternal life—everlasting life. And now, if a man loves the LORD God with all his heart, soul and strength, and loves his neighbor as himself, he will have life not simply in this world, but eternal life in the presence of God and the holy Lamb. It is not the keeping of rules and commands that saves a man. Romans 6:14—You are not under law but under grace. “But should we be telling people not to obey the Ten Commandments?” Well, if that’s what we were saying, then that is a fair question. But where does Paul ever make that suggestion? “Well, you're telling people that they don’t have to obey God’s rules anymore!” Again, if that were my intent, then I would have something to answer for. But that is not my intent. “But you're telling people—”
OK, let’s look at what Paul says immediately after his declaration that we are not under Law but under grace. Romans 6:15—What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Paul himself had heard the accusation that he was teaching people that they could sin just as much as they possibly could, just so long as they believed in Christ. Remember back when we first opened this lesson, that God does not deal in loopholes? He still doesn't. And yet there are those who say that is a person believes in Christ as their Savior, they can go on with their lives, committing all kinds of sin, living in whatever abominable lifestyle they choose—but they're saved because they “believe.” And that if one teaches the need for repentance from sin, that’s “Salvation by works” and we are somehow a “Closet Catholic™”. But their argument falls apart because of the words of Paul, who says, a few verses prior, 1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? (Romans 6:1-2). The doctrine of the “Easy Believer” falls apart because, as Paul said, the one who has died to the Law, who truly loves God, is the one who considers sin to be as utterly repugnant to themselves as it is to God. As John Gill said:
“Sanctified persons are dead to sin; sin is not made their business, it is not their course of life; it is no longer a pleasure to them, but is loathsome and abominable; it is looked upon, not as a friend, but an enemy…to live in sin, is to live after the dictates of corrupt nature; and persons may be said to live in it, when they give up themselves to it, are bent upon it; when sin is their life, they delight in it, make it their work and business, and the whole course of their life is sinful: now those who are dead to sin, cannot thus live in it, though sin may live in them; they may fall into sin, and lie in it some time, yet they cannot live in it: living in sin, is not only unbecoming the grace of God revealed in the Gospel, but is contrary to it; it is detestable to gracious minds, yea, it seems impossible they should live in it.”
So then, the question may remain in the minds of some: “You say that we shouldn’t sin, but you have also said that we are not under Law. So then, what is this new meaning of the phrase ‘if a man does them, he shall live by them’ you keep talking about?” Only this: We who are in Christ have fulfilled the righteous requirements of the Law. How? By faith in Christ, who fulfilled the Law for us. Romans 8:3-4—3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. And because Christ fulfilled the righteous requirements of the Law for us, we then fulfill those requirements. How? By faith. “That sounds like so much double-speak! How do you justify these statements?” By continuing my appeal to the apostle of the risen Christ. And by his references back to our original text.
In another statement to the same Christians in Rome, he compares and contrasts the righteousness under the Law versus righteousness in Christ, and shows how Israel, who thought they were doing good by seeking to establish their own righteousness according to the Law were, in fact, now bringing condemnation upon themselves. Romans 10:1-5—1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. 5 For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, "The man who does those things shall live by them." Now, notice what Paul says in verse 4. Notice, he does NOT say Christ is the end of the Law—period. He says Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness. Men no longer need to try and make themselves righteous by adhering to a list of 613 commands and ordinances. Those have been fulfilled in Christ. For if you believe in Him, you will have finished the whole Law, you will have been counted righteous, and you will not be found wanting when you stand before the Great and Mighty Judge.
At one time, a man might be counted righteous who sought to keep the Law with his whole heart. But that was never the intent of the Law. The Law was never meant to show how good a man could be. Nay, it was given so that men may see just how vile and filthy they truly are. For even the one—or should I say, especially the one—who sees the righteousness of God and the unrighteousness of man in the Law is the one who uses the Law as it was intended, and considers himself unworthy of any mercy from God and, with Job, abhors himself in dust and ashes. Galatians 3:11-12—11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith." 12 Yet the law is not of faith, but "the man who does them shall live by them." The man who was once the most vociferous teacher and expounder of Law-keeping, teaching men to perform, perfectly, every jot and tittle of the Law, and to seek for their own justification based on the righteous requirements of the Law. The man who once taught the keeping of every jot and tittle of that Law “which, if a man does, he shall live by them”—now, he is teaching the Galatians that keeping the Law is summed up in the word “faith.” How does the just man live? By the phrase that began Martin Luther's journey out of Rome and into the truth: The just shall live by faith. How does a man truly live? The man who does them shall live by them. So then, we can now conclude that life comes by faith in Christ, and His fulfillment of the Law on our behalf, and His taking upon Himself the curse that was meant for us who could not keep every jot and tittle of the Law. As Paul continued his thought, Galatians 3:13-14—13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. What could possibly be a clearer declaration do we need that we no longer seek to simply extend our temporal life by adherence to a list of 613 commandments—a list which, again, no one is able to adhere to perfectly. As John wrote, sin is transgression of the Law (1st John 3:4). To finish this section, I refer you to Jamieson, Fausset and Brown—
“Obedience to the divine law always, indeed, ensures temporal advantages; and this, doubtless, was the primary meaning of the words, ‘which if a man do, he shall live in them.’ But that they had a higher reference to spiritual life is evident from the application made of them by our Lord (Luke 10:28) and the apostle (Romans 10:5).”
In part 2 next week, we will actually discuss what the Law says about sexual sins
Jesus Christ is Lord.
Amen.
