How did you feel reading the list of what was necessary for life?

God promises life to the man who will live faithfully, who keeps God’s rules, is just, doesn’t lend with interest or take any profit, covers the naked, shares his food with the needy, doesn’t steal or oppress, keeps from women in a wrong way, and doesn’t look to idols.

This whole chapter is about the righteous living because of their righteousness and the wicked dying for their sin.

God says He has no pleasure at all when a wicked person dies in their sin. His desire is that they turn from their sin and live.

Never forget the heart of God that desires all to be saved. There’s no evil laughter behind God’s wrath. There’s a broken heart.

God assures them again and again that a wicked person can live if they turn from their sin. We love that. We love God’s grace and mercy undeserved because of all we’ve done against Him.

But the people get upset when God says that if a righteous person turns to wickedness, they will die. We have to continue in the faith (Hebrews 3:14, John 8:31, Colossians 1:23). We don’t get to do the one good thing of making a confession of Christ and then live in wickedness. The wicked will die in their sin.

God tells the people to repent and turn from their sin. He tells them to make themselves a new heart and a new spirit!

Can man do that? Can a man save himself?

No! We can’t live a righteous life on our own. We can’t create a new heart for ourselves or give ourselves a pure new spirit.

We needed God’s covenant promise of a new heart and a new spirit and the very righteousness of God.