(14) Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. (15) For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
The blessedness pronounced on the Lord's people and the misery: on the ungodly, are strongly marked in these verses. Doing the commandments of God, as a right to the Tree of Life, is a comprehensive way of speaking, which includes in it an union with Christ, and a communion in all that belongs to Christ. When Christ was preaching in the days of his flesh, and had just mentioned of the sealing of the Father, the Jews put the question to him, what shall we do, that we might work the works of God, to which Jesus made this remarkable answer! This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent, John 6:27-29. A belief in Christ, when that belief is inwrought by the Holy Ghost in the soul, will he followed with all the blessed effects, and fruits of obeying Christ's commandments. But, where there is no work of God the Spirit in the soul, there can be no obedience to the commandments in the heart. Hence it is said, that without are dogs and sorcerers, and persons of all uncleanness, having never been renewed.
It is a sweet testimony of an union with Christ, when we derive all grace for obedience, from Christ. Jesus imparts everything suited to his members; and for this plain reason, because He is the head of all fullness. So that when Christ gives out of his fullness, while the advantage is theirs, the glory is His. When a child of God is first quickened, is it not Christ's Spirit quickening? When a child of God is led on in the way of grace, is it not Christ's grace, made sufficient for him, and the Lord's strength made perfect in his people's weakness. And what a fullness of glory for this communication, from the fullness of his grace, will be accumulated in that day, for Jesus's everlasting crown of Mediator majesty; when Christ shall have the full ascription of glory, from the whole body of his members, and they are all come to this perfect man, Christ Jesus, according to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ! Ephesians 4:13.