“If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin, he will die for it; because of the sin he has committed he will die.”
~ Ezekiel 18:26
Hi James and Ellen,
If your dad is caught doing something that is against a law to do and your dad’s punishment is to do time in jail, do you think that God wants you to do your dad’s jail time for him? If you are found caught doing something that is against a law to do and your punishment is to do time in jail, do you think that God wants your dad to do your jail time for you? When you get big, get married and have a kid and you do something that is against a law to do and your punishment is to do time in jail, do you think that God wants your kid to do your jail time for you? Ezekiel 18 is God – as God the Spirit, breathing on Ezekiel – telling Ezekiel what to write about why who will live and why who will die. God – as God the Father, used Ezekiel – who was one of His prophet spokesmen, to expressly explain to His specially chosen guys and gals – who were the Israelite people group guys and gals, that each guy and gal is accountable for his or her life or death destiny. The recompense destiny for accepting the unambiguous, merciful will of God – as God the Father, is eternal life that will be lived out joyfully residing in a heavenly mansion in the presence of God – as God the Father, and God – as God the Son. The punishment destiny for rejecting the explicit, intractable will of God – as God the Father, is an irreversible sentence of suffering in hell’s consuming fire.
Even though God – as God the Father, clearly overtly stated His will through Himself – as God the Spirit, through prophet spokesmen – such as Ezekiel, to His specially chosen guys and gals, many of God’s specially chosen guys and gals really did not take His expectations seriously. God – as God the Father, clearly articulated through Himself – as God the Spirit, through Ezekiel that He unequivocally expected His specially chosen guys and gals to live every day of their lives intentionally and righteously fulfilling His will. A righteous guy in the eyes of God – as God the Father, was a guy who deliberately refrained from eating and hanging out at mountain shrines, who willfully desisted from worshipping inanimate manmade wood, clay, rock and metal idols, who consciously kept his distance from his neighbor’s wife, who knowingly did not oppress the oppressed, who willingly did not ask for any kind of pledge for a personal loan that he made with another guy, who wittingly did not take on a lifestyle of robbing other guys, who joyfully handed out food to any guy, gal or kid who was hungry and who did not have the means to obtain food, who happily passed out clothes to any guy, gal or kid who needed better garbs, who purposely did not charge interest on a personal loan, who wisely saw sin as being cancerous, who dutifully kept His laws and who obediently heeded His mandated decrees. An unrighteous guy in the eyes of God – as God the Father, was a guy who lived a lifestyle opposite of a righteous guy. In the eyes of God – as God the Father, an unrighteous guy was a guy who frequently went to dine and frolic at mountain shrines and idols, who desperately prostrated himself before lifeless handmade carved, molded, chipped and cast gods, who immorally pursued his neighbor’s wife, who took unconcealed advantage of outcast guys, who blatantly used other guys in an attempt to get ahead, who saw absolutely nothing wrong with stealing from other guys, who unashamedly disregarded famished guys, gals and kids, who flagrantly ridiculed the guys who were down and outers, who unconsciously extorted interest from guys through personal loans to them, who foolishly sinned to elevate his perceived status with his peers, who did not in a devoted way submit himself to His laws and who did not in faithful obedience follow His decrees.
Your grandpaa wonders sometimes why God – as God the Father, has ‘permitted’ so many bad guys to live on the planet Earth. Your grandpaa wonders sometimes why God – as God the Father, does not simply exert or exercise His divine power to have every guy, gal and kid be righteously good versus ‘permitting’ so much bad to take place through guys, gals and kids who are living on planet Earth. Your grandpaa knows that it ‘was his choice’ in the past, that ‘it is his choice’ right now at this moment and that ‘it will always be his choice’ in the future on whether or not to live a righteous or an unrighteous life. Your grandpaa believes though that the choice that he will make has been ordained or predestined by God – as God the Father, in your grandpaa’s soul to make. Your grandpaa has no qualms accepting the choices that God – as God the Father, has him making. Your grandpaa is troubled though by what verse 26 says, “If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin, he will die for it; because of the sin he has committed he will die.” Your grandpaa believes that there is a gift of eternal security that he has claimed that will always hold your grandpaa and every other guy, gal and kid who has made a decision of faith – once and for all believing in what God – as God the Son, did while He was hung on and nailed to a cross, in keeping your grandpaa and every other born again Christ-follower guy, gal and kid in a holy relationship with God – as God the Father. God – as God the Father, has made it very clear through prophet spokesmen – such as Ezekiel, that forsaking Him by not accepting His written truths will result in a repulsive, vile lifestyle that can only end up in a pit of fire while accepting His written truths will result in a moral, upright lifestyle that can only end up with in a home in heaven. What choices has God – as God the Father, had your dad and ma make? How are your dad and ma living out the choices that they are making? Are their choices displaying a submission and obedience to God or are their choices revealing a pursuit of satisfying egos? God will hold you accountable to the choices that He is having you make.
Ezekiel 18 (863)