Ezekiel 18:25-32
“When the righteous turn away from their righteousness and commit iniquity, they shall die for it; for the iniquity that they have committed they shall die.” vs. 26
There is a compelling logic to Ezekiel’s argument as he debates with the leaders of Judah about the reasons for the destruction of their country. God is not to blame for their captivity…it’s their own fault! When the righteous sin, they will die for it…they don’t wear a cloak of immunity. Conversely, when the wicked do right, they will live. Consequences in life are perfectly in line with deeds! Words like this stand in stark contrast to the message of cheap grace that has plagued Christianity from the beginning. Somehow we’ve gotten the notion that being baptized into Christ gives us license to do whatever we please…and if we go astray it’ll be okay because we live under grace. Paul battled against that bizarre notion in his letters but the idea persists. Again and again we see people who have been given the white robe of righteousness deliberately act in their own self-interest and not for the interests of others. While we can understand the power of temptation we should never believe that eternal values and truths can be ignored or rationalized. Sin has consequences! Oh we might not get struck down by a lightning bolt from the sky…that’s not how God operates…but we can count on punishment! Our only hope is repentance!
Thought for the Day: How have my sins been punished?
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