The Responsibility of Individuals; meditations from Ezekiel 18

Today, I'm looking at Ezekiel 18.

It starts off with some discussion about how each person is held responsible for there own lives, and not the lives of their ancestors or descendants. Some people see an inconsistency here with texts like Exodus 20:5-6, but there is no inconsistency.



The part I'd like to focus in on, however, is in verses 21-24.

First the good news: if an wicked person (notice the ESV uses a gender neutral term?) turns away from all his sins, he will surely live. God says that he has "no pleasure" in the death of the wicked, implying that he does take pleasure in the repentance of an individual.

Secondly, though, the warning: if a righteous person turns away from the Lord, he shall not live. Matthew 10:22, 24:13, and Mark 13:13 are places where Jesus himself says "He who endures to the end will be saved."

Let us not rely on our past. It has the potential to lure us into resting. Surely God will let this pass, since I've served him so faithfully for the past 20 years, days, minutes...

Hebrews 3:14 "For we share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.