God is Watching (Ezekiel 33:12-19)
“Son of man, give your people this message: The righteous behavior of righteous people will not save them if they turn to sin, nor will the wicked behavior of wicked people destroy them if they repent and turn from their sins. When I tell righteous people that they will live, but then they sin, expecting their past righteousness to save them, then none of their righteous acts will be remembered. I will destroy them for their sins. And suppose I tell some wicked people that they will surely die, but then they turn from their sins and do what is just and right. For instance, they might give back a debtor’s security, return what they have stolen, and obey my life-giving laws, no longer doing what is evil. If they do this, then they will surely live and not die. None of their past sins will be brought up again, for they have done what is just and right, and they will surely live. For again I say, when righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and turn to evil, they will die. But if wicked people turn from their wickedness and do what is just and right, they will live. (Ezekiel 33:12-16, 18, 19 NLT)
God here takes a moment to remind Ezekiel of His God-given job description. His main responsibility was to warn everyone in Israel, righteous and unrighteous alike, that God is watching and will surely judge their sin.
In this passage we catch a glimpse of God's character that highlights both His amazing grace and His holy justice. On the grace side, God doesn't care what the sin is, but rather each individual's attitude towards their sin. Those who have done a lot of wrong have the same opportunity to repent as those who have done less.
However, on the justice side, God makes an important point regarding those who are already doing what's right. Good deeds done by "good" people are not what makes people righteous, rather, they are merely a sign that they fear the Lord.
But vs. 12-13 remind us of two important truths: God makes it clear that if a righteous person turns to sin He doesn't look the other way any more than He would when a "sinner" breaks His laws. He carefully warns that good behavior in no way cancels out the bad. Verse 13 reminds us yet again of the the fact that our good deeds will never save us from God's judgment.
Depending on which camp you belong to (rank sinner or holy roller), it's easy to think that God is either an overly harsh judge who is eager to punish you or a completely soft-hearted good-ole-boy who winks at our "spiritual mishaps" (which we really don't admit are bad enough to call sin).
Fact is, regardless of our standing before God, He is both perfect grace and perfect justice in dealing with our sin. He sees everything and will hold each of us accountable (Hebrew 4:13), but He also doesn't want anyone to perish but to turn from their sins and live (2 Peter 3:9). No amount of sin can ever make you so bad that God won't welcome you back (Romans 8:38); yet at the same time, no amount of good behavior will ever excuse disobedience (Romans 6:1-2).
The point is that God wants you, wherever you are, to turn away from your sin and turn completely to towards Him. Because of Christ God accepts us, regardless of how "good" or "bad" we are. Anything less than trusting in His grace and receiving His righteousness will ultimately result in disaster on judgment day. While God is surely watching, He is also patiently waiting for each of us to choose Him.
God here takes a moment to remind Ezekiel of His God-given job description. His main responsibility was to warn everyone in Israel, righteous and unrighteous alike, that God is watching and will surely judge their sin.
In this passage we catch a glimpse of God's character that highlights both His amazing grace and His holy justice. On the grace side, God doesn't care what the sin is, but rather each individual's attitude towards their sin. Those who have done a lot of wrong have the same opportunity to repent as those who have done less.
However, on the justice side, God makes an important point regarding those who are already doing what's right. Good deeds done by "good" people are not what makes people righteous, rather, they are merely a sign that they fear the Lord.
But vs. 12-13 remind us of two important truths: God makes it clear that if a righteous person turns to sin He doesn't look the other way any more than He would when a "sinner" breaks His laws. He carefully warns that good behavior in no way cancels out the bad. Verse 13 reminds us yet again of the the fact that our good deeds will never save us from God's judgment.
Depending on which camp you belong to (rank sinner or holy roller), it's easy to think that God is either an overly harsh judge who is eager to punish you or a completely soft-hearted good-ole-boy who winks at our "spiritual mishaps" (which we really don't admit are bad enough to call sin).
Fact is, regardless of our standing before God, He is both perfect grace and perfect justice in dealing with our sin. He sees everything and will hold each of us accountable (Hebrew 4:13), but He also doesn't want anyone to perish but to turn from their sins and live (2 Peter 3:9). No amount of sin can ever make you so bad that God won't welcome you back (Romans 8:38); yet at the same time, no amount of good behavior will ever excuse disobedience (Romans 6:1-2).
The point is that God wants you, wherever you are, to turn away from your sin and turn completely to towards Him. Because of Christ God accepts us, regardless of how "good" or "bad" we are. Anything less than trusting in His grace and receiving His righteousness will ultimately result in disaster on judgment day. While God is surely watching, He is also patiently waiting for each of us to choose Him.
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