Not working on anything here, just unloading whatever’s been put in my head as of today. And, as you’ll see, a good chunk of it is from my current read through the book of Ezekiel.
Let’s take a look through Ezekiel 33:10-20:
Why Will You Die, Israel?
10 “And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus have you said: ‘Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we rot away because of them. How then can we live?’ 11 Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?
The house of Israel was aware of their transgressions and sins… and to add on top of that, they were also aware of its consequences: ‘we rot away because of (these sins and iniquities)‘.
What follows as a record of God’s response is another perspective of the His grace, present throughout the entire Bible. It ties in to what He doesn’t want, and what He wants – He doesn’t look forward to, nor does He take any pleasure in ‘the death of the wicked‘; and, just so He’s clear, He specifies here that He DOES take pleasure in, and I dare to say He WANTS the wicked to turn from their way, and to live. He WANTS the wicked to turn back from their evil ways.
Sounds familiar? It’s His will, indeed, for none to perish, but for all to come to repentance… and to us He says, just as He says to Israel back then: ‘for why will you die‘?
12 “And you, son of man, say to your people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him when he transgresses, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall by it when he turns from his wickedness, and the righteous shall not be able to live by his righteousness when he sins. 13 Though I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, yet if he trusts in his righteousness and does injustice, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered, but in his injustice that he has done he shall die. 14 Again, though I say to the wicked, You shall surely die,’ yet if he turns from his sin and does what is just and right, 15 if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has taken by robbery, and walks in the statutes of life, not doing injustice, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 16 None of the sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he shall surely live.
I go through this and I’m reminded of our last article, where I mentioned that our enemy – once the guardian cherub who was perfect in beauty and adorned in perfection – was, at best, merely blameless in his ways. We read about his timeless downfall and defeat, and declare that because of Christ, his ways come to an end, and he shall be no more.
We also read that he wasn’t the only one prophesied against by the Lord; For see, the king of Tyre was rebuked, but prior to this, the prince of Tyre was rebuked – but we see one thing in common with the both of them: Both of their hearts were filled with pride – the prince, because of the wealth gained because of his wisdom, and the king, because of his beauty.
Here, we see God telling the people: The ‘righteousness’ of the righteous shall not deliver them when he turns to transgression, but the wickedness of the wicked shall not cause them to fall when he turns from his sin and does what is just and right.
Correct me if I’m missing something here, but I believe in this case, as in the case of the prince and the king of Tyre… it all boils down what we place our trust in. I believe that the ‘righteous’ man’s heart is also filled with pride (and he also makes it as the heart of a god) because of his ‘trust in his righteousness’ (v13)…
But on the other hand, the wicked restores the pledge and turns from his sin, for his trust is not on riches, beauty, nor is it even in his own ‘righteousness’ – but he walks ‘in the statutes of life’… and thus, ‘he shall not die’, ‘he shall surely live’.
So is this for me to go ahead and say that we should place our trust in ‘the statutes of life’? Hold your horses. Let’s keep going.
17 “Yet your people say, The way of the Lord is not just,’ when it is their own way that is not just. 18 When the righteous turns from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it. 19 And when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he shall live by this. 20 Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his ways.”
Notice that last line. First of all, it probably even isn’t in our place as Gentiles to walk in the statutes of life – see, God is talking to the ‘house of Israel‘.
But more importantly, look at what God says immediately after that: I will judge each of you according to his ways. I mean, even if I WAS of the house of Israel, I don’t think I’d want to be judged that way! Why? Because it’s impossible for us to attain, much less sustain.
How do I know this? Well, we just went through the Book of Romans – and in the first 3 chapters, the second chapter, specifically: We see that He truly will judge us – Jew and Gentile – according to our ways, and not only our ways, we gathered – but also our thoughts ‘in Jesus Christ’, as well.
And if that isn’t enough, we also read of the wrath of God, where He leaves us to the consequences of our sinful and ungodly passions. Finally, we read that there’s no placing our trust in our own righteousness, because we were sinners from the start – we were part of who Paul mentioned was ‘not righteous; no, not one’.
But here, look – the rest of the Book of Romans tells us (and you’re going to want to take this in) that now, the righteousness of God has been revealed apart from works, apart from our own righteousness, and, I dare say, apart from wealth, and apart from beauty – We can be righteous here and now, the moment we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is through Christ that we are declared righteous absolutely, even if we do fall into transgression – because, friends, this is a righteousness established by HIS work and HIS way, not by our own.
Are we then excused to sin because of this absolute righteousness? As Paul said, God forbid! Because the truth of the matter is, this righteousness not only stays in spite of OUR work and OUR way, whether we choose life or death – No, read: this righteousness established by HIS work and HIS way CONSEQUENTLY establishes us as New Creations – meaning, we have a NEW work, and a NEW way, empowered by life unto life!
Once, the people of Israel told God that they rot because of their sins and iniquities.
Here, all of us, whether Jew or Gentile, THANK God because through Christ’s righteousness and finished work, we have life, and our ways are established.
Again, we boldly declare, that though satan comes to steal, kill and destroy, his ways come to an end, and he shall be no more. We celebrate our victory over our fallen enemy, because through Christ, we have life, and life abundantly!
Just letting everything out as it comes… still feeling aggressive. Still feeling pumped. Working out, reading, writing and praying in full swing. I’ll see if I can revisit 2 Timothy 1, and start writing on 2 Timothy 2 soon.
Until the next post, may our Good Father bless you.
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