Ezekiel 18
If you’ve ever struggled with an addiction or any all-consuming form of sin, chances are you’ve faced a moment of truth where someone confronts you over why you’re doing what you’re doing. Typically, in that moment the fear of giving up your sin is so horrifying that you start deflecting. Your sinning is someone else’s fault. You’re a victim of circumstance, life is hard and, when all else fails this is one of the most overused excuses out there – God is unfair.
God makes a great scapegoat because He knows everything that’s happening in your life before it happens. As a result, you can accuse Him all day long because why didn’t he stop you from getting drunk and then driving if He’s so in control of things? Chances are God isn’t going to part the Heavens to scream down a word in His own defense. If you know anything about God, you know that the role He wants to fill in your life is something much closer to Father than puppet master. God would much rather we know a little something about his true nature and His desire to be in relationship with us than to blame Him for not playing spiritual hall monitor, directing every move we make as we walk through life.
Throughout the Old Testament, the Israelites accuse God of being unfair on a regular basis. The reason they do this is because God is constantly having to rebuke and correct them for their rebellious behavior and their propensity to be disobedient. They come to hang their hats on a false proverb that says, “The parents eat sour grapes but their children’s mouths pucker at the taste.” This isn’t a warning encouraging parents to behave themselves for their kid’s sakes. This is simple whining over this perception that not only is God too tough on them when they sin, but He takes it out on their kids. And their kid’s kids.
In the Old Testament book of the prophet Ezekiel, God’s had enough of this line of deflection. In chapter 18, through Ezekiel, He commands the people of Israel to knock it off. And then He explains to them – any by extension us – what makes Him a God of supreme, perfect justice and fairness. He lays out three very clear circumstances where His fairness is defined. Keeping in mind that He is the Creator of everything and has faithfully cared for His chosen people despite their frequent rejection of Him consider these things.
Circumstance #1. You want to live with God? Treat others well. Don’t commit adultery. Don’t cheat people financially. Don’t worship false idols. Help the poor. Follow His decrees – strive to be obedient to the Commandments in other words. Do that and you’re golden. You will never die because of your sin. Pretty easy, right? Nothing too controversial.
Circumstance #2. You probably saw this coming but here’s the other side of the coin. If you choose to reject God – cheat, steal, be sexually immoral and mistreat the poor, you have no life with God. How this has become a matter for debate is simple. Over the centuries there have come false doctrines that teach how good deeds eclipse sin. In other words, if for every bad thing you do, there’s an effort to do something nice you’re okay. You’re in good standing with God. Great theory, but in no way, shape or form biblical. God doesn’t maintain a “sin ledger” on you. You either desire to live into His will, confessing and repenting whenever you come up short – which is good – or you don’t. Which is bad.
Circumstance #3. This is the one that punches a hole in Israel’s “sour grapes” claim. If a child grows up and sees the sinful ways of his parents and turns away from that to live in obedience to God, he will not die to sin.
From there, God uses Ezekiel to share a message with His people that shatters the stereotype of the Old Testament God being a God of anger, vengeance, and wrath. In Ezekiel chapter 18 – please take the time to study it! – God pours out in detail His desire to cover all His people in His grace. He holds that grace back from no one! Even the most wicked of sinners if they repent, “They will live because they thought it over and decided to turn from their sins. Such people will not die.”
From God’s mouth to our hearts. He says this as well, 18:23…
“Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign Lord. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live.
At the close of the chapter, God challenges His people. Who’s the one being unfair? The ones who seem committed to behaving poorly or the One who will never turn them away once they come to see the futility that attaches to that way of life?
Look, you can accuse God of being unfair as it relates to how your life is off the tracks thanks to horrible ongoing decisions you make. He can take it. But isn’t it a better option to choose to surrender to the Lordship of the One – Jesus – who gave all He had so that you, me – we – would never have to know condemnation through our sinful behavior?
Never forget that Jesus Christ your Savior is not just fair, He’s also steadfast in His love for you. Longsuffering even as you sin against Him and full of grace as demonstrated by His desire to always draw you back to Him where the only thing waiting for you is life.