Do We Repeat Or Repent?
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin Articles
In Ezekiel 18, we see a message regarding the fairness and justice of God. That message portrays an attribute of God which is unchanged.
The Israelites had a proverb which said:
“The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children’s teeth are set on edge” (Jeremiah 31:29).
In essence, the Jews blamed their troubles on an earlier generation. God responded by saying, Yes, your fathers sinned, but “you have done evil more than your fathers …. every one shall die for his own iniquity; every man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge” (cf. Jeremiah 16:10-13; Jeremiah 31:29-30).
Through Ezekiel, God tells Israel:
“The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself” (Ezekiel 18:20).
The physical and environmental consequences of a generation’s sin affect generations to come (cf. Exodus 20:5, Exodus 34:7), however, God categorically denies that the guilt of one is passed to another.
By one man (Adam) sin entered the world, and so spiritual death; but all die (spiritually) “because all sinned.” (Romans 5:12). We are condemned as individuals, on the basis of individual sins, and through forgiveness, made righteous as we individually obey the doctrine of Christ. (Romans 5:17-21, Acts 2:38-41; cf. Ephesians 1:4-7; Hebrews 9:1-14).
As Ezekiel records:
“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord God. “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin” (Ezekiel 18:30).
And we have such a God now (Romans 2:2-11)
Our text also shows that man can change — from wicked to righteous and from righteous to wicked. Free agency is not limited to a one-way street (cf. Ezekiel 18:21-24).
To put it in New Testament terminology, it is not enough that we once came into God’s light (obedience to “that form of doctrine” – Romans 6:17); we must continue “walking in that light” (1 John 1:7).
As the Jew pointed to his ancestry and past glory (Romans 9:4), we too sometimes point to our baptismal certificate, trying to prove ourselves as legitimate children of God (Hebrews 12:8), but God says, “What kind of person are you now? Are you continually striving to follow me today?” (Matthew 16:24).
If we have been tempted to believe that some kind of “cloak of righteousness” is suddenly spread over us as impenitent sinners — that our past actions answer for where we stand today before God, let us re-read Ezekiel 18 very carefully. Then let us notice the conditional preposition “If” we “walk in the light” and are willing to “confess our sins” in 1 John 1:7-9).
Through Ezekiel, God tells us:
“For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!” (Ezekiel 18:32).
This same thought is also expressed in 2 Peter 3:9 where are told:
“The Lord not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
The decision to repent is ours and ours alone. We can say either “Yes” or “No” to God —but let remember that we must meet Him in final judgment, where He will determine our eternal destiny (Romans 14:10-12; 2 Corinthians 5:10).
The question is, Are we doomed to repeat the errors of Ezekiel’s day despite our advantage in Christ (Gal. 5:1), or will we willingly repent of those errors? (1 John 1:9).
Related Articles:
- Involvement In Sin But No Repentance
- A Heavy Burden To Bear
- Having A Will To Change
- It’s Not Too Late To Turn Around!
- Repent Or Perish!
- “Repent And Turn Yourselves From All Your Transgressions….”
- Repent And Respond To The Lord’s Invitation!