Followers of Jesus Christ are responsible to walk in Holiness.

This lesson is about our individual accountability to God. When the captive Jews in Babylon complained to Ezekiel that they were being punished for the sins of their fathers, he reminded them of their personal responsibility to God. Yes, their fathers had sinned, but so had they. One of the most hated facts of life by people who want no consequences for doing wrong, is that, each of us is responsible for, and accountable to God for what we do. We are rational creators, to whom God has given the freedom to make moral choices. We are, therefore, responsible to God for the choices we make, and for the effects our choices have on ourselves and others.

WARNING OF IMPENDING DOOM

A. Responsibility to God

Eze 3:14  So the spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me.

…….After the Lord told Ezekiel what he had to do, and though it made him bitter, the helping and empowering hand over the Lord was on him. Side note: the harder the battle, the greater anointing will be that is dispensed! God will not call you to something that He won’t empower you to accomplish!

Eze 3:15  Then I came to them of the captivity at Telabib, that dwelt by the river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished [speechless] among them seven days.

…….For 7 solid days Ezekiel was in total shock, sitting by a river bank with a gaze while thinking about the doom of what the Lord designed for him to do! Can you imagine?

Eze 3:16  And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Eze 3:17  Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

Eze 3:18  When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

Eze 3:19  Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

Eze 3:20  Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

Eze 3:21  Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.

…….For the church of today, many of us are held accountable to be watchmen for God’s people. It is important to give warning to those around us when we see sin in the way. It is also important that we listen to those that the Lord has placed around us and take head to their warnings.

B. Waiting on God

Eze 3:22  And the hand of the LORD was there upon me; and he said unto me, Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there talk with thee.

Eze 3:23  Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and, behold, the glory of the LORD stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river of Chebar: and I fell on my face.

…….Reading the book of Ezekiel from a standpoint of never experiencing the power of God, it would be natural to think and say, “this poor guy”. But, if you have ever experienced the pure anointing power of the Lord you would envy him. Though the consequences of not engaging Gods will are stiff, the rewards of continuously life changing!

Eze 3:24  Then the spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet, and spake with me, and said unto me, Go, shut thyself within thine house.

Eze 3:25  But thou, O son of man, behold, they shall put bands upon thee, and shall bind thee with them, and thou shalt not go out among them:

…….The previous verse would be enough to bring him through the present with power and confidence!

Eze 3:26  And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover: for they are a rebellious house.

Eze 3:27  But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house.

…….Ezekiel’s obedience was rewarding is such a way that it allowed the Spirit of the Lord to have total control of his body! Knowing the power of our Godly influence on this world, we need to be attentive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, as to when and how we can touch the lives of other people in redemptive, healing, and other beneficial ways. With Gods help, we can do good to and for all!

INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY

A. Complaint and Reply

Eze 18:1  The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying,

Eze 18:2  What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge?

…….The complaint was that God was unfairly punishing them for the sins of their fathers. The captives had been warmed by the prophet Jeremiah that the captivity of the Jews would come as a consequence of generations of idolatry and sinful living by the Israelites. Now it had happened.

Eze 18:3  As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.

Eze 18:4  Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

…….The Lord let them know in His response that every individual is responsible for itself. The sins of our parents may have influenced us in negative ways, but they do not control our actions and behaviors, nor can they deter our deliverance! We are accountable for ourselves, and the Lord rewards openly for overcoming the impact of influences.

Eze 18:5  But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,

Eze 18:6  And hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour’s wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman,

Eze 18:7  And hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;

Eze 18:8  He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man,

Eze 18:9  Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord GOD.

…….The Lords response gave a direct answer and guideline for the ways a person should conduct their lives. The Word of the Lord gives instructions that are not hard to comprehend. If we walk in the ways instructed, we will live a life of protection and blessing. It is up to us to take accountability for our relationship with the Lord.

B. God Judges Each Person

Eze 18:10  If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth the like to any one of these things,

Eze 18:11  And that doeth not any of those duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour’s wife,

Eze 18:12  Hath oppressed the poor and needy, hath spoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination,

Eze 18:13  Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.

…….Notice the consequences did not say, “his blood shall be upon his father”. What it did say was the contrary, “his blood shall be upon him.” There are two deaths a person can experience in life, that of the spiritual and that of the physical. Even though every person will experience the physical death, we don’t have to experience the spiritual.

Eze 18:14  Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father’s sins which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not such like,

Eze 18:15  That hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbour’s wife,

Eze 18:16  Neither hath oppressed any, hath not withholden the pledge, neither hath spoiled by violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment,

Eze 18:17  That hath taken off his hand from the poor, that hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.

…….For the son who chooses to walk the path of righteousness, he will live a blessed life and his spiritual man be lively. Living in righteousness on the physical allows for us to continue a life in the spiritual. The righteous soul will live, not only physically, but also spiritually, morally, and everlastingly in fellowship with God.

THE LORD IS JUST

A. The Impartiality of God

Eze 18:19  Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live.

…….Even after Ezekiel explained the individual accountability to God, the captive Jews resisted the truth that was explained, and continued to blame others. In answer to their resistance, Ezekiel restated the truth he had already set before them:

Eze 18:20  The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

Eze 18:21  But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

Eze 18:22  All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.

Eze 18:23  Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?

Eze 18:24  But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.

…….God’s amazing mercy toward sinners is that, he will forgive any who repent. God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. All sins forgiven will not be held against a person. Though all sins are forgiven, this does not mean that some of the earthly consequences for sinning will be erased, yet the Lord provides strength to endure. It is just as important to finish the race the same way it began. No matter how righteous we started at salvation, we must be ever learning and accountable to whatever the Lord has prepared for our future.

B. Get a New Heart

Eze 18:25  Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?

Eze 18:26  When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.

Eze 18:27  Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.

Eze 18:28  Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

Eze 18:29  Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?

Eze 18:30  Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

Eze 18:31  Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

Eze 18:32  For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.

…….Though the continued responses of Israel’s complaints persisted, Gods warnings promises of mercy and Grace continued as well. Though His rules are set without deviation, God has no pleasure in a mans spiritual death. I can remember a time in my sinful life when the Lord was continuously dealing with my heart, and I lived in total rejection. Though I begged Him to live me alone, the moment He let me feel that loneliness was the moment I knew I couldn’t live without Him. Thankfully He didn’t deal with me fairly and leave me in my misery’s.