Ezekiel 18 opens with this statement of good news; “What do you people mean by quoting this proverb; the fathers have eaten sour grapes and their children’s teeth are set on edge? As I live declares the Lord, you shall no longer use this proverb in Israel.” You will not die for your father’s sins.
Suppose there are two young men who are close friends. They attend the same school and go to the same church. The first young man was raised in a family of atheists. He goes to church not because his family does, but in spite of his family poking fun at his strange “hobby” he attends the divine service weekly where he hears, tastes, and sees the Lord Christ crucified for Him and for all people for the forgiveness of sins and his heart grasps that promise, he fears, loves, an trusts Christ above all things.
The second young man is raised by Christian parents, he follows his family to church every Lord’s Day, sits through their family worship time, went through Catechism classes and was confirmed in the church. But this young man, for all of his father and mother’s righteousness rejected Jesus Christ in his heart. He just never had time he told himself. He was busy with his friends, with girls an movies and games. He told himself that some day he would really look into these things and focus on his faith. But he was right, he didn’t have the time. On one fateful Sunday morning while carpooling on their way to church these two young men were both killed in a car accident. For all of his family’s faith, for their bringing him to church to meet Christ in the Word, in the water, in the wine, he looked passed Christ toward his friends, his internet updates, and everything that he thought mattered in life. He didn’t see the time; he didn’t recognize the necessity of Christ in the now. But his friend, raised by unbelievers in order to be an unbeliever – he couldn’t see past Christ, the mercy and grace that He received through the life, death, and resurrection of the eternal God made man was what life was. They both died. But who lived?
Ezekiel 18:4, the one who sins is the one who will die. Are you confused? I opened by saying that it was good news that you won’t be judged for your father’s sins. I didn’t say that you wouldn’t be judged for your own sins. You will not die for your father’s sins. But you have already died for your own. Say there is wicked father with two sons. The first son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all of God’s laws, he will surely live. But suppose the second is a wicked son though, this son murders, commits adultery, steals, blasphemes and he hates God. Will such a man live? No. He’s dead in his sin. Which son are you? You’ve never murdered anyone, never cheated on your spouse, you’ve never committed any “big sins,” sure, I’m with you. But hear Ezekiel once more; If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits a sin none of their good works can excuse them of that sin, they will die. Yet, if a wicked person considers all of their sin and their evil, and turns away from it they will surely live. You are the wicked person. Will the wicked person live? We read, turn from your sin and live. I say to you the same thing, turn from your death toward life in Christ. Recognize your self supposed righteousness for the wickedness that it is and look to the righteous son. Repent of your sin toward righteousness through faith, repent of your SELF toward Christ and live. If one is righteous their whole life yet commits one sin they will die. Your good works don’t outweigh your evil deeds. The righteous shall LIVE by faith, and faith, in the righteous Son of God.
At the beginning of Ezekiel 18 we heard a proverb, the father’s have eaten sour grapes and their children’s teeth are set on edge. Does anyone know where else that proverb is referenced in Scripture? It’s right before the prophecy of the New Covenant. You may or may not have noticed that this text seems to be left on a bit of a cliff hanger, or rather, the ball has been left uncomfortably in your court. The Lord spoke through Ezekiel, saying; “Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourself of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Repent and live.” Hear that? Turn away form your sins, stop sinning. Rid yourself of all your offenses. Go and get a new heart and a new spirit. What’s God saying here? It’s your mess, you made it, you get to clean it. But we can’t, can we? He knows. The Lord knows you cannot fix your mess. He doesn’t want you to fix it, He wants you to die. Just as the young man raised in the family of atheists, knowing his sin, knowing where he comes from, he comes a sinful man to the baptismal font saying nothing in my hands I bring solely to cross of Christ, I cling. And in those baptismal water he accepts the full weight of the law of God, and the old man in him is drowned and dies with all sins and evil lusts by repentance and by faith. Being buried with Christ by baptism into death as Paul says, and being raised in Christ by the glory of the Father to new life. In Ezekiel 36 the cry of the broken and contrite heart of the repentant sinner is met by an unyielding flood of grace in the promise of a baptism into the new covenant. He says, I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your sins. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you and move you to follow my laws and walk in my ways. You will be my people and I will be your God.
The one who sins is the one who will die. So, come and die… and be raised to new life in Jesus Christ, the righteous son, and you will surely live.
