Ezekiel 31-33

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezekiel%2031-33&version=ESV

Ezekiel 33:12-16

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. ¹³Though 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. ¹⁴Again, 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 gives back what he has taken by robbery, and walks if the wicked restores the pledge, 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.

In the midst of Ezekiel, where Ezekiel has written about the condemnation of the nations, the Lord tells Ezekiel that the righteousness of man shall not deliver him if a man does wickedness, and that a wicked man shall not fall from his wickedness when he turns from it.

That message is still true to us today. Our righteousness will not save us. Only the imputed righteousness of Christ enables the Father to look at us as though we are Christ.

And for those who have fallen into sin, the Lord still calls us to repent and turn from our sins and turn towards Him.

There are three main imputations in the Bible.

1. Adam's sin was imputed to us. (i.e. the doctrine of Original Sin)

2. Our sin was imputed to Christ

3. Christ's righteousness was imputed to us when we believe in Him as our savior and Lord

How wonderful a word this must have been to the people of Israel!

But we see in verse 17 how the people responded:

"Yet your people say,'The way of the Lord is not just,' when it is their own way that is not just. "

Isn't that how the world looks at God today? If God is good, why is there evil? Why does He let bad things happen to good people? And the excuses go on and on.

Friends, continue to read God's Word and immerse yourselves in the truths of Scripture, lest we fall prey to the doubts and reasoning of the world.

Praise God that it is not our righteousness, but the righteousness of Christ, the our Father in heaven sees in us.

Soli Deo Gloria.

Today's post was submitted by Russ Shellhamer.