Lessons From Ezekiel – Lesson 14
The Soul Who Sins Shall Die
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?
That is an odd saying to us. It has to do with the sins of the father passing on to the children. God sets it straight here in Ezekiel the father dies for his own sin. The children do not die for the sins of the father.
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.
If you remember in Jesus’ day before Jesus healed a blind man they asked him who sinned this man or his parents.
Joh 9:1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
Joh 9:2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
Joh 9:3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
The Jews in Ezekiel’s days had the idea that the sins of the father were passed in a way to the children, and we see in the N.T. that the disciples still had the same idea.
But God always taught that the soul that sins, it shall die. Each man individually has a free will and each man individually has responsibility for his own soul. Each man individually pays for his own sin.
A man is not responsible for and does not have to pay for his father’s sins. To that I say amen and amen.
Children born into Christian families are not saved because their parents are. They all have to make that individual decision like everyone else and call upon the name of the Lord to save them just like everyone else.
And no matter how much I love someone and no matter how much I am willing to give up for them, I cannot save them myself. I cannot pray a sinner’s prayer for them. It does not work that way.
Each person stands before God for themselves. Each person is individually responsible.
That is the context of this chapter. We have talked about this many times. Context is extremely important. Around any verse in the Bible you have the context of the verses around it and then you have the context of the chapter and then the context of the book and finally the context of the entire Bible.
All of that context is very important. The Bible fits together. All of it. If you have something that sticks out and conflicts with the rest, then you have it wrong. If you look at the text correctly then it will always fit with the rest of the Bible.
This chapter in Ezekiel is a perfect example. If you ignore the rest of the Bible, then you could teach works salvation out of this chapter.
We have already earlier reminded ourselves of verses that make it clear that salvation is not of works. And we need to read the rest of this chapter with that in mind.
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;
Just another place where the Bible clearly teaches us that God does want us to be concerned with and help the poor.
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.
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.
So if the father does right he shall live, but if the son doesn’t the son shall die. The sins of the son does not pass onto the father and the good of the father does not cover up or pass over to the son.
The context here is still individual responsibility before God.
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.
Eze 18:18 As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity.
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.
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.
Is this clear? He covered it first with the father good and son bad and then to really hammer this truth home he covered the son being good and the father being bad.
The context is still all about individual responsibility before God. If the disciples that walked with Jesus would have studied Ezekiel they would never have asked Jesus that question about if the parents sinned.
Now comes a wonderful truth. The wicked does not have to stay that way. God has great forgiveness and mercy and grace. God delights in showing mercy.
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.
This fits with other scripture.
Psa 103:10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
Psa 103:11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
Psa 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
If a wicked man turns, then he will not be dealt with according to his sins. The mercy of God will remove his sins as far as the east is from the west.
This is what God wants for everyone. Yes everyone. Not just a special selected few.
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?
This fits with
2Pe_3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
God takes no pleasure that the wicked die and go to hell. None at all. He certainly does not choose who goes to hell.
This next verse is where some might teach works salvation. To do that they must take it out of the rest of the Bible.
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.
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.
The context is still individual responsibility. And God ends with a plea to repent. Don’t die in your sins, turn to God and receive mercy and eternal life.
Sounds good you say but what about verse 24.
Well we know that Salvation is not of works. We also know that faith works. Faith does. Real repentance is a change of mind that results in a change of action.
1Jn_2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
1 John 2:19 teaches us that those that leave the faith were actually never of the faith. Those that leave the faith were fakers. Imposters.
And we need to look at verse 24 in the light of James chapter 2
Jas 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Jas 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
Jas 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Jas 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Jas 2:22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
Jas 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
Abraham was not saved by works. He was saved by faith. He believed God. Real belief will result in action. If I believed that this roof was going to collapse on me I would leave. Say I leave and the roof collapses I was saved. At the root of it is belief, faith. I believed, I had faith and so I acted.
The faith saved me. If I say I believe the roof is going to collapse and then I don’t leave. I don’t change my behavior based on that profession of belief. Then guess what, I really did not belief. My faith in that was just lip service and was not real.
Jas 2:24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Jas 2:25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
Jas 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
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.
I believe what you have in verse 24 is a person who is doing the do’s but not out of faith. So he is not really saved. And then he goes back to what he really loves and that is wickedness.
The works that he did out of duty and pride did not save him. So when he goes back to exercising the wickedness that never left his heart, the good that he did do for a time counts for nothing. It says they shall not be mentioned.
Doing good does not save. Repentance and faith and receiving God’s mercy is what saves.
Verse 24 is not teaching a works salvation. Verse 24 when looked at correctly is actually showing that doing good works does not save. If all you have is good works you will still die eternally. You must have real faith, and that is a faith that will cause a change in you.