Ezekiel Teaches Personal Responsibility

Ezekiel 33:1-26

GOLDEN TEXT: “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”—Romans 14:12

EZEKIEL ranks among the great prophets. Most realistic were his visions and powerfully described. A portion of his prophecy was written before the serious troubles upon the kingdom of Judah, which resulted in the overthrow of Zedekiah’s kingdom. The remainder of the hook was written after the complete overthrow of the kingdom. The entire prophecy was given in Babylon, Ezekiel himself residing there and ministering as a Prophet chiefly to the captives, arousing their hearts to an appreciation of their situation and to a hope of return in God’s appointed time to their own land.

It would be a mistake, however, to suppose that Ezekiel’s mission was entirely or even chiefly to the Jews of his time. Rather we are to understand, through St. Peter’s statement, that he, with other prophets of old, spoke and wrote things which they themselves and the people who heard them did not fully and completely understand—things which God did not wish to have understood until after the giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost—things which would be “meat in due season” for the spiritual Israelites throughout this age.—I Peter 1:10-12

Our Scripture lesson emphatically contradicts a doctrine held by some Christian people, “Once in grace always in grace;” or that one who has been favored of God can never lose His favor. The principle of this lesson applies, at the present time, to those who pass from death to life and who are called new creatures in Christ Jesus. These are on trial for life or death. Adamic condemnation no longer rests upon them. If they remain faithful to the Lord they will get the blessings of eternal life; if unfaithful, they will die.

However, this lesson specially applies to the Millennial age; for at that time all are to he given an opportunity to attain life everlasting. People will then realize that “the wages of sin is death.” Then it Will no longer be a proverb that the parents “have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge,” but each “shall die for his own iniquity.” (Jer. 31:29,30; Ezek. 18:2,20) There will be a test for life or death, just as there is now with the church. Only those who are faithful in their trial will be granted everlasting life, in either case. All others will be cut off in death.

The extent of God’s grace in providing an opportunity for salvation through restitution is clearly set forth in the latter part of the sixteenth chapter of Ezekiel. In this chapter the prophet speaks of nations as a whole and the opportunities their people will have when the Mediatorial Kingdom of Christ is set up, whereas in our lesson in chapter 33, he speaks of each individual’s testing for life or death.

In the 16th chapter the declaration is clearly set forth that in the divine plan a great restitution is sure to come which will affect not only Israel and the living nations of the time, but also the dead of all nations. From the 53rd verse onward the Prophet describes the certainty of God’s promise to recover Israel, to bring them back into His favor, and that on a better basis than ever in the past. At the same time the Lord declares, through the Prophet, that the Samaritans will be restored and blessed, and that, also, the Sodomites will be restored and blessed.

The latter nation had been entirely destroyed by fire from heaven, as the Redeemer declared. It follows that their restoration must be from the tomb, from death, hades, sheol. This is the same message which God declared to Abraham, saying, “In thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” This was the hope which Israel had so long entertained and which the Lord declares will not go unfulfilled.

In chapter 3:16-21 and also in chapter 33:7-9, great emphasis is laid upon the responsibility of a servant of God for faithfully declaring His message with which he has been entrusted. It reminds us of St. Paul’s words addressed to the elders of the church at Ephesus. He said to them, “I know that … ye shall see my face no more. Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.”—Acts 20:25-27

St. Paul evidently had in mind his personal responsibility as a steward of the Lord, the solemn significance of which is indicated in our lesson. On the part of St. Paul there was no compromise of the truth, no mixing of it with human philosophies to make it more to either Jews or Gentiles, or to avoid thus any measure of the otherwise inevitable persecution. The Christian teacher who can truly bear such testimony under such circumstances is indeed a soldier of the cross. And, according to his opportunities, every over-comer who will share the Kingdom with his Master must be such a valiant and faithful servant of the truth.

QUESTIONS:

Is the theory, “Once in grace, always in grace,” a Scriptural one?

How wide will he the scope of restitution blessings as they will effect the nations before and since the first advent of Christ?

Should a servant of the Lord refrain from telling the whole truth for policy’s sakes?

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