KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Saturday, September 01, 2018
Chapters: Ezekiel 18-20
Message: Becoming A Reflection of Jesus
Hello My Friend,
There has been this false narrative since Christ resurrected that as long as a person receives Him as their Saviour that they are no longer under the law, therefore they can live as they please with no consequence. Okay, salvation is by the grace of God alone through our faith in Christ and yes, we are no longer under the law of Moses, which means our salvation is not based on our works and cannot be taken away should we sin again after we are saved, but grace does not give us the liberty to live a sinful life knowing that we are saved through grace. We may not face hell if we live a sinful life, but we will feel like we are in hell before God takes us home because judgment begins at His house first. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.” – Titus 3:5-8.
It is human nature, whether we know Christ or not, to wonder how God, as merciful as He is, can send a soul that has led a moral life to hell when one that has led an immoral life to heaven, but to understand this we have to see it in the eyes of God. Yes, there are many people who live in the world who are honestly good people, they are quick to help those in need, live a moral life, and even believe in God. However, they are missing one thing, Jesus Christ. You see, it is sin, any sin, no matter how small or big, that keeps us from heaven. Even before Christ came in the flesh and died on the cross, people needed a Saviour, and He is the same Saviour, they just knew Him as the LORD. The truth is, we have all done something wrong at one point in our lives, it is pride that keeps us from admitting that. Whether we feel we deserve it or not, God says we will die in our sin if we are not saved, and not just the death of the body, but the death of the soul, which means an eternity in hell. Through Ezekiel, God explains that all souls belong to Him and the only way they live is by following His law.
“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. But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right, 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, 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; 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, Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord GOD.” – Ezekiel 18:4-9.
“Hath walked in my statutes,” God’s ways are not grievous, and if we stop to think about it, save us from a lot more suffering. What is God’s statue today? Believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of His only begotten Son. Since God is our Creator, He has control over our souls, we can do whatever we want with our body, but in the end, the soul is God’s, and He decides where it will end up when our body gives out. This is why our righteousness cannot save us, the second we sin again, all of the good gets cast out. It is like when you make one mistake and it is only the mistake people remember for years to come. Through Ezekiel, God explains why our own sin brings us to death, why others cannot save us, and why the wicked have the same opportunity.
“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. 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. 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? 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. 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? 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. 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. Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.” – Ezekiel 18:19-20,23-28.
“Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father?” This is what false religion does, it paints the picture that the saved will save the unsaved from ending up in hell. This is another narrative, we are all accountable for our own actions. Yes, the faithful do get caught in the mess of the unfaithful sometimes and end up facing affliction because of it, but their soul shall live. “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” – I Corinthians 3:13-15.
God does not want to see any soul in hell, but that is where it will go if it has sin. Before Christ, God gave temporary redemption to a sinner through confession and animal sacrifices, but Christ changed all that when He went to the cross, now we are no longer looked to our own works for salvation, but His finished work. I imagine that Christ cries every time a soul gets cast into hell because they never accepted Him, but those are the rules, and He must abide in them also. “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” – Hebrews 10:4-6,10.
Since God is always in control and people choose to live they way they want regardless, He will let them suffer in their sin until they turn to Him for help. Now, as the Jews in Babylon hear Ezekiel speak these words many of them became uneasy and like many others who only seek God when they are in trouble, inquired of Him, what they did not expect to hear was that God wanted nothing to do with them.
“And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I am the LORD your God; But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. But I wrought for my name’s sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt. Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted my sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness. Nevertheless I withdrew mine hand, and wrought for my name’s sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen, in whose sight I brought them forth. Wherefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers? and commit ye whoredom after their abominations? For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be enquired of by you, O house of Israel?” – Ezekiel 20:5,8-9,21-22,30.
“that it should not be polluted before the heathen,” God could destroy all the worldly Christians and the rebellious Jews right now in an instant, but the reason He does not is because He will not have His name defiled in front of the wicked. How would God look if He wiped out all the saved who are living in sin and the ones He calls His chosen who refuse to acknowledge Christ? A heartless, evil God. There would not be very many people left because there are quite a few, and that is what mercy is for, that He does not wipe us all out for sinning against Him. Mercy endures, but it can run out, there does come a time when God says, enough is enough, they refuse to repent, therefore, they will suffer in their sin and then He will bring them home. Now, as the Jews in Babylon hear Ezekiel speak these words many of them became uneasy and like many others who only seek God when they are in trouble, inquired of Him, what they did not expect to hear was that God wanted nothing to do with them, reminding them that they have always been rebellious since He took them out of Egypt.
“As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you: And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out. And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord GOD. And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant: And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD. And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers. And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed.” – Ezekiel 20:33-38,42-43.
“And there shall ye remember your ways,” Jesus will surely bring us to remember our sins, which is why every knee will bow to Him, but remember what He did for us, He died to save us from our sins. The second we believe in His sinless death, burial, and resurrection, and receive Him as our Saviour we are washed clean of all our sins, we can stand before Him as if we have never sinned. And that is what repentance is all about, realizing you are sinner, and turning from your sin, first by receiving Him as your Saviour. We are to live our lives as God sees fit, not of the world, and not of religion, but as a reflection of Christ, not to keep our salvation, but be an example of His saving grace. “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” – Hebrews 6:1-6.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God.” – Ezekiel 20:19-20.
Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You for Your gift of salvation, I know that there is nothing more I can do apart from receiving Your Son that will save me from my sin, His finished work on the cross is all that is necessary for me to be able to be righteous before You. But Lord, I want the rest of my time on earth to be one of glory, one that not only pleases You, but brings others to You as well. Lead me and guide me, give me Your power to discern right from wrong in Your eyes, give me the knowledge to understand and wisdom to know how to handle the situations, obstacles, and difficulties I face. Pour out Your mercy and grace upon me so that I may grow and become a reflection of Your Son. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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