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If the Wicked Turns

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

The above is from Ezekiel 33 and it tells us a couple realities that have echoes in the New Testament. We see the righteous—those who observe the Law and live by it. Their problem isn’t that they keep the Law but that in keeping the Law they think they are living within the will of God. They become arrogant as they work injustice and oppression against even their brothers. This is repeated between Jesus and the Jewish leaders who thought that because they were particular about keeping the Law, that they had met the expectations of God. Paul tells us that he felt this way too. He tells us that he was a Pharisee of Pharisees who kept the Law blamelessly. He tells us that he considers that all dung. Jesus will say that they had indeed kept the Law, tithing mint and cumin. Even so, they had ignored the weightier matters. The righteous cannot claim righteousness as sufficient for their being in a relationship with God if they aren’t people of correct hearts toward others. But there is more.

The wicked are given hope in this same
passage. The warning to the righteous may have provoked the question, “Then who can be saved?!” The answer is that the wicked themselves can be saved if they will turn from their ways. If they begin to live righteously and work justice toward others. Here in the midst of Ezekiel, we see what God is actually after for his people. It is justice or lives that reflect care about others. Justice here isn’t “enforce the Law.” What is pictured here is to know the weightier matters and to live as though we know what those are. Micah tells us much the same when he tells us to love mercy, act justly, and walk humbly with God. Here in Ezekiel, this is exactly what will save the wicked.

These truths remain today. What does God require of us but to love mercy, act justly, and walk humbly with God? Even the wicked if they will turn from their way and begin to work justice toward others will be accepted by God.

 

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