Your Ways Are Not Equal

I love how God was messing with Israel in the book of Ezekiel. We see two major places where it happens, in chapter 18 and somewhat in 33.

“1: The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying,
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?
3: As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.
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.” Ezekiel 18:1-4 KJV

We start with a proverb in Israel that essentially says that sons will pay for the sins of their fathers, and God says “No way!” Each person winds up being responsible for himself, God is forcing Israel to change their thinking, and the soul that sins shall die.

Through verse 18 God describes a righteous father and an unrighteous son, and then another son that sees his unrighteous father and does right. Only the unrighteous man dies for his sin. But they don’t understand this:

“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.
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.” Ezekiel 18:19-20 KJV

Then God gives a beautiful hope for the unrighteous man, for he can still live!

“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.
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.
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?” Ezekiel 18:21-23

So just when you think God is done rearranging their theology, He directly attacks Eternal Security so they know that they must continue doing right:

“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.” Ezekiel 18:24 KJV

The hammer comes down, God tells the righteous that they need to remain so, and it’s NOT God’s problem! Not only that, but apparently all the former righteousness becomes nothing, for it won’t even be mentioned anymore. Eternal Security cries out against this (or says they were never righteous), and God tells us straight up how it is:

“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?

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.” Ezekiel 18:25-26 KJV

God’s way is the right way and the way we like is usually not. Yes we now have the Holy Spirit and it’s awesome, yet we still are able to willfully sin. I don’t know about you, but I’m very good at sinning. To counter it, I am putting to death the works of the flesh through the Spirit. Do so and live.

We see again that a wicked man can gain righteousness:

“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.
28: Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
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?”

They don’t seem to get this either, for God again says that His ways are equal while theirs aren’t. If we took 26-29 together as the same man (you can’t prove either way), we would be able to see a righteous man lose his salvation and gain it back. This gives hope for backsliders that God really does want them back. See “never really saved” hurts backsliders, because they’ll think that they were never saved (assuming you can convince them of this and they let go of their security), and if their walk before wasn’t good enough, how could they ever attain salvation?

God finishes the chapter by pleading with them to repent, something that most of the churches of America need to do, for wickedness abounds within the church. Let me throw some numbers at you. Over 50% pornography usage among men (see http://www.blazinggrace.org/pornstatistics.htm for a good bit of info), including leadership. Divorce and remarriage is high (http://www.sullivan-county.com/bush/divorce.htm is a pretty good article on that), and there are plenty of people who call themselves Christians yet do not follow God’s commandments (they would be liars according to First John 2:4). While not as high as in the world (I think), we still are sacrificing unborn children in selfishness. Yes, we have a pretty apostate church on our hands.

“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.
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?
32: For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.” Ezekiel 18:30-32 KJV

The church of America needs its theology messed with, and the people need to turn from their transgressions. I am pretty well convinced that Jeremiah and Ezekiel (perhaps more) are repeating themselves, we’re doing the same things that Israel did, just in slightly different situations. Some of the judgments will be repeated as well.

Most people will refuse to heed and insist that their doctrine really is equal. Most of them will go to Hell because they won’t turn from their transgressions that the doctrine allows.

The day of the Lord will see so many go to Hell, and this is why I am (now) not looking forward to it (Amos 5:18). Yes, my redemption will be on that day, yet so many will be dying in their sins thinking they are all right. They will not repent, for they are convinced of their righteousness. This is what Eternal Security is doing to the church of America, whether you believe it or not.

Woe to the Eternal Security teachers, your ways are not equal.