Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Today let’s recognize that our eternal life or death is determined by how WE DECIDE to live here on earth.

Today’s scripture, Ezekiel 18:25‭-‬32 (NLT), says…
“Yet you say, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right!’ Listen to me, O people of Israel. Am I the one not doing what’s right, or is it you? When righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things, they will die for it. Yes, they will die because of their sinful deeds. And if wicked people turn from their wickedness, obey the law, and do what is just and right, they will save their lives. They will live because they thought it over and decided to turn from their sins. Such people will not die. And yet the people of Israel keep saying, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right!’ O people of Israel, it is you who are not doing what’s right, not I. “Therefore, I will judge each of you, O people of Israel, according to your actions, says the Sovereign Lord. Repent, and turn from your sins. Don’t let them destroy you! Put all your rebellion behind you, and find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O people of Israel? I don’t want you to die, says the Sovereign Lord. Turn back and live!

Consider…
One of the most celebrated verses in the Bible is John 3:16. It’s celebrated because it emphasizes God’s love. However, God’s love was referenced as His motivation to provide a way to be saved from final judgment. Read it again…
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16 NLT

Look closely at the wording of the verse. God loved people so much that He decided to give us an alternative to the consequence of sin. Romans 6:23 (NLT) explains…
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

God’s judgement for sin is death.

Despite how clear that is, people try to skirt God’s sin limit, which is zero, in the same way drivers in Texas like to skirt the posted speed limit. And the same way drivers plan to use the going with flow of traffic excuse for speeding, people want God to give them a pass on sin because everyone is doing it.

Unlike the limited law enforcement resources that allow multiple speeding offenders to go unpunished, the Omniscient God will punish sin offenders in accordance with His stated penalty, which is death.

However, because of His love stated in John 3:16 and 1 John 4:9, we have been given a grace alternative to certain judgement. Of course we know that’s Jesus, but don’t miss something key explained in 1 John 4:10 (NLT), which says…
This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

Jesus took away our sins. Let’s make it more plain…
For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. – 2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT

When John 3:16 says God gave, it’s stating He gave an offering for our sin to make us right with Him.

The word OFFERING is flashing in my mind. The Holy Spirit is emphasizing that God has given us an offer of salvation. But salvation is the transfer of our judgement to Jesus. It’s easy to forget our pardon for sin was bore by God’s only begotten. The death penalty of sin was fully paid by Jesus.

The reason this is so important is because, God’s offer to us is to accept Jesus as the propitiation (substitute) for our sin or bear the penalty on our own.

In John 3:18‭-‬19 NLT, Jesus explained…
“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.

Just like today’s scripture, Jesus is saying in these two verses, people decide their spiritual consequences by their earthly decisions. If you want to live for yourself now, God won’t force you to live with Jesus forever. However, if you decide to live in and for Jesus now, He will extend your life with Him into eternity.

When people try to blame God for the consequences of their hellish decisions and behavior, they are being irreverent to Him. God has made it crystal clear that He will not tolerate sin, however through Jesus Christ He will forgive us for it. That’s the key though, it’s faith in Jesus that God honors. Romans 3:22‭-‬24 (NLT) explains…
We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.

Reading verse 22, hearkens me to this phrasing in today’s scripture…
When righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things, they will die for it. Yes, they will die because of their sinful deeds. And if wicked people turn from their wickedness, obey the law, and do what is just and right, they will save their lives. They will live because they thought it over and decided to turn from their sins. Such people will not die.

Notice the self-righteous did evil and will die, but the self-aware sinners repented and will live.

That reminds me of Jesus’ parable in Luke 18:10‭-‬14 (NLT). He explained…
“Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

So today, the Holy Spirit is telling us, if we become self-righteous we will die. However if we remain self-aware and repent and accept God’s love offering of Jesus, we will live because He already died.

Decide to live self-aware of your need for Jesus!

Today’s song is…
By Your Grace

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)