Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32; Philippians 2:1-18; Matthew 21:23-32

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“You have to play with the cards you are dealt.” Not everything in life is going to go your way. Your life is the culmination of many different factors. Some of those are out of your control, like your birth or what family you were born into. But what is in your control are your own actions. How you play the cards can make a big difference. It is that for which you are responsible.

Thus, when it comes to our eternal destiny, God doesn’t handicap us because of someone else’s mistake. No matter how hard your life has been, God doesn’t accept any excuses. You cannot shift the blame of your actions onto anyone else. If you sin, you are guilty. And if you are righteous, then you alone are counted righteous.

For this is what we learn from our Old Testament lesson this week. As Ezekiel is speaking to those Israelites who were carried off into exile, God wants them to understand that no punishment is without warrant. As God says, “Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die…” Ezekiel 18:4. No one will be condemned for another person’s sin. No one will suffer needlessly before God for something they themselves didn’t do. If we are to be condemned, it will be because we are guilty.

This is a tough lesson to learn in life. Taking responsibility for yourself and your actions, despite what life has thrown at you, is hard. It’s practically our defining human trait that we would rather blame someone else for our mistakes and mess ups rather than accept responsibility. This was the immediate response of Adam and Eve in the garden. They wanted to shift blame off of themselves and to someone else. But the only place that leads to is blaming God for all of our troubles.

God isn’t about finding out who is guilty though. He doesn’t like to punish us or condemn us. What we learn most is that God’s very desire and will for our lives is to have peace and eternal life! As God says, “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live,” Ezekiel 18:32. The answer to all of our problems is simple (simple... not easy). It’s taking responsibility. It’s owning up to our mistakes. It’s repenting and TURNING back towards God and seeking his grace and mercy. For God dislikes punishing us so much that he gave us Jesus to take our punishment. God sent Jesus to suffer your punishment and sins upon the cross. God put Jesus to death so that he could lavish you with his mercy! God takes pleasure in bringing another child to salvation through Jesus Christ so that we may inherit eternal life!

Pastor Sorenson

Prayer:

Almighty God, You exalted Your Son to the place of all honor and authority. Enlighten our minds by Your Holy Spirit that, confessing Jesus as Lord, we may be led into all truth; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen!