Text: Ezekiel 18:1-32
“The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself” (verse 20, ESV). Now that Israel is suffering the consequences under exile, they wonder how their children will survive in a foreign land. They ask if it’s fair for the children to suffer for the sins of the parents (?).
One of the greatest blessings of the true faith is the full conviction of personal responsibility. We would never look for a Saviour unless we knew that we are fully responsible for our sins and are responsible before God for what we have done. This precious truth places the burden and a motive on individuals to seek for truth and a true solution to the problems of life, both great and small. This also requires that we grow up and see the world for what it really is and respond in a useful way to the challenges set in front of us. Placing blame on others, whether it be your ancestors or your leaders, will not help move you spiritually forward. You must seek out what you are truly responsible for and act consistent with what you know to be true. And if you fail, regardless of the way you feel, you must take personal responsibility for your actions and accept the results of that failure as just and fair.
If we cannot be spiritually mature adults and respond to life like this, then do not expect your children to do differently. They will also need to learn this precious lesson the hard way, if they have not learned it from you. Please pray that we will all be responsible parents and make sure that this generation learns the precious lesson of personal responsibility!
Meditate on verse 20. What is God teaching you in this verse? How are you going to respond to it?
Our Lord and heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we beseech You that You turn us into people who are responsible for their actions. Let Your Spirit help us seek righteousness and holiness in Christ alone. Amen.