13th January 2025

13th January 2025


Pray (ACts)


Read (Ezekiel 18 focus v1-4)


Message (Alan Burke) 


I wonder how would you fell if you were arrested and thrown into prison for the actions of your grandfather 50 years before you were born. How would you feel? I’m sure if you are anything like me you’d feel aggrieved at such an idea, it is preposterous. Let’s say because of your grandfathers actions your family had been put in a penal colony where you now resided would you feel that is fair that you and your family were still facing the consequences for your grandfathers actions? Of course you wouldn’t think it is fair, you’d be aggrieved. That though is what the people of God are accusing the Lord God of, that they are being held accountable for the sins of their fathers. 


Look how the passage beings, The word of the Lord came to Ezekiel and he rhetorically asks “What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: ‘The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?…”


The erroneous proverb is in mockery of the Lord’s righteousness, that he would punish children for their parents sin, it is questioning God’s goodness, that he is fair, that he is just. In effect they are saying that children are being punished for the sins of their father. This is how things are, nothing can change it. This fatalistic understanding had meant that the people had no reason or desire to change. Like if we are going to be held accountable for the sins of our fathers then why would we change. When the Lord said to his people that he would visit the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me… (Ex 20:5). It was not the Lord’s intention that his people would think that it didn’t matter if they turned from their sin or not. Rather the Lord there had been making the point to his people that they needed to guard their conduct because how they lived, just like how we live it matters and often we can see situations where the sin of the father has become the sin of the son, our children can easily follow our footsteps, they are little sponges who look at us and often mirror our behaviour. 


The Lord says, as surely as I live (v3), you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel and he counters the proverb that they have been using but before he does that he makes it clear that everyone whether they want it or not, whether they accept his rule or no belong to the Lord (v4). You and I whether we live according to his Lordship in our lives we belong to him. He after all is the creator of all that is, he is the one who sustains all life, the one whom we owe all that we have to. 


And one day all of us will stand before the Lord Jesus who will be our judge. What will the standard of judgement be? Will it be the sins of our grandfather, or grandmother, or our father or mother that we are being held responsible for? No it will not be the sin of our parents our grandparents, it will be our sin and the standard of judgement will be Jesus himself. For those who have repented of their sin and demonstrated by their works that they loved him they will be saved for all eternity, for those who do not they will die, they will face the second death. This is what the Lord is warning his people of, what he is warning us, we are all responsible for our own actions each and everyone will come before the Lord and we will either be judged in Christ and live or in our sin and die. 


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q86. What is faith in Jesus Christ?
A. Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel.
​