“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.
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.” ─Ezekiel 18:20-21, emphasis added
There is NO question here as to what is being said in the previous verses by our Lord and Savior. The word “IF” leads us to understand that there is a choice at hand. The other thing mentioned here is this: Each and every one of us will be held responsible for our own sin. And then it turns around and gives us the same question again: “IF” we are given the opportunity to “confess our sin” and be forgiven by Jesus Christ.
I am sure you understand that this is the single most important decision you will ever make in life. Whom do you wish to follow, Jesus Christ or Satan? The context above is concerning the final Salvation to Jesus Christ or the destruction according to Satan, but the point has to do with our “sin.”
Everywhere we look today, we see or read about suffering, pain and disease. We read about or we are victims of droughts and plagues. The cry for assistance is overpowering and yet if no one reads these verses and complies there will be no end to the destruction. So many fall victim, there are so many that die and there doesn’t seem to be anyone willing to stand up and state the true nature of the situation.
If you have sinned you will die and that’s the end of it, “IF,” you have not been forgiven by Jesus Christ. What I’m trying to say is that you must come to Jesus Christ and have your sin covered by HIS blood from the cross at Calvary. That is the only way to have “life eternal.”
If you were born (which all of us have) then you will surely die one day! This is nothing new to anyone even though there are some that wish they could come up with a different scenario and elude death, but it will never change. There is a point to be understood here! There is a difference between “death” as a human and death as a “soul.” We clearly understand that all of us (for the most part) will grow old and die a natural death. The body dies (ceases to function).
The verse, on the other hand speaks of the second death─the soul or spirit death, which comes after judgment. And that death is when the spirit or soul dies in hell. You need to understand that death of the body is nothing in comparison to the second death.
What I find so surprising is that everyone is more concerned with the first death, that of their body as a human. I figure they do not understand that the first death is nothing more than a “change” from the “corruptible” to the “incorruptible.” It is simply the change from this flabby, water and bone-filled body, to a spiritual body and nothing more.
There is a spirit inside each of us, inside our flabby, fluid and bone-filled bodies, that we use while we are here on the earth. This particular earthy body is only useful while we exist here on this, Planet Earth for the three score and ten years. What most are either unwilling to accept or do not understand, is that this body must die one day, that we are who we are by virtue of our spirit!
It is this spirit that gives us the ability to see, hear, smell, taste, laugh and cry. It is the center of the gift of life while we are on this planet. As we see, death of this body is truly nothing and yet we spend so much time, we bow to the sadness, thinking this is it, the end. And why should things be this way, why all the pain and misery, why should we be so filled with hopelessness, despair and fear of it? When we all know it is the natural process of events in our lives.
I truly believe that we should be more concerned with what will happen to us after this first death. After all, this is the significance of the Scriptures, in which we choose either Jesus Christ or Satan, while we live on this planet.
The significance is about our sin, it is not whether we will sin or not, but that we are already sin filled and separated from God and we must come to Jesus Christ for forgiveness of our sin or die a second death. This is the part that is so surprising to me that people feel they are so intellectual and educated and yet they (the majority) fail to understand where they stand with God…concerning their own sin.
Romans 3.19-23, emphasis added:
“Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets.
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference.For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
That makes the situation as plain as the nose on your face, everyone is sin filled and Jesus Christ’s blood from the cross is the only thing that can wash that sin away. The bottom line is this: Everyone must accept Jesus Christ, be washed in HIS blood from the cross in order to have life eternal. Jesus Christ is the only way!
John 14.1-11, emphasis added:
“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you,I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip?
He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, show us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.”
So now, should we be so sad and unhappy when a loved one dies? Yes, of course! That is a natural reaction to a loved one dying and Jesus clearly understood this situation. The question remains though, how sad and unhappy should we be, if we know the one who died was never saved to Jesus Christ? What is peculiar here is this: If we know that person was not saved to Jesus Christ, what were we doing about that…before they died? Did we do all we could and say all we should?
One important thing is evident; the final outcome for that individual is between Jesus Christ and that one person. It is a relationship that is too personal and singular for us to know and it truly is none of our business to speculate on it. We need to have our own “ducks in a row” first.
We must let the Lord do HIS perfect will in our lives and we need to be concerned with that and let the Lord work in someone else’s life, in the Lord’s way for them. We need only to give that person the opportunity and information about Jesus Christ.
If you clearly understand this, you will see that we are to be concerned with our relationship with Jesus Christ. We are to be concerned with Jesus Christ shining through us, and then for others to see that reflection in us.
John the Baptist said it best in John 3:30: “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
He also stated a verse to remember in John 3:35-36, emphasis added:
“The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth NOT the Son shall NOT see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
I must say here that God never designed us to experience HIS wrath. The only way to have life, after this first death as a human is through Jesus Christ and only HIM!
I would rather die in this life, knowing HE will come for me and take me to heaven, than to deny HIM and die alone forever and live in Hell with out HIM!!
Jesus Christ is the ONLY way!