November 10

Ezekiel 21-22

The Deadliness of Sin

One more time Ezekiel shouts out the message of the deadliness of sin. The prophet charts the history of their rebellion in chapter 20. He warns the people of Jerusalem about the imminent judgment they are facing because of their sins. And what is their response to all of these warnings?  

Ezekiel 20:49  Ah... he is just telling parables!!

Chapter 22 deals with the specifics  ... Ezekiel actually enumerates them...

Bloodshed of innocent babies

Politicians misusing power

Breakdown of the family

Oppression of the alien and the poor

Mistreatment of the orphans and widows

Not setting one day aside for the Lord

Sexuality without boundaries

Bribes in the marketplace

and finally the whole culture forgetting God. That is a pretty long list.

What I found so fascinating is the response, "He is just telling parables."  There was no sense of the deadliness of sin. To many people, sin is not cosmic treason against a holy God; it is just an error in judgment, a mistake, a mess up that is really is no big deal. That is why they called it a parable.

I hate to point out the obvious, but there is a great similarity between 590 BC and today. The problem today is that sin is no longer considered deadly. We now view sin from our own perspective rather than from how God views it.   The culture says sin is failing to be true to ourselves; it is not reaching our full potential. The standard by which we now view sin is through the eyes of Jerry Springer, Stamford's most famous citizen.  

But we know that sin is deadly because of two facts.

1. Jesus had to come to this planet and give his life for us to be forgiven. If sin is just a psychological issue, that is a huge price to pay.

2. Hell is in the future of everyone who does not buy into the way of escape created by the cross of Jesus. The existence of hell doesn't match with the modern view of sin.

In the end it takes more than moral or psychological therapy to deal with sin. It takes the blood of Jesus to atone for it. The drift in the culture in 2013 is just as dangerous as it was in Ezekiel's day. Sin is not just a parable; it is a cosmic treason against God.

 

With God's help, what sin do you want to work on defeating today?   

 

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"Multiplying leaders to change the world"