Good morning!
Today is a reflection day. It is also the 500th anniversary of the start of the Protestant Reformation – which in part reestablished the Bible as the sole infallible rule of faith and practice.
As I look back over recent reading, I scan for verses I have underlined. Ezekiel 18:32 caught my eye:
“For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone,” declares the Lord God; “so turn, and live.”
These words conclude a chapter that simply explains that each person is accountable for his own sin, but the one who turns from his or her sin and to the Lord “shall live.” It is not God’s will to punish, but for us each to turn from our own sin and to Him. Because Jesus died in our place and took the penalty due each of us for that sin, it is possible for God to wipe the slate clean. But… He does demand our turning. This is what Paul calls the “obedience of faith” (Romans 1:5) – when we actually believe what God has said and choose to put sin behind us and Jesus before us. When we do, we are set free from sin and death and made whole and new, fresh and clean – and we can live. What great news!
in Him, Mike