“If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your soul.”
Ezekiel 33:8-9
Ezekiel has been called by God to be a “watchman” for Israel. The watchman stands on the walls of the city ready to warn everyone if an enemy army is coming for war so they can take the necessary precautions to keep the people safe and not be caught off guard for the battle. The Lord explains to Ezekiel that being a watchman means it is his responsibility as the prophet of the Lord to warn sinners to repent of their sins before the coming judgment. If he does not warn them and they die in their sins, God will hold Ezekiel responsible. However, if he does warn them and they refuse to repent and then die, Ezekiel is not responsible, having done his duty before the Lord.
While Ezekiel’s calling is not exactly the same as ours, there is still an important principle that relates our responsibility as Christians before a sinful world to proclaim the word of the Lord. In a sense we are all called to be “watchmen,” warning sinners of the coming judgment. If they do not repent, they will die in their sins, but we will be vindicated for they will be without excuse. But if we remain silent, we haven’t given them the opportunity to repent and haven’t fulfilled our duty before the Lord to warn the sinners of the coming judgment. This is true of unbelievers, backsliding Christians, and the unbelieving world, anyone who is still in bondage to their sins.
This is actually very freeing. Often, we feel inadequate in sharing the gospel and uncomfortable in confronting sin. The fear is that a person will reject Christ because we have not done a good enough job convincing them. But God does not call us to try to manipulate people to repent of their sins. We are not responsible to change a person’s heart. It’s not within our power to do that. That is the work of the Holy Spirit. But we are called to witness to the truth whether it be an unbeliever God has put us in contact with, or backsliding Christians we know, or the unbelieving world in general. We are called to give them the opportunity to yield to the work of the Holy Spirit in confronting sin.
An essential part of the church’s message to the world is to repent because judgment is coming. John the Baptist began his ministry speaking to the sinful Pharisees, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee the wrath to come? Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance.” (Matthew 3:7-8) Jesus began His ministry with, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”(Matthew 4:17)
Like Ezekiel, when faced with sin we are responsible to call those people to repentance, shining the light of the word of God upon their sins and the reality of eternal judgment that is coming over the horizon. Some will love the darkness and lash out at you with weeping and gnashing of teeth foreshadowing their future fate. Jesus says, “Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who went before you.” (Matthew 5:12) However, some will hear God’s voice, turn from their wicked ways, and be saved from the wrath to come, Praise the Lord! As James 5:19-20 says, “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.”
Glory to the Lord of hosts!
His mercy endures forever!
Pastor Flynn
