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Ezekiel part 12 The Government of God Chapter 18 & 19
There are many great principles in the New and the Old Testaments – and two outstanding principles. God's grace and God's government. A.W. Tozer says grace is “the good pleasure of God, that inclines him to bestow benefits on the undeserving.” Grace is often defined as “God’s unmerited favour.” Any soul that has ever been saved, has been saved by God's free and sovereign grace.Grace is possible for repentant sinners because of the redemptive sacrifice of
our Lord Jesus at Calvary. Even those in the Old Testament before the cross.
The Old Testament demonstrates the centrality of grace. Adam and Eve received God’s grace after they committed the first sin. Because of their sin, they deserved death and eternal separation from God. God justly banished them from the garden and placed a curse upon creation, but He also demonstrated His grace in two ways. He covered the shame of their nakedness by clothing them with animal skins. The sacrifice of these animals to cover mankind is a picture of the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus Christ, the “lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Second, in Genesis 3:15, we have what scholars call the “proto-gospel” the first time the gospel appears in the Bible, in seed form. God promises to send a seed of the woman to undo the curse and destroy the serpent, we know Jesus Christ is the fulfilment of this promise.
Have you ever thought about why Abraham? There is no indication God chose Abraham because of something holy within him. Scripture says that Abraham “believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6), Paul argues that is a demonstration that Abraham was justified by grace rather than works (Romans 4:2-5, 16). The doctrine of justification by grace was an Old Testament doctrine long before Paul taught it in the New!
God gave Israel the law after He saved them from deliverance in Egypt. God’s wrath was poured out on Egypt through the death of every firstborn son. Israel, too, was deserving of God’s wrath, but He gave them a means of escape. He promised to “pass over” every home that brushed the blood of the Passover lamb on their doorposts, and so the Israelites were spared. We don’t serve a God who became gracious. We serve a God who has been, is and always will be gracious.
Romans 3:21-26 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished, he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
God now forgives our past sins when we believe in the Lord. He also forgives, or remits, the sins of those who lived in past ages - and He does that through the redemptive sacrifice of the Lord at the cross, and through that perfect work. That is grace, but what we sometimes misunderstand is that this great grace does not set aside God's government. All believers today are under the grace of God. We've believed in His gospel, all our sins are forgiven - and this is an eternal thing, we will be in heaven because of God's grace. But all believers today are also under the government of God the Father.
1 Peter 1:17 Peter says: Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.
Whatever a man sows he shall also reap - Galatians 6:7. If the grace of God is that we are saved by that grace through faith, not of ourselves, it's a gift of God lest any man should boast; God's government is that whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. There are consequences to your sin and to mine. We may even get on our knees and confess that sin, we may have the joy and the sense of relief of God forgiving us that sin, but we may face the consequences of that sin right throughout our lives. The murderer who gets saved in prison - they don't get parole just because they put their faith in Christ, because they have to face the consequences of their sin!
Ezekiel chapter 18 is chiefly to do with God's government. This has no relation to your eternal destiny under grace, but still is important as it has a relation to the way you live upon the earth. Verses 1 to 4, there is a proverb “‘The parents eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child—both alike belong to me. The one who sins is the one who will die”.
God is saying: Everyone belongs to me!'. He's saying that there is no unfair punishment to the next generation for the sins of the father, instead He says verse 4: 'The soul who sins is the one who will die'. Everyone is guilty and responsible for their individual sin. Leviticus 18:5 God said: “Keep my decrees and laws, for the person who obeys them will live by them”. – outlining all the sins that you could do, and God says: 'If you do those things you're going to have to live in them and live with the consequences of them'.
So because of this false proverb, God had to come and reassert His government, and to do that the Lord gives several examples of His principles of judgement and government.
1. verses 5 - 9 A righteous man, who does what is just and right… he will surely live...
2. verses 10 -13 A violent son, Will such a man live? He will not! His blood will be on his own head.
3. verses 14 - 17 An unrighteous man's righteous son shall surely live.
4. verses 21 - 23. A wicked man who repents and turns from his sins will live'.
5. verse 24 A righteous man who turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity shall die'.
Ezekiel is homing in on individual responsibility, - everyone is personally responsible for his or her actions. You can't blame it on another person!
There are many who have unbelieving children. Many of you that have been praying for years for your children. We're all affected by it, if it's not our children it's our parents, loved ones, friends. We know those verses: if you train a child in the way that he should go, when he is old he'll not depart from it. Can I give you a word from God today from Ezekiel? You've done nothing wrong! Please hear that, broken heart! I'm not saying that some parents don't do things wrong - we do mess up. But there are many godly parents that are torturing themselves with the thought that it is their fault! Ezekiel says this: 'No! Your righteousness has no bearing on the unrighteousness of your sons, neither would your unrighteousness have any bearing on his unrighteousness. Each person is individually responsible, and the soul that sins is the one who will die'.
1 Timothy 3:5 says 'For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?'. And Titus also says that an elder is to have faithful children. The point of what Paul is saying is: how are you meant to rule the church if you can't rule your own home? But don’t tell me that when an adult child is doing his own thing and choosing the wide gate and the broad road, the parent is responsible and to be judged.
Ezekiel 19 is simply two parables: one about a lioness and her cubs, one about a vine and the branches. It's saying 'The soul that sins, it shall die. Your kings are suffering and the nation is suffering because of your sin'. For you who are hurting - and that doesn't solve it, you want to see your children saved. Isaiah 54:13 'All your children will be taught by the LORD; and great shall be their peace.‘ verse 17: no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord.' Turn to John 6:44 the Lord says: 'No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of', or better, 'from the Father, cometh unto me'. He's quoting from Isaiah 54:13, and the Lord takes that verse from Isaiah, and He applies it to those who come to Him, who have learned from the Father. Look, 'All thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children'.
I am not saying that this is a promise you can claim to get household salvation. What I think this verse means is this: the Lord chose to teach your children when they were at your knee. But then there was a time that they wouldn't listen to your teaching or anyone else's teaching, they would no longer bow their will to God. I believe that God won't leave them alone, and He will do everything to win them. Of course, Ezekiel says, it's up to them - they must believe, but He will teach them Himself. You've got to pray, and trust God to do His job.
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The Filling Station 2019 - Great Biblical Promises
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The Alpha Course is a series of interactive and informal sessions that explore the basics of the Christian faith.
We hold the course twice a year on a Monday evenings at 6.30pm. We meet weekly for approximately three months, sharing a meal together before a video and discussion.
The next course runs from Monday 19th August 2019, and names are now being taken.
We have now opened these sessions to ages 13+. Please get in touch if you would like to attend.
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Join us at Kids Connection this summer for Summer Fruits... keeping in step with the Spirit of God!
Every Sunday for primary aged children... worship from 11.15am then join us in the Mossvale Hall when the message appears on the screen.
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Let's Lunch | Cake Auction
Sunday 1st September 2019
Bring lunch and stay after the service for our annual cake auction for Rescue Aid Mission, Ghana!
Cake donations gratefully received - a list of all ingredients and allergens must be also provided!
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