Blog In Audio:
Greetings,
As I stated in my last blog, we inherit spiritual, psychological, and physical traits from our parents, but we are each responsible for our decisions in life. The bad decisions of others cannot hinder our ability to rise above our circumstances in life. We can rise above and beyond inherited weaknesses when we find the strength of God’s presence in our lives today.
Ezekiel 18:19 “Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not bear the guilt of the father?’ Because the son has done what is lawful and right, and has kept all My statutes and observed them, he shall surely live. 20 The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.
God holds each of us responsible for our own hearts and actions in life. We cannot blame others for our own choices. Leaders lead others to be responsible for their own attitudes and actions in life. They set an example in allowing God to change their hearts and minds in areas of error. God is ready and eager to assist each of us in our path of life. He is ready to empower us to manifest the character, nature, and way of sons and daughters of God.
Ezekiel 18:21 “But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 22 None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live.”
God is ready to help anyone who turns to Him. He desires that all come to know His love. He wants everyone to know His passionate presence that transforms lives. We inherit weaknesses but those weaknesses can be overcome by the power of God’s grace working in our lives. The weaknesses are inherited iniquities, but they don’t need to lead to inherited transgression or sin. God destroys wickedness in our lives, but He does not desire to destroy the wicked. He desires for them to find His mercy and grace.
Ezekiel 18:23 Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord GOD, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live?”
Each of us can turn from our ways to the way of God. When we turn to God, He is willing and able to greet us with the power of His love.
Just as we do not inherit the wickedness of our fathers, we do not inherit a free pass unto righteousness. We must each find our righteousness in Christ. When we fail, we are charged to find God’s gift of repentance unto life. Leaders accept the responsibility of finding life in Christ and they lead others to do the same.
Ezekiel 18:24 “But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die.”
God’s nature is to forgive, but God’s nature is also to transform our ways to become as we should be as children of God. The kindness of God invites all to come to Him and find life. God wants to give each one a new heart and a new spirit. His desire is that all find life.
Ezekiel 18:25 “Yet you say, The way of the Lord is not fair.’ Hear now, O house of Israel, is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair? 26 When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies in it, it is because of the iniquity which he has done that he dies. 27 Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive. 28 Because he considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 29 Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ O house of Israel, is it not My ways which are fair, and your ways which are not fair? 30 “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord GOD. “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. 31 Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord GOD. “Therefore turn and live!”
We don’t inherit sin, but we do inherit weaknesses. As we turn to God we find life. We find transformation in our hearts and minds. We find the divine empowerment of God’s grace that changes our ways to be as His. God desires to give each of us a judgment of mercy and a prognosis of divine change. Leaders set an example in this, and they lead others to take responsibility before God in their ways. When we turn to God, we find His mercy and grace because God’s way is love for us all.
Food For Thought,
Ted J. Hanson
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