{"id":1475,"date":"2021-10-31T14:07:10","date_gmt":"2021-10-31T19:07:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/biblicalpath.com\/?p=1475"},"modified":"2021-10-31T14:07:10","modified_gmt":"2021-10-31T19:07:10","slug":"the-individuals-choice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/biblicalpath.com\/index.php\/2021\/10\/31\/the-individuals-choice\/","title":{"rendered":"The Individual\u2019s Choice"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\u201cThe soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.<\/strong>\u201d
Ezekiel 18:20 <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

God wanted Ezekiel to make it clear to His\npeople that God saw everything. Because God sees all, Ezekiel was to make sure\nthe people understood that God also sees each individual and judges them\naccordingly. Especially notice the following: \u201cBehold, all souls are mine;\nas the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that\nsinneth, it shall die<\/strong>\u201d (Ezekiel 18:4). When a person chooses to reject God,\nthat soul dies. It is an individual choice each person must make. (\u201cFor all have sinned, and come short of the\nglory of God<\/strong>\u201d Romans 3:23.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understand this better with the following: \u201cThe\nsoul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the\nfather, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the\nrighteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the\nwicked shall be upon him<\/strong>\u201d (Ezekiel 18:20).\nEach individual is accountable to God for his or her life \u2013 not the life of\ntheir father: God has no grandchildren, only children. (\u201cThe Lord is not\nslack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering\nto us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to\nrepentance<\/strong>\u201d 2 Peter 3:9.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cBut\nif the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all\nmy statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he\nshall not die.<\/strong>\u201d (Ezekiel 18:21).    Remember what is clarified even better in the\nNew Testament for us: \u201cFor the wages of sin is<\/em> death; but the gift of\nGod is<\/em> eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord<\/strong>\u201d (Romans 6:23).  And\nalso: \u201c9. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and\nshalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt\nbe saved. 10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the\nmouth confession is made unto salvation \u2026 13. For whosoever shall call upon the\nname of the Lord shall be saved<\/strong>\u201d (Romans 10:9-10, 13).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

God then made a specific call to His people: \u201cTherefore I\nwill judge you, O house of <\/strong>Israel<\/strong>,\nevery one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves<\/em>\nfrom all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin<\/strong>\u201d (Ezekiel 18:30). It was up to each individual person to\nrepent and turn from his or her sin (transgressions) and turn to Him \u2013 even as\nit is today. Remember: the people of Israel\nwere evicted from their land because of their sin against God, forsaking Him\nfor idol worship, and refusing to repent. However, the children who came after\nthem would not be held accountable for their parents\u2019 sins. Each one of them\nhad the choice: the choice to repent and turn to God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God never changes. God wanted to save people\nin the Old Testament times, New Testament times, and He still wants to save\npeople even today. However, God allows each person to choose \u2013 to believe, or\nnot to believe. We should know all have sinned (remember Romans 3:23). But we should recognize how to have\nlife eternal. \u201cFor God so loved\nthe world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him\nshould not perish, but have everlasting life<\/strong>\u201d (John 3:16). Whosoever believes in Jesus can have\nlife! Instead of choosing continual sin, one must choose Jesus by faith: then\nhe or she can have life. \u201cI am\ncrucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:\nand the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of\nGod, who loved me, and gave himself for me<\/strong>\u201d (Galatians 2:20).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is an amazing picture of this in the Old Testament. It is a picture of God seeing an individual and holding him accountable for sin. Almost everyone is familiar with an event that happened in Genesis chapter four. God had accepted Abel\u2019s offering and not Cain\u2019s. \u201cBy faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts \u2026<\/strong>\u201d (Hebrews 11:4). Cain became angry. God gave Cain a warning:\u00a0 \u201cIf thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be<\/em> his desire, and thou shalt rule over him<\/strong>\u201d (Genesis 4:7). Cain had an opportunity right there to change his heart and to choose right. God warned that if he did not, sin was there waiting. Nevertheless, Cain had the choice<\/em><\/strong> to rule over that sin. If you remember, Cain ignored God\u2019s warning and allowed sin to rule in his life. Cain rose up and killed his brother. He went out from the presence of the Lord \u2013 never to return. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you chosen a life in obedience to Jesus by faith, knowing it is only then you will have eternal life?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How to be Saved<\/a><\/blockquote>