Just a Thought: It is God’s nature to desire to save us. How many times does a person have to receive God’s salvation? Just once. God’s eternal salvation is based on His character and promise. There is nothing I can do to earn it or deserve it. So, there is nothing I can do to lose it either. (Mt. 24:35, Jn. 5:24; 6:37; 10;27-30; 20:31, Rom. 8: 16, 31, 35-39, Heb. 13:5; 1 Jn. 5:11-13). So, how many times does a person have to be saved? Many. While salvation is eternal, we still sin and can get ourselves into some situations. We often need the Lord to save (rescue) us from our sin. The people of Israel needed to understand it was and is God’s nature to desire to save us both eternally and on the occasions we go back to sin. Ezekiel was told by the Lord to express this to the people. “Son of man, say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?” ‘ Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?’ “Therefore, son of man, say to your countrymen, ‘The righteousness of the righteous man will not save him when he disobeys, and the wickedness of the wicked man will not cause him to fall when he turns from it.” (Ezek 33:10-12a) Just because a person is eternally saved, doesn’t mean he won’t sin. And when we sin, the Lord disciplines us to bring us out of or turn us away from our sin. However, even saved folks can be rebellious and sin to the point the Lord may have to deal with us severely. This is what was happening here. The righteous had turned rebellious and in their disobedience, some were coming under judgment and even death. Ezekiel reminds them of their personal accountability and responsibility before the Lord. Your righteousness won’t save you from the necessary judgment of continued rebellion. We don’t lose our salvation, but our salvation doesn’t free us to live any way we want to. God saved us by His grace to live for Him. This is something we should desire to do freely. But, if we get into sin, the Lord will take corrective action and if we don’t repent (turn around), that judgment can be severe. At the same time the Lord has Ezekiel remind the people that a person’s wickedness will not destroy him if He turns from it. It is God’s desire to save us and rescue us when we repent. He desires for us to live and live freely and fully for Him. So, while I only have to get saved once, I may need saving (rescuing) more than once in my life. If today, you find yourself under the judgment of the Lord know it is for your good! It is God’s nature to desire to save us. Turn from your sin today so He can do just that and live for Him as you were designed to do!
