Choose

But if wicked people turn away from all their sins and begin to obey my decrees and do what is just and right, they will surely live and not die. Ezekiel 18:21 NLT

When you look at this verse, there is a tendency to categorize people and place yourself and others into groups. Most of us believe that when the Bible talks about wicked people here, it’s those people who commit heinous crimes. This is not what is referenced here. Here the wicked person is anyone who rejects the righteousness of God. God is dealing with personal accountability. Every person is accountable before God for their life. If you live a life that follows God’s ways and you walk in obedience to His word, God deems you righteous. When you reject God’s righteousness, then God calls you wicked.

So when any person who has no regard for God or His word has a change of heart, God calls you righteous.  Last week, we looked at some of the components of Lent. This fits right in. Lent focuses on repentance; it’s about a change of heart. When you come face to face with who you are before God, you must make a choice. The choice you make will determine the adjective that describes you. “The person who sins is the one who will die. The child will not be punished for the parent’s sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child’s sins. Righteous people will be rewarded for their own righteous behavior, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness.” verse 20. Choose righteousness, you will be rewarded.

Thought for Today:  You can’t remain on the fence: choose the reward.

Have a blessed day and walk in faith and victory.