Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord. Rather am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live. I love it. He says: no matter how far down the road you think you are, no matter how far down the road of darkness, death, decrease, no matter how far down that road you are, you are one decision away from entering light, and none of that being remembered, and the universe working for you, that life, light and increase can be released over your life - because God takes no pleasure in people staying in darkness.
It's not like God's in heaven looking at a train wreck fixing to happen, and thinks: I can't wait for this happen. No! He wants us to change tracks so that we can live - but if a righteous man - Verse 24 - but if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin, and does the same detestable things the wicked man does, will he live? No. None of the righteous things he has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness he is guilty, and because of his sins he's committed, he will die. Yet you say: the way of the Lord is not just. Hear O house of Israel, is My way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust?
If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin he'll die. For the sin he's committed he will die; but if a wicked man turns from his wickedness he's committed, and does what is just and right, he'll save his life.
Obviously this is euphemisms, otherwise you'd have people dying and resurrecting all the time. He's saying: look, listen, no matter how far down the road of righteousness you get, you can't ever rest on your laurels. You have to die daily, pick up your cross and die daily, stay in the light. But no matter how far down the light you get, you're one decision away from entering back into darkness; and no matter how far down the darkness road you get, you're one decision away from entering back into the light. Stay in the light. Choose life that you might live. May you never say again: it's because my father ate sour grapes that I'm like this. No! The reason we're like this, is because at some point we made a choice to perpetuate the horrible darkness that had been perpetuated, and we chose not to stand against it.
Because he considers all the offences he's committed, and turns away from them, he will surely live and not die; yet the house of Israel says: the way of the Lord is not just? Are My ways unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? Therefore house of Israel I will judge you, each one according to his ways - in other words: not your father's, yours. Repent. Repent is a word that just means to turn. It's the word Shuv. It just means to turn. Repenting is less: I'm sorry Lord; and more: I will not tolerate this from myself one more day. It's turning back to God's ways. Turn away from all of your offences, the sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourself of all the offences you've committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the sovereign Lord. Therefore repent and live! Look at Verse 31 again. Rid yourself of all the offences you've committed and get a new heart and a new spirit.
Let me close this out this morning with a couple of application points.
1) all of us are shaped by our history and our heritage. All of us are. All of us are shaped by our history and our heritage. This theme of getting a new heart, and a new spirit, is a theme all through Ezekiel. In Ezekiel 11:18 it says: they will return to it, and remove all of its vile images and detestable idols. I will give them an undivided heart, and put a new spirit in them. So all of us are shaped by our history and our heritage. All of us, our thoughts are formed about what's normal and what's acceptable. Why is it that some people grow up with certain things totally unacceptable; and other people can do the same thing, and there's no heart to it at all? It's because of how we grow up. We're shaped by our history and our heritage, but all of us are faced with an opportunity to choose light, life and increase; instead of death, darkness and decrease. We have to be brave enough to take our family history, and put it up against the mirror of God's ways, and ask ourself the question: how is it working for us?