What role does God's justice play in the promise of life in Ezekiel 18:27? Setting the Scene • Ezekiel speaks to exiles who assume they are doomed because of their parents’ sins (Ezekiel 18:2). • God answers by stressing individual responsibility and His perfectly fair justice (18:4, 20). • Against that backdrop, 18:27 offers hope: justice is the pathway to life, even for those once wicked. Reading the Key Verse “‘But when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will save his life.’” (Ezekiel 18:27) Understanding God’s Justice • God’s justice is impartial—each person is judged for his own deeds (18:20). • Justice includes both retribution for sin and reward for righteousness (Romans 2:6). • Because God “takes no pleasure in the death of anyone” (Ezekiel 18:32), His justice always leaves room for repentance. How Justice and Life Intersect in Ezekiel 18:27 1. Justice exposes guilt – Wickedness deserves death (18:4, “the soul who sins is the one who will die”). 2. Justice demands a change – Turning “away” is not mere regret but a decisive break from former evil (Isaiah 55:7). 3. Justice offers a new verdict – The same justice that condemned now declares, “he will save his life.” 4. Justice safeguards God’s character – By requiring repentance, God remains “just and the justifier” (Romans 3:26) when He grants life. 5. Justice anticipates the gospel – Final satisfaction of justice is found in Christ, “faithful and just to forgive us our sins” (1 John 1:9). Supporting Snapshots from Scripture • Ezekiel 33:11 — God pleads, “Turn, turn from your evil ways!” • Proverbs 28:13 — “He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” • Psalm 103:10 — He “has not dealt with us according to our sins,” showing mercy within justice. Implications for Today • Repentance is non-negotiable; God’s justice neither overlooks sin nor locks us in it. • Assurance is available; the same justice that must punish sin vouches for the believer’s pardon in Christ. • Personal responsibility replaces fatalism; heritage or culture cannot doom or save—each must respond. • Ethical living flows from gratitude; the one who has “saved his life” now walks in continued justice and righteousness (Ephesians 2:10). Takeaway In Ezekiel 18:27, God’s justice is not merely the backdrop to the promise of life—it is the very mechanism that makes the promise reliable and obtainable. |
    |