Thursday, November 11, 2010

Sin Belongs To The Sinner

"The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him."

-- Ezekiel 18:20

Thank you, Jesus. That's all I can say when I read this passage of Ezekiel. No matter how hard I try, I sin each and every day. I could never, ever pay for my sins. I would face death without His sacrifice. I would have no hope. Nothing. Jesus gave me eternal life. I am grateful.

I am also grateful that I am only responsible for my wn sins. I can't control those around me so God decided I don't have to pay their way, so to speak. Sometimes we aren't so generous when we view those around us. I don't know if it's just the Deep South, but here there is a strong connection to who your people are. And, yes, how you are viewed is based on the who and what of your family.

One man I know has battled it his entire life. His father's family never amounted to much. Just ask anyone. This man's father was a drunk well known by the local police. Everybody keeps waiting for this adult son to fall down in a drunken stupor. They expect him to live down to the family expectations. He is actually a wonderful businessman with a quick smile and generous heart.

Then there's the nurse who recently went through a painful divorce. No one thought to point a finger at her ex-husband or believe that the cause might involve two people. She got no sympathy at all. Instead, people wondered aloud how anyone could be surprised. They invited listeners to look at the woman's mother. And her mother before her. It seems the women have a history of marrying and divorcing, right up the economic ladder. This young woman got painted with the same brush even though she tried desperately to live a different life. I wonder if she will ever get the chance.

Both of these people -- and many others -- are judged based on the actions of family members. Other people are judged by the actions of the companies they work for. Think not? Remember the Vietnam War and the horrible welcome returning troops received. People blamed the soldiers -- many of whom were drafted -- for political decisions. It was awful.

But God says He won't judge us because of what others do. He says that we'll pay for our sins and only our sins. And He'll give us credit for doing things right. That's pretty awesome, especially when we remember that Jesus gave us a full pardon for our sins. It doesn't excuse our sins. God still expects us to live by His will and in His way. But Jesus paid the penalty so that one day we can live in heaven with our Holy Father. It is such an amazing gift by such a loving God. Thanks be to God.