Possibilities
He was born into wealth and was raised in a mansion. Today he wears prison gray after being convicted of planting a car bomb that took the lives of two members of his family. His almost unbelievable reversal of circumstances came after he tried to get control of a $10-million family estate. The impact of his own choices became clear the day he sat stone faced, in a state of shock, as the verdict of guilty was read before a hushed courtroom. What irony! This man could have been rich. He could have had so much if he had been willing to wait--and play it straight. But now it seemed as though his life was over.
Yet, don't stop there. Think about the possibility that still remains. As long as he has breath, he can, like the thief on the cross, acknowledge his sins and ask Christ for help. And just as that criminal, who was considered unfit to live in human society, was made fit for paradise, this man can become a "new creation," a citizen of heaven.
Such a turnaround is always possible for the sinner. This is what God was saying to Israel through the prophet Ezekiel. Because he takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, he pleads with them to repent. Perhaps you feel that such a turnaround is not fair, or you may think you’re too bad to begin anew. If you trust Jesus as your savior, you’ll make that possibility a reality.