Finger Pointing

Throughout the rest of the chapter of Ezekiel 18, God makes this one point painstakingly clear, we are the ones responsible and accountable for our own lives, just as everyone else will be held responsible for theirs. My mom made this point clear to me a well: no one can stop me from getting to where I need to be, and no one can make me do something I do not want to do…and so, there is no one to blame but myself when I don’t make it, nor is there anyone else to blame when I decide to do something wrong just because you suggested it, those things are on me and me only, and those things I will be judged for. Since God will stand as supreme judge overall – there is really no need for blame. It just boils down to just a pressing need for every man and women to do what’s right knowing that we ourselves will one day be judged. And folks I must tell you something – at the end of the day the only finger pointing that will matter is the judgement that you receive from God.

Now, to kind of tie this up and show you that God really does not deal with the blame game, let’s look at verse 20 of Ezekiel 18.

The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

God says “I will hold everyone equally accountable for how they live their lives, and everyone will one day be judged accordingly by me so there is no need for blame to be handed out by you!

Now look at verse 25 of Ezekiel 18.

Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ Hear now, O house of Israel, is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair?

God says: “The problem here is not my inability to judge between right and wrong – it’s yours. You think you are qualified to condemn others before me? All you want to do is blame your life circumstances on everyone else really - sounds like a whole bunch of sour grapes to me – and you’re the one choosing to eat them. As I live,” says the Lord God, “you shall no longer use this proverb in Israel.”

God says to cut it out and stop the finger pointing – take responsibility for your actions and don’t play the blame game with me – because one day you too will be judged.”

A Solid Biblical Truth

Folks we need to understand that these scriptures from Ezekiel 18 are not some obscure truth that is only seen in the Bible once, that is only taught once in the book of Ezekiel. Oh No – these hard truths are taught repeatedly in the Scriptures for any of us with a heart to see it. But please don’t take my word for it – let’s look at what God has to say. As is so frequently the case – there is just so much Scripture to look at,

Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; a person shall be put to death for his own sin.

Deuteronomy 24:16

As it the theme throughout this message, you’re accountable and responsible for your own life and actions, and your finger pointing will not alter the life of another before God. You will not be held accountable for what other people do or say about you, you will be held accountable for what you do.