Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Sep 4th, 2021 The Soul That Sinneth – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Passage – Ezekiel 17 – 19 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Galatians 1 – 3; Psalms 16 – 20; Proverbs 4)

Read the “0904 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” (Ezekiel 18:4)

“The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.” (Ezekiel 18:20)

Good morning. The picture above is a flower called Henbane or Stinking Nightshade. Don’t touch it, smell it, or eat it: it could kill you. If you take a trip to England, you can visit, by tour only, a place called The Poison Garden. Every plant in there can kill you. Visitors have even fainted there because of the fumes given off on a hot day. Every plant in the garden may be beautiful to look at, but, like I said, they all can kill you.

We have something here in America that can kill us. It is in every person, and all over the world. No place on Earth is safe from it. That something is called sin. Twice in Ezekiel 18 God warns that the soul that sinneth, it shall die. Even in the New Testament God warns us that the wages of sin is death…

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

And this goes for the saved as well as the unsaved. Those who received the Lord Jesus Christ as their own personal Saviour can fall to a point that He will call them home to Heaven where they will suffer a loss of reward.

“According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” (1Corinthians 3:10-15)

Those who never received the Lord Jesus as their Saviour will make their final home in the Lake of Fire…

“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 11-15)

When God warns us…

“Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” (Ezekiel 18:4)

…we need to heed His warning.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10)

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:21-23)

Peace.