In fact, God says to Ezekiel, warn the nation. If they heed you, then that's great. I'm paraphrasing. If they don't heed you, I won't hold you responsible.
I will hold them responsible. In fact, the section is in Ezekiel 33, 1 to 5. I'll just read verse 4. own head. Now, what's the point here?
Responsibility Obscured by Hyper-Calvinism
Paul is doing something that is so contrary and so revolutionary when we consider our own era, both within the church and outside of the church. He is telling persons, individuals, image bearers, that they are responsible to God. Now, that doesn't always happen in the church vis-a-vis hyper-Calvinism. We so amplify sovereignty that we neglect responsibility.
And sinners are never being told, never being exhorted, never being yelled at and shouted at that they are responsible for their continual rebellion against God, for their continual rejection against the Son of God. We try to hide behind divine sovereignty. Or rather, sinners, if you give them that opportunity, will hide there every time. Oh, well, God's predestined.
God's elect. God's sovereignty. I just don't know if I'm... Don't let them do that, brethren.
To reject Jesus Christ means that you are responsible for what you have done. Now, when we extrapolate this principle into the larger world, I think that this is fundamentally an issue today.
Universal Blame-Shifting Condemned
Every problem everybody has is everybody else's fault. Not according to the Apostle Paul. You made your bed, now lay in it. If you are rejecting the Lord God Most High, whether it be gospel or whether it be some other area of your life, trying to portray everybody else as the reason why you're in dire straits, that ultimately is going to come back to bite you.
So may I encourage all of us, with the nicest gym face I can, to accept your responsibility before a holy God. He is the moral governor of the universe, and we do not have the right to try to hide, to try to evade, or to try to blame everybody else. Well, Paul, you weren't clear enough. Well, Paul, you were a bit forceful.
Paul, you said things that I didn't really care about. That's not supposed to happen. Own it. If you're a rebel sinner this morning, if you are not a believer in Jesus Christ, there is one person in this room you can blame.
It ain't me. It's you. If you are the kind of person that always tries to evade responsibility by pointing the spotlight at others, may I again encourage you to knock it off? The Most High God is not to be trifled with.
The Most High God saw Adam and Eve when they covered themselves and they hid among the trees. The Most High God knows the sorts of games that you are playing. The Most High God knows the sorts of ways that you are trying to evade your responsibility. Again, may I encourage you, lay down your arms.
Lay down your weapons. Lay down all those things that you use to rebel against God Almighty. Wave the white flag and surrender to Him. Not any man, not any person, not bow the knee to other people, but bow it to King Jesus Christ, confessing Him as Lord and Savior.
This was David's exhortation to the nations around Israel, to the pagan nations around Israel. Did David say, well, you know, they're on their own. They've got their Moloch, they've got their Baal, they've got all these other things. Do you understand, that's why Paul can tell you, when you're eating at somebody's house, you don't have to ask them, was this steak offered up to an idol?
You don't have to do that. Why? Because there's really no veil. There's really no Moloch.
These are figments of man's imagination. And so David doesn't reason. Well, the nations around us, they have their own gods. No.
No. He says to the judges, he says to the kings of the earth, he says to the civil authority that were parallel to him, him and Israel, them elsewhere in the pagan world, and he tells them to kiss the sun, lest he be angry and you perish in his way when his wrath is kindled but a little. He ends that second Psalm on a beatitude, blessed are all those who put their trust in Him. This is absolutely imperative.
Gospel Invitation to Responsible Sinners
If you are a sinner here this morning, I'm not picking on you, I'm a sinner too. I wasn't one who grew up and, oh boy, I'm just going to decide to follow Jesus. That ain't my story whatsoever. But I am appealing to you today, if you are not saved, please don't blame your parents.
Please don't blame your pastors. Please don't blame some experience you had in the third grade. Blame yourself and listen to the reality. God the Lord addresses the nations in the prophet Isaiah.
He says, look unto me, all ye ends of the earth, for I am God and there is no other. Christ says to weary, heavy laden sinners, come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. What is that invitation in Isaiah the prophet at chapter 55? Everyone who thirsts, let him come.
You who have no money, you have no wages or whatever, come and buy and eat. Take the refreshing water of the gospel, the nourishing milk of the gospel, the exhilarating wine of the gospel. It's all yours without any payment. It's because of grace.
It's because of kindness. It's because of mercy. It's because of who our God is. So don't blame anyone, rather, Plead to the Lord Jesus and find that mercy, find that grace, find that peace with God that surpasses all understanding.
It is most blessed and most excellent.