There is no legacy
This week's goodness is another gem from Ezekiel: chapter 18, verses 1-4:
Back in the old days, people were so connected with their families that they would punish a whole family for the crimes of one guy. People forgot that they were individuals as well as parts of something bigger. God reminds us that even if we're part of something else, and even if people only know us because of someone else's reputation, he knows us as individuals, and he will bless and punish us individually, no matter what.
If your neighbor is in sin, that's his issue with God, not yours. God will not destroy both of your houses because his had idols in it. You can honestly relate to other people and other generations, because you're free of the negative baggage that could be associated with them. But the downside of that is that you can't coast along on the achievements and righteousness of others. God's kingdom doesn't have hereditary titles and legally enforced inheritances. You have to forge your own bond with God. You can't get a free ride because your mom is a pastor or your dad is an evangelist. It's all about you and God.
Our society is all about blame. Blame whitey, blame your parents, blame the kids of today. Blame illegal immigrants, blame immoral television programming, and blame guns. None of that matters before God's eyes as much as our relationship with him does. We have to relate personally and we are privileged to relate personally. God's kingdom is the original land of opportunity.
Forgive others for what they did or didn't do, because ultimately none of it matters as much as you and God do. Be thankful for what social connections and heirlooms you've gotten from people you know, but thank God for the ability to enjoy them. Be thankful that you get to start fresh. You can't save other people or be saved by them. And you can't damn others or be damned by them. You're free. Thank God.
The word of the LORD came to me: "What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel:People reach a phase of their lives where they want to leave a legacy. They work hard so their kids can have a better life. But God says that all stand individually before him. If you fail at life, if it comes down to you making a lot of mistakes, that's your burden to bear. God will take care of your descendants. Or if your parents lived like worthless playboys, and now your family has a bad reputation and no money, that's their problem, not yours. God will take care of you as your own person. You don't have to blame them. And they don't have to take the blame for your mistakes either.
" 'The fathers eat sour grapes,
and the children's teeth are set on edge'?"As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son—both alike belong to me. The soul who sins is the one who will die.
Back in the old days, people were so connected with their families that they would punish a whole family for the crimes of one guy. People forgot that they were individuals as well as parts of something bigger. God reminds us that even if we're part of something else, and even if people only know us because of someone else's reputation, he knows us as individuals, and he will bless and punish us individually, no matter what.
If your neighbor is in sin, that's his issue with God, not yours. God will not destroy both of your houses because his had idols in it. You can honestly relate to other people and other generations, because you're free of the negative baggage that could be associated with them. But the downside of that is that you can't coast along on the achievements and righteousness of others. God's kingdom doesn't have hereditary titles and legally enforced inheritances. You have to forge your own bond with God. You can't get a free ride because your mom is a pastor or your dad is an evangelist. It's all about you and God.
Our society is all about blame. Blame whitey, blame your parents, blame the kids of today. Blame illegal immigrants, blame immoral television programming, and blame guns. None of that matters before God's eyes as much as our relationship with him does. We have to relate personally and we are privileged to relate personally. God's kingdom is the original land of opportunity.
Forgive others for what they did or didn't do, because ultimately none of it matters as much as you and God do. Be thankful for what social connections and heirlooms you've gotten from people you know, but thank God for the ability to enjoy them. Be thankful that you get to start fresh. You can't save other people or be saved by them. And you can't damn others or be damned by them. You're free. Thank God.
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