Caribbean Moravian Devotions

Know that all lives are mine. Ezekiel 18:4.

This was God’s response to the proverb that the people were quoting about the land of Israel: “The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” The people of Judah believed they were being punished for the sins of their ancestors, not their own. They thought this way because this was the teaching of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:5). Instead Ezekiel taught that the destruction of Jerusalem was due to the spiritual decay in previous generations. So Ezekiel gave God’s new policy for this new land because the people had misconstrued the old one.

God judges each person individually. Although we often suffer from the effects of sin committed by those who came before us, God does not punish us for someone else’s sins, and we can’t use their mistakes as an excuse for our sins. Each person is accountable to God for his or her actions. “All lives are mine” says God. Our lives are in his hands daily. Do we live our lives according to God’s will? Many people say they have the right to do whatever they want to do with their lives. Although they think that this is freedom, they are really enslaved in their own desires. When we become Christians, the Holy Spirit fills and lives in us. Therefore, we no longer own our bodies. We have been “Bought with a price.” Christ’s death freed us from sin, but also obligates us to his service. Because our lives belong to God, we must not violate God’s standard for living.

Br. Patrick Coke.