Verses 20-23,32:
The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not
share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the
child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the
wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.
“But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they
have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that
person will surely live; they will not die.
None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered
against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live.
Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares
the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and
live?
For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the
Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!
Read through all of Ezekiel 18. Such an account of god’s
justice and punishment and love. All sin must be punished, but God takes no
pleasure in this. So, through agonizing tears, he sent his son Jesus to take our
punishment.
Romans 3:23-24:
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.