Opening Text Ezekiel 18:25-32 This was a bleak time in the history of the children of Israel.

They were captives in Babylon. Israel had been warned year after year by prophet after prophet. They loved wickedness and followed their own evil ways. They had closed their ears and hardened their hearts. Their disobedience had finally brought about God's judgement. They were not happy. They blamed God for their present circumstance. They felt that God was being unfair and unjust. Israel had rejected The Lord and God had turned away from them. The sins of Israel were great. The Lord will judge everyone. He does this because sin is serious. Verse 30 "I will judge you o house of Israel, everyone according to his ways declares The Lord. God is serious. But then notice how the chapter ends. The Lord wanted Israel to repent. He did not want them to die Repent and live! This is Gods call to us. Sin has infected and affected each and everyone of us. There is no escaping it. We were born with sin as the very enemies of God. Everyday our lives are a battle against sin. As believers we know what is right in God's sight. Our daily challenge is to do that which is pleasing to God. It is not easy and we fail often. The world would have us focus on what

is good in this life. Satan tries to tell us that being righteous is not worth the effort. Our own flesh leads us astray time and time again. Romans 7 tells us "I know that nothing good lives in me, that is , in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do --this I keep on doing". What are we to do "repent and live"? We know that we cannot rely on our own strength or ourselves. On our own we are lost and condemned, destined to an eternity in hell. Our only hope. Our sure hope is to place our total trust and confidence in a gracious God. Psalm 25 "remember, o Lord, your great mercy and love. For they are from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for yo are good, o Lord". We see our sins we repent, we rely on the mercy of God. At the end of verse 30 God declares forgiveness. Sins are forgiven. Repenting, turning from evil requires that God gives them, gives us a new heart. It is God alone who changes hearts of stone into hearts of flesh. This is something that is stated twice in Ezekiel. God's grace calls. Gods grace will change the hearts of Israel, it changes our heart. Repent and live.

Look at our lives. What do we have that we can give God for our forgiveness. When we do this we soon realize that we do not have enough money to pay for just one of our sins much less a lifetime of sins. There is nothing that we can do to earn our way into heaven. Ephesians chapter 1."in Him we have redemption through his blood., forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding". The innocent blood of Jesus covers up all of our inequalities. The life, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus is what saves us. Israel felt the ways of The Lord were unjust. We often feel the same way. We pity ourselves for problems. In a way, God's ways are unjust. All of our sins. The sins for which we eternal punishment are placed on Jesus. God does not treat us as we deserve. Jesus paid the full price for our sins. We rejoice in the fact that God treats us with his justice. The justice of our Heavenly Father is filled with love, compassion, and faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23 " because of the Lords great love we are not consumed, for his com passions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness". Eternal life is of the utmost concern of our loving Lord. Too many strive to have everything in the here and now. Short term satisfaction pales in

comparison to God's eternal glory that he freely provides for every believer. In Luke's Gospel the rich man who had everything on earth had nothing in eternity. Lazarus had dogs lick his sores on earth, but had everything in heaven. Eternal salvation has been bought and paid for by the blood of Christ. Jesus warns against those who would teach otherwise. "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full". John 10:10. God provides the repentant believer with a full eternal life in heaven. By grace we repent of all our sins. In joy we live in God's forgiveness. With joyful lives May others see and hear in us the Gospel message. Repent and live. Hymn 609 vs 1,2,4,6 Prayer Heavenly Father, we thank you for sending your Son to take upon himself the the full weight of all of our sins and paying the full price for them on the cross. We repent of our sins and seek your forgiveness. By your grace we look ahead to a life with you in eternity. Amen.