Please explain Ezekiel 3:18.
The Lord sent Ezekiel to Israel with a message of warning. We read in Ezekiel 3:4, “And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them.” Yet, the Lord also told Ezekiel that the people would not listen to him. Verse 7 says, “But the house of Israel WILL NOT HEARKEN UNTO THEE; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted.” Although the Lord knew the Israelites would not listen to Ezekiel, this did not diminish Ezekiel’s responsibility to obey the Lord and warn Israel. So, Ezekiel was told in verse 11, “And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; WHETHER THEY WILL HEAR OR WHETHER THEY WILL FORBEAR.”
We read of Ezekiel’s grave responsibility in Ezekiel 3:17, “Son of man, I have made thee a WATCHMAN UNTO THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.” His job was to watch out for and watch over the Lord’s people. It was an incredible responsibility for one man, but the Lord never gives a work to someone without giving them the strength to do that work.
Now let’s read Ezekiel 3:18, “When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.” Even as He does with us, the Lord would hold Ezekiel accountable if he did not do those things the Lord told him to do. It is not a slight thing to be called into ministry by the Lord. It comes with great responsibility. With that said, let me point out that EVERY BELIEVER has been called to serve the Lord…EVERY BELIEVER!
The Apostle Paul urged Timothy (and us) in 2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; BE INSTANT IN SEASON, OUT OF SEASON; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” As believers on the Lord Jesus Christ, we must be CONSISTENT in serving the Lord as He leads us to do. When we feel like it and when we do not feel like it. When it is convenient and when it is not convenient. A THERMOMETER IS CONTROLLED by the weather. It simply reflects the weather’s temperature. Whereas, A THERMOSTAT CONTROLS the weather’s temperature inside a room or a house. We need to be “Thermostat Christians”, not being controlled by outside forces, we should impact those forces with our consistency. Whether it is too hot or too cold, the thermostat maintains a consistent temperature. We should have that same consistency in our testimony for Christ.
We read Paul’s testimony in 1 Corinthians 9:16, “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for NECESSITY IS LAID UPON ME; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” Paul realized his calling to preach the Gospel and he took that very seriously. He tells of his work in Acts 20:31, “Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.” Paul had labored for three years in the city of Ephesus, and every day he was occupied with warning others of the judgment of God they would receive if they did not put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
For us today, all believers are exhorted to “do the work of an evangelist.” (2 Timothy 4:5) An evangelist is one who shares the Gospel with others. Romans 10:14 asks, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and HOW SHALL THEY HEAR WITHOUT A PREACHER?” You, dear fellow believer, are a preacher. So am I. We are all called upon to preach, or proclaim, the Gospel to ‘every living creature’. Are you faithful to that call? Are you telling others that they need to be saved and then tell them how they can be saved? If not, the Lord will hold you accountable at the Judgment Seat of Christ. We read in 1 Corinthians 3:13-15, “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, HE SHALL SUFFER LOSS: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” Let’s stop being THERMOMETER Christians. Let’s be THERMOSTAT Christians by being faithful to share the Gospel with all we come into contact with. (269.6)