Ezekiel 18:21
“But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.”
Though God must judge sin, it is encouraging that He always anticipates the wicked to “turn from all his sins.” In Ezekiel’s sermon to Israel, God had already judged Israel; however, God still expected their repentance, and in His anticipation He showed how the wicked should be treated when they decide to repent of their sinful ways.
One of the sad parts of the Christian life is when someone chooses to go into sin. I never get over the heartbreak of hearing of a person who has fallen into sin. What encourages me is that God never stops working in their heart. Even when that person has come to the end of sin’s treacherous road and they find the heartache that it brings, God is still working to bring them back to Him. It is important when they choose to come back that they are treated right. There are several things God mentions in the verse above that shows us how we should treat someone when they turn from their wicked ways.
First, we are to end their death sentence. Notice that the verse above says, “…he shall surely live, he shall not die.” We have to be careful that we don’t have such a critical spirit that when someone turns from their sin that we don’t continue to punish them as if they are in sin. Many people who have come back to God quit because of the attitude of other Christians. Let me encourage you not to hold a critical spirit towards the person who has returned. Rejoice in the fact that they have come home. Don’t become the type of person who says, “We will see how long this will hold.” If a person gets right with God, rejoice in their return.
Second, don’t throw the past sins back at the Christian who has repented. Verse 22 says, “All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him…” The quickest way to discourage the one who has come back is to constantly remind them of what they have done. When you always remind them of what they have done, they will believe they need to live down to what you say about them. If that were your child, or you, you would not want others to constantly mention the past. The past is over; it’s time to move on and take them for who they are in the present.
Third, encourage the person who has returned by praising them for the right they are doing. Verse 22 continues to say, “…in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.” I have learned that the best way to keep a person doing right is to praise them for every little step of righteousness they take. It is easy to constantly nitpick at their faults, but if you praise them when they take a right step, that will encourage them to continue to take the right steps. Your goal should be to encourage and not to discourage.
Ultimately, your attitude towards the person in sin is to anticipate their return. God anticipated Israel’s return, and we should follow His example towards those who are in sin. If you treat those right who have come back, those who are living in sin will know they are always welcome and will be treated right if they choose to come back. The character of God anticipates the sinner to return. Let’s not follow Satan’s character and criticize, but follow God’s character and encourage.