An Awesome Responsibility

Ezekiel 3:18,19 If I say to the wicked, “You shall surely die,” and you give them no warning, or speak to warn the wicked from their wicked way, in order to save their life, those wicked persons shall die for their iniquity; but their blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and they do not turn from their wickedness, or from their wicked way, they shall die for their iniquity; but you will have saved your life. (NRSV)

It seems to be one of those fundamental laws of the universe that with every blessing comes a responsibility. So, for example, if you’re wealthy, you have a responsibility to the poor.

If, like me, you believe in Jesus, then by far the greatest blessing in your life is the fact that through His sacrifice on that Cross, the price that God’s justice demands for your sin has been paid in full.

And that … that’s opened the door to a new life, free from the ravages of sin; a life that will go on in God’s Presence for all eternity. There’s no greater blessing than that, amen?!

But with that blessing comes an awesome responsibility. Here it is from God’s perspective:

Ezekiel 3:18,19 If I say to the wicked, “You shall surely die,” and you give them no warning, or speak to warn the wicked from their wicked way, in order to save their life, those wicked persons shall die for their iniquity; but their blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and they do not turn from their wickedness, or from their wicked way, they shall die for their iniquity; but you will have saved your life. (NRSV)

That awesome responsibility? To tell the people in your life about Jesus. To share the Good News of the greatest blessing of all with them. Will they all listen to you? Of course not. Will some of them shun you, revile you, persecute you for warning them? Absolutely they will. But in that case, their blood won’t be on your hands.

Make no mistake, this is an awesome responsibility on each of us who call ourselves Christians.

That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.