Ezekiel 33:12-16 - Homiletics

Past and present.

I. THE PRESENT WILL NOT BE JUDGED BY THE PAST . This is one principle underlying the various very clear statements of the passage. It is a principle that is needed in order to balance the influence of other principles that appear to work in an opposite direction. Indeed, at first sight it seems to be contradictory to some well-known laws. Is it not repeatedly asserted that a man will be judged by his past life? The sins of the past may be forgotten, but they stand recorded in the book of judgment and the guilt of them remains on the sinner. How, then, is it possible for the present and future to be free from the past?

1. The past lives by its effects in the present . If, however, by effort of will, aided by Divine grace, we neutralize the bad past, then that past is slain.

2. Forgiveness removes the guilt of the past .

3. Past innocence has no power in it to prevent present sin . It is a help in that direction, for it works through the force of habit. But habit may be resisted and broken.

II. PAST RIGHTEOUSNESS WILL NOT EXCUSE PRIEST SIN . We are judged chiefly, at all events, by what we are, rather than by what we were. Moreover, there is no possibility of our having acquired an extra stock of merit in the past which we can set off against our present failing. We never have a balance on the credit side of our account with Heaven. At our best we are but "unprofitable servants' ( Luke 17:10 ). An employer cares little for old testimonials. He must see a certificate of character up to date. If a man has borne an excellent reputation for years, and at last breaks down and disgraces himself, he is said to have "lost his character." His good name in the past now counts for nothing. It is utterly gone. Now, the practical warning that issues from these considerations is that we must take good heed to our present life. It is of no use to hark back to the day of conversion for assurance. We may long have left the good beginnings of that day. There is no security in past service, position in the Church, etc. We need to be on our guard against falling, even to the last. It is possible to turn aside at the eleventh hour. The ship may be wrecked in sight of the haven; then her passengers will not be saved by their memory of their long prosperous voyage.

III. PAST SIN WILL NOT PREVENT PRESENT SALVATION . Happily, the principle works both ways. If we must first take it as a warning against trusting in a good past, we may also consider it as a reason for not despairing on account of a bad past.

1. The bad past may be forsaken . The grace of Christ will help us to break loose from the tyranny of habit.

2. The bad past may be forgiven . The Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world removes the stains of guilt from penitent souls. Then God will no more accuse them of the past. Pardon covers the past with oblivion.

3. The new present is what God observes . "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" ( 2 Corinthians 5:17 ). Then God only looks at the new life and judges of that. Therefore we supremely need grace for the present moment. We live in the present. Religion is for the present.