Repentance Is What Is Required Of God's Children

For every living soul belong to Me,

the father as well as the son––both

alike belong to Me.

The soul who sins

is the one who will die.

Ezekiel 18:4

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body

but cannot kill the soul.

Rather, be afraid of the One

Who can destroy both soul

and body in hell.

Matthew 10:28

What good will it be for a man

if he gains the whole world,

yet forfeits his soul?

Matthew 16;26

Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God

with all your heart and with all your soul

and with all your mind.”

Matthew 22:37

            Is this subject about the soul important? Is this good judgment on the part of an individual to learn about the soul? Can God kill the soul? Matthew I will quote in Greek: καὶ μὴ φοβεῖσθε ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποκτεννόντων τὸ σῶμα τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν μὴ δυναμένων ἀποκτεῖναι· φοβεῖσθε δὲ μᾶλλον τὸν δυνάμενον καὶ ψυχὴν καὶ σῶμα ἀπολέσαι ἐν γεέννῃ. Notice the word in bold red (γεέννῃ) gehnna, not hades, this is important for gehnna is denoting the valley of Hinnom outside Jerusalem where the fire never goes out and the worms never die and eat the rubbish and garbage that is thrown there, where vile criminals not thought to have any right to a burial where thrown, a place of eternal destruction, no recovery, no purgatory as the Roman Catholics teach, a place that is where the soul that is sinning is cast, never to recover. Is this subject on the soul, and on original sin important? Ezekiel points out the seriousness of sinning by using the analogy of a man who is righteous and does all the right things but his son is just the opposite: will the man’s righteousness save the son? NO! “Will such a man live? He will not! Because he ahs don all these detestable things, he will surely be put to death and his blood will be on his won head” (Ezekiel 18:13b). Now if the son sees bad things his father is doing and does not do them will he be held accountable for the sins of his father? NO! “he will not die for his father’s sin; he will surely live. But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people’ (Ezekiel 18:17b). Each man is responsible for what he does, the choices he makes and the consequences that occur. Today there is a desire and attempt to make the sins of others be the cause for a person doing wrong. Can a person be taught what is right? YES! So in some way we are accountable to what is being taught to us but in the end we are responsible for what we do for we can think properly, we can do that which is right; but we are do not share the guilt of our father, mother, cousin, sibling, society, or any other reason we may give for why we did not do what is known to be right. How often does a person hide from doing wrong, or does his evil in the dark of night? Because he knows what he is doing is wrong. Ezekiel goes on to say: “Yet you ask, ‘Why does the son not share the guilt of his father? Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live. The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him’” (Ezekiel 18:19–20).

            Is there no hope for the one who has done wrong and committed sins? Is the sinner unable to undo all that he has done wrong? NO! Man cannot save himself he is responsible for his sins and has only the judgment of God upon him. God’s justice must be met! There is no hope for a sinner. Are you like King David in his petition to God? “I confess my iniquity, I am troubled by my sin……….O LORD, do not forsake me; be not far from me, O my god. Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior” (Psalm 38:18, 21–22). There is hope for God according to John chapter 6, He calls, enables, draws those who He will save, and gives them faith Ephesians 2:8, and if you are not just sorry for being caught in sin, rather that you have sinned against a holy and just God who Himself came to earth to live among men, to die as a man, to rise again from death which could not hold Him, and then to ascend to heaven where as the Son of Man, the Son of God, God’s very own Wisdom, makes eternally intercession for all those God the Father has given Him. Then if you turn away from your sinfulness, it is because God is calling you; respond to Him, His call, and turn from your sins: “Therefore, O house of Israel (you are spiritual Israel) I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!” (Ezekiel 18:30–32).

But if a wicked man turns away

            From the wickedness

He has committed and does what

            Is just and right, he will

Save his life. Because he considers

            All the offenses he ahs c omitted

And turns away form them, he will surely live;

            He will not die.

                                    Ezekiel 18:27–28

Pray to God, Repent from your sins

Richard L. Crumb