DEVOTIONAL
After God’s elect nation, Israel, turned from the truth handed down to them from Moses, they came under the penalty of God’s judgment and found themselves in a place they never thought possible. They were swept away from their land; their temple and their homes were destroyed. They were held captive in the land of Babylon. In the Lord’s gracious mercy, He would not allow His people to continue in sin. The Babylonians became clay in the hands of The Lord, brought them into captivity, so His people would acknowledge their sins and turn back to Him in repentance. As it is written, “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” The people of God found themselves saying to one another, “Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we are rotting away in them; how then can we survive?”
How blessed it is to be awakened by The Lord to the sinfulness of our deceitful hearts. Sin means to miss the mark of God’s perfect righteousness, to be caused to wander from the path of uprightness and to violate the very character of The Lord Himself. The law of God is holy and perfect. When investigated carefully, it shows the corruption that lies deeply hidden in the heart of fallen humanity. It is a mirror that reflects the true nature of each, so one can gaze into it and see all the impurities, bringing everyone under its penalty; condemning them before The Lord. The law does more than show us our incompleteness in this life, but it becomes our tutor that convicts our own heart, leading us to search for the remedy, which in return leads us to the foot of the cross.
It is here at the foot of the cross where the remedy is found. It is here that you will see The Lord Jesus Christ hanging between heaven and earth, suspended in the air in all His glory. You see Jesus accomplished what was impossible for man to do. He, being God in the flesh, came to earth as a man and yet without sin; He was crucified, laid in a tomb, and was raised from the dead on the third day. Apart from His shed blood, there is no forgiveness of sins and only fiery threats of divine judgment. Come now poor sinner, the Spirit of God comes to convince you of sin. You are tried, brought in guilty, condemned in the court of your conscience, and here you wait in distress for the sentence of the law to be executed upon you. Why will you perish? Turn to Christ and be saved.
Rodney Nantz
“Now as for you, son of man, say to the house of Israel. Thus, you have spoken, saying, “Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we are rotting away in them; how then can we survive?”
Ezekiel 33:10 NASBS