Ezekiel 18:14-20 – Living accountable life consistently.

Ezekiel 18: 14-20, God continues to explain the truth of individual accountability. If a son unlike the one described in verses 10-13 did not walk in his father’s wicked ways, he will not be held accountable for the latter’s wicked ways.

Verses 14-18 put it this way. If the son walks righteously and “…does not eat at the mountain shrines or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor’s wife, or oppress anyone, or retain a pledge, or commit robbery, but instead gives him his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing, he keeps his hand from the poor, does not take interest or increase, but executes My ordinances, and walks in My statutes; he will not die for his father’s iniquity, he will surely live.” Conversely, the son’s righteous act cannot exonerate his wicked father’s sin. His father would be held accountable for his own wrongdoings and die for His iniquity.  

God here was showing that He would hold every individual accountable for his own sins. Each one must bear the responsibility for his own behavior and conduct. A person's righteous acts would account for himself, just as a person who acted wickedly would have to be accountable for himself. With the illustrations of both a wicked as well as a righteous son, God proved to the exile that their slur was wrong. He debunked the notion that the children had to pay for the sins of the previous generation.

Like what we have been discussing in Ezekiel 18:5-20, both Romans 2:6 and 14:12 also make it unmistakably clear that God will hold each person accountable for his or her own deeds. We must strive to make is lifestyle of accountability. Living responsibly should not just be in a spur of the moment but a conscious consistent daily habit.  Biblical accountability must be an ongoing habit in life. To stay in check, here are some questions we can ask ourselves frequently: “What am I thinking?” “What am I feeling?” “What am I doing?” “What am I thinking of doing?” Let us cultivate a lifestyle of consistent accountability.