Ezekiel 14:12-14 The word of the Lord came to me:13 ”Son of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its people and their animals, 14 even if these three men—Noah, Daniel and Job—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign Lord.
Noah, Daniel and Job belonged to the most righteous (i.e. God-fearing, holy) people of the Old Testament. They underwent massive trials, yet stayed faithful to God in the midst of it all. They saved themselves, and often others, through their obedience.
But this is not to be anymore. God is declaring a new time where everyone is responsible for their own deeds. We cannot hide behind other “good people” anymore. When you sin you bear the consequences. When you do the right thing you reap the benefit. The fact that your grand-pa, father or mother feared God does not mean you can now do whatever you like and still be cool. You are responsible for your own deeds, good or bad.
The good news is: Jesus paved a way for everyone, so that by taking the responsibility to accept what he has done, we can be saved and… we can live responsible lives.
