When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.
When one who was righteous turns from righteousness and commits iniquity, he dies for the iniquity he commits, and his former righteousness does not protect him, deliver him, cancel the consequence, or cause him to be remembered for good. Past righteousness will not shield the one who turns to wrongdoing, for righteousness does not excuse later turning and sin. God judges each person according to his own way and the course he follows rather than by a record of former goodness or wickedness, and His judgment is just.
The same rule holds in reverse, that a wicked person who turns from sin and does what is lawful and right will live. God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked but takes pleasure when people turn from sin. Each person is responsible for his or her own choices, no one can obey on another person's behalf, and no one can excuse neglect of duty by pointing to a neighbor's neglect.
The verse is part of the word of the Lord that chosen ministers as watchmen must speak and the people must respect and receive. People must be watched over and warned because turning away from righteousness to sin brings death. It rebukes those who think and speak evil of God's messengers and accuse them, since complaint against God's messengers amounts to complaint against God, and it rebukes those who say the way of the Lord is not equal when their own way is not equal.
The verse applies to those who profess righteousness, especially ministers entrusted to preach the Word, when they turn from obedience, neglect prayerful searching of the Scriptures, entertain error, preach false doctrine contrary to a plain command of the Lord, hinder others from obeying what God commanded, and lead men and women into transgression, bringing ruin on themselves so that they die thereby. For such unfaithful leaders, condemnation is proportionate to the influence their words and example exerted in causing souls to perish, and the blood of those souls is upon their heads. Those who permit themselves to be deceived are not excused for neglecting to search the Word of God for themselves and entrusting their souls to an unfaithful minister, for the minister cannot pay the ransom for their souls. Christ gave His life to save sinners and to make another trial and a return to loyalty possible, but those who take Satan's side to justify sin must bear the penalty of sin.
When one who was righteous turns from righteousness and commits iniquity, he dies for the iniquity he commits, and his former righteousness does not protect him, deliver him, cancel the consequence, or cause him to be remembered for good. Past righteousness will not shield the one who turns to wrongdoing, for righteousness does not excuse later turning and sin. God judges each person according to his own way and the course he follows rather than by a record of former goodness or wickedness, and His judgment is just.
The same rule holds in reverse, that a wicked person who turns from sin and does what is lawful and right will live. God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked but takes pleasure when people turn from sin. Each person is responsible for his or her own choices, no one can obey on another person's behalf, and no one can excuse neglect of duty by pointing to a neighbor's neglect.
The verse is part of the word of the Lord that chosen ministers as watchmen must speak and the people must respect and receive. People must be watched over and warned because turning away from righteousness to sin brings death. It rebukes those who think and speak evil of God's messengers and accuse them, since complaint against God's messengers amounts to complaint against God, and it rebukes those who say the way of the Lord is not equal when their own way is not equal.
The verse applies to those who profess righteousness, especially ministers entrusted to preach the Word, when they turn from obedience, neglect prayerful searching of the Scriptures, entertain error, preach false doctrine contrary to a plain command of the Lord, hinder others from obeying what God commanded, and lead men and women into transgression, bringing ruin on themselves so that they die thereby. For such unfaithful leaders, condemnation is proportionate to the influence their words and example exerted in causing souls to perish, and the blood of those souls is upon their heads. Those who permit themselves to be deceived are not excused for neglecting to search the Word of God for themselves and entrusting their souls to an unfaithful minister, for the minister cannot pay the ransom for their souls. Christ gave His life to save sinners and to make another trial and a return to loyalty possible, but those who take Satan's side to justify sin must bear the penalty of sin.