We don’t like to say it in so many words. After all, he might actually exist and if that were true… he wouldn’t like it if we told him his ways were messed up.

So, we go with, “The Church is messed up. Christians are messed up. Religion is messed up.”

Ezekiel 18 pulls no punches. It’s not God. It’s you.

²⁵ But you say, “My Lord’s way doesn’t measure up.” Listen, house of Israel, is it my ways that don’t measure up? Isn’t it your ways that don’t measure up? (Ez. 18:25, CEB)

Prophets can be so rude. How DARE someone say I am the one with problem!

The Word draws us to some very uncomfortable conclusions. No wonder we stay away from the prophets! We love to pick and chose our verses so we can focus on the God of love (and then use our definition of love rather than care about God’s view of love). But God’s view of love is for us to get the obstacles out of the way and step into true abundance. We think we know abundance, but we don’t. We think we know what is best for us… and we don’t.

But what does God know anyway?

³¹ Abandon all of your repeated sins. Make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, house of Israel? ³² I most certainly don’t want anyone to die! This is what the LORD God says. Change your ways, and live! (Ez. 18:31-32, CEB)