Ezekiel 18:30 (ESV) -- “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin.”

School teachers assess the behavior and aptitude of their students based on their actions. When a student talks in class, disobeys rules, and causes problems with other students, the teacher judges the character of that student by their actions. The same is true when the student is well-mannered. Teachers also assess the academic progress of students by their actions on quizzes and tests. They don’t guess. The actions of the student are the criteria for judgment. 

Our passage today reminds us that God does this same for us. He judges us on the basis of our actions. We read in Ezekiel 18:30, “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin.”

God judges His people Israel in this passage by what they’ve done. Their “ways” are what He observes. Each person is assessed by their life. What they think. How they talk. The way they live. All of these things are the ways God judges people. His next statement is a call to repent and turn from their sins, lest those sins cause their ruin. 

Follow the logic carefully. Our lives, and the actions of them, are what God observes in His judgment of us. He looks at each of us individually. He knows our ways. The call He gives is to repentance; to turn from our sins. If we don’t, our sins will bring our ruin. Unrepentant sin destroys lives. 

Remember as you go about your day that the LORD sees all. He judges our lives by what we do. Thankfully, if we are in Christ, the punishment for our sins has been poured out on Jesus. He has made satisfaction for them. Now we seek to live for the praise of His glory and walk worthy of the calling we’ve received. God still rewards the righteous today so live for Him.

Reflection & Journal:
- What does the fact that God judges us by our actions do in your heart?
- Why is it essential that we are found in Christ in light of today’s passage?
- How does God reward righteousness and obedience in our lives today?

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