Expounding yet futher upon the implications of the words of
Ezekiel 3:20-21, we discover that God advises this prophet of the course of action which he is to take, whenever He makes him aware of a
"righteous" man having committed an act of
"unrighteousness" (i.e.,
iniquity). We also find that in such cases if it be that the offender continues doing the same thing (albeit unwittingly); what is God's FIRST course of action which directly involved Ezekiel (as well as you or I should it be that we have been made aware of such a thing).
First, God places a
"stumblingblock" in the offender's way in an effort to prompt him to pause and reflect upon his actions (albeit the offender is usually unable to recognize it as such); with this being done to assist them to realize why they have been so
"afflicted;" thus motivating them to repent of the act(s) of
"unrighteousness" which they have been doing, after which the
"stumblingblock" will be removed and they will then be restored to their proper standing before Him. The
"stumblingblock" of which God spoke about to the prophet Ezekiel would have eventually caused the death of the offending
"righteous man," unlesss it were removed [thus inferring that God also brings an
"affliction" upon the offender], therefore one might rightly refer to it as a
"sin unto death"! [I will, if the Lord be willing, address some remarks to what this
"stumblingblock/affliction" usually consists of in subsequent posting.] This, in essence, is precisely that which John was referring to when he penned the phrase -
"sin unto death."
John wrote:
"If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he (i.e., God) shall give life unto him for them that sin not unto death," although John also warns that
"There is a sin [that is]
unto death [if left unattended/arrested, and that],
I do not say that he shall pray for it" [implying that we are prohibited from praying for either the offender's forgiveness for having committed the act(s) of
"unrighteousness" that we've been made aware of, and most assuredly we are not to pray for the
"unrighteous" act itself]; for this is an act which only the offender is commanded to do. It is, in every way, the offender's responsibility of undertaking the corrective steps which God demands of him/her to be restored to their rightful place of fellowship with Him, AFTER we have done our duty - advising them of the fact that they are guilty of having done an
"unrighteous" deed of which they apparently unaware of either it or it's eternal consequences if left unattended; that God has made us aware of such and commands us to alert them to it's
"unrighteousness."
Indeed, I think it extremely important we realize from God's words of admonishement to Ezekiel, that should it be we have been made knowledgeable of an act(s) of
"unrighteousness" being done by a brother/sister in Christ, and we fail or refuse to alert the offender of these things, then our own eternal destiny is placed in jeopardy. This is why, I believe personally, that James was inspired of God to write and admonish us of the need to
"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for the other, that ye may be healed" (
James 5:16). Via continual fellowship with one another, during which we conduct one-on-one communications, God is able to alert us to an act(s) of
"unrighteousness" that another is guilty of having committed; yet all the while, the one committing such things are unaware of either it's
"unrighteous" nature or the results for continuing to do such a thing. In this manner we are able to assist our brother/sister who is guilty of having unwittingly committing act(s) of
"unrighteousness" to understand what they must do.
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