“Do you think that I like to see wicked people die?" says the Sovereign LORD. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live. However, if righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things and act like other sinners, should they be allowed to live? No, of course not! All their righteous acts will be forgotten, and they will die for their sins.

“Yet you say, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right!’ Listen to me, O people of Israel. Am I the one not doing what’s right, or is it you? When righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things, they will die for it. Yes, they will die because of their sinful deeds. And if wicked people turn from their wickedness, obey the law, and do what is just and right, they will save their lives. They will live because they thought it over and decided to turn from their sins. Such people will not die. And yet the people of Israel keep saying, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right!’ O people of Israel, it is you who are not doing what’s right, not I.”

Ezekiel 18:23-29

“Why do you quote this proverb concerning the land of Israel: ‘The parents have eaten sour grapes, but their children’s mouths pucker at the taste’?
Ezekiel 18:2

• The prophet Ezekiel was ministering to the Israelites who were in exile in Babylon. 
• They had a mistaken belief that they were being punished for the sins of their ancestors, summarized by the proverb: "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge" (Ezekiel 18:2b ESV). 
• This proverb suggested a fatalistic view of inherited guilt, which led to despair and a lack of personal responsibility.
• God directly addresses this misconception. He uses a series of examples to demonstrate that every individual is accountable for their own actions. 
• The passage we're focusing on, verses 23-29, is the climax of this argument, where God's character is revealed as just and merciful.
• God asks, "Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked?" The answer is a resounding, “No”. God's desire is not for judgment but for the wicked to repent and live. This verse challenges the idea of a vengeful God who enjoys punishing people.
• This section presents a radical idea: a righteous person can fall away from their righteousness. If they turn to sin and die in it, their past righteousness will not save them. God is not holding a ledger of past good deeds; He is concerned with the present state of the heart.
• The inverse is also true. If a wicked person repents and turns away from their sin, they will live. Their past sins will not be held against them. 
• Repentance is not just regret; it's a change of mind that leads to a change of direction. The act of turning from sin is what brings life.
• The people complain that God's way is not just. God's response is a challenge back to them: "Is it not your ways that are not just?" The problem isn't with God; it's with the people who refuse to acknowledge their own responsibility and change their ways.
• We cannot blame our circumstances, our families, or our past for our present choices. We are each responsible for our relationship with God.
• No one is too far gone. No matter what a person has done, if they genuinely repent, they can find forgiveness and new life. This is a message of incredible hope.
• Being a Christian or a "good person" does not give us a free pass to sin. We must remain vigilant and walk in obedience. We can't rest on our past achievements or spiritual records.
• Just as the Israelites misunderstood God's character, we can also project our own human ideas of fairness onto Him. This passage reminds us that God's justice is always linked to His mercy.
• God's heart is for life, not death. He wants people to repent and live.
• Your past does not determine your future. True repentance brings a clean slate.
• Your present actions matter. Don't be complacent in your faith; continue to walk in righteousness.

Remember that God's ways are always just. When we feel like they are not, the problem is with our perspective, not His character.