以西结书33:7-20

主的道“不公平”

恩惠、平安从父神和救主耶稣基督归于你们所有依靠祂的公平公义的人。阿们。

弟兄姐妹们，慕道的朋友们，你是否有时候觉得上帝不公平？我这么努力了，怎么还是没有成功，生活还是原地踏步甚至比之前更倒退了；为什么那些品行和能力还不如我的人竟然过的风生水起？为什么我先被炒鱿鱼而不是其他还不如我的人？为什么不幸的事总是临到我身上，身边的人却都过得比我好？上帝啊，你怎么这么不公平。

今天的旧约经文中，以色列人毫不客气地也发出了类似的感慨。先知以西结传道，呼召以色列人当中的恶人悔改转离罪恶，呼召以色列人当中的义人要警醒不要作恶的时候，他们对以西结的信息评价说：17节“主的道不公平。”我们知道之前以色列人出埃及走旷野的时候，总是抱怨发牢骚，但大多时候都还是对着神的仆人摩西发的，但这次在以西结书中，我们看见，这个世代的以色列人直接评价神和神做事的方式，“主的道不公平。”没有任何遮掩，把心中的苦毒都说了出来。

他们为什么这样毫不客气地评价神呢？我们看以西结说了什么？

以西结书33:12-16

12 人子啊，你要对本国的人民说：义人的义，在犯罪之日不能救他；至于恶人的恶，在他转离恶行之日也不能使他倾倒；义人在犯罪之日也不能因他的义存活。13 我对义人说：『你必定存活！』他若倚靠他的义而作罪孽，他所行的义都不被记念。他必因所作的罪孽死亡。14 再者，我对恶人说：『你必定死亡！』他若转离他的罪，行正直与合理的事：15 还人的当头和所抢夺的，遵行生命的律例，不作罪孽，他必定存活，不致死亡。16 他所犯的一切罪必不被记念。他行了正直与合理的事，必定存活。

以色列人为什么觉得这道不公平？不公平在什么地方？我们先撇开这段经文，仔细思想一下世人是不是有这样一个衡量的标准：人人心中都有一杆秤，或者说一个天平。在这个天平上，左边是我们人所做的恶事，右边是我们所做的善事。只要我们的善事大过所做的恶事，通俗的说就是“将功赎罪”，“用善行弥补自己的罪过”，“为了良心的平安，就多做善事”。在世人的眼中，只要你的善行足够多，可以对冲或者说洗刷掉之前所犯的罪，就可以进天堂不用下地狱了，比较典型的就是佛教的救赎道理。可以说，我们人天生都有这种思维，要靠自己的努力和善行得救，以色列人也有这样的思维。

从以西结所说的信息来看，他们的想法应该是：如果你是义人，那么既使你犯了罪，那之前的义应该还可以放在天平上对冲一下所犯的罪吧，之前所做的善事应该可以被神纪念，用来抵消当下所犯的罪吧。反过来讲，如果你是恶人，那你转离自己的恶，行了善事，你也不应该直接就得到赦免，直接得到生命，可以存活进天堂吧，毕竟你之前犯了多少的罪，神怎么可能一下子就忘记，一笔勾销呢？怎么也得需要积攒些善行来慢慢还债，等抵消完了罪债才可以得到自由吧。其实天主教的炼狱教义就是这种思维，你虽然是基督徒了，可以进天堂，但必须先去炼狱受苦把今生的罪债都抵消掉，该受的惩罚得受完，才可以完全自由进入天堂。

弟兄姐妹们，慕道的朋友们，请听，以赛亚书55:8“耶和华说：‘我的意念非同你们的意念；我的道路非同你们的道路。’”

在神的天平上，左边是我们，右边是基督；天平的左边是我们的罪，而天平的右边是基督的善。请记住这一点，在我们得救之事上，我们的善行并不在衡量的砝码当中，在天平上，只有我们的罪和基督的善。我们的罪得到赦免完全是基督的善行和功德，祂在十字架上的受死，都是为了给我们赎罪。感谢上帝，因为天平的另一端是至高神的儿子耶稣基督，祂为我们世人一切的罪付了代价，对我们来说没有什么罪不能被赦免了。在基督里面，祂的怜悯向审判夸胜。感谢上帝，天平的的一端不是我们的善行，一个罪人怎能用自己的善行弥补罪过呢？人怎能将功赎罪呢？这就像一个病人想给自己开药做手术一样得痊愈一样，是危险的，也不可能实现的；又好像死人要靠自己复活一样，也是不可能的。

这对我们来说，公平不公平？要是按照人的标准，不公平。但感谢上帝，也就是这种不公平，我们才有机会得救。上帝如果按照我们的公平来计算，我们都要灭亡，没有人可以存活了，因为一丁点的罪都可以把人打入地狱，是的，因为我们犯罪都是得罪永生的神，创造我们的主，我们干犯了祂的诫命，本该承受永远的刑罚和上帝的忿怒。但因为神的这种“不公平”，祂让自己的儿子耶稣基督为我们赎罪，我们才能蒙受恩典，蒙受神的怜悯和赦免。

回到以色列所宣讲的信息，我们看到11节所说：“主耶和华说：‘我指着我的永生起誓，我断不喜悦人死亡，惟喜悦恶人转离所行的道而活。”神的心意是要我们活，不是要我们灭亡。感谢上帝。如果一个恶人转离自己的罪，19节“行正直与合理的事，就必因此存活。”这是立刻马上，不需要等待，因为中间隐藏的是基督耶稣和祂十字架的赎罪功德。但如果一个义人转离去作恶，那就是从新把基督践踏在脚下，扔掉了真正的义了，若不悔改，结局就是灭亡。求主指教我们时常活在悔改当中，亲近神，时常领受恩惠怜悯，也藉着教会，圣经，牧师和弟兄姐妹们警醒我们不去作恶，时常行在正直公义公平的道路上。“公平”的原文那意思是“straight笔直的，校对准确了的”，如此看来，神的道路和道理是绝对的公平，公义，毫无弯曲，也是绝对的审判标准。奉圣父、圣子、圣灵的名。阿们。

**Ezekiel 33:7-20**

**The Lord’s Way is “Unfair”**

Grace and peace to you all who rely on the righteousness and justice of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Brothers and sisters, and friends seeking the truth, have you ever felt that God is unfair? You’ve worked so hard, yet success seems elusive, and life feels stagnant or even worse than before. Why do people who seem less capable or virtuous than you thrive while you struggle? Why were you the one laid off, not someone less deserving? Why does misfortune always seem to find you, while others around you prosper? God, why are You so unfair?

In today’s Old Testament reading, the Israelites openly expressed similar sentiments. When the prophet Ezekiel preached, calling the wicked among Israel to repent and turn from their sins, and urging the righteous to remain vigilant and not fall into evil, the people responded in verse 17: “The Lord’s way is unfair.” We know that during their exodus through the wilderness, the Israelites often grumbled, but their complaints were usually directed at Moses, God’s servant. However, here in Ezekiel, we see that this generation of Israelites directly criticized God and His ways, saying, “The Lord’s way is unfair.” They held nothing back, pouring out their bitterness.

Why did they speak so boldly against God? Let’s look at what Ezekiel said:

**Ezekiel 33:12-16** 

12 “Son of man, say to your people, ‘The righteousness of the righteous will not save them when they transgress, nor will the wickedness of the wicked cause them to fall when they turn from it. The righteous will not be able to live by their righteousness when they sin.’ 13 When I say to the righteous, ‘You will surely live,’ but they trust in their righteousness and do evil, none of their righteous deeds will be remembered. They will die for the evil they have done. 14 And when I say to the wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ but they turn from their sin and do what is just and right— 15 if they restore what they took as a pledge for a loan, return what they have stolen, follow the decrees that give life, and do no evil—they will surely live; they will not die. 16 None of the sins they have committed will be remembered against them. They have done what is just and right; they will surely live.”

Why did the Israelites feel this way was unfair? Where did they see the injustice? Let’s set aside this passage for a moment and consider a common human standard: everyone has a scale, or a balance, in their hearts. On one side of the scale, we place our evil deeds, and on the other, our good deeds. As long as our good deeds outweigh our evil ones—commonly thought of as “making up for our sins” or “balancing the scales with good works”—we believe we can earn our way to heaven and avoid hell. This is a typical mindset, especially seen in religions like Buddhism. We are born with this inclination to rely on our own efforts and good deeds for salvation. The Israelites shared this mindset.

From Ezekiel’s message, it seems their reasoning was: If you are righteous, even if you sin, shouldn’t your previous righteousness count for something? Shouldn’t your past good deeds be remembered by God to offset your current sins? Conversely, if you are wicked, shouldn’t turning from your evil and doing good require some kind of repayment or penance before you can be forgiven and granted life? After all, how can God simply forget all your past sins and wipe them away? Shouldn’t you have to accumulate enough good deeds to balance the scales? This is similar to the Catholic doctrine of purgatory, where even Christians must suffer to pay off their sins before entering heaven.

Brothers and sisters, and friends seeking the truth, listen to **Isaiah 55:8**: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.

On God’s scale, on one side is us, and on the other is Christ. On one side is our sin, and on the other is Christ’s righteousness. Remember this: in the matter of our salvation, our good deeds are not part of the equation. On the scale, there is only our sin and Christ’s righteousness. The forgiveness of our sins is entirely due to Christ’s righteousness and merit. His death on the cross paid the price for our sins. Thank God, because on the other side of the scale is the Son of the Most High, Jesus Christ, who paid the price for all our sins. For us, there is no sin that cannot be forgiven. In Christ, His mercy triumphs over judgment. Thank God that on the scale, it is not our good deeds. How can a sinner atone for their sins with their own good works? How can someone “earn” their salvation? It’s like a sick person trying to perform surgery on themselves to be healed—it’s dangerous and impossible. Or like a dead person trying to raise themselves to life—it cannot happen.

Is this fair to us? By human standards, no. But thank God for this “unfairness,” because it is the only way we can be saved. If God judged us by our standards of fairness, we would all perish. No one could survive, because even the smallest sin condemns us to hell. Yes, because every sin is against the eternal God, our Creator, and violates His commandments. We deserve eternal punishment and God’s wrath. But because of God’s “unfairness,” He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to atone for our sins, and we receive grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

Returning to Ezekiel’s message, we see in verse 11: “Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.’” God’s desire is for us to live, not to perish. Thank God! If a wicked person turns from their sin, as verse 19 says, “and does what is just and right, they will live.” This is immediate—no waiting is required, because behind it is the merit of Christ Jesus and His atoning sacrifice on the cross. But if a righteous person turns to evil, they are trampling Christ underfoot and rejecting true righteousness. Without repentance, their end is destruction. May the Lord teach us to live in constant repentance, drawing near to Him, receiving His grace and mercy. Through the church, the Bible, pastors, and fellow believers, may we be warned against evil and walk in the path of righteousness, justice, and fairness. The original Hebrew word for “fair” means “straight, accurate, and true.” In this light, God’s ways and His Word are perfectly fair, just, and without distortion—the absolute standard of judgment. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.