"I will hold you accountable for their blood"

In Acts 20:26-27, when Paul is saying goodbye to the Ephesians, he says, “I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you.  For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.” 

 

What did he mean about being innocent of their blood? 

We find that answer in God’s words to Ezekiel in Ezekiel 33:8-9: 

 

“When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.  But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.”

 

In our modern Christian culture, many voices are telling us to remain quiet about sinful lifestyles and focus on making people feel accepted and loved. 

 

We hear it in the statement, “It’s not our job to judge; it’s our job to love.” And we hear it when obvious Scripture texts such as Romans 1 are ignored or watered down.

But God tells us that it’s our job to warn people of sin. And if we don’t, He’s going to hold us responsible.

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For more on standing firm and sharing God's truths, check out these other one-minute devotions:

How Can Christians Stand Firm?

Several years ago, one of my loved ones declared herself gay. I explain one thing I'd have done differently if I'd known that would happen.

On the Alert 

During his military career, my husband commanded a tank company on the German border, then part of the Iron Curtain. A military "alert" is a good analogy for our preparedness as Christians. 

6 Ways to Stay Rooted Despite Culture's Changing Winds 

If we aren't careful, we can sway with the winds of culture. This devotion explains six ways to keep rooted in Christ.

Please check out Wisdom for Life. You might be surprised how many Psalms and Proverbs inspire us to stand firm.💙 Available from Lifeway, Amazon, and CBD.  

 

 

 

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