by Jim Morris

The apostle Paul warned young Timothy, his evangelist-in-training, “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Timothy 4:16). God always warns His people through His faithful leaders as they preach, teach and live out His word.

What Paul said was not new. He only reminded Timothy of the same principal that God had given the prophet Ezekiel several hundred years earlier. God had appointed Ezekiel to be His prophet and a watchman for the people. As such, Ezekiel was commanded to warn both the wicked and the righteous. Ezekiel was God's “early warning system” for His people.

First, God's watchman was to WARN THE WICKED within Israel. “At the end of seven days the word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to a wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself” (Ezekiel 3:16-19).

Sin is very subtle and deceptive sometimes. The sinner may not be aware that his or her condition is as bad as it really is. They may rationalize, “What's the big deal? Everybody does it.” However, what seems minor enough in our own eyes may be utterly detestable in God's. As Ambassadors for Christ we must warn our wayward neighbors before it is too late for them.

Second, God's watchman was to WARN THE RIGHTEOUS within Israel. “Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. Since you did not warn him, he will die for his sin. The righteous things he did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the righteous man not to sin and he does not sin, he will surely live because he took warning, and you will have saved yourself” (Ezekiel 3:20-21).

Sin is non-discriminatory. It affects everyone by its tainted presence. Even God's righteous ones can fall from His grace. Paul warned us, "But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified." (1 Corinthians 9:27 NKJV). Therefore, we must not fail to render aid and assistance when we see a brother or sister stray from God's ways. If we love them enough to warn them to abandon sin then we have at least saved ourselves. If they love the Lord enough to repent then they will have saved their own lives, too.

05-27-09
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