“But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes, and takes any one of them; that man is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.” Ezekiel 33:6
The believer who knows that God will judge the sinner and fails to alert the lost of his impending judgment; that believer God will judge because of his neglect. But those who die outside of Christ will not be pardoned because of the failure of this negligent believer; they will be judged and condemned. God says that you are responsible for others, but you cannot hold others responsible for you. This is the double edge of responsibility. You are obligated to minister to others, but cannot look to anyone but God to minister to you. You cannot misuse your Christian liberty and cause the weaker believer to stumble, and you cannot call yourself weak in order to restrict the liberty of others.
Whether you are the “watchman” or the “man taken away in iniquity,” you are responsible. The truth of Ezekiel’s observation rests on the assumption that God alone determines the flow of circumstances that come into each person’s life. God will surely judge the one who does you wrong, but will also judge you for whatever part you played in the transgression as well as how you responded to it. The parable of the watchman should dissipate any anger or hurt you harbor in your heart for what others have done to you, while making you aware of your responsibility toward others.
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