Warn the Wicked and the Righteous

Ezekiel, the odd prophet, was called by God to warn the wicked and the righteous to turn away from sin. His task was twofold: warn the wicked man to turn from wickedness (Ez. 3:19) and warn the righteous man that he should not sin (Ez. 3:21).

I think this applies to the church as well: the preacher is not only to call unbelievers to repentance, but beleivers to a lifestyle of repentance and turning from sin.

The church is not a place for insulating the saints from warnings and simply railing against the wicked world. Men of God, preachers, like Ezekiel, are to continually seek to save sinners and call them to repentance and all men, wicked and righteous alike, are sinners. Saving the saints and saving the wicked is the prevailing task.

The prophetic call is always: "Turn from sin and wickedness and turn to God revealed in His Son Jesus." That Gospel sentence is the same for Christian and unbeliever alike.

The task of the prophet then and any prophet now is the same as Ezekiels. It is an unpopularly odd task, yet a necessary one.

May God give the world and the church more Ezekiels.