Ezekiel 18 talks about how all souls belong to God and will be judged for iniquity or righteousness, based on how they have lived their life. In particular, the use of the word “get” in “get a new heart” captures my attention, because it suggests not using our current heart, but acquiring a new one.

31 Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!”

These two verses show us that God does not want to see us die. However, it has been set that the wicked will die and the righteous will live, and God calls us to live. Therefore, we have to be righteous, to turn from our iniquities, because every soul will be judged for their own actions and lives, and cannot live or die by another’s righteousness or wickedness. This means we have to take responsibility for how we choose to live.

9

If he has walked in My statutes

And kept My judgments faithfully—

He is just;

He shall surely live!”

Says the Lord God.

We ought to live like verse 9 says. This means we have to have love too.

1 Corinthians 13

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body [a]to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

May God guide us to live faithfully by God’s word so that we will surely live.