John Calvin Commentary Ezekiel 18:24

"But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? None of his righteous deeds that he hath done shall be remembered: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die." — Ezekiel 18:24 (ASV)

As in the last lecture the Prophet offered sinners a sure hope of pardon if they heartily repented, and promised that God would be propitious to them as soon as they seek reconciliation with Him, so now, on the other hand, he pronounces that if the just declines from his justice, whatever he has until now done will not be taken into account before God.

He urged sinners to repentance when he assured them that God was prepared to pardon them. But he now frightens those who profess for a time to be pure and sincere worshipers of God, if they fall back in the middle of their course, as Paul says, Let him who stands take heed lest he fall (1 Corinthians 10:12).

Besides, we gather from this passage, as Christ teaches, that only those who persevere are happy (Matthew 24:13), since a temporary righteousness will never profit those apostates who afterwards turn aside from God. We see, then, how these two clauses fit together: namely, that God invites all who are in danger of perdition with extended arms and promises them salvation if they heartily return to Him.

Again, to restrain within the bounds of duty those who have made some progress, and to correct their laziness and arouse their concern, He threatens that unless they pursue the course of a holy and pious life to the end, their former righteousness will not profit them. But here a question arises: can a truly just person deflect from the right way?

For he who is begotten of God is so free from the tyranny of sin that he devotes himself wholly to righteousness; and then if any turn aside, they prove that they were always strangers to God. If they had been of us, says John, they would never have gone out from us (1 John 2:19).

And regeneration is an incorruptible seed, so we must determine that the faithful who are truly regenerate never fall away from righteousness but are retained by God’s unconquered power, for God’s calling in the elect is without repentance (Romans 11:29). Thus, He continues the course of His grace even to the end.

Nor should we listen to those who, in contradiction to Scripture, teach that faith is extinct in the elect when, through its barrenness, they bring forth no fruit. In what sense, then, does Ezekiel mean that the just fall away? That question is easily answered, since he is not here treating of the living root of justice, but of the outward form or appearance, as we commonly say.

Paul reminds us that God knows us, but adds that this seal remains (2 Timothy 2:19). God therefore reserves for Himself alone the distinction between the elect and the reprobate, since many seem to be members of His Church who are only outwardly so. And that passage from Augustine is true: that there are many wolves within, and many sheep without.

For before God reveals His election, the sheep wander and seem altogether strangers to the hope of salvation. Meanwhile, many hypocrites make use of the name of God and openly boast of being pre-eminent in the Church, but inwardly they are wolves. But because it often happens that some make the greatest show of piety and justice, the Prophet very properly says that if such people fall away, they cannot boast of their former righteousness before God, since its remembrance will be blotted out.

In short, we see that the word righteousness here refers to what we can observe, and not to God’s hidden judgment. So, the Prophet teaches only what we perceive daily: for those who seem to excel others desert their calling, shake off every yoke, cast away the fear of God, and sometimes rush on with diabolical fury.

When this happens, we hear what the Spirit pronounces by the mouth of the Prophet: that none of their righteousness will be taken into account. But weight is added to His words when He says, If you have turned aside from righteousness and done according to all the abominations of the impious (or wicked), will he live?

For the Prophet separates those who desert God and rush into every wickedness from those who fall through infirmity or thoughtlessness, and also from those who, though they would fall headlong into ruin unless God preserved them, do not utterly cast off His fear and the desire of living piously and righteously.

For example, everyone is occasionally off guard; and thus, in countless ways, we offend God through error. And so David exclaims, Who can understand his faults? (Psalms 19:12). We fall of our own accord, since we are often conquered by temptations, even when our consciences accuse us, so that, although sanctified, we decline from the path of uprightness through ignorance and depart from duty through infirmity.

But what is far worse, the saints sometimes rush headlong, as though utterly desperate. For the example of David shows that the elect, although regenerated by God’s Spirit, not only sin to a small extent but, as I have said, plunge into the very lowest abyss. David became a perfidious homicide and a traitor to the army of God; then that wretched king fell into a series of crimes. Yet he failed in only one thing and showed that God’s grace was only suffocated within him, and not altogether extinguished.

For as soon as Nathan reproves him, he confesses that he had sinned and is prepared to undergo any punishment which God may inflict. Since, therefore, the saints sometimes fall, the Prophet here stretches forth his hand, lest they should despair, and bears witness that God does not reject them unless they turn aside from their righteousness and commit all the abominations which the impious do. By these words, as we see, he expresses a complete revolt, and he thus mitigates the severity of the sentence, lest the minds of those who had only partially relapsed should despond.

Now we see the meaning of this language: If he has done according to all the abominations of the wicked, will he live? he says. All the righteousness which he has done will not be remembered, because he will perish. Here the Prophet shows that a mere temporary righteousness will not profit us unless we persevere to the end in the fear of God.

Here again the contrast is worthy of notice, because it enables us to refute a fiction that is current in the schools of the papacy. They say that guilt is remitted by God, but the punishment is retained. Now what does our Prophet say? If the impious turns away from his impiety, I will no longer remember any of his iniquities.

Here the papists thrust forward the foolish distinction that God does not remember them concerning their guilt, but He does concerning their punishment. But what follows a little afterwards? If the just turns away from his justice, his justice will not be taken into account. But if acts of righteousness are not taken into account concerning merit, and yet are concerning reward, what is the meaning of the passage? How will the Prophet’s meaning stand?

But we must understand what the Prophet says in this way: because, if the distinction between guilt and punishment is valid, then that between merit and reward will also be valid. Therefore, it would follow that concerning merit, God forgets all acts of righteousness; but as far as reward is concerned, they are remembered, since they are not abolished.

Since, then, it is sufficiently clear that the righteousness of the backslider is not taken into account in such a way as to lead him to hope for reward, it follows, on the other hand, that the sins of the penitent are abolished not only concerning guilt but also concerning punishment.