I found the above video by R.C. Sproul, posted by Ligonier, in which he comments on Ezekiel 18:30–32; 33:10–11; in which he twists it around, and gives a completely distorted picture of it. First, let’s examine the scripture passages he is commenting on, and see what they actually do say:
Ezekiel 18:
30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.
Ezekiel 33:
10 Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live?
11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
The highlighted bits are self-explanatory. The focus of both passages is repentance. The idea is that God has no pleasure in the death (damnation, condemnation) of the wicked, but prefers that they repent of their sins, be forgiven and saved. That is the underlying message of both passages of scripture—that genuine repentance (turning away from sin, not committing them again) results in complete forgiveness and remission of sins, absolution, and ultimately redemption and salvation. But notice how R.C. Sproul’s commentary distorts the picture completely out of recognition:
“God doesn’t take any pleasure in the death of the wicked. Nevertheless, though He doesn’t enjoy it, as it were, He still decrees it. And that is a point that we must remember—that even in His benevolence, God will never negotiate His righteousness or His own holiness. And He will still punish the wicked despite His being in a disposition of goodwill toward them.”
Utterly false. God doesn’t have a “disposition of goodwill toward them”—only as they choose to repent of their sins—in which case their sins will be forgiven, and will be remembered no more against them. He then continues:
“I like to think of it as a judge, for example, whose son is brought before him who is guilty of grand larceny, and the case is heard in the court. And the judge knows that his son is guilty, and the jury brings in the verdict of guilty. And it is left to the judge to sentence the guilty party because of what the law requires. A just judge in this circumstance would impose a just penalty, even on his own son. Despite his personal concern, despite his personal love for that son, out of his own love for the law and for righteousness and justice, he will sentence his son to prison. He may do it with tears, but nevertheless because of his commitment to righteousness and to justice, the judge will do the right thing.”
No mention of forgiveness of sins through repentance—which is the central message of both sets of scripture. The reason for that of course is that if Ezekiel is true, it cancels out Calvinism 100%. It destroys the whole of the “five points” of Calvinism (TULIP) on a grand scale. It destroys (1) Total Depravity (everybody can repent and be saved, and therefore no “prior regeneration” is required). It destroys (2) Unconditional Election (everyone has the choice and ability to repent and be saved, and nobody is “predestined”). It destroys (3) Limited Atonement (if everyone has the choice and ability to repent, be forgiven and saved, then Atonement cannot be “limited”). It destroys (4) Irresistible Grace (if the choice is theirs whether to repent and be saved or not, then “grace” cannot be “irresistible”). And it destroys (5) Perseverance of the Saints (at least, the Calvinistic version of it. Ezekiel 18:24 makes it clear that not only sinners have the libertarian freewill to repent and be saved; the “saints” likewise have the libertarian freewill to revert back to sin and be damned; and nobody is “predestined”). Calvinism is the biggest corruption, perversion, and distortion of the gospel that has ever been invented since Christianity came into existence.
