Ezekiel 18:24 – If a righteous person can lose all previous righteousness by turning away, how does this align with other Bible passages that suggest salvation or favor is more secure?

1. Understanding the Passage in Context

Ezekiel 18:24 states, “But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and practices iniquity, committing the same abominations as the wicked, will he live? None of the righteous acts he did will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness and sin he has committed, he will die.” At first reading, this text appears to suggest that if a person lives rightly but later turns from righteousness, that individual loses the benefit of all prior godly living. This raises the question: How can this teaching coexist with other biblical passages that promise God’s security, assurance, and unbreakable covenantal promises?

Understanding the covenantal and historical framework of Ezekiel 18 is crucial. The passage is set during the Babylonian exile, a time when many questioned whether they were suffering for their own sins or for the sins of previous generations. Through Ezekiel, God addresses personal responsibility and underscores that an individual cannot rest on past deeds or on another’s righteousness, but must continually walk in obedience.

2. The Relevance of Personal Responsibility

Ezekiel 18 as a whole teaches that every person is accountable for his or her own actions (Ezekiel 18:20). It refutes the notion that one might blame a forefather’s sins for personal calamities. Each individual stands before God on the basis of personal conduct in life. This principle is especially significant when understanding Ezekiel 18:24—righteousness cannot be treated as a one-time transaction where past deeds shield someone who has deliberately chosen to walk persistently in wickedness.

3. The Necessity of Ongoing Obedience in the Old Covenant

The practical emphasis in Ezekiel 18 reflects the Old Covenant setting, where blessings and punishments often manifested in tangible, temporal realities tied to the covenant community (cf. Deuteronomy 28). Under Mosaic Law, faithfulness to God and His commands was expected to be sustained. If someone turned aside to idolatry or injustice and refused to repent, the consequences were severe. Ezekiel 18:24 emphasizes that disobedience persisted in a hardened refusal to return to God nullifies the previous blessings of obedience in terms of covenant fellowship and protection.

4. Biblical Consistency on Perseverance and Endurance

Scripture as a whole affirms that whoever abides under the gracious lordship of God must endure to the end. Many New Testament references highlight that saving faith manifests through perseverance:

• Matthew 24:13: “But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.”

• 1 John 2:19: “They went out from us, but they did not belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us...”

These passages do not contradict Ezekiel 18:24; rather, they clarify that those who remain in faith are genuinely God’s people. Ezekiel’s teaching underscores that a person’s prior righteous conduct is not a substitute for ongoing, living devotion. Persistence in obedience—or the lack thereof—demonstrates the reality of one’s relationship with God.

5. Assurance of Salvation and God’s Fidelity

Biblical teaching also includes robust indications of security and assurance:

• John 10:28: “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand.”

• Philippians 1:6: “...being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will continue to perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

These passages highlight the certainty of God’s power to preserve those who truly believe. There is no contradiction between these verses and Ezekiel 18:24. When an individual genuinely believes, God’s Spirit empowers that believer to remain faithful. However, a conscious, persistent, unrepentant turning away reveals a heart that was never truly transformed. Thus, genuine children of God ultimately persevere, because it is God who sustains them.

6. The Importance of Repentance and Restoration

Ezekiel 18 also emphasizes the possibility of restoration through repentance:

• Ezekiel 18:21: “But if the wicked man turns from all the sins he has committed…he will surely live; he will not die.”

This message of God’s willingness to restore points to His gracious and merciful nature. Even if someone strays, Scripture repeatedly proclaims that those who repent sincerely and come back are embraced by God’s faithful love. Hence, the central antidote to spiritual decline, in both Old and New Testaments, is genuine repentance.

7. Unity of Scriptural Teaching on Salvation and Righteousness

Throughout Scripture, a consistent theme emerges:

• Old Testament saints, under God’s covenant with Israel, were called to walk blamelessly (Genesis 17:1) and practice ongoing obedience (Deuteronomy 10:12–13).

• New Testament believers have likewise been freed from sin to practice righteousness (Romans 6:18).

Ezekiel 18:24 complements these teachings by insisting that those who claim fellowship with God must exhibit a life that aligns with His righteous character. When individuals forsake God, the result is spiritual devastation. Yet, for those who have experienced authentic saving grace and truly rest in the Messiah’s atoning work, there is both the promise and reality of divine preservation.

8. Distinguishing Between Common Hypocrisy and True Conversion

Other biblical passages help differentiate between a temporal, merely external righteousness and a true conversion of the heart. For instance, Jesus’ parable of the sower (Matthew 13) depicts various hearers of the Word: some spring up quickly but later wither. Their turning away shows a superficial profession of faith. Those with a genuine, deeply rooted faith bear fruit to the end. Ezekiel 18:24 echoes that a superficial or temporary righteousness cannot withstand a willful, prolonged departure from God’s commandments.

9. Practical Reflection and Application

When believers read Ezekiel 18:24, it is an exhortation to avoid complacency and a reminder to pursue faithful obedience. Simultaneously, the broader witness of Scripture offers comfort to those whose faith is genuine, assuring them that God’s sustaining grace keeps them secure in Christ (John 6:37; Jude 1:24).

In personal discipleship, this passage encourages self-examination (2 Corinthians 13:5) to ensure that devotion to God is not mere outward performance but a sincere commitment nurtured by the Holy Spirit.

10. Conclusion

Ezekiel 18:24 calls attention to the personal responsibility of maintaining a faithful walk with God. When a person deliberately abandons righteousness, there are spiritually dire consequences. However, other scriptural truths on salvation and the perseverance of God’s true children remind us that those who are genuinely united to God through faith will endure, as it is ultimately God who sustains them.

The integrity and consistency of Scripture remain intact. Together, Ezekiel 18:24 and passages on God’s preserving grace teach the indispensable need for continual repentance, living faith, and true fellowship with God—a balance that has been faithfully preserved in the Hebrew manuscripts and consistently taught through the church’s history and across the broader panorama of Scripture (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16).