21 And the wicked—when he turneth back From all his sins that he hath done, And he hath kept all My statutes, And hath done judgment and righteousness, He doth surely live, he doth not die. 22 All his transgressions that he hath done Are not remembered to him, In his righteousness that he hath done he liveth. 23 Do I at all desire the death of the wicked? An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, Is it not in his turning back from his way—And he hath lived? 24 And in the turning back of the righteous from his righteousness, And he hath done perversity, According to all the abominations That the wicked hath done, he doth—thus he liveth, All his righteousnesses that he hath done are not remembered, For his trespass that he hath trespassed, And for his sin that he hath sinned, For them he doth die. 25 And ye have said, Not pondered is the way of the Lord. Hear, I pray you, O house of Israel, My way—is it not pondered? Are not your ways unpondered?
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Ezekiel 18:21-25
Commentary on Ezekiel 18:21-29
(Read Ezekiel 18:21-29)
The wicked man would be saved, if he turned from his evil ways. The true penitent is a true believer. None of his former transgressions shall be mentioned unto him, but in the righteousness which he has done, as the fruit of faith and the effect of conversion, he shall surely live. The question is not whether the truly righteous ever become apostates. It is certain that many who for a time were thought to be righteous, do so, while 28 is the beginning and progress of repentance. True believers watch and pray, and continue to the end, and they are saved. In all our disputes with God, he is in the right, and we are in the wrong.