Hi Eugene,
Eze 18:21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins which he has committed, and keep all My statutes, and do justice and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die.
Who is speaking in this verse... "1. The Word of Jehovah came to me again, saying," this is Jehovah/God that became Jesus Christ. Is the words He spoke in the OT any different that what He says in the NT? Of course not.
Israel as God's chosen was a physical shadow of His spiritual chosen yet to come. Israel was the physically chosen... the elect are the spiritually chosen, big difference. Israel was never able to obey, because they were not converted spiritually and could not be as Christ had not yet come in the flesh. That is the lesson we learn from them and now, that without the Spirit you "cannot please God."
Rom 8:6-8 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can it be. So then they who are in the flesh cannot please God.
But God always expressed what is necessary and must be done to be spiritually righteous, then and now, so in Eze 18 He did say, "keep all My statutes, and do justice and right." That was what He expected from His chosen, but He was speaking to the future 'spiritual' chosen/elect. So His next statement is also to the future spiritual chosen/elect when He said, "he shall surely live; he shall not die."
If we are chosen, we have been baptised with Christ, the Spirit is indwelling, so we have "life" and "shall not die" the spiritually/second death again with the world. So in Eze. 18:21 it is speaking of spiritual death.
Rom 6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father; even so we also should walk in newness of life.
v. 5 For if we have been joined together in the likeness of His death, we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection;
v. 6 knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be destroyed, that from now on we should not serve sin.
v. 7 For he who died has been justified from sin.
v. 8 But if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
mercy, peace and love
Kat