WE ARE ACCOUNTABLE

I wonder why we think we can do and say things in God and not be held accountable for our words and actions? Well, the truth is God does hold us accountable for what we do and say especially when we speak for Him. It is an awesome thing to be able to speak for God, but take heed and make no mistake my friend measure your words when you get a chance to speak for God much is at stake especially things pertaining to our well-being and future in God, but of more importance is the well-being of others. Our words and actions have greater bearing and impact on the lives of others more than it does on ours. I have seen it time and time again our quick tongue often can leave us short of what God really wants to do in a given situation or complicate things for us and God. James gives us guidance here in the way we are to keep our tongue even in a trial, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:” (James 1:19) We often get over in being swift to speak and slow to hear when we think we have some skin in the game, when we think we are responsible for something in God. That is the same concept and thinking Satan told God when God offered up Job to be tested, “And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.” (Job 2:4) It was not Job’s earthly goods Satan was talking about, but about a concept of being responsible for the many things in Job’s life. Man will do and say whatsoever it takes to save his hide and to save his very life. My friend we are not responsible for anything in our life. We owe everything in our lives to God why our very breath is not ours, but is the property of God and He graciously gives us breath so the purposes of His will can come to an end in our lives. We came into this world with nothing and we shall leave with nothing so why do we thing we are responsible for things in between our nothingness? I think the closest we can come to be responsible for something, while on earth, is our attitude out from our reaction to life’s many problems, situations, and circumstances, but even in the situations, circumstances, and problems we have little to nothing to do with them. Now I have many Christian friends who quickly tell me God does not cause or originate problems, situations, and circumstances in our lives it is the devil who makes all of these dark and evil things happen in the earth and in our lives, well that is not what the Bible says. In the Book of Isaiah we find the real origination of problems, situations, and circumstances in our lives, “That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else. 7I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.’ (Isaiah 45:6-7) Who would believe God creates darkness and God creates evil? Not too many Christians, maybe that is why not too many Christians really understand God and why they are confused between God’s grace and His longsuffering, why they are confused between God’s holiness and His judgment, and why they are confused between God’s responsibility and His accountability. To understand we are not responsible, but accountable we must understand that God can create evil and darkness, it is a side of God’s character that man seldom sees, but is the majority of His character. The only way we will be able to come to this understanding is when we allow God to walk us though darkness. Did you know there are two types of darkness? The first darkness is that which arises from sin. It is a darkness that is filled with unhappiness and leads the Christian to eternal death. Now the second darkness is a darkness which the LORD allows within our inward part in order to establish and settle virtue in us. This is a happy darkness because it illuminates our inward spirit (it strengthens it) and gives it greater light. There is nothing more enjoyable in God than to have God take us though a dark and unknown time in our lives where we can see or feel nothing, seemingly all we can do is grope our way along in the dead of night, but deep within us God is building a trust in us that is far beyond faith. This is the progression in God: faith, trust, and rest. It is in the darkness in the blackest of times we truly come to trust in God. And God creates this for us. Who would believe God creates evil? Well, all you have to do is look at the Bible and see all of the things God did out from His sovereignty that a religious man would say, “God would not do that.” In Exodus 4:21, it says that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart how evil of God to do this right? Well, God is God and we are not. God does what He desires to do to make His plans come to an end in our lives. The only way we will be able to come to this understanding is when we allow God to walk us though evil. When all around us is evil and we can turn not to the right or left for help, evil on all sides, yet God is with us in the mist of the evil and we pass through the evil without being touched. Even in the Valley of the Shadow of Death God is with us, what a wonderful place to take a break and rest in. Please take heed my friend the things we call darkness and evil may be the hand of God in our life. I wonder what the hand of God looks like? Maybe at times it is darkness and evil. It was for Joseph when he was thrown in a pit by his brothers, sold into slavery, and sent to prison. As in Job’s case who would have thought God allowing Stan to test him so was God’s perfect will for Job’s life and the way God wanted to repay him back twice what he lost. In our many years we have known many churches who are looking for a pastor by a pastor search committee and some actually think they are responsible for finding a pastor for the church. And when things do not happen as they plan their quick words are spoken and offence takes root. As a matter of fact a wonderful Church in Holly Ridge NC has asked me to consider pastoring them at first my heart was to help fill their pulpit, but after speaking a few times and getting to know their heart God may have me (it would be a grand privilege and honor) pastor them, but at any rate it is not the pastor search committee’s responsibility to find a pastor it is God’s responsibility, it is God’s church not ours. I wonder why we think the church we attend is ours? Now we may pay the bills, cut the grass, and paint the parking lot, but the church is not ours. Jesus paid a great price for His church and He is not going to give it up. Here we have confused the difference between responsibility and accountability. We have the accountability (being held to a certain standard) not the responsibility when it comes to leadership over churches, ministries, denominations, and religious organizations. We often think we are responsible to make things happen, see people come to the LORD, but not so in God. In God we have the accountability not the responsibility. God and God solely alone is responsible for His church and His good name in the earth. Jesus told Peter, “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:13) Just a thought: what is the church doing at the gates of hell? Jesus told us He will build His church (it is His church not ours), building His church and kingdom on earth is not our responsibility, but in the building process God holds us accountable in those areas He has given us stewardship and care. Do you see the difference? But there is an even deeper thought moving here. Most Christians get over into areas that are not theirs to handle. In God we must handle the things God has given us (to the best of the ability we have allowed Him to work in us) and leave the other things to God and those who have qualified for them. But the deeper thought here is we are the church. The church (Jesus said He is going to build) is not a building or organization, but a living temple of humanity? And did you know God has a building program? Solomon in Psalms said, “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” (Psalms 127:1) We are the house of the LORD and unless we allow God to build us we will labor (even though the building of brick and mortar may be beautiful and well groomed) in vain in all we do. For us to allow God to build us we must enter into God’s building program and my friend God begins building by tearing down everything in us that is not of Him. Every foundation and every structure we depend on for strength and support God must tear down and bring to naught in our lives. The more God builds in us the more we will be able to handle God’s truths and see Him as He really is. The more God tears down strongholds (we are built on) in our lives the more we will be able to understand the difference between God’s responsibility and our accountability, because it is the work of God in our lives that opens up our understanding and illuminating our mind giving us revelation to the knowledge of God. Not too many Christians have or really want to possess this knowledge the cost is too high of a price to pay, so many Christians continue in their religious pious ways content with the form of God and never getting to the heart of God. The Body of Christ (made of human flesh, humanity) is built one block at a time on sacrifice and my friend it is the individual’s sacrifice from each member is the individual building blocks that Jesus uses to build His Church. We can see this accountability and not responsibility by the way we comply with what God wants for our lives. The Bible is full of areas we are to comply with God in. Now we think God really looks at His commandants to see if we comply with them and He does. But God also looks at the optional things in our lives that are up to us to obey. We think when we comply with God’s commandments (obeying the letter of the law) God is happy with us, well this is true to some degree, but I think God is happier with us when we obey those optional areas where our compliance with God’s options shows a greater willingness to do the right thing than complying with God’s commandments. This is why God gave us a free will instead of making us serve Him. The responsibility thinking makes following God a commandment, but understanding we are accountable to God for our actions, words, and the things God has given us to do for service shows our willingness to be obedient without being forced by God to do something. Anytime we do things for God out from our heart’s desire we have recognized we are accountable because we have come to know our actions is well pleasing to God. You know when our children grow up and understand they are accountable to their parents it is not a responsibility they feel oh no, but it is a desire to do the right thing being accountable for one’s actions and words because of the love and respect they have for themselves and their parents so too with God. We are accountable to God. Written by David Stahl