Ultimate Accountability
Doctrinal Thoughts
Well here we are together pondering for the last time the issue of experiencing a love for accountability and discipline. Why is this theme so important? Naturally people who do not have the work of God’s grace in them will not love the idea of being accountable. The very thoughts of being disciplined runs against the grain of sin that has deep roots into the soul of the person. Even a Christian who has crucified the flesh with its sinful desires (Gal. 5:24) has to still struggle not with the sinful flesh but with the immature heart. We do not know always how to live in and use God’s grace. One of the ways that so many people wind up in trouble in their Christian walk is because they cast aside accountability. But let me stop and ask you a point blank question: Can anyone truly ever escape accountability to someone or something? Absolutely not. The real question is not will be accountable but to whom or to what will be accountable to. Scripture provides for us the answer to such a question. Listen to apostle Paul speak concerning the issue of being a slave to sin or a slave to righteousness. He said: “Don’t you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master? You can choose sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God and receive his approval. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you have obeyed with all your heart the teaching God has given you. Now you are free from sin, your old master, and you have become slaves to your new master, righteousness” (Romans 6:16-18).
In life there will always be something or someone to hold us accountable. The question is what will that be? We can either learn to love God’s accountability system or we will live with Satan’s accountability system. The reformer Martin Luther said it this way: “The world doesn’t want to be punished. It wants to remain in darkness. It doesn’t want to be told that what it believes is false. If you also don’t want to be corrected, then you might as well leave the church and spend your time at the bar and brothel. But if you want to be saved—and remember that there’s another life after this one—you must accept correction. . . . If you want to be saved and be a Christian, then stay open to correction. A preacher has to rebuke, or he should leave his position. The Christian who won’t accept correction is only pretending to be a Christian” (By Faith Alone, July 2nd Devotion). One of the best gauges to determine how mature you are in Christ is to ask yourself how much do you love accountability. Do you enjoy being corrected? I’m not asking does it make you happy immediately when corrected. I am asking does it bring you deep satisfaction, joy, contentment, and a sense of justice done to the soul when you are corrected for the sake of truth? God is the truth and when we are corrected or held accountable to any standard of truth it is because ultimately all of the universe must answer to him. We can either learn to love and cherish it, or we can spurn it and admit our love for Satan the author of all rebellion and anarchy. But know this, a love for accountability and discipline is a mark of a healthy Christian. An unhealthy person is one who spurns it and always has an excuse and self-justification reaction.
Life Application
One of my favorite stories of a man who loved ultimate accountability to God more than to sinful man was with Dr. Paige Patterson. During the serious controversy in the large Southern Baptist Denomination he was faced with a critical choice of who would he ultimately be accountable to. A high ranking denominational leader came to him after he began leading the cause for truth against all of the skeptics and non-Bible believing professors who were training the Southern Baptist pastors in the country and this man asked him to cease pushing for biblical fidelity and to grow silent. Dr. Landes, executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, promised that he and others would give to Dr. Patterson “something very significant and permanent in the denomination” (Judge Paul Pressler, A Hill on Which to Die, 168). At this divine moment Paige had to make a choice as to what he would be accountable to. He without hesitation yet with a polite spirit refused the offer. The Denominational leader asked him why and Paige replied: “Because I fear God more than I fear the denomination” (168). Let me ask you this question: when you are faced with serious moral conflicts in life do you fear God more than you do your spouse, your children, your friends, your own denomination, or any other person? Ask God to give you more love for his accountability and discipline and you will have the courage to walk humbly as a slave to righteousness. Remember you will be a slave to something or someone, I pray that you choose to be slave to God through Christ Jesus.
Doctrinal Thoughts
Well here we are together pondering for the last time the issue of experiencing a love for accountability and discipline. Why is this theme so important? Naturally people who do not have the work of God’s grace in them will not love the idea of being accountable. The very thoughts of being disciplined runs against the grain of sin that has deep roots into the soul of the person. Even a Christian who has crucified the flesh with its sinful desires (Gal. 5:24) has to still struggle not with the sinful flesh but with the immature heart. We do not know always how to live in and use God’s grace. One of the ways that so many people wind up in trouble in their Christian walk is because they cast aside accountability. But let me stop and ask you a point blank question: Can anyone truly ever escape accountability to someone or something? Absolutely not. The real question is not will be accountable but to whom or to what will be accountable to. Scripture provides for us the answer to such a question. Listen to apostle Paul speak concerning the issue of being a slave to sin or a slave to righteousness. He said: “Don’t you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master? You can choose sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God and receive his approval. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you have obeyed with all your heart the teaching God has given you. Now you are free from sin, your old master, and you have become slaves to your new master, righteousness” (Romans 6:16-18).
In life there will always be something or someone to hold us accountable. The question is what will that be? We can either learn to love God’s accountability system or we will live with Satan’s accountability system. The reformer Martin Luther said it this way: “The world doesn’t want to be punished. It wants to remain in darkness. It doesn’t want to be told that what it believes is false. If you also don’t want to be corrected, then you might as well leave the church and spend your time at the bar and brothel. But if you want to be saved—and remember that there’s another life after this one—you must accept correction. . . . If you want to be saved and be a Christian, then stay open to correction. A preacher has to rebuke, or he should leave his position. The Christian who won’t accept correction is only pretending to be a Christian” (By Faith Alone, July 2nd Devotion). One of the best gauges to determine how mature you are in Christ is to ask yourself how much do you love accountability. Do you enjoy being corrected? I’m not asking does it make you happy immediately when corrected. I am asking does it bring you deep satisfaction, joy, contentment, and a sense of justice done to the soul when you are corrected for the sake of truth? God is the truth and when we are corrected or held accountable to any standard of truth it is because ultimately all of the universe must answer to him. We can either learn to love and cherish it, or we can spurn it and admit our love for Satan the author of all rebellion and anarchy. But know this, a love for accountability and discipline is a mark of a healthy Christian. An unhealthy person is one who spurns it and always has an excuse and self-justification reaction.
Life Application
One of my favorite stories of a man who loved ultimate accountability to God more than to sinful man was with Dr. Paige Patterson. During the serious controversy in the large Southern Baptist Denomination he was faced with a critical choice of who would he ultimately be accountable to. A high ranking denominational leader came to him after he began leading the cause for truth against all of the skeptics and non-Bible believing professors who were training the Southern Baptist pastors in the country and this man asked him to cease pushing for biblical fidelity and to grow silent. Dr. Landes, executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, promised that he and others would give to Dr. Patterson “something very significant and permanent in the denomination” (Judge Paul Pressler, A Hill on Which to Die, 168). At this divine moment Paige had to make a choice as to what he would be accountable to. He without hesitation yet with a polite spirit refused the offer. The Denominational leader asked him why and Paige replied: “Because I fear God more than I fear the denomination” (168). Let me ask you this question: when you are faced with serious moral conflicts in life do you fear God more than you do your spouse, your children, your friends, your own denomination, or any other person? Ask God to give you more love for his accountability and discipline and you will have the courage to walk humbly as a slave to righteousness. Remember you will be a slave to something or someone, I pray that you choose to be slave to God through Christ Jesus.
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