Category Archives: Accountability

Accountability, Bible, Forgiveness, Jesus, Law, Reconciled, Salvation, Scripture

HELD ACCOUNTABLE

ROMANS 5:13

“for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not counted against anyone when there is no law.”

Wouldn’t it be awful to be arrested, charged and imprisoned for breaking a law you never knew existed? I have heard it said, though, that ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it. Laws exist to keep people safe and, hopefully, allow for an efficient government (that’s not always the case). There have been laws on the books for centuries, some good and some bad. We are told to respect those in authority and submit to them. That’s hard to do

Paul continues to lay out the necessity for our reconciliation with God by showing us that sin has existed since the fall of Adam. There was no written law for people before God gave it to Moses, but there was still an unwritten law which God had given all mankind. It would indeed be cruel for God to hold people accountable for sins if they did not know they were sins. Paul tells us that was not the case in today’s verse.

APPLICATION

Look at what Poole says about this. “It appears there was a law before the law of Moses, for if there had been no law all that while, then sin would not have been imputed to men, so as to make them liable to punishment or death; but sin was imputed or charged upon men before the law of Moses, and death passed upon all. Therefore, there must have been a law, by the transgression of which men were sinners, before that time. And that was either the law of nature, or the positive law which God gave to Adam,…” (Matthew Poole’s Commentary)

Paul has already covered this back in Romans 1:20. “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” No one can claim they did not know any better. They cannot claim God just made me this way. Boy, I’ve heard that a lot. Sorry, it doesn’t work.

How does this apply to us? I think it’s pretty clear. We have no excuse for our sins. We cannot claim ignorance. Christ came to die to cleanse us of all sin. Nothing prevents anyone from receiving that free gift. It doesn’t matter where you live, what you do for a living, who your family is or any other excuse you want to throw out there. Christ died for YOU! Never deny that. And if you have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, give Him praise right now. Bless His holy name.

Bless the Lord, o my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Accountability, Bible, Guilt, Guilty, Judging, Judgment, Law, Scripture

ACCOUNTABLE

ROMANS 3:19

“Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God;”

In our Every Man A Warrior books, we teach men to be accountable to God, family and other men. We are not afraid to confront each other about our lives. We challenge each other to be better men, to treat our wives as Christ would, to love our children as unto the Lord and to live for our communities to make it a better place. Accountability is difficult at times, but it is definitely worth it in the end.

Paul reminds his readers in today’s verse about two undeniable truths. One is that in order to be held accountable to a law, there must first be a law. Secondly, in order to be held accountable, there must have been a violation of the law. Paul’s readers knew this. God’s law was present and pertained to all. Their guilt was based on the fact that they had violated at least one of those commandments, thereby violating them all. Guilt was present.

APPLICATION

In the Commitment we sign as warriors in Every Man A Warrior, number five says that we will not be defensive if our brothers challenge us (hold us accountable). That may be related to not doing the weekly assignment or memorizing that week’s verse. We want to challenge each other to help each other grow. That’s the whole purpose behind God’s accountability in our lives. His commandments were given to us to make us more like Him. Who doesn’t want that?

The Greek word translated as “accountable” is hupodikos, and it only occurs right here in the New Testament. It literally means “under sentence.” In order for a sentence to be given, guilt must be proven. In our U.S. court systems, we say everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Then and only then is the sentence rendered. Sometimes that sentence is light and other times it is harsh, such as the death penalty.

None of us have a defense against the “divine bench.” The Great Judge will render judgment on all mankind. We, however, as followers of Christ, have escaped this great judgment because our guilt was put on another. Isaiah 53:5 speaks of the suffering Servant (Jesus) when it says, “But He was pierced for our offenses, He was crushed for our wrongdoings; the punishment for our well-being was laid upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” Thank You, Lord, for carrying my guilt to the cross.

I am forever grateful that You paid a debt You did owe because I owed a debt I could not pay.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Accountability, Bible, Encouragement, Faith, Gossip, Scripture

DID YOU HEAR ABOUT…?

COLOSSIANS 1:4

“since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints;” 

The old kudzu vine spreads rumors and gossip faster than a bird after a June bug. How’s that for a Southern expression, lol. Do you know what kudzu is? It is a plant that was originally brought into the U.S. to help control erosion. It quickly took off and now covers a lot of the landscape in the South. It can completely bury a structure and climb and eventually kill a tree. It reportedly can grow up to four inches a day in the right conditions. But it bears no fruit. It only destroys. Gossip can spread just as fast.

Paul wasn’t talking about the kudzu vine (or the grape vine, if you prefer that expression). He had sent Epaphras there to bring back news of how they were progressing in their faith. In verses 7-8 (which we will look at in a few days), we see this. “7 just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, 8 he also informed us of your love in the Spirit.” What a great report!

APPLICATION

How do you talk about fellow believers? Do you share how well they are doing in their walk with Jesus, or do you share rumors of how they have messed up? Scripture is pretty clear about not spreading rumors. In 2 Corinthians 12:20, Paul rebukes the Corinthian church against this. “For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.”

Not only there but look at Proverbs 11:13 (NIV). “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.” Also in Proverbs 18:8, we read, “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.” So, it is clear that when we talk about others, it should not be hurtful or harmful words. We are to build each other up, like Epaphras did the Colossae believers.

Hold your tongue and do not sin, just like Job did in Job 2:10. Even though he was going through severe persecution, it says he did not sin with his lips. Can you do the same? If you don’t have something good to say, don’t say anything at all. We’ve all been told that a time or two, haven’t we? Give good reports!

Father, guard my mouth and help me to speak only good of my fellow believers.

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Abiding, Accountability, Bible, Choices, Desires, Flesh, Lusts, Mind, Scripture, Wrath

WE WERE THERE

EPHESIANS 2:3

“Among them we too all previously lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest.” 

It is so easy to get caught up in a mob mentality. One minute you are discussing something calmly and then things get heated. The next thing you know, you are shouting and screaming at each other. The bigger the crowd, the louder it gets. We’ve seen all the protests lately all over the world. People who have no idea what they are protesting are yelling, chanting and doing things behind masks they would have never done a year ago.

But don’t point your fingers. Paul tells us in today’s verse that we were there. We were just like them. He says, “we too all previously lived.” In other words, don’t forget that this is where you came from. Then Paul describes some of our actions in the past. We “lived in the lusts of our flesh.” We indulged “the desires of the flesh and mind.” We “were by nature children of wrath.” Let’s look at these past actions of ours to remind ourselves of where we have come from and to never return there.

APPLICATION

What are “the lusts of our flesh”? Benson says in his commentary, that they are “the base appetites of which we were enslaved” that cause us “to forget the dignity and happiness of rational and immortal spirits.” Did you get that? These lusts drive you to do things. Paul includes himself in this description. He also struggled with these before Christ rescued him.

Then Paul further defines these lusts. He says they are “the desires of the flesh and mind.” These desires affect both the body and the mind. They are our actions and our thoughts. I have been reading a book lately that says our thoughts lead to words. Our words lead to actions. And our actions lead to habits. (Take Captive Every Thought by Jeff Rowe) How true that is. When we give in to our thoughts, things can progress very quickly.

Paul finishes this thought by saying we, “were by nature children of wrath.” Boy, that sounds harsh, doesn’t it? Listen to what Barnes says about this phrase. “I do not know a more strong or positive declaration that can be made to show that people are by nature destitute of holiness and exposed to perdition.” Wow! But that was us BEFORE Jesus. Praise be to God we are no longer there. Sin no longer has a grip on us. We are free to do as God wills. Amen!

Father, thank You for freeing me from these lusts of the flesh and my tendency to sin. I have Your Holy Spirit living in me.

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Accountability, Asking, Bible, Calling, God's Will, Prayer, Requests, Scripture, Talking

YOU’RE IN MY PRAYERS

EPHESIANS 1:16

“do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers;”

For years now I have been praying for a list of friends, family, fellow missionaries and ministries. I am pretty regimented in my list. I have a daily prayer list, a weekly prayer list and a monthly prayer list. If I did not do that, I would definitely leave someone out of my prayers. But I also try to pray spontaneously when someone asks me to pray for them, either in person or through text or email. It doesn’t take but a second or two to bow your head and lift up a prayer to our Father.

Paul loved these believers in Ephesus. He knew he was probably not going to see them again, so he wanted them to know how grateful he was for them and that they were in his prayers. When someone tells you they are praying for you, that means a lot. I am sure when this letter was read to the church, they all smiled, picturing their beloved teacher and fellow believer. They knew the power of his prayers. This brought them comfort.

APPLICATION

Who are you praying for? Who are you praying with? I have to confess something. The one person I don’t pray enough with is my wife. Sure, we pray at meals and once or twice a week before we go to sleep. But I mean we don’t spend that extra, consistent time we need as a couple praying with and for each other. Forgive me, Chris. Encourage me to do better.

Okay, I had to say that.  They say confession is good for the soul. I bet you are not much different. We are told in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to pray without ceasing. Paul uses the adverb, adialeiptós, three other times in Romans 1:9, 1 Thessalonians 1:3 and 2:13. Adialeiptós means to not allow any interval of time to separate. We should always be in a spirit of prayer. Prayer is our way to communicate with God. Why would we ever want to stop talking to Him?

A.W. Tozer said, “The key to prayer is simply praying.” It’s not that hard. There are no magic words, just open hearts. Pray for your family. Pray for your friends. Pray for people you know who are lost and need Jesus. Keep praying. Don’t stop. He hears each and every prayer you offer. He will answer in His time, in His way.

Give me knees that are calloused from bending in prayer before You, O Lord.

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Accountability, Bible, Choices, Circumcision, Commands, Disciples, Following, God's Will, Heart, Holiness, Law, Scripture

FOLLOW THE RULE

GALATIANS 6:16

“And all who will follow this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.”

Are you a rule follower? I guess I am for the most part. I have to admit, I don’t always drive the speed limit. Other than that, I guess I follow the rules of law in our country. I pay my taxes. I don’t commit any crimes. I am just so glad I don’t have to worry about following a long list of rules set down by God. Now, don’t get me wrong, I do follow His commands set forth in Scripture as best I can. But I am free in Christ.

So, what is Paul talking about here – “all who will follow this rule”? What rule? The Greek word translated as “rule” is kanon, which means a measuring rod, usually a cane or reed used as a standard of measure. Paul expected believers to keep themselves holy. That was the measuring rod. It wasn’t about keeping the law. It was about obeying God. What is God’s standard? Holiness. Paul says when we do that, we will have peace and mercy and prove ourselves as the true Israel of God.

APPLICATION

Psalm 51:16-17 gives us a clear picture of what God expects of us. “16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You do not take pleasure in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, God, You will not despise.” This is the “rule” Paul is referring to. God isn’t concerned with gathering a bunch of rule followers. He wants sincere followers of Christ.

Paul probably had the words of Jeremiah ringing through his mind as he talked about circumcision and rules. Jeremiah 4:4 says, “‘Circumcise yourselves to the LORD and remove the foreskins of your hearts, men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,’” It wasn’t about the physical. It was all about the spiritual. Our hearts need to bear the mark of Jesus. We don’t need to bear a physical mark on our bodies.

So, let me ask you again, are you a rule follower? I pray you are. I pray you are following the rule set forth by God. Turn to His Son, Jesus, and let Him give you a new heart. If you have done that, then walk in Him. Surrender your heart to Him afresh each and every day. Amen? Amen!

Lord, I am thankful I have been considered worthy to be one of Your followers because of Jesus.

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Accountability, Allegiance, Belief, Bible, Commands, God's Will, Hypocrisy, Judgment, Obedience, Sacrifice, Scripture

HYPOCRITES

GALATIANS 6:13

“For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they want to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh.”

Do as I say and not as I do. You’ve heard that before, I am sure. A lot of parents may not say those words to their children, but they sure live them out. “Don’t smoke!” But they light one up regularly. “Don’t drink!” But they don’t have a problem popping a cool one. “Don’t cuss!” But they let a few words slide out when they are upset. It’s easy to give directions if you aren’t holding yourself to the same standard.

Paul continues to confront the Judaizers who were trying to force the Galatians to follow the Mosaic Law in addition to accepting Jesus as Savior. As a former Pharisee, Paul knew all too well the debilitating consequences of trying to follow the law. You couldn’t pick and choose which parts of the law you wanted to follow. It was all or nothing. Fortunately, the Galatian believers needed none of it. Paul wants to make sure they know that.

APPLICATION

James said it best, I think, when he said this in James 2:10. “For whoever keeps the whole Law, yet stumbles in one point, has become guilty of all.” There you have it. You can’t say, “Get circumcised,” and not keep the rest of the law. These Judaizers were forcing the issue of circumcision without they themselves keeping the whole law. They were, in fact, guilty of breaking the whole law. It was a futile exercise.

Don’t get me wrong. The law served its purpose. It pointed out to men the impossibility of keeping it. We needed something more. We needed the perfect sacrifice to end all sacrifices. Jesus provided that. Hebrews 10:14 says, “For by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” Hallelujah, praise the Lord!

Paul was not letting the Galatians off the hook with this statement in today’s verse. They still needed to follow the Lord’s commands. They should still strive to be holy as He is holy. But now all those things are under the blood of the Lamb. He has paid the price for our failings. We obey out of love, not fear.

O Lord, help me be an example of truth and honesty, not hypocrisy.

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Accountability, Appearance, Arrogance, Bible, Deception, Honesty, Lies, Scripture, Truth

YOU CAN’T MOCK GOD

GALATIANS 6:7

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a person sows, this he will also reap.”

To mock someone isn’t very nice. Have you ever been mocked? Do you even know what I mean by that? To mock someone is to turn your nose up or sneer at them. In other words, you show how you feel about them – not very much. It’s meant to try to hurt that person. When you mock someone, you almost always do it so they are aware of it. You want them to see you do this in order to inflict as much pain as possible.

Well, that just won’t work with God, according to Paul in today’s verse. He says, “God is not mocked;…” The Greek word used here is only used right here in the New Testament. The word comes from the Greek word for nostril. So, you can see the symbolism. But look at why Paul says God will not be mocked. A man will reap what he sows. Let’s look at that.

APPLICATION

You may have heard it said that a lot of folks are quick to sow their wild oats and then they pray for a crop failure. Well, you can’t fool God. He knows what you’re up to. You are only deceiving yourself. You can’t pretend to be a Christian and keep one foot in the world. God knows. You can’t say you love your brother and try to take advantage. God knows.

The Greek word for “deceive” means to wander or be misled. It’s in the Present tense which means you are constantly doing it. It’s a command – don’t do this. And it’s in the middle voice which means you are misleading yourself. Did I lose you. Paul is saying to the Galatians, “Don’t let yourself wander from the truth.” This applies to us today just as much. We are prone to wander just as easily.

Do you want to live in truth? Do you want to live with nothing to hide? Then submit to God. Do not attempt to hide stuff from Him. You may turn your nose up for a while, thinking you’ve got this handled. But it will come crashing in sooner or later. Do not be deceived! God will not be mocked!

O Lord, I want to live for You and show the world I am Your child

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Accountability, Admonished, Advocate, Bible, Choices, Consequences, Forgiveness, Obedience, Redemption, Scripture

YOU’RE GONNA ANSWER FOR THAT

GALATIANS 6:5

“For each one will bear his own load.”

As a proper sibling, I always blamed my brother and two sisters for stuff. If I messed up something, Cheryl did it. If I broke something, it was Tim’s fault. And if I got into the cookie jar, of course, it was Brenda. I didn’t want to take the blame for anything. My parents weren’t dummies, though. They knew who was behind 90% of those things.

Paul tells the Galatians here that they must take responsibility for their own issues. They couldn’t blame others Elliott says this, “Here he is told that he must ‘bear his own load,’ in the sense that he must answer directly to God for his own actions. His responsibility cannot be shifted on to others.” I do believe this still applies to us today, doesn’t it?

APPLICATION

Romans 3:23 tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” That includes you and me. There is no way around it. I sat next to a one-year-old on a flight recently. Let me tell you – no one had to teach her how to pitch a fit. It just comes naturally.

But there is an escape plan. Remember 1 Corinthians 10:13? It says, “No temptation has overtaken you except something common to mankind; and God is faithful, so He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”

Aren’t you grateful for that? We still have to confess those sins. We still have to make things right. We still have to bear our own burdens. In fact, the Greek word used here for “load” actually means something that an individual has to carry themselves. And then, we take that “load” and lay it at the feet of Jesus. He understands. He can take it up. Take a minute and read Isaiah 53:4-5. You will see what He carried for us.

Lord, I bring my load to You. I know You can carry it much further and better than I.

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Accountability, Battles, Bible, Burdens, Comfort, Family, God's Will, Ministry, Obedience, Scripture

SO, YOU THINK YOU’RE SOMETHING

GALATIANS 6:3

“For if anyone thinks that he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”

Ouch! This verse feels like Paul is stepping on my toes. How about you? We have all been there. We think we are better than someone else. We think we would have never fallen like that person did. Some of my hardest falls have been the result of overconfidence. I like what Doddridge says about this verse. “The worst part of the fraud falls on his own head.” Man, that stings.

Don’t forget that this verse immediately follows the verse about bearing each other’s burdens. This is why. Because you may wind up in the same fix and need help yourself. Paul is warning the Galatians against vanity – spiritual vanity. Oh, it was so easy for them to think they were better than others. They had arrived. They were above those who struggle. Paul is saying, “Not so fast! You too may need a hand down the road.”

APPLICATION

I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 10:12 where it says, “Now, when you think you are standing firm, be careful lest you fall.” We can never get overconfident, unless that overconfidence is in Jesus. He will never fail – NEVER! His promises are true. In Joshua 23, Joshua repeats a statement from chapter 21. He says in verse 14, “‘Now behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one word of all the good words which the LORD your God spoke concerning you has failed; they all have been fulfilled for you, not one of them has failed.’”

Those promises still hold true. He is a promise keeper to the end. Even the last words Jesus spoke on earth after His resurrection says this. In Matthew 28:20 we read, “…‘and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” So, when we fail (and we will), He is always there – to the end.

Let’s back up a minute to the previous verse since this is important to the context. We must bear one another’s burdens because we need each other. There will come a day when you fail and that brother or sister to whom you gave a helping hand will run to your aid. That is how the body works.

Thank You, Father, for the body of Christ that looks out for each other.

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