Are We Truly Accountable To God & Others?
Accountable: subject to giving a statement of one's conduct. Being able to answer for one's conduct. To be accountable means to be ready to answer for something we were supposed to do and sometimes things we didn't follow through on. It's an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility.
The Greek word for accountable is: Hupodikos which means under judgment, debtor to one, owing satisfaction to, of liable to punishment from God. To be responsible means to be ready to give an explanation or answer for our actions or lack thereof.
****Matthew 12:37} For by your words you will be justified and acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned and sentenced.
We have to be very careful what we say to people. Many times we make promises or give our word to someone and end up not seeing it through. Have you ever taken a person's name and phone number and promise to call and never did? Have you ever made a promise to do something with someone or to do something for someone and never saw it through? Have you ever purchased something from someone and promise payment and never paid them? Have you ever borrowed money and promised to pay it back but didn't? Have you ever broken any kind of promise or word to anyone in any way? Have you ignored or put off something God put on your heart? We use the excuse that we forgot, we got busy, or just plain procrastinated in seeing things through. Then we wonder why our prayers and our needs are not met. Our words have to line up with our actions. And our actions need to line up with God's Word and His character. Our name and our character will not carry a lot of weight if we keep putting things and people off or if we don't carry things through as we said we would. We are accountable for what we say and what we promise. Breaking a vow or a promise is just as bad as a lying tongue and we all know what God says about that. It is one of the things He detests the most. In fact, a lying tongue is an abomination to Him. We can find that in Proverbs 6:16-19. So if we promise to do something it would be very advantageous for us to see it through and not put it off. We are accountable to one another and to God for what we promise and what we say. We are to be truthful, trustworthy, honest and obedient in all things.
Breaking a promise or our word to someone shows a lack of respect and love. When we don't follow through it does a lot of harm to that person and to our reputation. They can feel abandoned, rejected and totally forgotten. And on top of that we won't be a person of good character.
****Matthew 39:36-38} When He (Jesus) saw the throngs, He was moved with pity and sympathetic for them, because they were bewildered (harassed and distressed and dejected and helpless), like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few. So pray to the Lord of the harvest to force out and thrust laborers into His harvest.
The Lord really spoke to my heart about this Scripture today. He let me know that He isn't talking just about lost souls here. He is talking about all those who are in some kind of need. We are to be a church without walls. We are not supposed to just hang around with Christians all the time. Jesus went to the sinners, He didn't wait for them to come to Him. We are to be out in the world to show the love, compassion, tenderness, care, generosity and forgiveness of Christ Himself. We are to bring in souls, yes, but we are also to be a place of refuge, healing and provision for those out in the world. If we see someone hungry we are to feed them. If we see someone hurting, we are to help heal their hurts . If we see someone bare we are to clothe them. If we see someone grieving, we are to comfort them. If we see someone homeless, we are to give them shelter. If someone is imprisoned, we are to bring them the Good News that Jesus loves them. We are accountable to be a beacon of hope to whoever God puts in our path.
If we are truly to be in the image of Christ then we need to react the way He would when He sees someone hurting or in need. It says in today's Scripture that He was moved with sympathy and compassion. The word "moved" is a word of action. In other words He did something about it. How many of us can say we are moved with pity and compassion when we see someone in need? Sadly, many of us are not and look the other way, ignore the need, or are too busy taking care of our own business . It's time to step up to the plate. We shouldn't wait for people to ask us for help. We should be praying, asking God what we can do for someone today and believe me He will be quick to show us. The question is will we be quick to react? When we don't move out we lose out on some awesome blessings.
****Proverbs 19:17} He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and that which he has given He will repay to him.
When we give, God gives back to us over and above what we can even imagine.
****Proverbs 28:27} He who gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes from their want will have many curses.
When we give out God will make sure that we do not lack in any are of our lives. But on the other hand if we don't give out then we can face many needs in our own lives.
****Matthew 25:40} And the King will reply to them, Truly I tell you, in so far as you did for one of the least of these My brethren, you did it for me.
God sees everything we do, He also hears every word we speak. He sees every deed we do be it good or bad.
This world is love deprived. They are looking to have an experience with Jesus. We are accountable to help them do that. We are to be His hands, His feet, His mouthpiece, His love and everything that is the true character of Christ. We also need to be very sensitive to the Spirit of God. Why? Because sometimes He may not tell us to preach at someone. He may tell us to just love on them. The Word according to John 13:34-35 says basically that they shall know we are His discliples by our love. Does the world see the love of Christ in and through each one of us? The world treats its own better than some of us Christians do many times. It's time to get off the fence, get out of our pity parties and become a true living testimony of who Christ is. Remember, one day we will be face to face with our Savior and we will be accountable for all we did and all we didn't do.
****1 Corinthians 3:13-15} The work of each one will become plainly, openly, known (shown for what it is); for the day of Christ will disclose and declare it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test and critically appraise the character and worth of the work each person has done. If the work which any person has built on this Foundation survives the test, he will get his reward. But if any person's work is burned up under the test, he will suffer loss of it all, losing his reward, though he himself will be saved, but only as one who passed through the fire.
So let's begin today to look around and see who we can help in any way. Don't wait to be asked. But also let us do it as unto the Lord with all our hearts and with all our love. Don't look for rewards from those whom you are blessing, look for the reward God is going to have for you.
****Matthew 6 :1-3} Take care not to do your good deeds publicly or before men, in order to be seen by them; otherwise you will have no reward reserved for you and waiting for you with and from your Father Who is in heaven. thus, whenever you give to the poor, do not blow a trumpet in the synagogues and in the streets like to do that they may be recognized and honored and praised by men. Truly I tell you, they have their reward in full already. But when you give to charity, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. So that your deeds of charity may be in secret, and your Father Who sees in secret will reward you openly.
And in closing the thing we are most accountable for is to love God and to love one another. When we truly walk in love it won't be a hardship but an honor to give to those in need. It won't be a burden to obey God and to be accountable. We should be so filled with the love of God inside of us to the point that it should be just overtaking those around us. It's time to stop hiding our lights under a bushel and allow the world to see how very different we are from them. We are a very peculiar people, hand picked by God. Equipped for whatever He has called us to do. Let's reach out and touch someone for the glory of God.
Remember, everything we have is on loan from God. We came in naked and we will leave naked. We are on loan from God as a gift to one another. The only thing that will mean anything after we leave this earth is what we give out.
The Greek word for accountable is: Hupodikos which means under judgment, debtor to one, owing satisfaction to, of liable to punishment from God. To be responsible means to be ready to give an explanation or answer for our actions or lack thereof.
****Matthew 12:37} For by your words you will be justified and acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned and sentenced.
We have to be very careful what we say to people. Many times we make promises or give our word to someone and end up not seeing it through. Have you ever taken a person's name and phone number and promise to call and never did? Have you ever made a promise to do something with someone or to do something for someone and never saw it through? Have you ever purchased something from someone and promise payment and never paid them? Have you ever borrowed money and promised to pay it back but didn't? Have you ever broken any kind of promise or word to anyone in any way? Have you ignored or put off something God put on your heart? We use the excuse that we forgot, we got busy, or just plain procrastinated in seeing things through. Then we wonder why our prayers and our needs are not met. Our words have to line up with our actions. And our actions need to line up with God's Word and His character. Our name and our character will not carry a lot of weight if we keep putting things and people off or if we don't carry things through as we said we would. We are accountable for what we say and what we promise. Breaking a vow or a promise is just as bad as a lying tongue and we all know what God says about that. It is one of the things He detests the most. In fact, a lying tongue is an abomination to Him. We can find that in Proverbs 6:16-19. So if we promise to do something it would be very advantageous for us to see it through and not put it off. We are accountable to one another and to God for what we promise and what we say. We are to be truthful, trustworthy, honest and obedient in all things.
Breaking a promise or our word to someone shows a lack of respect and love. When we don't follow through it does a lot of harm to that person and to our reputation. They can feel abandoned, rejected and totally forgotten. And on top of that we won't be a person of good character.
****Matthew 39:36-38} When He (Jesus) saw the throngs, He was moved with pity and sympathetic for them, because they were bewildered (harassed and distressed and dejected and helpless), like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few. So pray to the Lord of the harvest to force out and thrust laborers into His harvest.
The Lord really spoke to my heart about this Scripture today. He let me know that He isn't talking just about lost souls here. He is talking about all those who are in some kind of need. We are to be a church without walls. We are not supposed to just hang around with Christians all the time. Jesus went to the sinners, He didn't wait for them to come to Him. We are to be out in the world to show the love, compassion, tenderness, care, generosity and forgiveness of Christ Himself. We are to bring in souls, yes, but we are also to be a place of refuge, healing and provision for those out in the world. If we see someone hungry we are to feed them. If we see someone hurting, we are to help heal their hurts . If we see someone bare we are to clothe them. If we see someone grieving, we are to comfort them. If we see someone homeless, we are to give them shelter. If someone is imprisoned, we are to bring them the Good News that Jesus loves them. We are accountable to be a beacon of hope to whoever God puts in our path.
If we are truly to be in the image of Christ then we need to react the way He would when He sees someone hurting or in need. It says in today's Scripture that He was moved with sympathy and compassion. The word "moved" is a word of action. In other words He did something about it. How many of us can say we are moved with pity and compassion when we see someone in need? Sadly, many of us are not and look the other way, ignore the need, or are too busy taking care of our own business . It's time to step up to the plate. We shouldn't wait for people to ask us for help. We should be praying, asking God what we can do for someone today and believe me He will be quick to show us. The question is will we be quick to react? When we don't move out we lose out on some awesome blessings.
****Proverbs 19:17} He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and that which he has given He will repay to him.
When we give, God gives back to us over and above what we can even imagine.
****Proverbs 28:27} He who gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes from their want will have many curses.
When we give out God will make sure that we do not lack in any are of our lives. But on the other hand if we don't give out then we can face many needs in our own lives.
****Matthew 25:40} And the King will reply to them, Truly I tell you, in so far as you did for one of the least of these My brethren, you did it for me.
God sees everything we do, He also hears every word we speak. He sees every deed we do be it good or bad.
This world is love deprived. They are looking to have an experience with Jesus. We are accountable to help them do that. We are to be His hands, His feet, His mouthpiece, His love and everything that is the true character of Christ. We also need to be very sensitive to the Spirit of God. Why? Because sometimes He may not tell us to preach at someone. He may tell us to just love on them. The Word according to John 13:34-35 says basically that they shall know we are His discliples by our love. Does the world see the love of Christ in and through each one of us? The world treats its own better than some of us Christians do many times. It's time to get off the fence, get out of our pity parties and become a true living testimony of who Christ is. Remember, one day we will be face to face with our Savior and we will be accountable for all we did and all we didn't do.
****1 Corinthians 3:13-15} The work of each one will become plainly, openly, known (shown for what it is); for the day of Christ will disclose and declare it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test and critically appraise the character and worth of the work each person has done. If the work which any person has built on this Foundation survives the test, he will get his reward. But if any person's work is burned up under the test, he will suffer loss of it all, losing his reward, though he himself will be saved, but only as one who passed through the fire.
So let's begin today to look around and see who we can help in any way. Don't wait to be asked. But also let us do it as unto the Lord with all our hearts and with all our love. Don't look for rewards from those whom you are blessing, look for the reward God is going to have for you.
****Matthew 6 :1-3} Take care not to do your good deeds publicly or before men, in order to be seen by them; otherwise you will have no reward reserved for you and waiting for you with and from your Father Who is in heaven. thus, whenever you give to the poor, do not blow a trumpet in the synagogues and in the streets like to do that they may be recognized and honored and praised by men. Truly I tell you, they have their reward in full already. But when you give to charity, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. So that your deeds of charity may be in secret, and your Father Who sees in secret will reward you openly.
And in closing the thing we are most accountable for is to love God and to love one another. When we truly walk in love it won't be a hardship but an honor to give to those in need. It won't be a burden to obey God and to be accountable. We should be so filled with the love of God inside of us to the point that it should be just overtaking those around us. It's time to stop hiding our lights under a bushel and allow the world to see how very different we are from them. We are a very peculiar people, hand picked by God. Equipped for whatever He has called us to do. Let's reach out and touch someone for the glory of God.
Remember, everything we have is on loan from God. We came in naked and we will leave naked. We are on loan from God as a gift to one another. The only thing that will mean anything after we leave this earth is what we give out.
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