Accountability

Scripture: Romans 14:12

God described David as “a man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22) and1 Kings 15:5 described David as doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord,“except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.”The matter of Uriah the Hittite was so weighty that David was held accountable by God. The story is recounted in 2 Samuel 11 where Uriah was killed in battle. David was both accountable and responsible for Uriah’s death and this spelled disaster for his own household (2 Samuel 12). Ultimately the entire nation suffered because of David’s transgression. As Christians, we must ensure that we are accountable to Godly men and women who have the freedom speak into our lives.

By accountability we mean developing relationships with other Christians that help to promote spiritual reality, honesty, obedience to God, and genuine evaluations of one’s walk and relationship with God and with others. Jesus Christ, though God of very God, is subject to or accountable to the Father (1 Cor. 11:3; 3:23; 15:24-28). As Hebrews 13:17 teaches, the local church consists of overseers who are responsible for and accountable to the flock. In turn, the flock are to be accountable and responsible to their leaders.

Finally, looking atEzek 33:8, Mat 12:36-37, Rom 14:12, Jam 3:1 and 1 Pet 4:5, we learn thataccountability is a gift from God to help us stay on the right path and live spiritually successful lives.