Accountability For Sin

 What happened to accountability for sin and your actions in local body of believers? One of the least favorite things I've had to do over the past three decades of pastoral ministry is to confront people about sin. There are those who are quick to point out Matt 7:1-5 about not judging others and taking the log out of your own eye before looking to take the splinter out of someone else's eye.

It is true we must first look at our own lives and deal with our personal sin. That does not mean that we are not supposed to hold one another accountable for sin. Our same Bibles contains passages like Gal 6:7-8 where God is not mocked. He holds people accountable for their sin. We also read James 5:19-20 where if fellow believers see someone straying from the truth, we are to turn them back. By doing so we may save that person from death, and cover a multitude of potential sins that could be committed if the sinner did not repent.

It grieves me that so many have lost the fear of the Lord. There are so few consequences for sin these days there seems to be no deterrent. People argue in theological circles about what constitutes sinful behavior. Morality lines have been redrawn. If God calls it sin in the Bible then it is still sin!

My eyes fell on Heb 10:31 today. "It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God." The word terrifying means a fearful, terrible and frightening thing to fall into the hands of the living God who sees and knows everything. Sinners will never pull a fast one on God. Sinners who appear to have gotten away with great evil in their lives will have to contend with God in death. His judgment will be just, swift, and fierce for those who never received salvation through Jesus.

Make no mistake. There is also a judgment for believers. One where we will be judged on our works after salvation. A judgment about our faithfulness. There is accountability with God. There should also be accountability among believers. I have both been called out by trusted Christian brothers and sisters and had to call others out.

This does not happen frequently in many body of believers. People sin openly and church people just turn a blind eye to it, or worse they justify and defend the sin. The church is dirty and defiled. We need a cleansing from God and to be awakened once again to fear Him. This is not a popular message in days of hyper grace where anything goes. It is a needed message that I will shy away from declaring.