What an incredible day at the church on the South side! Once again we saw God move in a powerful way as we met together to worship. The choir got the opportunity to lead the whole church into the very presence of God. God has perfect timing as we sang a song we've been trying to sing for three weeks. The song comes from the 6th chapter of Isaiah where he describes the Holiness of God and his realization of how unholy he was when his eyes saw the King of all kings. What an awesome experience we had as we were reminded once again of this incredible Holy God that we serve. What a move... What a visit... What a reminder. Now what?
This morning in class we discussed our first topic in the "Pillars of Community" series called Accountability. The whole purpose of this series is in line with the call God has placed on our lives to live Holy before him. We've determined that we are called to grow in our relationship with him to a place of maturity where we are more like Christ and his perfect Holiness. If we will take the steps that we are capable of taking in line with his commands in scripture, he will take care of the rest.
So what is Christian Accountability? Simply put, it is a check and balance system where we partner together to "spur each other to maturity in Christ". It's loving each other enough to "bear each others burdens". When your brother or sister is dealing with more than they can handle, you step in to help shoulder the load. Encouraging them in their walk.
What does the Bible say about Accountability?
John 15:17 - Love one another
Galatians 5:13 - Serve one another in love
Ephesians 4:32 - Be kind and compassionate to one another
Galatians 6:2 - Carry each other's burdens.
Romans 12:10 - Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Romans 15:7 - Accept one another
1 Thessalonians 5:11 - Encourage one another and build each other up.
Hebrews 10:24 - Spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
James 5:16 - Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other.
I could go on but I think you get the message. It is not just a good suggestion that we practice Accountability but it appears to be a command for all of us Christ followers. Apparently God knew we required this in order to ever reach the Holy maturity he requires.
So are you ready to put some walk with your talk? I am... let's take the first step together.
I don't think I've ever really looked at it like this. I know that all of those verses are in the Bible, but I guess they never seemed like specific instructions. I don't have a good reason, but it's the way I've lived. When you put them all together like that, it's hard to come to any conclusion other than that God wants us to live like that.
ReplyDeleteI think God is definitely trying to tell us something. Everyone seems to be in tune with what He is saying and in unity on the subject. Awesome!
ReplyDelete"I don't have a good reason, but it's the way I've lived."
ReplyDeleteThat sums it up for me as well. Except that I fundamentally knew God's command but still failed to live it out.
I pray that the rest of my life is spent in continuous growth toward this model of reflecting Christ.