Making a DifferenceMaking a Difference

Chapter 10Chapter 10

Accountability - RelationshipsAccountability - Relationships

Lesson 21Lesson 21AccountabilityAccountability

The key purpose of this chapter is The key purpose of this chapter is to help people understand their to help people understand their accountability toward God and Man accountability toward God and Man and how their conduct and and how their conduct and behavior in relationships are behavior in relationships are affected or controlled by their affected or controlled by their motives.motives.

If we have lived in obedience to If we have lived in obedience to God’s Word, when we stand before God’s Word, when we stand before Him at the judgment, our works will Him at the judgment, our works will have been of His will and choosing, have been of His will and choosing, our lives of His making and our our lives of His making and our relationships of his desire.relationships of his desire.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 says, “Let us Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 says, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”be good, or whether it be evil.”

God has uniquely created each and God has uniquely created each and every person. every person. Every individual Every individual possesses unique characteristics possesses unique characteristics which belong to them alone.which belong to them alone. This This includes the area of personality as includes the area of personality as well as physical characteristics.well as physical characteristics.

The simple snowflake is a well The simple snowflake is a well known example of God’s creativity. known example of God’s creativity. The fact that each person’s The fact that each person’s fingerprint, voice print, DNA strand fingerprint, voice print, DNA strand and the shape of the eye’s cornea and the shape of the eye’s cornea is different from any one else in the is different from any one else in the world is evidence of God’s diversity world is evidence of God’s diversity and creativity.and creativity.

It is these differences that God uses It is these differences that God uses as He would different colored as He would different colored threads to weave a beautiful threads to weave a beautiful tapestry of mankind through time.tapestry of mankind through time.

Knowing that God has a definite Knowing that God has a definite purpose for each person reveals purpose for each person reveals the love He has for His creation.the love He has for His creation.

We learned in previous chapters We learned in previous chapters that God created man, which has that God created man, which has the very unique quality of self will, the very unique quality of self will, and the ability to make choices and the ability to make choices regarding every area of his life, regarding every area of his life, even if that choice is contrary to even if that choice is contrary to want God knows is best for him.want God knows is best for him.

We are responsible for the choices We are responsible for the choices we make. we make. Because these choices Because these choices most often affect other people we most often affect other people we are therefore accountable to our are therefore accountable to our fellow human beings.fellow human beings.

Romans 5:12 says, “Wherefore, as Romans 5:12 says, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”all have sinned:”

Other than the testimony of nature itself, the Bible tells us because of the sin of one man all men are separated from God.

Man is accountable both to God Man is accountable both to God and to his fellow man for his and to his fellow man for his choices. choices.

Understanding this accountability Understanding this accountability helps guide our motives for our helps guide our motives for our conduct and behavior.conduct and behavior.

Realizing that we are accountable Realizing that we are accountable to God produces a reverence and to God produces a reverence and respect for God and the things of respect for God and the things of God.God.

Reverence and respect for God is Reverence and respect for God is called “The fear of God.” called “The fear of God.” This fear This fear is not a cowering or trembling fear is not a cowering or trembling fear we would associate with a moment we would associate with a moment of sudden terrible crisis or disaster. of sudden terrible crisis or disaster. This fear is rather a humble This fear is rather a humble reverence at the realization of who reverence at the realization of who God is.God is.

Psalm 53:1, “The fool hath said in Psalm 53:1, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.”his heart, There is no God.”

If a man has no fear of God he is a fool.

What a man believes in his heart to What a man believes in his heart to be true about God, will determine be true about God, will determine how he conducts his affairs with his how he conducts his affairs with his fellow man as well as with God.fellow man as well as with God.

If a person fears God and believes If a person fears God and believes himself to be accountable to God, himself to be accountable to God, he will make choices that reflect he will make choices that reflect that belief.that belief.

……if a person has the right kind of if a person has the right kind of relationship with the God who relationship with the God who created him, he will also have the created him, he will also have the right relationships with his fellow right relationships with his fellow human beings.human beings.