Are You Accountable

Are You Accountable?

August 27, 2006

Introduction

If I do everything perfectly, I will receive at least four letters from the IRS every year. I’ve had to become somewhat accustomed to getting those letters. The four to which I referred are just reminders of quarterly reports to file, but there is always that possibility that the letter involves more than that.

Why do I dislike letters from the IRS? Do I really have to explain? We are know that we are accountable to the IRS, but the IRS is not the main one that we should fear. Jesus tells us that very plainly as He said. "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Mat 10:28 NKJV) I’m not saying that the IRS is going to kill us, Jesus is taking the extreme case and saying there is someone else we should fear more, and that is God.

The IRS sends out many types of letters. I know, because I have gotten several different kinds. There is one requesting reports, that’s easy. There is one saying a payment was late. That’s unpleasant. It involves a penalty unless they will “forgive” it, which sometime they do. There’s the letter trying to collect taxes from one of our sub-contractors which is a problem, but none of these concerns me as much as one that saying you are being audited. That’s the one I always hope that isn’t what’s in the envelope.

But someday, there will be an audit. It won’t be by the IRS. The outcome will not determine if you owe money, or could go to the penitentiary. It is as Jesus said, it will determine whether we spend eternity with God, or if he will “destroy both soul and body in hell.”

So the question: “Are you accountable?” Yes you are! So behave that way. Many do not. What does the Bible say?

Body

I. We are all to give an account to God.

(Rom 14:10-12 NKJV) But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. {11} For it is written: "As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." {12} So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

A. Christ will either claim us or reject us.

(Mat 10:32-33) "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. {33} "But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

B. It will be a day of determining reward or punishment.

(Rom 2:5-10 NKJV) But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, {6} who "will render to each one according to his deeds": {7} eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; {8} but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness; indignation and wrath, {9} tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; {10} but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

II. How will we give account?

A. We will give account for doing His will.

(Mat 7:21-23 NKJV) "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. {22} "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' {23} "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

1. Are we studying His word to know His will?

2. Then, are we doing the things we know we should be doing?

B. He knows the thoughts and intents of our hearts.

(Heb 4:9-13 NKJV) There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. {10} For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. {11} Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. {12} For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. {13} And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

C. We will give account or our opportunities.

(Luke 12:47-48 NKJV) "And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. {48} "But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

III. We need the grace of God that comes through Christ.

A. All spiritual blessings are in Christ.

(Eph 1:3 NKJV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

Paul further elaborates on what it means to be in Christ.

(Eph 2:1-13 NKJV) And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, {2} in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, {3} among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. {4} But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, {5} even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), {6} and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, {7} that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. {8} For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, {9} not of works, lest anyone should boast. {10} For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. {11} Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh; who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands; {12} that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. {13} But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

C. How do we get into Christ? We are baptized into Christ.

(Gal 3:27) For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Conclusion

I. So what do we do to be accountable?

We accept the fact that we are sinners and need the grace of God.
We are baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of our sins.
We are raised to walk in newness of life.

II. We show our responsibility seeking to do His will.

III. Are you right with God?

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