Blameworthiness

The title of this message is Blameworthiness. Blameworthiness is a synonym for accountability. I did not know if I should use blameworthiness or answerability which is also a synonym for accountability. I chose blameworthiness, because imagine if everyone felt they were worthy of being blamed for their fault when someone came to them to show them their fault. I could say that I am worthy to be blamed by my brother is Christ. Submit yourselves one to another. Let’s first start with the definition of accountability.

Accountability

ACCOUNTABIL'ITY, n.

1. The state of being liable to answer for one's conduct; liability to give account, and to receive reward or punishment for actions. 

Accountability is something we all need, but we must be willing to accept whatever comes our way. If we tell someone we want them to hold us accountable for our actions, then when they come to us or our family we must be open to what they bring. Certainly we would not tell someone we do not agree with that we want them to hold us accountable. I would not tell a muslim, atheist, or a lukewarm Christian that I want them to hold me accountable because this would be foolish. The truth is we need help. We need help from people who know God and his will, not people who do not know what God’s word says. I want to surround myself with Christians seeking God’s will and nothing else. I say nothing else because if I surround myself with people that are not willing to seek God above all then I will be allowing myself to be held accountable by worldly standards. There is no accountability there. I want people who will hold me accountable and test it with God’s word and not the politically correct liberalism of today’s society.

17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. Prov 27:17 (KJV)

Where is your moral support coming from? Where does your accountability come from? I could get a pastor from my local charismatic church to be my accountability and do just about anything as long as I tithed and spoke in tongues. Do you have any friends that call you just to see how you are doing or friends that might just stop by? When this happens, do you feel refreshed and comforted or do you feel bothered and intruded upon? Do you say “why don’t they just call before they come over, I need a monitor so I know if someone is coming to the house”.

19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21 And having an high priest over the house of God; 22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. 26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, Heb 10:19-26 (KJV)

We all need to be held accountable. This should not be a burden but a necessity. The passage above says we should not forsake the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is. Why is this? Why can’t we just have our farm in the middle of 300 acres and spend everyday worshipping and praising God? Because this is how cults get started. What I mean is when we do not have other people around us that are seeking the will of God, then we tend to make our own will of God. If there is no one else to point out our faults, we will not see our faults. I would love nothing more than to move to a farm in the middle of 300 acres with my closest friends and have a gate on the driveway to keep the world out. However, this would also keep any chance of a ministering opportunity out also. We as Christians should live open book lives. We should live as if we are in an aquarium and the world can see us all the time. We should not conform to the world but the world should see our Christian ethics, morals, language and most of all love in action, not just in speech. How we live can keep us accountable. Let’s look at it from a worldly perspective. If you see someone wearing a Tennessee Volunteers coat and hat, driving a car that has Tennessee flags and bumper stickers on it, going to an Alabama – Tennessee game, you would expect that person to be on the Tennessee side rooting for Tennessee. If you see a person driving a car with a Jesus fish, and Christian bumper stickers with a bible on the dash, pulling into a church, you should expect that person to be on the right side rooting for the right team, but too often this does not happen. We do not hold our Christian brothers and sisters accountable for anything anymore because the worldly church has told us it is wrong to judge on another.

9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: 10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. 11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. 12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? 13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person. 1 Cor 5:9-13 (KJV)

Paul is telling us here that we need to judge the brethren in the church. Paul says to put away from among yourselves that wicked person. Imagine how different our churches would be today if every person in that church was concerned with every one holding them accountable for being a Christian. Today’s Christians find ways out of accountability. They look at the standards of the world. They look at TV. They look at Christian TV, if there is such a thing. The world has infiltrated the church and told the church how to dress, talk and act. Christians think it is ok to act like the world because there are actors on TV that portray the part of a Christian and they do this and that so I must be able to also. If the bible says its wrong guess what, IT’S WRONG!! Quit letting the world tell you how to be a Christian and start letting God tell you how to be a Christian and allow other Christians to tell you if you are wrong.

15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Matt 7:15-20 (KJV)

We should be held accountable by our fruits. We should hold our brother accountable by his fruits. This is not something the church of today wants us to practice because the church of today is not willing to be held accountable by God’s word, but they are quick to be held accountable by the world’s standards. That’s a shame.

36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. Matt 12:36-37 (KJV)

We should be held accountable by our words. Whether they are profane words, or false doctrine. We will be held accountable for EVERY IDLE WORD. Therefore shouldn’t we want to be accountable for our words if they can condemn us. We do not know everything we do wrong. We want to think we do, but when we live with ourselves everyday we might be missing something. Just like if we live in the middle of our 300 acres. Remember the definition said we are liable of our conduct. If you use your words loosely then beware of condemnation. If you call yourself a Christian and you think that you can use worldly slang and not be held accountable for it, YOUR WRONG!!

I have went over a few areas where we can all be held accountable. I believe we need to hold each other accountable for our actions. Like Paul said, we need to hold the people that are in the church accountable and let God hold the people on the outside accountable. Now, if you are a mature Christian and you seek God’s will daily, and you have obtained maturity through the scriptures, then you will only need to be held accountable by EVERY OTHER CHRISTIAN BROTHER. Did you get that? Just because you think you have been a Christian longer and God has shown you more, does not mean you should not be held accountable by other Christians. Sometimes new Christians see things so called mature Christians do not see anymore, because they are so wrapped up in their own personal holiness. We are all weak and we all need each other. I need my Christian brothers to help me see my faults and I want Christian brothers who are willing to accept their own faults when I bring them up to them. I hope we can all learn to submit ourselves to each other. This is one area the church of today is so weak in. We can all find strength in submitting to our brother. Praise God.