What the Bible says about Accountability
(From Forerunner Commentary)

Ecclesiastes 11:9 God says that individuals will have to account for all of their works, including our secret sins. Even the words we have spoken will be judged. Staff Basic Doctrines: Eternal Judgment Related Topics: Accountability | Accounting | Eternal Judgment | God's Judgment | Judgment | Judgment According to Works | Responsibility | Responsibility to Obey | Responsibility, Sense of | Secret Sins | Words, Controlling our | Words, Idle | Words, Judged by

Ezekiel 18:14 In the end, everybody has to stand before the judgment seat of Christ on the merits of his own work. The justification that one is a victim of his parents may be true to a degree. However, eventually a person will have to stand on his own before God anyway, and the best thing to do is begin as early as possible, and that means right now. Everyone must account for his own actions. John W. Ritenbaugh Sanctification and the Teens Related Topics: Accountability | Accounting for Our Own Actions | Blaming Parents | Responsibility | Sanctification | Sanctification and the Teens

Amos 1:3-15 Before Amos gives specific reasons for God's judgment on Israel, he explains His judgment on the surrounding nations in Amos 1:3—2:3. Some may question God's punishment of nations to whom He has not revealed Himself. But God's response is that every human being knows—to one degree or another—what is moral and immoral (Romans 2:14-15). Abimelech, a pagan king of the Philistines, knew that it was wrong to commit sexual immorality (Genesis 26:10). In like manner, God holds these surrounding nations guilty. Man has learned to silence the voice of his conscience (Romans 1:18), which has led to his sinking into total depravity (verses 20-32). Though God does not hold man accountable for understanding every detail of Him and His way, God does judge him for suppressing the knowledge of Him that he does have. God does not unfairly accuse anyone. When He judges the Gentile nations as guilty, He does it with good cause. David writes poetically in Psalm 19:1-4 that man has ample evidence in the creation to conclude that a great and awesome Creator God exists. In Lystra, Paul and Barnabas preached that God witnesses to the Gentiles through the many things He provides for them (Acts 14:12-17). Paul writes similarly in Romans 1:19: "What may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them." If he follows his conscience, man should bow down in reverence and awe to his Maker. Instead, mankind has worshipped things that God has made. God's impartial judgment is important to this book. The nations around Israel in 760 BC had one negative common denominator: They had no revelation of God or His law, no priests or prophets from God. Yet Amos shows them as nations under judgment. Even without special revelation, they had a moral responsibility to God and to one another. They were accountable to God to be good men, not depraved animals. He does not hold them responsible for their horrible and erroneous religious ideas, but He judges them for what they did or failed to do to other men. No human being can escape the obligation to be humanly moral as God intended, not even the Gentiles. Though God has never dealt directly with them, they know enough of His moral standards to be accountable to God. If God requires this of men who have no revelation of Him, what does He require of us as Christians? The sobering fact is that we are held accountable for our relationship with both God and man. This underlines our need to listen to Amos. John W. Ritenbaugh Prepare to Meet Your God! (The Book of Amos) (Part One) Related Topics: Accountability | Conscience | Conscience , Seared | Conscience, Cauterized | Conscience, Defiled | Consciousness of Sin | God's Impartiality | God's Judgment | God's Justice | Impartial Judgment | Impartiality | Impartiality, God's | Moral Insensitivity | Moral Standards | Morality | Responsibility | Responsibility, Sense of | Responsibility, Varying Levels of

Amos 1:3-5 God's judgment of Syria focuses on her use of total war—take no prisoners and leave nothing productive. Amos says to them: "War or no war, you had no right to treat people like that!" It is barbarism, and even in war people must be treated honorably and well. John W. Ritenbaugh Prepare to Meet Your God! (The Book of Amos) (Part One) Related Topics: Accountability | Amos, Prophecies of | Barbarism | Conscience | Conscience , Seared | Conscience, Cauterized | Conscience, Defiled | Consciousness of Sin | God's Impartiality | God's Judgment | God's Judgment of Syria | God's Justice | Impartiality | Impartiality, God's | Moral Insensitivity | Moral Standards | Morality | Responsibility | Responsibility, Sense of | Responsibility, Varying Levels of

Amos 1:3-15 In one way or another, these Gentile nations took vengeance in retaliation for injustices that they believed other nations committed against them. God promises to judge their barbarity, but He does not say when. Many years may pass before He takes action because His overriding goal is repentance and a change in character. He will execute proper judgment—true justice, and it is our responsibility to have faith in that. Fifty years passed before God avenged the depredating acts of Hazael, king of Syria, against Gilead (Amos 1:3; II Kings 10:32-33). God waited for the right time and place to act. But He did act with a punishment from which He will not turn back (II Kings 13:22-25). When He decides to act, He acts! When He says that He knows our sitting down and rising up (Psalm 139:2), He is not speaking metaphorically. He is involved with His people. We must learn that sometimes God may not take action within our lifetime, but when He says, "I will repay" (Romans 12:19; Deuteronomy 32:35), He means it! John W. Ritenbaugh Prepare to Meet Your God! (The Book of Amos) (Part One) Related Topics: Accountability | Amos, Prophecies of | Barbarism | Conscience | Conscience , Seared | Conscience, Cauterized | Conscience, Defiled | Consciousness of Sin | God's Impartiality | God's Judgment | God's Judgment of Syria | God's Justice | God's Vengeance | Impartiality | Impartiality, God's | Moral Insensitivity | Moral Standards | Morality | Repentance | Repentance, Motivation For | Responsibility | Responsibility, Sense of | Responsibility, Varying Levels of | Retaliation | Revenge | Vengeance

Luke 19:22-27 The nobleman owned the money, but the servants had to trade with it. However, the goal contemplated by the nobleman was not moneymaking as much it was His servants' development of character. Those who are diligent and faithful in serving Christ are commonly blessed in being made blessings to those around them. Jesus commands His disciples to improve and increase their talents, understanding and making the most of them, as well as to increase their capability of doing good and to do it until He returns (I Corinthians 12:7-11; Ephesians 4:7-16). Jesus emphasizes His return and receipt of the Kingdom, at which time His Father would grant Him all legal rights (I Corinthians 15:23-28). In such a Kingdom, the King must have trusted and competent servants to assist Him in governing. We have the promise that, if we suffer with Him and work with Him now, if we are diligently faithful to Him, we will reign with Him (Revelation 3:21; 5:10; 20:4, 6). God has given us abilities and truth to use and develop, and we are held accountable for our efforts and effectiveness in using them for the benefit of our King and Savior. Martin G. Collins Parable of the Minas Related Topics: Ability | Accountability | Building Character | Character | Character, Building | Diligence | Evil Servants | Faithful Servants | Parable of the Minas or Pounds | Parable of the Talents | Talents

Find more Bible verses about Accountability:
Accountability {Nave's}
 

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