ACCOUNTABILITY
By W. G. Guy
Hebrews 9:27 – And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Too many Christians live their lives as if there is no accountability for how they lived. They fail to realize that every believer will stand before Christ to give an account of how they live and what they did with their knowledge of Christ, His Word and their relationship with Him.
2 Corinthians 5:10 – For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
There will be those who are able to enter in His kingdom but will lose out on the possible great rewards due to living an undisciplined life after coming to know Jesus as Savior. Many fail to actually make Him Lord of and over their life.
For years I have taught that the Fruit of the Spirit as listed in Galatians 5 is actually the character and nature of God. It is also the Christ-likeness that is to be evident in all of Christ’s followers. This divine character and nature was lost in the Garden in Eden due to sins entry into the heart of mankind. Jesus came to restore that divine character and nature to us.
If the Spirit of Christ is in you (Galatians 4:6) then all of Christ’s character and nature is in you. The problem is people are no longer taught to “die to self” or to “put off the old man”. As a result, the self (also known as the flesh) stands in the way of the Christ-likeness showing forth in too many believers. Both Jesus and the apostle Paul identified the need to die to self and put off the old man.
Luke 9:23 – And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Ephesians 4:21-24 – if so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Consider what the apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Rome:
Romans 13:11-14 – And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.
Many believers today are more concerned about satisfying their flesh than they are about pleasing the Lord Jesus Christ. They will miss out on the rewards that are available for being a good and faithful servant:
1 Corinthians 2:11-15 – For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
God, through Jesus Christ, made all provision for every believer to be conformed to the image of Christ. The promises in His Word specifically say this.
2 Peter 1:4 – whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, (this is the character and nature of God), having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
God has a plan and purpose for everyone that comes to Him through Christ:
Romans 8:29 – For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
It is His glory (dignity, His character and nature) that is to be seen in us:
2 Corinthians 4:6-7 – For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
Since this matter is so important I have attached a self-evaluation or grading form you can use to track your spiritual growth and development in the Fruit of the Spirit. It may be beneficial to you to have another believer assist you in grading. It is my desire that every believer be conformed to the image of Christ and receive a full reward. This means that we each need to be more “kingdom” thinking than “worldly” thinking.
By W. G. Guy
Hebrews 9:27 – And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Too many Christians live their lives as if there is no accountability for how they lived. They fail to realize that every believer will stand before Christ to give an account of how they live and what they did with their knowledge of Christ, His Word and their relationship with Him.
2 Corinthians 5:10 – For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
There will be those who are able to enter in His kingdom but will lose out on the possible great rewards due to living an undisciplined life after coming to know Jesus as Savior. Many fail to actually make Him Lord of and over their life.
For years I have taught that the Fruit of the Spirit as listed in Galatians 5 is actually the character and nature of God. It is also the Christ-likeness that is to be evident in all of Christ’s followers. This divine character and nature was lost in the Garden in Eden due to sins entry into the heart of mankind. Jesus came to restore that divine character and nature to us.
If the Spirit of Christ is in you (Galatians 4:6) then all of Christ’s character and nature is in you. The problem is people are no longer taught to “die to self” or to “put off the old man”. As a result, the self (also known as the flesh) stands in the way of the Christ-likeness showing forth in too many believers. Both Jesus and the apostle Paul identified the need to die to self and put off the old man.
Luke 9:23 – And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Ephesians 4:21-24 – if so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Consider what the apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Rome:
Romans 13:11-14 – And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.
Many believers today are more concerned about satisfying their flesh than they are about pleasing the Lord Jesus Christ. They will miss out on the rewards that are available for being a good and faithful servant:
1 Corinthians 2:11-15 – For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
God, through Jesus Christ, made all provision for every believer to be conformed to the image of Christ. The promises in His Word specifically say this.
2 Peter 1:4 – whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, (this is the character and nature of God), having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
God has a plan and purpose for everyone that comes to Him through Christ:
Romans 8:29 – For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
It is His glory (dignity, His character and nature) that is to be seen in us:
2 Corinthians 4:6-7 – For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
Since this matter is so important I have attached a self-evaluation or grading form you can use to track your spiritual growth and development in the Fruit of the Spirit. It may be beneficial to you to have another believer assist you in grading. It is my desire that every believer be conformed to the image of Christ and receive a full reward. This means that we each need to be more “kingdom” thinking than “worldly” thinking.
