Psalm 32:3-4: “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer.” (NASB)
1 John 3:7-10: “Little children, let no one deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices (lifestyle) sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot (remain in) sin, because he is born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.” (NASB)
Just a thought: There has been a movement formed within God’s Church called “accountability” in an attempt to keep people, pastors, and ministers from sinning. This movement pairs you up with another person to keep you accountable – to keep you from sinning. Can I ask you this question: Why? In my Christian walk there have been times in my past when I’ve stumbled and sinned, but when I did, the above passages of Holy Scripture came alive within me. Oh, there were times that I tried to be recalcitrant, but as my vitality drained away from within me, I soon found myself face down in repentance. I think the record for my recalcitrance was about thirty days. Believe me when I say that thirty days is a very, very long time to remain beneath God’s heavy hand. And that’s an experience that I never want to repeat as I felt my heavenly Father’s heart break – yes, even His heart within me; through which, I’ve learned the meaning of being constrained from sin by His love – by His Spirit within me. How can I remain in sin as it now breaks my heart – His heart within me? I’m kept from sin by knowing its sinfulness – by knowing its ability to bring death and separation.
So I ask again: Why do we need to pair up with mankind to keep us (mankind) accountable when we have God’s Holy Spirit within? By using mankind, isn’t that a little like leaving a fox to guard a hen house? After all, we can hide from and lie to man, but not so with the Holy Spirit. Did we need to begin this movement because most people, pastors, and ministers within the Church at-large are not born-again with God’s Holy Spirit? I’m asking, because you cannot find such pairing up in the Holy Scriptures. I see pairing up in the Holy Scriptures to eliminate the possibility of accusations, but not for the purpose of keeping someone “accountable” – of keeping someone from sinning. Isn’t that the Holy Spirit’s job? If you need mankind’s presence to keep you from sinning, perhaps – just perhaps, you need to be born-again with God’s Holy Spirit!
Prayer: My Father, my Lord, search my heart to see if You see Your Holy Spirit within me. Lord, if I’m not sure, may I stay on my face until I am, because it is written that no one will see Your Kingdom – Heaven without being born-again with Your Holy Spirit. It is also written that without holiness no one will see You, and that holiness must be produced from within – not from without. Therefore, may I also seek You without delay, for again it is written: Today is the day of salvation – the day of Your favor. Amen and Amen!
Website: www.SoppMinistries.org
In the Pursuit of Holiness:
