Accountability

Accountability. A word we keep hearing tossed about today. Should we hold one another accountable?

We should most certainly hold one another accountable…but, let us also not forget that we too are in need of accountability. Holding one another accountable means that we should also be willing to come to terms with our own short-comings. We should also recognize that we are only responsible for our own short-comings and not the short-comings of another.

We have been offered grace and mercy in Christ:

• Grace – the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners

• Mercy – compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm

We are also called to be like Christ, meaning we should be willing to also offer that same gift to others. Too often we are pushing to destroy rather than heal. Look at John 8:

“Teacher,” they said to him, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery. In the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” (v. 4-5)

When they persisted in questioning him, he stood up and said to them, “The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.” (v. 7)

They dropped their stones. (v. 9)

Unfortunately there are times that things must come to light and sometimes it is after someone is gone. Attention must be brought to their situation, and we can all learn from the misdeeds, but in an educational way, ensuring that someone is caring for those who are broken and devastated by the situation.Sadly, those who have passed and have their deeds exposed will have to account for that with the Father.

Hopefully, those who have passed had accounted for and repented prior to their departure from this world. And, hopefully, those who are left hurting because of their misdeeds will find healing in the truth and grace of God.

For all of us, however, attention will be brought to our sins, and in some ways publicly, but should we cast stones? Casting stones is our public defamation of someone, continually heaping insults and reminding of their shortcomings publicly, many times, in the hope that no one will see our own. Where is our grace and mercy?

What stones are we looking to throw today?

Are we willing to come to terms with our own sinful nature?

Are we willing to drop our stones in favor of grace and mercy?

One day, we will all answer to God for our sins, whether in repentance or in judgement, but our sins will be on display in some way.

Those who wished to stone the woman that day left, dejected that they weren’t able to cast the stone, yet they left with their secrets…and she left restored because Jesus, the only one who could have cast a stone, chose not to.

“Where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?” (v. 10)

“Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more.” (v. 11)

“For the Son of Man did not come into the world to condemn the world, but that the world, through Him, might be saved.” – John 3:17

It is worth thinking about today.

Choose Life!

To start, let me say – I am all for the right of a woman to choose, but hear me out before you cast judgment on this statement.

I believe that we have lost sight of the fight today.  We must understand something that goes much deeper than just the surface arguments.  Before I explain the opening comment…let me explain what life is.

Life is a precious gift from God. Humans are the only creation of the Almighty that He formed by hand and breathed the breath of life into.  Created in His image, both male and female (Genesis 1:26-27). The Book of James tells us that our plans are feeble and that life is but a vapor or a mist (James 4:14), a here today, gone tomorrow mentality. Society has told us that “Life is what you make it” – but I would argue, what if you don’t get to make it?

All human life is important to the One who created it, because it is His masterpiece. Created in the image of the Almighty, human life is special. We were created for a purpose, with a purpose. Rick Warren, in his best-selling book The Purpose Driven Life, opened the dialogue with four words…”It’s not about me.” At some point, we have to realize the truth of this statement. Somewhere along the way we have become selfish and decided that one life, in many cases our own, is more important than another. We have argued and violently battled over the right to say we are the best…at the dangerous cost of other lives. We have adopted a mentality of “if I can benefit, I don’t care who suffers” – and this has included the loss of millions of innocent lives.

The deepest of human desire is to live as we wish. Don’t believe me? Then explain the mottos carried by society of “you only live once” or “living my best life.” We have become so focused on living the life we see as our best, that we are willing to sacrifice others without even knowing. Society has adopted a “whatever it takes” mentality. We have decided that death is sometimes just a stepping stone or a paver in the highway of life. We have determined that if someone has to suffer, or even die, for us to achieve the goals we feel are ours, so be it! We have lost our way!

Wait, what?

Yes. We are willing to destroy others to get where we wish. “But preacher, I don’t wish death on anyone!” – don’t you? Your actions tell a different story. What are you doing to ensure the sanctity of life? What are you doing to secure safety for everyone? What are you doing to ensure that your decisions have no collateral damage? Are you fighting injustice? All injustice? Are you protecting the innocent?

It is a lot to ponder.

God created you with a purpose. He knit you together in your mother’s womb. You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139). Don’t believe that life begins in the womb? He told Jeremiah that He knew him in the womb, before he was in the womb, that he had made plans for him to be a prophet to the nations…before any of that (Jeremiah 1:5). Why do we think it would be any different for us? He has known you, before the world knew you. He knew the ones who were taken out as you climbed the ladder of success; He knows those who the world has never met. Life is sacred. It is the greatest of God’s creations.  We are the greatest of His creations.

Choose Christ. Choose hope. Choose forgiveness. Choose Life!

As I said, I’m all for the right of a woman to choose what to do with her body. I am not, however, for the right to choose when another life is at stake. I am for the woman’s right to choose not to partake in the activities that might lead to finding herself in the situation where she makes a choice that takes the life of another. Again, Biblically speaking, it appears that all life begins at conception.

“For it was You who created my inward parts; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well.” – Psalm 139:13-14

But what if she didn’t make the choice that got her there? Fair point, but, I would still argue that the life at stake deserves a voice. Will it hurt for her to live through this? Yes. Will it be worth it? I also believe the answer is yes.

I would encourage us to look at it that God creates all of us with a purpose…including those who are born because of these circumstances. All life is sacred. I would fight for the lives of the elderly, the disabled, and the marginal in the same way.  All life is sacred and all life is worth something to the One who created it.  This isn’t about condemnation of those who have or even will make this choice, their life is important too…this is about the fact that God offers restoration and hope. God offers forgiveness for all who will not reject His gift.

Jesus came to save the world. Jesus came to offer hope. He didn’t come to condemn those in the world, he came to save us from worldly ways (John 3:16-17). Don’t you think that everyone deserves the same chance that you were afforded? Especially since that same provision was also made for them…at the same time it was made for you? Thank God that no matter what you’ve done, you were worth His sacrifice; and, if we are created in His image, isn’t another life worth ours? No matter what it may mean for the so-called plans that we have?

“It isn’t about me.”

It truly isn’t about you or me. It is about Him. It is about preserving His image – the Creator of all life, the Alpha, the Omega, the Beginning, the End, the Author, and the Finisher of our faith. The One who knew us long before the world knew us and the One who knows those the world has never known.  He has loved us from the start. He has loved us, in spite of us. He loves us, unconditionally.

Our choices should never take the life of another. From the womb to the tomb, all have a right to life that we as the church must protect. Protect the innocent and give them a voice; but, do not condemn those who have made or are facing this difficult decision, because they need love too. They are hurting, they need hope, they need to know that they are loved and can be forgiven. God’s grace can cover a multitude of sins. Including yours.

Invite them to “Come and See” that the Lord is good.

“Love one another as I have loved you.” – Jesus