“Accountability”

Deut. 6:1 bears out that God’s commands are to be taught FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBEDIENCE; WHICH WILL BE REWARDED WITH RIGHTEOUSNESS BEING IMPUTED AS A BLESSING FROM GOD!

“Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, THAT YE MIGHT DO THEM in the land whither ye go to possess it”

Here are the results when this teaching has a breakdown:

– Judges 2:7-12 –

And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that he did for Israel.

And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old.

And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.

And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.

And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:

And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.

– Joshua 24:31 –

“And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the LORD, that he had done for Israel.”

---> they ‘KNEW’ because THEY HAD BEEN TAUGHT!

The gospel is a message to be taught; with a view for obedience to be the way of life for the one taught!

The gospel is the ONLY thing whereby people may learn their purpose in life – Eccl. 12:13-14, "fear God & keep His commands”

Accordingly, God spoke to man, with the ultimate goal of restoring the broken fellowship that resulted from sin (Isa. 59:1-2).

Sin is prevented by teaching how to live in obedience to God’s words.

This is accountability!

The one with knowledge is accountable to teach and exemplify obedience.

The one needing knowledge is accountable to choose wisely.

Josh. 24:15 – “…choose you this day whom ye will serve…”.

1 Kings 18:21 – “…How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.”

What characterized people who had NOT been taught obedience?

2 Kings 17:33, 41 – “So THEY FEARED THE LORD BUT ALSO SERVED THEIR OWN GODS, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away…these nations feared the LORD AND ALSO SERVED THEIR CARVED IMAGES.

Centuries later, God’s people were still suffering from indifference. Zephaniah described them as follows in Zeph. 1:5 – “those who bow down and swear to the LORD...and yet swear by Milcom…”.

Jesus was plain: "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other…” – Matt. 6:24

Our accountability on the day of Judgment will be in relation to what we did (i.e., how did we bear in our lifetime) with the word of God (his ‘goods’) – the word that He spoke thru the prophets, His Son, and the apostles by inspiration of His Spirit.