God’s Design for Accountability
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Each year the Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch holds a contest to highlight the lengths manufacturers must go through to avoid lawsuits resulting from misuse of their products.
The label winning fourth place in the Wacky Warning Label Contest was found on the package for a five-inch fishing lure with three large steel hooks. It read, “Harmful if swallowed.” It’s a good thing fish can’t read.
A Virginia man won $250 for a label on a snow sled, which advised users, “Warning, sled may develop high speed under certain snow conditions.” The first place warning was found on a bottle of drain cleaner. It read, “If you do not understand, or cannot read all directions, cautions, and warnings, do not use this product.”
Robert Jones, president of the nonprofit group says the warning labels “are a sign of our lawsuit-plagued times.” He adds, “It used to be that if someone spilled coffee in their lap, they simply called themselves clumsy. Today, too many people are calling themselves an attorney.”
In our society, people don’t always take responsibility for their actions, but one day, we will all give account for what we’ve done, and God will hold us accountable.
No one wants to take accountability for there stupidity.
Its almost like the more one knows the more they are held accountable for, and the more they are held accountable for the more they suffer.
For in much wisdom is much grief, And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
With knowledge comes the shackles of accountability. But only when that accountability is limited to this things “under the sun.” Or just here on earth.
Wisdom does little for foolishness on a broader scale.
You do not increase in joy and satisfaction when you increase in knowledge.
Someone said, “ignorance is bliss its folly to be wise.”
Its foolishness to be wise.
With all the technological advances, the advancement in science, the exhaustible amount of information we have only have increased our anxiety.
All of these advances that are suppose to make life easier is making it more unbearable.
Just think about the abundance of wisdom all around us. And lets compare it to the foolishness that we combat and deal with within ourselves and society. Mans wisdom hasn’t even put a dent in the foolishness of the world
Its seem as if wisdom and knowledge enlarge our problems not decrease them.
Solomon is saying this and he hasn’t lived through the industrial revolution, or the technological revolution. Also known as the second industrial revolution.
Thats why we prefer ignorance
When it comes to accountability we like to put a high premium on ignorance.
We use “I didn’t know” why to much so we don’t have to be accountable.
Its like when your wife ask you did you take out the trash and you play the stupid card. You mean its Thursday already
You get pulled over oh I didn’t know I was driver 30 miles over the speed limit officer.
We put a high premium on ignorance so we won’t have to be held accountable.
we like to say I didn’t know I should do this or that.
For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.
Romans 14:8 (NKJV)
For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.
Weather we live or die we are Gods. Weather we decide to observe this holiday or we treat every day equal we are Gods.
If you don’t celebrate Christmas praise God lets keep it moving. But we don’t need 50 reason why Christmas wasn’t Jesus birthday.
You don’t celebrate forth of July thats cool but don’t knock the ones that do.
Like don’t subject me unto bondage because you want to be lord over my life.
Its not mans responsibility to subject one under scrutiny because they are Gods.
Romans 14:9 (NKJV)
For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.”
So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.
This is a stumbling block for some. Because the tendecy is to try to be lord over one another.
I want to be lord over my family, over my life, lord over myself. We literally fight for this position to be lord.
We collect information just so we can be lord over it. We become aware of a secret about someone just to lord it over them.
What it mens to be lord is that you are possessor, owner, or master of property. Means supreme ruler or having absolute authority over one.
We all must give an account unto the Lord. We are not each others lords.
We are held accountable because God has given us responsibility. More responsibility more accountability. You can’t have one without the other.
You can’t have accountability without responsibility because what are you held accountable to?
And you can’t have responsibility without accountability because nothing will get done and theres no follow through.
The primary accountability is God spoke to Adam first after the fall.
Adam neglected his responsibility as a steward of the garden and neglected covering his wife, God was there to hold him accountable.
“There is a gradual development of accountability accompanying the growth of a human being from infancy to maturity; and there is a similar development in the race, as knowledge grows from less to more.”
Then Peter said to Him, “Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?”
And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?
Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.
This is talking about the first coming of Christ. And the responsibility the Jewish people and there leaders held in light of there understanding of Christ coming.
They should’ve been found doing the Master will having this expected hope of Jesus return but instead they built there own enterprise. And this false reality of spiritual living.
This is there to teach about our responsibility in light of the Lords coming. Though its primarily speaking to Israel.
Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.
But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk,
the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
Theres two things that believers have to watch out for as we anticipate His coming.
The mishandling of authority. This comes from a lack of accountability.
- We can mishandle the authority that God has given us.
Or we can mishandle God is the supreme authority in our lives.
2. Laziness in one’s conduct. They mishandled the people of God. beat the male and female servants, eat and drink and became drunk.
And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
To whom much is given much is required typically is used as a verse of responsibility. “To whom much is given much is required.” But its actually a verse of judgment.
The people leading the nation of Israel as the knowledge of his coming but neglected that knowledge. And because they weren’t ignorant though they played like it much will be required of them.
They where have to answer for there lack of response to the revelation that they knew.
WE don’t wont to be accountable because
1. we don’t want people to judge us.
2. We don’t trust people
3. We don’t want to give up rights to our flesh .
The only way you will overcome your sin is when the pain of your sin is less bearable then the pleasure of it.
If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.