Editor’s Note:
Hi everyone. This is Tim, one of Rodney’s publishing partners. Since the last post was on the topic of consequences, I thought it was fitting to follow it with a more recent lesson given by Rodney on the topic of personal responsibility. Personal responsibility and accountability are crucial for personal growth, as they are directly tied to the consequences of our actions, both before outcomes occur and after they manifest.
When we take personal responsibility, we acknowledge that our choices and actions have a direct impact on our lives and the lives of others. This awareness helps us make more thoughtful decisions, knowing that we are accountable for the outcomes. Before the consequences occur, being responsible means considering the potential impact of our actions and making choices that align with our values and goals.
After outcomes have occurred, accepting accountability allows us to learn from our experiences, whether positive or negative. It fosters personal growth by helping us understand our mistakes and successes, leading to better decision-making in the future. Recognizing and addressing avoidance behaviors, such as blaming others or denying problems, is essential in this process. I hope to include future posts dedicated to becoming more aware of the ways we avoid personal responsibility and accountability for the outcomes we have had a hand in producing.
In this lesson, Rodney explores how personal responsibility and accountability are intertwined with spiritual growth. Now… Rodney’s lesson:
“Wherefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
Philippians 2:12
With this verse in mind, Paul provided a list of things in verses one through eleven that are required to fulfill verse twelve. The finger of truth is pointed at each person, especially those who have chosen God’s gift of life, as exhibited through the living Word. When in the height of maturity, as demonstrated by the disciples ordained before the ascension of Christ, Jesus told them: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” This is the duty of every Christian. Remember, everything we do and say is preaching a sermon, and the world is watching and listening.
A text to consider is Ezekiel 18, particularly verses 1-4: “The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying, what mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, the fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge? As I live, saith the Lord God, you shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel. Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” (Read the rest of the chapter to clarify). When God declared these truths through Ezekiel, He spoke in a positive, not negative, voice. Warning someone about the consequences of wrongdoing is not a curse but a loving caution. If they still disobey, the consequences fall on them, not on the one who gave the advice and warning.
Transgressions are condemned by law and lead to separation (death) from God. They can also lead to the separation of the soul from the body. This separation is not God’s fault but that of the transgressor. As stated in Ezekiel 18:32, “For I have no pleasure in the death (separation) of him that dieth, saith the Lord God; wherefore turn yourselves (personally) and live ye.”
When God commanded us to love our neighbor as ourselves, He did not mean to include the baggage the neighbor carried. God loves every soul but hates sin and its consequences. He wants us to love every soul while separating ourselves from the neighbor’s sin. Embracing the differences is to compromise with them, and compromising with the neighbor’s sin leads to separation from God. Remember, the carnal mind is an enemy of God. Because of sin, God is compelled to separate Himself from it, not the soul. However, He cannot have fellowship with the soul unless it repents and “turns itself.” We are also admonished to separate ourselves from the disobedient and unbelieving neighbor until he is restored. If he continues in unbelief and disobedience, we are to treat him with wisdom and love while still hating his sin and transgression.
The objective is not to live forever in the body or to never have problems but to live a lengthy or normal lifespan. In this atmosphere, we lessen the problems we face and live according to God’s pleasure. Due to unhealthy practices, we transgress the ever-present unwritten laws, which we tend to overlook. Obedience to these laws makes us better and healthier people, both physically and spiritually, which pleases God. As Christians, we must remember that God dwells in our soul, which resides in our body, making the body a Tabernacle for His presence. Although the health and use of the body are up to us, it is His desire that we use our body for His divine service, obey the hidden laws, and rejoice in His presence.
Our text is about “accepting personal responsibilities,” meaning making Him Lord of our life physically and spiritually. The unwritten and hidden laws that I mentioned provide us with peace, love, and joy, which are rewards from God through His Holy Spirit when we apply these laws to our entire being. First, we must have faith, believing that God can fulfill all His promises. Second, let us not grow weary in well-doing (Galatians 6:9). If we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit (Galatians 5:25). This compels us to recognize that there is a spirit within us that seeks to express itself through our speech and actions. These expressions are the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, etc. (Galatians 5:22-23). Even though Paul said there is no law against them because they are from God, neglecting these things is unhealthy and deadly. Another silent law is in Galatians 6:10: “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all (mankind), especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” Additional hidden laws include ethics, manners, dietary practices, respect, etc.
The last item I’ll present is the age of accountability. Israel is a good example, past and present. Despite God’s long-suffering, there came a time when only a remnant of the nation obeyed God’s commands. Discipline had degraded to the point where the sins of Israel were worse than those of the Gentiles. The nation and the members of each family were guilty of transgressions, and all received the consequences of their sin. This is a just judgment on God’s part; otherwise, the righteousness of a few would save the whole.
The importance of the lesson is to teach that each individual makes a difference. If each person works with others, the combined effort will create a different result. This goes in a negative direction as well as a positive one. Since individuals are accountable for themselves, they cannot cast blame on someone else. Neither can they take credit for another family member’s actions. Nor can people expect reimbursement or punishment for what a past generation did. We must all stand every day before the judgment seat of Truth and give an account.
God bless. Amen.
Rodney Roberts