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MAN’S ACCOUNTABILITY
"So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Rom. ). Paul's statement ought to cause every man to consider his condition before God. It is a solemn and sobering thought to realize that this will one day happen! Who is man to judge another, asks the apostle in verse ten? Man's judgment amounts to nothing. If men are the judges of men, some would always be judging and others would always be judged. But our text affirms that God will be the judge of all men. Paul tells us four things about our accountability to God. It will be universal. Paul said, "every one ..." would give account. No one is exempt when it comes time to be judged. The king will be there along with the beggar; the rich and poor will be there. The Christian and the atheist will be there regardless of atheism's denial of God, which necessarily denies a judgment. In life there are many inequities among men, but not so in judgment. All will be judged by the same standard - the word of God (John ). It will be inevitable. Our text says, "shall give account ..." Paul does not say, "there is a possibility," or "maybe" we might .have to give account. He is very emphatic - "we shall give account." There are many appointments in life a man may not keep, but our appointment with God in judgment will be met. The Christian may not keep his appointments with God to worship him on the Lord's day as he should, and the unbeliever does not even bother to make or consider such appointments! They think they are" getting away" with something! How startled they will be to be forced into an appointment they have never really considered. "It is appointed unto man once to die," said the Hebrew writer ( ), but after this is "the judgment." It will be personal. Paul said each would give account" of himself" The Lord is not interested in the account you might want to give of somebody else. He is interested in you. Yes, he is concerned about John Doe, but John Doe will have to give his own account. What have you done in life? You shall give account for it. What have you said? You shall give account for it. Reflect upon your personal responsibility to God. Daniel Webster was once asked, "what is the most important thought you ever entertained?" He thought for a moment and said, "the most important thought I ever had was about my individual responsibility to God." Would that all men would think about this! It will be supreme. We shall give account "to God." Not to other men, not to Satan, but to God. This is because man is responsible to God first and foremost. The "whole" of man is to "fear God and keep his commandments" (Eccl. ). Men are prone to consider themselves as free to do as they like. They fail to remember that as tree and independent as they may be, there is still one to whom they are subject and responsible - God. We live our lives subject to his laws. I would want no other as my judge on the last day. Other judges would be fallible. They would overlook my shortcomings as well as my virtues if there be any. God alone is supreme, and it is to him that I must give account. Why then will men not live their lives in obedience to God? Simply because they do not consider him supreme. This fact they will one day face - too late. Yes, we are all accountable to God, and will one day stand before him. The faithful child of God will be happy to do this, for he knows he stands before an omniscient and righteous judge. It will be an hour of despair and to those who know not God, for they shall know their judge is one of wrath toward the disobedient, as well as mercy toward the obedient. - Bill Moseley THE MARKS OF JESUS
"From henceforth let no man trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus" (Gal. 6:17). Here Paul speaks of the marks of Jesus. The ASV says, "I bear branded on my body the marks of Jesus." What does it mean to have the "marks of Jesus" on our body? Can we have them today, or were they peculiar to Paul? "Marks" is from a Greek word, the meaning of which is common to us today. The word is stigmata, and denotes "a tattoed mark or a mark burnt in, a brand" (Vine). In ancient times it was customary to brand a slave with the owner's mark. Thse brands, or marks, of course were physical in nature. No doubt Paul bore some physical marks as a result of being beaten, etc. But he seems to refer here to the distinguishing traits of his life that branded him as a slave for God. He uses a term which all could understand. If we must bear physical marks for Christ, so be it. But our lives as Christians, the marks that distinguish us as Christians, also brands us as slaves to Christ - slaves, yet with wonderful freedom from sin. In First Timothy 4:12 Paul lists severeal things we are to be examples in - purity, faith, etc. These are the marks of Christ. So in this sense, we can also bear the "marks of Jesus" in our bodies. What are you? Are you bearing his marks; are you branded as belonging to the Lord? - Bill Moseley CARRYING THE DONKEY
Have you ever tried to please everybody. You may as well forget it! The old Spanish proverb tells about a man, a boy and a donkey. They were all walking down a dusty road on a hot summer day. They overheard some passerby say, "look at those fools; walking when they could be riding." So onto the donkey they climbed, and had ridden only a short distance when another passerby remarked, "look at that poor donkey carrying two people. How heartless!" Whereupon the son got down and walked. The another said, "look at that inconsiderate man making that poor little boy walk while he rides." Upon hearing this, the father got down and the boy got back upon the animal. Yet another saidk, "look at that strong young man riding and the poor old man walking in the heat of the day." So they climbed down, tied the feet of the donkey to a pole and proceeded to carry him! Everybody then remarked, "look at those two fools!" Well, the lesson is obvious isn't it? We spend a lot of time worrying about people being pleased with us. We are continually perplexed because we can never please everygody. A suggestion? Don't even try! We should strive to please God, and do unto others as we would have them do unto us and not worry about folks thinking us foolish. Try to please everybody and you'll wind up carrying the donkey! All this reminds me of a Bible class teacher who asked a group of small children, "is there anything God cannot do?" One little raised her hand and said, "well yes - God cannot please everybody!" Well ... OK - maybe that's our problem sometime; we are trying to do what even the Lord couldn't do! - Bill Moseley AND ANOTHER THING ...
(The Art of Deflation)
There is the story of the great Oliver Wendell Holmes strolling on the beach near his home one day and stopped to chat with a small child playing in the sand. The child soon slipped her hand into that of the great Holmes and walked along the beach with him, visiting cheerily all the while. Soon she said, "well, it's time for me to go home now. I guess I'd better leave." "Goodbye, my dear," said the famous Holmes. "When your mother asks you where you have been, tell her you have been walking with Oliver Wendell Holmes." "OK," replied the little , "and when your mother asks where you've been, tell them you've been walking with Susanna Brown." We all get to thinking a little more highly of ourselves than we ought once in awhile if we are not careful! It is then that we need somebody to take us down the proverbial "notch or two." If you want someone who can really do it, talk with a child - he doesn't know or care how famous you are! It might sting a little at the time - but we all need a little air let out on occasion. "When a man thinketh himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself" (Gal. 6:3). Yep - we all need a few "Susanna Browns" in our lives from time to time. - Bill Moseley |
