“I Am My Brothers & Sisters Keeper”
If you’re anything like me, as a child you looked forward to being an adult, so you could escape the unreasonable, kill-joy, parental “rules”, that seemingly robbed you from living a fun-filled teenage life. You eagerly awaited for your day of freedom, where you could say the words, “I’m grown” to your parents; no longer being bound by their early curfews or accountable to them. However, even as adults, we’ll always be accountable to someone; a spouse, boss, professor, police/government, etc.
For the Christian we are also accountable to church members/Christian friends (Prov 27:17; Matt 18:15-17; Heb 10:24-25) and our Pastor/leaders (Heb 13:17; I Thess 5:11-14) But like rebellious teenagers, we find ourselves often trying to escape accountability to anyone. Some of us refuse to go to church, or serve in ministry so that we can come and go as we please without having to account for ourselves. Unfortunately this mind-set is dangerous to our Christian walk, and is unbiblical.
Scripture teaches there are many benefits for the believer who willing submits to the accountability of another, here are two;
#1- Deliverance from Sin– It is through our fellowship with and the prayers of spiritually mature Christians that can lead us back to a restored relationship with God if we’ve falling into sin. (Gal 6:1-2; James 5:20; Matt 7:1-5)
#2- Protection from Satan– At times our sinful desires and emotional involvement in a particular situation, can blind us from the traps of Satan. The warnings of Christian friends, leaders, or our Pastor, will prevent us from making a bad decision that will devastate our lives or have us walking on a path away from God. (Eze 3:21; Luke 22:31-32)
Relationships/friendships built on the Word can help us become spiritually mature Christians. We are not to be self-sufficient, lone-rangers in our Christian journey, but rather embrace the love of each other through the teaching, correction, warning, or rebuke of a trusted follower of Christ. May we humble ourselves and submit one to another, knowing that we all will give account for our deeds before God. (Rom 14:12)
“Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy” Proverbs 27: 6 NASB
“Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another” Proverbs 27:17 NASB
Your Sister In Christ,
Kesha Griffin