Ron Hutchcraft Ministries - Accountability - Friend or Foe?

What is the driving force of your life? For some, it is working to provide a great income so that their family can enjoy the best comforts in life. For others, it is the pursuit of power, and yet for others, it is living with the overwhelming fear of failing. Something drives all of us to do what we do, say what we say, live how we live. For the Apostle Paul, the driving force of his life was the simple fact that he would one day stand before God and give an account of his life to Him. "So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God" (Romans 14:12 ).

Listen to how the Apostle Paul urges God's people to live as he talked about our accountability to God:

• "He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 1:8 ).
• "So that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ" (Philippians 1:10 ).
• "May He strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all His holy ones" (1 Thessalonians 3:13 ).
• "May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5:23 ).

One common theme seems to run through these passages - the importance of living a blameless life. But what does it mean to live a blameless life? Is it even possible? Is a blameless life characterized by someone who knows all the answers in Sunday school and has never really messed up in life?

The word blameless in each of these Scriptures means lacking offense, or living in such a way that others cannot find fault in you. Quite a measuring stick to live one's life by! Ultimately, it is God who will judge the living and the dead, and only He truly knows the hearts of men. The Apostle Paul even said that though his conscience is clear, it did not mean he was guiltless (1 Corinthians 4:4 ). But is a blameless life possible for the less than perfect Christ-follower? Is it possible for people who have broken the "big ten"?

The bottom line is this: we have all broken the big ten, and yes, it is still possible for us to live a life that is blameless. We can safely conclude from the Scriptures that living a blameless life means we embrace the fact that the Christian life is a process of spiritual growth. I encourage you to take time to study the many passages that demonstrate the transformation of going from what we were to what we are becoming in Christ. And the process isn't something we are going to understand in one day, one week, one year, or even a lifetime.

Living a blameless life means that while we seek to live life without allowing strongholds of sin to enter in, we also seek to make wrongs right as we become aware of them. Living a life that is blameless means being willing to make reconciliation a part of daily life, and this is only made possible by God's grace.

Listen to the purpose of God's grace as described in Titus 2:11-14 . "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good."

God's grace empowers us to live a life pleasing to God by pursuing what is good, and ridding ourselves of what is wicked.  And it motivates us to be eager to do what is good. Which brings me to my last thought. There are people within our sphere of influence who are desperate for a Savior. And God has placed you where He has for a purpose - to help bring those people into a relationship with your Savior. We will one day give an account for what we did or didn't do to help others be brought into a love relationship with Jesus. Let's be prepared to give a good account of our attempts to get people to Jesus by acting out of love on their behalf.

This Christmas season is a perfect time to extend God's love to those you care about, and we even have a great and easy tool that will help you do this. It's called Born to Rescue. Use this booklet to share the Christ of Christmas with people in your world by including them in your Christmas cards or with baked goods you might give to neighbors. As you give this Christmas, this simple booklet is an easy way to give the Gospel to people you know.

Let us constantly pursue a life that is found blameless when we stand before our Savior and give an account. Let's allow this truth to become the driving force of our life.