Too often, we confuse love with permissiveness. It is not love to fail to dissuade another believer from sin any more than it is love to fail to take a drink away from an alcoholic or matches away from a baby. True fellowship out of love for one another demands accountability.
John Wesley was so concerned with building a righteous fellowship that he devised a series of questions for his followers to ask each other every week. Some found this rigorous system of inquiry too demanding and left. Today, the very idea of such a procedure would horrify many churchgoers. Yet some wisely follow just such a practice. Here are seven questions that a group of fellow pastors challenge each other with periodically:
- Have you been with a woman anywhere this past week that might be seen as compromising?
- Have any of your financial dealings lacked integrity?
- Have you exposed yourself to any sexually explicit material?
- Have you spent adequate time in Bible study and prayer?
- Have you given priority time to your family?
- Have you fulfilled the mandates of your calling?
- Have you just lied to me?
Dear church, accountability is not only wise, but the church is called to be a place for believers to find accountability. The Devil loves it when you isolate and stay in secret sin and lose your zeal for the Lord due to shame. Flee to Christ and to His church and find an accountability group or person to live your life of victory for Christ in this world. If you are struggling to find accountability see me and I will direct you to someone.
Pastor Mark