Romans 14:7-9 – “For of us lives for himself and none dies for himself. ⁸ If we live, we live for the Lord; if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. ⁹ For this reason Christ died and returned to life, so that he may be the Lord of both the dead and the living.”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, responsibility and accountability filled my thoughts.  None of us is exempt!  All of us have responsibilities, and even if we are accountable to no other human, we are accountable to God!

God does not take our disregard for His commandments lightly. Tragically, our sin does not just affect us; it affects others.   In Joshua 7:5, we find that because Achan sinned in Jericho, 36 men lost their lives at Ai.   One sin cost 36 men their lives!

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard, “I’m not hurting anyone else.” We fail to realize the ripple effect of our actions. Remember Adam’s sin and the impact on humanity?

Romans 14:7 – “For none of us lives for himself, and none dies for himself.” We are not deserted islands; our life and death affect others.   Therefore, we have a responsibility to consider the impact of our actions on others.

Every promise carries with it a responsibility to prepare and pursue the promise. Caleb, in the wilderness at 40, was given a promise.  Now, 45 years later, at 85, he said, “Give me this mountain.”   

Realize that he was not asking for ease because the mountain he requested was filled with fierce enemies. He would have to fight to possess it. He asked permission, which would equate to a promise. He received the promise, made the preparation, pursued the purposes of God, and finally possessed the promise.  In Joshua 17:14-18, Joseph’s descendants asked for an easy gift to expand their territory. Joshua said, “No. If you want more, go take it!”

In 2 Thessalonians 3:10, we have the oft-quoted passage. “If anyone is not willing to work, neither should he eat.”  Paul had already addressed brothers who live undisciplined lives of sin.  If they fail in their responsibility for right living, they are to be held accountable for their actions.  In verse 13, he encouraged the people not to get discouraged in living and doing right. The hypocrites around them were a source of discouragement. Hypocrites discourage others by their lives.

Our life is not (our life) in the sense that it affects only us. We are members of the Body of Christ. Just as the human body, our individual parts impact the whole; in the spiritual body, each of us impacts others.

Our responsibility is to love God with our all and our neighbor as ourselves. We are responsible for stewarding the grace given to us. God will hold us accountable for our disobedience and reward us for our obedience.

We have a promise from God (life); our responsibility is preparation (prayer, study, submission), pursuit (I press toward the mark), and possession. Just like Caleb and the sons of Joseph, or Israel in Canaan, we must possess the promise we have prepared for and have been pursuing! The how is the issue.

How?  By total commitment.  By faithfulness.  By the Holy Spirit. By Christ IN us! By refusing to give up!

LORD, help us accept our responsibility with accountability and possess your promises!