Responsibility

By Brad Green

     The Bible teaches that “every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Rom. 14:12). This is a clear declaration that each individual bears a responsibility in regard to his salvation. Ezekiel proclaimed, “the soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him” (Eze. 18:20). No one will give an account to God for someone else. Since God demands accountability, it is only logical to understand that God has given us the Law to which we will be accountable. Jesus says, “he that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:48). All men, therefore, shall be responsible for obeying the Truth that is the New Testament of Christ. Paul states that the Gospel of Christ is the only power that can save man and that the plan to make man righteous is found in that Gospel (Rom. 1:16-17). Thus, no man can be saved without the Bible. The Bible teaches how one can become righteous in God’s sight – hear (Rom. 10:17), believe (Heb. 11:6), repent of past sins (Luke 13:3), confess that Jesus is the Christ (Rom. 10:9-10), and be immersed in water to have those past sins washed away (Acts 22:16; Rev. 1:5).
     The Bible also teaches that once an individual has obeyed God’s plan to save, he has the responsibility to remain faithful. “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire” (2 Pet. 2:20-22).
     Each individual with the capacity and ability to give account for his actions will do so on the Day of Judgment. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10). Isn’t it wonderful to know that if we simply obey God’s plan of salvation and remain faithful to Him, when He opens the book of our deeds on the Last Great Day, our sins will be covered by the blood of Christ, “blotted out” (Acts 3:19), as if wiped clean from the pages of history. Have you had your sins washed away? “Why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).
- via the Belvedere Beacon, the weekly bulletin of the Belvedere Church of Christ, Belvedere, SC.  Ken Chumbley preaches for this congregation, and he may be contacted at their website: http://www.belvederechurchofchrist.org