Are We Accountable?
I received an E-mail this week with the following questions from a sincere seeker of truth. Below is how I answered.
I do have a question or 2….or 3. If our sins were covered on the cross, hence, redeeming all men, how are we held accountable for the actions we do earth? (Murder, adultery etc etc) Is there no longer a moral right and wrong? If there is, in our limited understanding, what does it matter then what I do? I am not justifying the notion that we can or should do what we want, but how are we held accountable for stuff that goes against the goodness of God? Does sin still exist? Is there temporal punishment?
I could think of a million more but I am on journey right now with 2 broken legs slowly dragging myself.
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Concerning your questions about being held accountable for our sins. I firmly believe that no human being escapes the consequences of their choices, but what has really helped me be OK with that notion is knowing that God is not only able but willing to take every choice we make and turn it into good. I believe He has set up a perfect process by which each of us will learn what we need to learn while on this earth. I have also come to believe that even his so called wrath is really his perfect love and I welcome it. We don’t have to fret about anyone getting away with anything because the system He has us in is quite capable of giving us exactly what we need in LOVE. Let me share with you a post I did that explains this in more detail.
I WELCOME THE WRATH OF GOD!
The following verse has been used by many a preacher to condemn and put fear in the hearts of their followers, but I would like for us to take a new look at this verse.
Romans 1:18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,
Now we know that God was revealing something from heaven that would stand against all the godlessness and wickedness of men but what was it? Was he going to bring down fire and brimstone? Was he going to turn all the wicked people into pillars of salt?
You see we have the advantage of knowing exactly what God was revealing from heaven that would be able to destroy all godlessness and wickedness of men. Paul had already given the answer in the previous two verses.
16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
As he says: “In the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed”. The righteousness from God that was revealed in the gospel is Jesus Christ himself. Jesus came to overpower godlessness and wickedness of men by forgiving all their sins. Where sin has gone grace has gone all the more. The LOVE of God and the WRATH of God are absolutely the very same thing. Yes, God loves us enough to destroy all the godlessness and wickedness that is in our lives but the way he accomplishes all of that is through the beauty of his glorious nature which is seen in the life of Jesus Christ. HE LOVES IT OUT OF US.
Abraham Lincoln once said: “The best way to destroy an enemy is to make them your friend.” That’s exactly what God has done with all of us and he demonstrates his plan in the gospel.
This is why the apostle John said the following:
1 John 4:18-20 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 19We love because he first loved us.
God knew he could never bring us back to perfection through threat of punishment and yet so many preachers today are teaching the very opposite of what was revealed from heaven in the Gospel message. The gospel message is the only answer to our godlessness and wickedness and the answer is GRACE. There is a day for all of us when we will recognize this awesome love and on that day of awakening we will fall down on our knees in complete and total praise of this God of Love.
For Paul the apostle it happened when he was on the road to Damscus and he describes what God did for him and will do for all.
1 Tim 1:12-17
12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners — of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Paul was a blasphemer, persecutor, violent man, and yet God destroyed all of that darkness within him and turned him into the beautiful man that we all know as the apostle Paul. Yes, that was the Wrath of God that was revealed from heaven to Paul and yet we see through the gospel message that the wrath of God is something that we should all welcome because it really is God’s Love in the purest form.
God will not leave anyone out. The wrath of God is revealed against ALL—-Now that’s something to be grateful for.
Nice, Cliff!
Yes, God was loving enough to give us what we wanted! And what did we want? For him to unleash his wrath against our wickedness!
He complied.
And how did he comply? By unleashing his wrath on himself instead.
We wanted wrath. We expected wrath. We felt we deserved wrath. So he delivered! What a loving God! What a wonderful Father!
How much greater love is there than to give up your life for your friends?
What a statement of purposeful love he revealed in the Work of the Cross!
And still, none of us deserves his love at all, but he gives it anyway! …freely and without requirement - because none of us could measure up anyway… well almost none of us
Loved this post cliff thankyou.Thank God christ has all the preminence in all things and that we all have been accepted in the beloved.
kenneth
Awesome post Cliff this sure is the gospel of true love and grace.
Love in Christ Dan
Kenneth, I love the way you think. You have the heart of the Father, and you know it.
Dan, good to see you! I was thinking about you the other day, wondering if you were still around. How are you?
Thanks Dan. You are such an encourager. As Bruce said, it’s great to hear from you and we hope you are doing well.
Thanks bruced for your kind words.The mind of moses gave to me a heart of led, but the mind of christ gave me a heart of grace.Pauls mind and that of the other apostals had to be renewed to a whole new mindset.Thus resulting in an established heart of grace.It is called the new covenant where the law of the spirit of life in christ jesus rules the heart and mind forevermore world without end.Thankyou jesus!!!!
kenneth.
I still dont feel like I get ahold of what the Cross was really about, even after being a christian for 33 years. It appears that the Cross took care of all sin and has (past) reconciled all to GOD, and yet, we are judged and reconciled again it appears.. If it is not in our flesh to obey or be godly, and we can only achieve it as HE does it through us, then how can we be held accountable? I have studied and read much on this, but I have not yet felt satisfied with an answer. I am trusting GOD for revelation cause I know that is the only way one “see’s”.
Connie
This post was very helpful. I found it doing some research about God’s wrath, because, while I believe that God’s wrath was satisfied through Christ’s atonement on the cross, I noticed that Paul, in Colossians 3:6, still talks about the wrath of God “coming”, even though the world’s atonement was accomplished already through Christ.
Welcome Chaela,
I think often we get hung up on concepts of the early christians who were in the process of having their minds renewed. A mind that IS renewed begins to understand God as perfect love and their is no difference between the term wrath and love. Please return often, we welcome everyones views. I will add your site to our bloglist.
Chaela, You mentioned Col.3:6 but you need to read thru verse 11, the last part of that verse “But Christ is all, and in all. God will not destroy any part of Christ. Because he first loved us - Sue