Personal responsibility and accountability

https://odb.org/MY/2023/07/13/personal-responsibility

In our faith as believers, we have personal responsibility and accountability for our actions, behaviour, and service, including for things we could have done but didn’t. On the day of judgment, we need to give an account for our lives – like for example, did we oppress or help the poor or disadvantaged? Or did we see an opportunity, and we capitalised on it to the detriment of the disadvantaged?

In the Bible, there are two last day judgments that we should be aware of. The first is the Great White Throne Judgment, and the second is the Judgment Seat of Christ (also known as the Bema judgment). The first judges unbelievers while the second judges believers. The Bema judgment seeks to reward if we have followed what Jesus said (remember Matthew 7:21?). In other words, have we fulfilled our calling in Christ and the plans and purposes of God for our lives? In fact, the whole Bible is about us following and living out His commandments.

When Paul speaks of working out our salvation with fear and trembling in Philippians 2:12, I believe that he is referring to the first, that is, we need to first make sure that our salvation is intact on the day of judgment. But if we have done our share of good works and service after accepting Christ, then those good works will surely stand us in good stead when we face Christ during the Bema judgment. All the treasures and riches in heaven that we had stored earlier will become tangible at this time. James had reminded in James 2:26 that faith without works is dead.

I think the simple message this morning is that accepting Christ is not the end game, but only the beginning to possibly an endless adventure with Christ working out His plans and purposes for our lives while we allow Him to transform us as we do not conform to the pattern of this world per Romans 12:2. There is work to be done within us, and for Christ – much work indeed! The good news is that as we serve Him and in the process we are transformed, we will sort out the first and second judgments. We will first ensure that our salvation is intact, and then we will be rewarded for our good works.

There will be a time of personal responsibility and accountability, but we will not be fearful if we have done our part. By way of an analogy, it will be like if we had prepared well for our exam, we would enter the examination hall with boldness and anticipation to do well. But if we had not prepared well, then we would be fearful, and there may be trembling within us. Put in our share of the work, and we will be good!