The Rule of Accountability

1 Corinthians 4:1-5 Too many people delight in avoiding responsibility. “Don’t blame me. It’s not my fault,” or “I will take responsibility for myself, never mind.” It seems to be engrained in the human personality. If you are acquainted with the Bible at all, you know that in Genesis, the first book of the Bible, the account is given of Eve and Adam disobeying God and their responses when He faced them with their responsibility. Adam blamed his wife, Eve. She blamed the serpent. Thus it is engrained in human personality to avoid accountability. There is another example in the Bible. When the children of Israel were encamped at Mt. Sinai and Moses went up on the mountain, they worshiped a golden calf. Now we may wonder, Where did that golden calf come from? Well, Aaron, Moses’ brother, had asked the people to bring their gold earrings and all their gold jewelry to him. Then he made a calf out of the gold, and they worshipped it. But when Moses came down off the mountain, Aaron would not take the responsibility that was rightfully his. “Well,” he said, “you know how these people are, Moses.” Aaron refused to be accountable for what had happened (see Exodus 32). “Accountability” means to be responsible. There is another Bible example. When David committed adultery with Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife, David thought he had it all hidden very neatly, but the prophet Nathan came and exposed his sin. The prophet spoke just four words: “Thou art the man” (II Samuel 12:7). In other words, “You are responsible. You, King David, are accountable.” Let’s consider THE RULE OF ACCOUNTABILITY. In I Corinthians 4:1-5 the apostle Paul wrote some very decisive words about accountability: 1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of a man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. 4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. From these verses, I affirm that accountability brings us face to face with several PREROGATIVES of God that we must consider. The first prerogative is: THE INSCRUTABLE MYSTERIES OF GOD 1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. Ministers preachers and pastors are especially vulnerable. They are to be leaders in the church. They are to be, as the apostle says, “stewards of the mysteries of God.” A steward in Bible days was a commissioned servant. He was not the owner; he was the manager. Perhaps Joseph in Egypt is the clearest example of the biblical concept of a faithful steward. When he made Joseph a steward of his household, Pharaoh put everything into Joseph’s hands. He ran the country, so to speak. The only difference was Pharaoh occupied the throne. So stewards are required to be faithful. That is what the apostle says in verse 2: “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” But I am concentrating on the inscrutable mysteries of God. Ministers are singly subject to winds of thought. Theology seems to shift fr...