Accountability to God emphasizes that all believers, especially spiritual leaders, are answerable for their actions before the Lord, underscoring the seriousness of faithfulness in every circumstance (Romans 14:12). Illustrations often depict the weight of responsibility and the consequences of straying from God's calling, reminding preachers to uphold holiness and stewardship (Hebrews 13:17).
God’s servants failed morally when found in wrong places, showing the danger of compromise.
The sins committed by ancient Israel were recorded "for our admonition" (1 Corinthians 10:6, 1 Corinthians 10:11) that we might not make the same mistakes. Many great men have failed God because they were found in the wrong places. In the form of a question, we introduce several of the "wrong places" where some great servants of God failed.
Are you on the slippery path of DISHONESTY, as was Abraham when he went down to Egypt (see Genesis 12:10-20)? Since his wife, Sarah, was such a beautiful woman, Abraham feared that the Egyptians might kill him in order to have her. To prevent this, Abraham deceived them by telling them she was his sister. It was only a "half-truth" for Sarah was Abraham's half-sister (Genesis 20:12). We have a modern name for what Abraham did: "situation ethics," the philosophy which says that one's ethics are determined by the situation in which he finds himself. According to this concept, there is no absolute standard of morality, no objective basis for conduct. Thus, one may lie, cheat, commit immorality, etc., if the situation "calls for it." However, God has always abhorred the practice of dishonesty (Deuteronomy 25:13-16), no matter who was involved. Christians are to "provide things honest in the sight of all men" (Romans 12:17).
Are you giving way to IMPURITY as did David when he walked upon the housetop (2 Sam. 11, 12)? David yielded to his lower and baser instincts when he saw the beautiful Bathsheba bathing. The immorality led to further sin-murder! It all began when David was at the wrong place at the wrong time. The Christian, whose mind should be on things above (Colossians 3:2), would do well to avoid people, places and literature which tempt him to yield to unholy passions.
Are you sitting under the juniper tree of DISCOURAGEMENT as did Elijah (1 Kings 19:1-18)? Elijah's great victory at Mt. Carmel was followed by despondency when he learned that Jezebel was out to kill him. He sat down under a juniper tree and prayed that God would let him die. Despondency frequently comes after a mountain-top experience, doesn't it? When it happens we want to crawl under our "juniper tree" and let the rest of the world pass us by. Remember, God is still on His throne and rules the world (cf. Psalms 42:5).
Are you sailing on the ship of DISOBEDIENCE as did Jonah when he fled to Tarshish (Jonah 1:1-17)? Jonah's prejudice prompted him to disobey God when he was told to preach in Nineveh. Is it possible that you are "on the way to Tarshish" when you should be "on the way to Nineveh?" Did you obey the Lord in becoming a Christian, but you have now boarded the ship of disobedience and are fleeing away from your Redeemer?
Saints in the wrong places! Maybe we can learn something from them and avoid their mistakes. The Door That Goes Nowhere
Have you ever been caught in a revolving door? It just keeps on going around and you cannot get out. Some people are like that, they have no direction as to where they are going. You may ask someone, "Where are you going?" The person will answer, "I don't know." Then how will you know when you get there? Besides its common use as the entrance to a house or building, this word is used metaphorically as the entrance to anything. Jesus said that He is the door, the entrance, into the kingdom (John 10:7-9). The door of faith is the opportunity of belief offered to the Gentiles in Acts 14:27. Elsewhere it means opportunity.
Paul refers to a great door opening to him in 2 Corinthians 2:13. Revelation 4:1 says, "I looked and a door was opened." Do we have the ability to see the open doors, and if so, do we go in and avail ourselves of the opportunities that await us? Jude talks about people who have no direction, driven about by winds first one way then another. This accomplishes nothing. Ephesians 4 speaks of being carried about by every wind, again depicting no direction.
Some brethren show no more direction after being a Christian for thirty or forty years than they did when they first obeyed. This is the door that goes nowhere. They have gone through the door but stopped, so in essence it has taken them nowhere. Paul relates to this when he says, "By reason of time you ought to be teachers, you have that need that someone teach you again what be the first principles" (Hebrews 5:12).
People often deny responsibility for sin, but God holds each accountable.
Almost everyone is aware of the statement attributed to President Harry Truman that "The Buck Stops Here," but does it? There are people who will not accept responsibility for their actions. Included in this group are criminals and sociopaths. The war trials at Nuremberg brought out this idea. The Nazi war criminals claimed they were just following orders. "We really did not want to exterminate the Jews. Hitler made us do it." The criminal says, "I am a product of society. They are to blame, not me." The wife and child abuser says, "I was raised by abusive parents, so do not blame me; blame them." The denial of guilt does not remove or negate the responsibility of it.
In our society today we are just as sick as they were then. No one wants to accept responsibility for anything. Everything is relative, so do what you want to. It is O.K. Well, friends and neighbors, that is plain junk. It just ain't so. Of course, anyone can play the game of denial. It all started a long time ago. Genesis 3:1-19 tells us that Adam ate the forbidden fruit and God held him responsible. Adam said, "I am not responsible. You know the woman you gave me, remember her? She gave me fruit from the tree and I did eat. But do not blame me, you gave her to me so blame her, but not me." God then went and asked Eve, "What have you done?" Eve said, "The serpent deceived me and I ate." "The devil made me do it," was Flip Wilson's favorite line. God held them both responsible for their actions. He will hold us responsible for ours. The soul that sinneth shall die. When we sin, let us ask God to forgive us, and then we should take the consequence that goes with it.
Dead souls drift with the world, lacking true spiritual life and accountability to God.
"They are dead fish which are carried down the stream"—Living fish may go with the stream at times, but dead fish must always do so. There are plenty of such in all waters: dead souls, so far as the truest life is concerned, and these are always drifting, drifting, drifting as the current takes them. Their first enquiry is—what is customary? God's law is of small account to them, but the unwritten rules of society have a power over them which they never think of resisting. Like the Vicar of Bray, they can twist round and round if the stream is running in an eddy; or, like the sluggard, they can remain at their ease if the waters are stagnant. They stand in awe of a fool's banter, and ask of their neighbour leave to breathe. Is this a right state to be in? Each one of us must give an account for himself before God: should not each one act for himself? If we follow a multitude to do evil, the multitude will not excuse the evil nor diminish the punishment. Good men have generally been called upon to walk by themselves. We can sin abundantly by passively yielding to the course of this world; but to be holy and gracious needs many a struggle, many a tear. Where, then, am I? Am I sailing in that great fleet which bears the black flag, under Rear-Admiral Apollyon, who commands the ship Fashion? If so, when all these barques come to destruction I shall be destroyed with them. Better part company, hoist another flag, and serve another sovereign. Come, my heart, canst thou go against stream? It is the way of life. The opposing waters will but wash and cleanse thee, and thou shalt ascend to the eternal river-head, and be near and like thy God. O thou who art Lord of the strait and narrow way, aid me to force a passage to glory and immortality.
Inability does not remove responsibility; sin lowers ability but not the duty to obey God.
"A drunken servant is a servant, and bound to do his work, his master loseth not his right by his man's default." It is a mere assumption, though some state it with much confidence, that inability removes responsibility. As our author shows, a servant may be too drunk to do his master's bidding, but his service is still his master's due. If responsibility began and ended with ability, a man would be out of debt as soon as he was unable to pay; and if a man felt that he could not keep his temper he would not be blamable for being angry. A man may be bound
to do what he cannot do: the habitual liar is bound to speak the truth, though his habit of falsehood renders him incapable of it. Every sin renders the sinner less able to do right, but the standard of his duty is not lowered in proportion to the lowering of his capacity to come up to it, or it would follow that the more a man is depraved by sin the less guilty his actions become, which is absurd. Every Christian will confess that it is his duty to be perfect, and yet he mourns over his inability to be so. It never enters into the Christian's head to excuse his failings by pleading the incapacity of his nature; nay, this is another cause for lamentation. The standard of responsibility is the command of God. The law cannot be lowered to our fallen state. It is sin to neglect or break a divine command. All the theology which is based upon the idea that responsibility is to be measured by moral ability or inability has the taint of error about it. Lord, make me to know my obligation, that I may be humbled, and help me to adore thy grace, by which alone holiness can be wrought in me.
We will give account for how we use God's gifts and time at Christ's coming.
"We shall be called to an account, what we have done with our time, and talents, and interests, and opportunities: 'At his coming our Lord will require his own with usury' (Luke xix. 23.) Ah, unfaithful ones, what will you say, when you cannot shift and lie? Will this be an answer: I spent my time in serving my own lusts? This will not avail you. A factor, (or steward,) that is sent to a mart or fair, should stay guzzling in an inn, or ale-house, and there spend all his money, which was to be employed in traffic, could he excuse himself by pleading that he was busy with his cups? Oh, what a dreadful account will poor souls make, that have spent their time either doing nothing, or nothing to purpose, or that which is worse than nothing, even sin which will undo them for ever! Come, my heart, call thyself to account. What hast thou been at? Hast thou served thy Lord, or hast thou wasted his goods and his time? The Lord will require this of thee before long, therefore require it of thyself. How would it fare with thee if the judgment-day commenced to-morrow, and on leaving thy bed in the morning thou shouldst find the dread assize already commenced? Say, my soul, if thou wert at this instant called away, how stand accounts between thee and thy Lord?
Greater privileges bring greater responsibilities and expectations from God.
"We expect he should come sooner that rideth on horseback than he that travelleth on foot." Privileges have their responsibilities. To whom much is given, of him much shall be required. Five talents must bring in more interest than one, or their possessor will prove to be a slothful servant. How is it with us? Have we more talents than others? Then our Master asks, "What do ye more than others?"
Every action is recorded and judged, with opportunity for forgiveness before final sealing.
Every man, says a Turkish allegory, has two angels, one on the right shoulder and another on his left. When he does any thing good, the angel on the right shoulder writes it down and seals it, because what is done is done forever. When he does evil, the angel on the left shoulder writes it down. He waits till midnight. If before that time the man bows down his head, and exclaims, "Gracious Allah; I have sinned: forgive me!" the angel rubs it out; and if not, at midnight he seals it, and the angel upon the right shoulder weeps.
Each small action contributes to our overall accountability before God.
Just as the tiny shells make up the chalk hills, and the chalk hills together make up the range, so the trifling actions make up the whole account, and each of these must be pulled asunder separately. You had an hour to spare the other day—what did you do? You had a voice—how did you use it? Each particular shall be brought out, and there shall be demanded an account for each one. Spurgeon.
The soul and body must face eternal accountability together for earthly choices and spiritual neglect.
"Brother," said the Soul to the Body. "we must part shortly; and now let us reckon together."—"Let us reckon, sister," said the Body. "You," said the Soul, "have been active in labor, and toiled late and early, and gathered much gold: will you keep it with you, or shall I take it with me?"—"Alas," said the Body, "how can I take it among the darkness and dust and corruption of the grave? What will it profit me there?"—"Nay," said the Soul, "but how can I carry it where earth and earthly things are not suffered to enter? And it is, after all, but yellow earth."—"True: then, shortly, it shall be neither mine nor thine," said the Body sorrowfully. "Our reckoning is not over," said the Soul. "How are we to meet again (for we must meet again): will it be in sorrow, or in joy? You have never allowed me to look heavenward, but have robbed me of my freedom, and used all my powers to help you get gold."—"Alas!" said the Body, "you tempted me, and now you reproach me."—"What if we should meet as fellow-tormentors, bound together for eternal misery?" said the Soul. "I am defiled as you are, and you have never cared for our cleansing; I am without a right to heaven, as you are, and you have never cared for an entrance to it: so, then, this gold will be our mocking accuser in eternity, and I shall reproach you forever with having destroyed me to gain it."
— Leisure Hour
St. Nilus boldly confronted sin and demanded true repentance and expiation.
Nilus. The virtues of St. Nilus Grotta Ferata secured him the respect of the people and the fear of the nobles. Pandolfo, Prince of Capua, left a widow, Aloare, who at this time governed in right of her two sons. She had instigated these youths to murder their cousin, a powerful and virtuous noble; and now, tortured by remorse, and fearful for the consequences to them, she sent for St. Nilus, confessed her crime, and entreated absolution. He refused to give it but upon condition that she should yield up one of her sons to the family of the murdered man, to be dealt with as they should think fit, as the only real expiation she could make. The guilty mother wept, and could not resolve on the sacrifice. Nilus then, with all the severity and dignity of a prophet, denounced her sin as unforgiven, and told her that the expiation she had refused of her own free will would ere long be exacted from her. The princess, terrified, entreated him to intercede for her, and endeavored to force upon him a sum of money. Nilus flung the gold upon the earth, and, turning from her, shut himself up in his cell. Shortly afterwards, the younger of the two princes assassinated his brother in a church; and for this sacrilegious fratricide he was himself put to death by order of Hugh Capet, King of France. Pope Gregory V. and the Emperor Otho III. sought his favor; but the old man rebuked them both as enemies of God. He wrote to the emperor a letter of reproach, concluding with these words, "Because ye have broken faith, and because ye have had no mercy for the vanquished, nor compassion for those who had no longer the power to injure or resist, know that God will avenge the cause of the oppressed, and ye shall both seek mercy, and shall not find it." Having despatched this letter, he shook the dust from his feet, and departed the same night from Rome. Within two years, Pope Gregory died in some miserable manner; and Otho, terrified by remorse and the denunciations of St. Nilus, undertook a pilgrimage to Monte Galgano. On his return, he paid a visit to Nilus in his hermitage at Frascati, and, falling on his knees, besought the prayers and intercession of the saint. He offered to erect, instead of his poor oratory, a magnificent convent with an endowment of lands. Nilus refused his gifts. The emperor rising from his knees, entreated the holy man to ask some boon before they parted, promising, that, whatever it might be, he would grant it. Nilus, stretching forth his hand, laid it on the jewelled cuirass of the emperor, and said with deep solemnity, "I ask of thee but this, that thou wouldst make reparation for thy crimes before God, and save thine own soul." Otho returned to Rome, where, within a few weeks afterwards, the people rose against him, obliged him to fly ignominiously; and he died at the early age of twenty-six, poisoned by the widow of Crescentius. Mrs. Jameson.
Live as if God and the world fully see all your thoughts and actions.
I will govern my life and my thoughts as if the whole world were to see the one, and to read the other; for what does it signify to make any thing a secret to my neighbor, when to God, who is the Searcher of hearts, all our privacies are open?
— Seneca
Our words, deeds, and thoughts are recorded by God as by a recording angel.
Bishop Latimer, when examined before Bonner, a first answered without much thought, but, hearing the noise of a pen behind the curtain, he concluded that his words were being taken down, and became more cautious. The recording angel takes down not our words only, but also our deeds and thoughts.
Faithfulness in small duties is as important as in greater ones before God.
Many fill their life with regrets for being confined to such a narrow sphere of usefulness. If they only were in the ministerial office, or had millions of money, they would do so and so; but what can an ordinary laborer, a poor Sunday school teacher, accomplish? Friend, be content to serve God where he has placed you for there precisely you can accomplish the most. It is better to make the best of what you have, than to fret and pout for what you have not. The man with one talent is never accountable for five; but, for his one, he must give as strict an account as the other for his five. It may require more humility to husband one talent than five, and, so far as the improve ment or misimprovement of either is concerned, they are both equally important in the sight of God. The king's million and the widow's mite are worth the same with the Eternal.
A fault-finder can serve God by warning others and keeping the flock safe.
In Massachusetts lived a man who was a bold leader of all opposition to religion, and always ready to publish abroad any delinquencies which might be discovered in any professor of religion. At length, he made up his mind to remove from the place to another part of the country. Meeting the pastor of the Congregational church one day, he said, after passing the usual salutation, "Well, I suppose you know that I am going to leave town soon; and you will probably be glad of it."—"Glad of it? Why, no," said the minister: "you are one of our most useful men; and I think I shall hardly know how to spare you." Taken aback somewhat by such a reply, he immediately asked, "How is that?"—"Why," rejoined the minister, "there can't be a sheep that gets a foot out of this fold, but that you will always bark from one end of the town to the other. I think you have really been one of the most useful watch-dogs that I ever knew."
God holds each person accountable for the influence of their actions on others.
Ralph Waldo Emerson says that the girl at the spinning-frame tied a broken thread so carelessly, that, when the fabric was woven and dressed, it was imperfect; and the master traced it back to the girl who carelessly caused it, and she was made to pay the damage. So it will be with us, if we do not exert a good influence on society: there will be a damaged wool, a faulty thread; and the Great Master will trace the fault to its source.
True friends courageously admonish faults, showing love and respect for growth.
Yu, Emperor of China, had a minister who never failed to tell him of his faults with the freedom of a friend. This was so frequent, that the emperor became displeased, and determined to rid himself of so importunate a counsellor. The queen, his mother, being informed of it, instantly presented herself to him, and wished him joy. "Joy!" said the emperor: "of what?" — "Why, my son," said she, "of a circumstance that has hardly ever happened to any monarch upon earth. You are in possession of a subject who has the courage to admonish you of your faults; and who, in that very honest quality, is the finest courtier and the most artful flatterer, since he thus insinuates that you have the virtue and greatness to hear it." Percy.
Every pastoral charge, no matter size, carries eternal accountability.
When a pupil of John Brown of Haddington spoke disparagingly of the smallness of his pastoral charge, his revered instructor replied, "It is as large a congregation, perhaps, as you will want to give account for at the day of judgment."
Public sin involves full personal guilt; each sinner bears entire responsibility for collective sin.
NATIONS, Individual Responsibility in Men come to think that the guilt of sins committed in concert is distributed; and that, if there be a thousand men banded and handed together in wickedness, each shall have but the one-thousandth part of guilt. If a firm succeeds, the gain is distributed to each partner; but, if it fails, each one may be held for the whole loss. Whoever commits a sin will bear the sins, whether alone or with a thousand: whoever commits or connives at public sin will bear the blame. Public guilt always has private indorsement; and each man is liable for the whole note. Beecher.
Man's obligation to God remains even without Scripture as his guide and lamp.
Sink the Bible to the bottom of the ocean, and man's obligations to God would be unchanged. He would have the same path to tread, only his lamp and his guide would be gone; he would have the same voyage to make, only his compass and chart would be overboard. Beecher.
Failing to warn others of spiritual danger makes one complicit in their harm.
As he who stands by and sees another commit murder without giving an alarm is accounted accessory to the murder; or as he who sees a blind man running into a pit, in which he is drowned, and makes no effort to save him, is guilty of death: so is he who sees his brother kill his soul without an effort to prevent it. Caudray.
Individual responsibility to God is the most important thought one can have.
Daniel Webster was once asked, "What is the most important thought you ever entertained?" He replied, after a moment's reflection, "The most important thought I ever had was my individual responsibility to God."
Recognizing responsibility involves carefulness because souls are valuable.
A captain whose ship was nearing a reef gave orders to keep off. To a remark of approval, the captain replied, "It is necessary that I should be very careful, because I have souls on board. I think of my responsibility, and remember that souls are very valuable." The like consideration should be as common to every man as it is appropriate.
Both the tempter and the tempted share responsibility and punishment for sin.
Rev. John Thomas of Serampore was one day, after addressing a crowd of natives on the banks of the Ganges, accosted by a Brahmin as follows: "Sir, don't you say that the Devil tempts man to sin?" — "Yes," answered Mr. Thomas. "Then," said the Brahmin, "certainly the fault is the Devil's: the Devil, therefore, and not man, ought to suffer the punishment." Mr. Thomas, observing a boat with several men on board descending the river, replied, "Brahmin, do you see yonder boat?" — "Yes." — "Suppose I was to send some of my friends to destroy every person on board, and bring me all that is valuable in the boat: who ought to suffer punishment, — I for instructing them, or they for doing this wicked act?" — "Why," answered the Brahmin with great emotion, "you ought all to be put to death together." — "Ay, Brahmin," replied Mr. Thomas; "and, if you and the Devil sin together, the Devil and you will be punished together."
Responsibility to God's law is universal and unavoidable for every person.
If you can find a place between the throne of God and the dust to which man's body crumbles, where the focal responsibilities of law do not weigh upon him, I will find a vacuum in Nature. They press upon him from God out of eternity, and from the earth out of Nature, and from every department of life, as constant and all-surrounding as the pressure of the air.
— Decker
Neglecting the soul's care leads to loss, despite outward appearances of care.
"Two things a master commits to his servant's care," saith one, — "the child and the child's clothes." It will be a poor excuse for the servant to say at his master's return, "Sir, here are all the child's clothes neat and clean: but the child is lost." Much so with the account that many will give to God of their souls and bodies at the great day, — "Lord, here is my body; I was very grateful for it; I neglected nothing that belonged to its content and welfare: but as for my soul, that is lost and cast away forever; I took little care and thought about it." Placed.
Every word spoken will be accounted for on judgment day, urging careful speech.
But some men will never be cured without a cancer or a quinsy: and such persons are taught by all men what to do; for, if they would avoid all company as willingly as company avoids them, they might quickly have a silence great as midnight, prudent as the Spartan brevity. But God's grace is sufficient to all that will make use of it; and there is no way for the cure of this evil but the direct obeying of a counsel, and submitting to the precept, and fearing the divine threatening; always remembering, that, of every word a man speaks, he shall give account at the day of judgment. I pray God show us all mercy in that day, and forgive us the sins of the tongue! Bp. Taylor.
Teachers hold responsibility to guide souls safely to their eternal destination.
The teacher is like the switchman, who holds the key to the switches on the railroad. If he does his duty faithfully, the train will reach its destination safely: if he neglects it, disaster and ruin follow. A misplaced switch or a wrong signal may send hundreds into eternity unprepared.
Without witnesses, truth can be denied, but justice seeks creative ways to reveal it.
A rich old citizen of Bermago had lent to one of his countrymen at Florence four hundred crowns, which he advanced without any witness, and without requiring a written acknowledgment. When the stipulated time had elapsed, the creditor required his money; but the borrower, well apprised that no proof could be brought against him, positively denied that he had ever received it. After many fruitless attempts to recover it, the lender was advised to resort to the duke, who would find some method of doing him justice. Alessandro accordingly ordered both the parties before him; and after hearing the assertions of the one, and the positive denial of the other, he turned to the creditor, saying, "Is it possible, then, friend, that you can have lent your money when no one was present?"—"There was no one indeed," replied the creditor: "I counted out the money to him on a post."—"Go bring the post then, this instant," said the duke; "and I will make it confess the truth." The creditor, though astonished on receiving such an order, hastened to obey, having first received a secret caution from the duke not to be very speedy in his return. Meantime the duke employed himself in transacting the affairs of his other suitors, till, at length, turning to the borrower, he said, "This man stays a long time with his post."—"It is so heavy, sir," replied the other, "that he could not yet have brought it." Again Alessandro left him, and, returning some time afterward, carelessly exclaimed, "What kind of men are they that lend their money without evidence? Was there no one present but the post?"—"No, indeed, sir!" replied the knave. "The post is a good witness then," said the duke, "and shall make thee pay the man his money."
Youth often need others to restrain them from destructive choices.
A young man lay in an upper room in the city of New York, raving with delirium. Friends were attentive to him. Ever and anon, he cried out, "Hold me, hold me!" In an unguarded moment, he rushed to the window, threw himself upon the pavement below, and was crushed to death. How his friends regretted their fatal neglect! Many a reckless youth, as he is tempted to ruin, should cry to his friends, "Hold me, hold me!" They might thus save a life from sin, and a soul from death.
Awareness of future judgment motivates renewed zeal and repentance.
A young man replied to his irreligious mother's scorn, "I am resolved by all means to save my soul." Afterwards, he fell in lukewarmness, and dreamed that his mother upbraided him with his former answer. This so impressed him, that he said on awaking, "If I could not in my dream endure my mother's upbraiding my folly and lukewarmness, how shall I be able to stand when God shall call me to an account in the last day, and the angels reproach my lukewarmness, and the devils aggravate my sins, and all the saints of God deride my follies and hypocrisies?"
A man repays all debts with interest, showing integrity and accountability.
Dr. Franklin relates the following anecdote of Mr. Denham, an American merchant, with whom he once went a passenger to England. "He had formerly," he says, "been in business at Bristol, had failed, in debt to a number of people, compounded, and went to America; there, by a close application to business as a merchant, he acquired a plentiful fortune in a few years. Returning to England in the ship with me, he invited his old creditors to an entertainment, at which he thanked them for the easy compensation they had favored him with; and when they expected nothing but the treat, every man, at the first remove, found under his plate an order on a banker for the full amount of the unpaid remainder, with interest."
A bankrupt Quaker resolves and succeeds in repaying all debts fully.
A person of the Quaker profession, says a London paper, having through misfortune become insolvent, and not being able to pay more than 11s. to the pound, formed a resolution, if Providence smiled on his future endeavors, to pay the whole amount, and in case of death he ordered his sons to liquidate his debts by their joint proportions. It pleased God, however, to spare his life, and after struggling with a variety of difficulties, (for his livelihood chiefly depended on his own labor,) he at length saved sufficient to satisfy every demand. One day the old man went with a considerable sum to the surviving son of one of his creditors, who had been dead thirty years, and insisted on paying him the money he owed his father, which he accordingly did with heart-felt satisfaction.
# 34. BE
A minister questioned his congregation's conscience about paying meeting-house debts.
A minister was about to leave his own congregation for the purpose of visiting London, on what was by no means a pleasant errand—to beg on behalf of his place of worship. Previous to his departure, he called to bear for God." "You would be disappointed, Doctor," said W., "I shall die silent. It has pleased God to enable me to bear so many testimonies for him during my life, that he will require none from me when I die." The manner of W.'s death verifies his prediction.
A thief forgets to look to God watching, showing accountability even in secret sin.
A man, who was in the habit of going to a neighbor's corn-field to steal the grain, one day took his son with him, a boy eight years of age.
The father told him to hold the bag, while he looked if any one was near to see him. After standing on the fence, and peeping through all the corn-rows, he returned to take the bag from the child, and began his sinful work.
"Father," said the boy, "you forgot to look somewhere else." The man dropped the bag in a fright, and said, "which way, child?" supposing he had seen some one. "You forgot to look up to the sky, to see if God was noticing you." The father felt this reproof of the child so much, that he left the corn, returned home, and never again ven-
# PAI
### 298. Fanaticism and Cruelty.
Faithfulness in preaching and reproving is essential, even when confronting wrongdoing privately.
A clergyman who was in the habit of preaching in different parts of the country, was once at an inn, where he observed a horse-jockey trying to take in a simple gentleman, by imposing upon him a broken winded horse for a sound one. The parson knew the bad character of the jockey, and, taking the gentleman aside, told him to be cautious of the person he was dealing with. The gentleman finally declined the purchase, and the jockey, quite nettled, observed, "Parson, I would much rather hear you preach than see you privately interfere in bargains between man and man, in this way." "Well," replied the parson, "if you had been where you ought to have been last Sunday, you might have heard me preach." "Where was that?" inquired the jockey. "In the State Prison," returned the clergyman.
### 371. Happy Effects of Reproving.
A rumseller is confronted as a murderer for causing deaths through alcohol sales.
One of the speakers at a meeting in Northern Liberties Temperance Hall, related the following striking incident: He had been lecturing at a meeting in Jersey, and dwelling quite plainly on the course of the rumseller, when a man rose and said, "Sir, I am one of the trustees of this church, and you call me a murderer.—You can't have this church to lecture in any more. I appeal to those around me to say if I am a murderer." A woman instantly rose and cried out, "Yes, you are a murderer, you murdered my husband by giving him rum." Another woman exclaimed, "Yes, and you murdered mine also!" This was plain dealing, and the rumseller and trustee must have felt his casks of liquid fire pressing with heavy weight on his soul about that time.
Boldly rebuke wrongdoers as Peter was rebuked by Paul for the sake of truth.
Withstand to the face those who are wrong, regardless of their reception of it. Gal. 2:11. Uzziah was great but not great enough to tolerate a rebuke. Should be thankful for remonstrances
Ignoring God in plans is foolish; resurrection assures believers' hope beyond death.
He plans foolishly who leaves God out of his plans. Some think they have only themselves to reckon with (v. 18) Resurrection. Typified in the feast of first fruits Lev. 23:10-14. Typical of Christ's resurrection, also the believer's (see 1 Cor. 15:23; 1 Thess. 4:13-18).
Life is a one-time journey; mistakes cannot be corrected after death.
A man was once asked why he was so particular to give good measure, and he replied: “God has given me but one journey through this world; and when I am gone I cannot return to correct mistakes.”
Wesley and Ignatius valued every moment, aware of eternal accountability for time.
The diligence of Wesley in redeeming time was often noticed. One day his chaise was delayed beyond the appointed time. While waiting at the door he was heard to say by one that stood near him, “I have lost ten minutes forever.” Ignatius, when he heard a clock strike, used to say, “Now I have one hour more to answer for.”
God keeps a record of our deeds, and we will give account for them one day.
Our Lord does not call for the time sheet every night, but a time sheet is kept all the same; and there will be a day for passing in the checks, and we shall have to answer for what we have done.
Ignoring moral accounting leads to vague excuses instead of true personal responsibility.
Many men think they can rely in a general way upon fate or fortune to square their moral accounts, but in the long run a man must face his record.
Mr. Moody tells of a young couple who on commencing to keep house started to keep an account of their family expenses. After a few months the young husband said to his wife: “Darling, I’ll spend the evening at home to-night, and we will look over the account together.” The young husband found frequent entries like this: “G.K.W., one dollar and a half”; and a little later on, “G.K.W., two dollars”; and after a little, “G.K.W., three dollars.” Becoming a little suspicious, he demanded, “Who is this ‘G.K.W.’ you have spent so much on?” “Oh,” said she, “I never could make the accounts come out right, so I lumped all together that wouldn’t balance, and called it G.K.W.--Goodness Knows What!” (Text.)
— LOUIS ALBERT BANKS
Neglect by distant parties can cause fatal consequences for others.
Men were once engaged in driving a railway tunnel under a large river. While they were pushing the shield of the tunnel on its submarine journey a defective steel plate broke. All escaped except one man, who stumbled and fell. Before he could regain his feet the water engulfed him. It was the defective plate that did it. Far away somewhere, the makers of that plate failed to do their duty, and through their failure this man’s life was lost.
Honest obligation includes paying debts even when not legally required, showing integrity.
George William Curtis exhibited an unusual honesty. Not only had he a fine sense of obligation where there was no legal or moral responsibility, but he considered himself bound by obligations made by others, in which he had no part. Upon his father’s death, Curtis assumed his liabilities, amounting to $20,000, which took many years of personal deprivation for him to pay; and later, upon the failure of a firm in which he was merely a special partner for only a small amount, and having no part in the management, he refused the immunity allowed under the law, and gave up almost his entire fortune to pay the firm’s indebtedness.--JAMES T. WHITE, “Character Lessons.”
Our thoughts and deeds are recorded and reveal our true spiritual progress.
In “Famous Stories of Sam P. Jones,” appears the following:
Start an engine from New York to San Francisco, and there is attached to its side a little piece of mechanism which indicates the number of miles it has traveled, the stoppages it has made, and how long it stopt at each station; and if you want to know the record of the journey you need not ask the engineer a word. The little piece of mechanism on the side of the engine tells you its record.
In the same way the thoughts, deeds, and progress of a soul are self-registering. (Text.)
Conscience and accountability to God compel obedience despite human opposition.
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Dignity sometimes goes down before a solemn responsibility. Susannah Wesley started some prayer-meetings in her house. When her husband, the rector, heard of it, it seemed to him to infringe on the dignity of the Anglican order and he wrote to her in disapproval of the meetings. Her reply is quoted in part by Rev. W. H. Fitchett:
If you do, after all, think fit to dissolve this assembly, do not tell me that you desire me to do this; for that will not satisfy my conscience. But send me your positive command, in such full and express terms as may absolve me from guilt and punishment for neglecting this opportunity for doing good when you and I shall appear before the great and awful tribunal of our Lord Jesus Christ.
That terrible sentence was too much for the little rector, and the meetings were continued until he returned from London.--“Wesley and His Century.”
A small delay caused widespread loss, showing how interconnected actions affect many.
Smith’s family in Brooklyn went on short allowance, the oldest son was taken out of college, the two daughters gave up their music-teacher, there was no summer vacation. They explained that Smith had lost thirty-six thousand dollars on R. & P. stock. Smith knew that he had lost this money because he was ten minutes late in getting a receipt from the directors.
On a certain day there were twenty-four directors in the head office. They waited vainly for the twenty-fifth. Their half-hour delay was costly to Smith and many others.
Mr. Brown, the twenty-fifth director, was late because his clerk had not brought a certain mail package due on the one-o’clock express. The clerk came at last with the package; the one-o’clock express had arrived late.
Fifty more plans went wrong because the express was late. Men rang up the general manager’s office to complain of the annoyance. The manager sent for the conductor. The conductor explained that the fault was a “hot box.” Inquiry at Rochester traced the hot-box to the inspector and oiler. He had come late to his work and was only in time to go over half the wheels of the express. The oiler, being questioned, admitted that he was late owing to a sick baby, for whom he had been obliged to go for a doctor. So, in a way, an oiler’s sick baby, two hundred miles away, upset Smith and his family, delayed boards of directors, changed Wall Street fortunes. Victor Hugo said that at Waterloo “the universe changed front.” But it changes front every time we act. If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it.
King David sinned against Bathsheba, Uriah, Joab, against his army, his family, his kingdom, his adviser, his friends, his government, and his nation. And yet in Psalm 51, he says, “Against you God only have I sinned.” How could he say that when he sinned against so many people? Matthew 25:40 says, “When you did it to the least of these, you’ve done it to Me.”
When all is said and done the only thing that will matter is you and God. How you treated other people is how you treated God. Did you gossip about others, overlook them, or reach out to them? Then you gossiped about God, you overlooked God, or you reached out to God. In the end, everything you’ve done is a statement to God.
So take account of how you’re treating those around you. Are you blessing or cursing others - you’re doing it to God. Live a life now that will bless Him in all that you do. Because in the end, through everyone you know, and everything you do, all you do will be to Him only.
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From Message #1051 - The Other Realm
Neglecting duties (sins of omission) can bring severe spiritual consequences.
Sins of commission are usual punishments for sins of omission. He that leaves a duty may fear to be left to commit a crime. — Gurnall. — We may lose heaven by neutrality as well as by hostility, by wanting oil as well as by drinking poison. An unprofitable servant shall as much be punished as a prodigal sou. Undone duty will undo our souls. — Bowes. — The last words of the industrious Archbishop Usher were, "Lord, in special, forgive me my sins of omission."
Seeking profit from sin brings accountability for the ruin caused to others.
Some twenty years ago, a carpenter, who was tired of making an honest living, came to a friend of mine in Philadelphia, with a petition for a tavern license, which he requested him to sign. My friend looked at him, and asked him why he did not stick to his plane and bench? The answer was,
"Tavern keeping is a more lucrative trade; I want to get richer." "Well, but do you not think you will be affording additional facilities to drunkards to destroy themselves?" "Perhaps I shall." "Do you not believe that at least five men every year will die drunkards, if you succeed in getting a license?" "Why, I never thought of that before; but I suppose it would be so." "Then if the Lord lets you keep tavern ten years, fifty men will have died through your agency—now what becomes of the drunkard? Does he go to heaven?" "I suppose not." "I am sure he does not, for no drunkard shall inherit the kingdom of heaven; what becomes of him then?" "Why, he must go to hell." "Well, do you not think it will be just if the Lord, at the end of ten years, sends you down to hell too, to look after those fifty drunkards?"—The man threw down his petition, went back to his honest occupation, and was never tempted to desire a license again.
