PART l
- ACCOUNTABILITY
I read
a story this morning of an event that happened long ago in New York City. It
concerned the public’s outrage and how their anger had been aroused against a
brakeman that worked for the New York Central railroad. Because he failed to
give the danger signal to the St. Louis express, twelve people lost their
lives. The brakeman had been told to take a red lantern and wave down an
approaching train, but instead of doing what he was told to do, he went inside
the train depot and sat down by a fire to warm himself. As he heard the train
pass by he asked someone what the noise was and was told that it was the
passing train that he was supposed to have flagged down. Upon hearing that, the
brakeman disappeared and was never found. The dashing train ran into the train
that was sitting on the track and killed twelve people. The people of New York
felt that he had neglected his responsibilities and charged him with a criminal
act. As I read that story it reminded me of some verses in the book of Ezekiel chapter
3, especially verse 18 that says, “When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely
die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways
in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will
hold you accountable for his blood.” Earlier on God had told Ezekiel to
confront Israel about their sin and for him not to be fearful of what they may
think or what they might say, but to simply tell them that they had better turn
from their sin or they would surly die. He concluded in verse 18 by telling
Ezekiel that if he did not tell them, then God would hold him personally accountable
for their blood. Sometimes, it is very hard to tell folks you love let alone
folks that you may not even know the truth about sin and the consequences of
it. We often times will have a fear of sorts that rises up in us that keeps us
from doing so. That fear may be, what others may think of us or of being
rejected. It may be a fear that people may think we personally are judging them
or possibly some other kind of fear. However, we are commanded to speak the
truth in love, no matter the cost to us. If we have an eternal perspective
toward the life of someone else how can we not be concerned for their eternal
security? For God desires that no one perish but that all would come to
salvation. Like the brakeman in the story I believe that many times over, we
put the spiritual safety of others aside for our own personal comfort. The
brakeman had a responsibility to warn that train and when he failed to do so it
cost others their lives and he ended up paying a price that he did not want to
pay.
PART ll
- ACCOUNTABILITY
Continued
from last week concerning being accountable the scriptures tells us that we are
not only accountable for ourselves but for the well-being of others as well!
One of the things that breaks my heart today is the testimony of those that
claim to belong to God yet, their very words and behavior reflects that of what
the Bible says is their father the devil. May I tell you in love that if you
have a Facebook page and post sweet stories and pictures about God and verses
from His Word and in the next breath curse someone and talk smack on your
Facebook page, that your day of reckoning will come! Because God will hold us
all accountable for our actions, not just those that belong to Him! We have a
moral as well as a spiritual responsibility in how we act and treat others. It
is not just a choice that we have, but an obligation to a direct command from
God. He is not absent just because you may not hear or see Him. He is watching,
listening and waiting and He is sending people into your life every day to help
you see the Truth; and it is at each of those times and points that your free
will to choose in how you will respond will matter! Sometimes when our burdens
for others bear down on us, we are driven to warn and remind each other of how
our society is rapidly changing and folks just do not seem to care! God told
Ezekiel in chapter 3 verse 18, “When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely
die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways
in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will
hold you accountable for his blood.” May I not stand before God with the blood
stain from the fear of what people may have thought of me. But may my love to
obey the God of my heart and life be far stronger than any fear of what man may
say or think about me when I do speak up! We must be responsible to one
another, for one day we will be held accountable if we were silent and we
should have spoken up! While we will not be held accountable for the personal
decision that every person must make about Christ, we will be held accountable
for sharing the truth with them in love as God directs our heart to do! The
brakeman in last week’s story was not responsible for the fact that the train
was surly coming, he was however responsible for not warning them to stop!
Loving on you today,
Bren
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