| Subject: Accountability |
Author:
Vicky
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Date Posted: 03:15:55 01/31/06 Tue
Good morning ladies! I believe that today may be the last day in the book of Ezra. The journey through this book has been good. It has at times been extremely convicting and at other times very encouraging. To me the overriding theme of this book has been about living a different kind of life. Our FATHER calls us to be radically different from those around us living in the world. HIS HOLINESS requires that we live a life above reproach. Let's take a look at Ezra 10:10-11 this morning.
Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have been unfaithful; you have married foreign women, adding to Israel's guilt. Now make confession to the LORD, the GOD of your fathers, and do HIS will. Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives."
Ladies, I believe that a large part of being able to live a different kind of life is being accountable to a higher standard of living. If there had been no one to hold the Israelites accountable for their sin would they have turned from it? I don't know. Let's look at this verse a little closer.
First, let me point out what I do NOT see Ezra saying. He doesn't say, "You have been unfaithful, confess it and do the will of GOD!" Are you sitting there saying, "VICKY, that is exaclty what he said!" Ma'am that's not REALLY what I see here. Let's look close. "You have been unfaithful, you have married foreign women...Now make confession to the LORD, the GOD of your fathers, and do HIS will. Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives." Ezra was very specific when he called the Israelites to account for their sin. He was NOT general and vague about it. He told them they were unfaithful and then he told them EXACTLY how they had been unfaithful. He told them to confess their sin and to do the will of GOD, but he was VERY SPECIFIC in what the will of GOD was for them. Ladies, the Israelites were very fortunate to have a GODLY man to hold them accountable to HIS WORD.
I wonder this morning if you have people in your life who call you to account for sin in your life? Is there anyone who can say ANYTHING to you? Do you have a more mature GODLY person in your life who can say to you, "Vicky,(your name) I see this (fill in the blank) in your life and you need to confess it and do thus and so."
With all of my heart I believe that this is critical to living the abundant life GOD calls us to live. If there is no one with whom we are TOTALLY HONEST about everything in our lives it is easy to live a life of duplicity. I don't believe we will walk as close to the FATHER. Our sin nature causes us to hide our sin and keep secrets...this is Satan's signature ladies. Keeping it quiet keeps it out of the light. Please note that I am not suggesting that we get on a "Holy PA system" and proclaim our sin to the world; I am suggesting accountability with one or a couple of more GODLY people in our lives. If we will open ourselves up to the accountability of another GODLY person I believe that we will have more success at living a SPIRIT FILLED life.
Did the Israelites fall into sin again even after this? Yes, they did. Over and over and over again. Ladies, you and I will at times sin, but having in place an accountability system makes it more difficult to stay in that sin.
I want to encourage you this morning if you do not already an accountability person in your life to begin praying and asking GOD to put someone in your life who can hold you accountable. Along the way HE has given me different women who do this in my life. There are GODLY women in my life that can ask me anything. Is that always comfortable? NO WAY! But, it is a necessary part of walking with GOD in my life.
Don't misunderstand, GOD calls me to account for my sin; HE doesn't need other people to do this' but ladies, I believe HE put us here to be helping
and being helped by each other.
Thank you, FATHER, for Ezra. Thank you for the man that he was. Thank you for showing us in YOUR WORD through this man what GODLY accountability looks like. Thank you for choosing to use us to sharpen each other. Thank you for allowing us to come into YOUR presence again this morning. Thank you for being a GOD who loves HIS PEOPLE and for going to any lengths necessary to bring us back into right relationship with YOU. Thank you that YOU never give up on us. YOU are so AMAZING! In the Matchless Name of JESUS I pray. AMEN!
Thanks for coming today!
ONLY and ALWAYS Because of JESUS!
Vicky
Psalm 119:10
Take some time this week and see if you can find some other examples in the WORD of this accountability relationship. Let me know what you find.
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