So then each one of us will give
an account of himself to God.
Romans 14:12
Every Christian is accountable to God and should be accountable to other believers.
Before exploring the three vital defenses, we first need to understand accountability.
Accountability is both an attitude and a practice. It means taking responsibility for your actions and willingly communicating with others about your choices, so you can show your integrity and grow in maturity.
This book is based on the biblical framework of two types of accountability within the local church:
- Accountability to God
- Accountability to One Another
Both types of accountability are important to preserving sexual purity.
Accountability to God
The Bible teaches that everyone is accountable to God. We have all sinned and fallen short of the perfect standard He requires of us (Romans 3:23). One day, everyone will stand before the Judge of all the earth, and “each one of us will give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12).
Accountability to God is inescapable. You may be able to deceive other people, but before God, “all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13 ESV).
Our sin, exposed before a holy God, is bad news because “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). But that same verse continues with the good news that “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Jesus, the Son of God, died on the cross to bear the judgment of God against sin. Then He rose to life again, defeating sin and death, so that anyone who believes in Him can receive forgiveness of sin and walk in newness of life! This is the gospel—good news for all who trust in Christ for salvation from their sins.
Having been forgiven and rescued from sin, Christians live to please the Lord Jesus. All believers in Christ are accountable to Him:
Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:9–10)
Knowing we must answer to God should compel us daily to turn away from sin and pursue purity. And when we stand before Him at last, we want to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21, ESV).
Sexual purity is truly possible for Christians who have been forgiven and are accountable to God.
Accountability to One Another
Christianity is not a “me and God” religion. If you are joined to Christ by faith, the Bible teaches you are part of His body, the church, and “individually members one of another” (Romans 12:5). Being accountable to one another is part of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
Biblical accountability requires committing to a particular group of fellow believers. Membership in a local church is the context for fulfilling the many “one another” commands in Scripture (for example, see Romans 12:10, 2 Corinthians 13:11, Galatians 6:2, Colossians 3:13, and 1 Thessalonians 5:11).
Accountability in the church is not meant to be a one-way street. All believers are individually accountable before God and should also hold each other accountable, helping to bear burdens (Galatians 6:1–2) and grow in holiness (Hebrews 10:24). Mutual accountability is a key function of a healthy local church.
Christians are accountable to God and to one another. With this framework in place, we can start exploring the three vital defenses to walk in purity.