Church Culture - Accountability

What is healthy biblical accountability?  Our best example is revealed to us in the Scriptures through the life of Jesus.  In Mark 6:30 it says, “The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.”   Several places in the gospels, we see that the disciples shared not only their successes but also their struggles with Jesus, their disciple trainer.

Creating a safe, trusting environment where people can express themselves without fear of judgment is essential to effective accountability and spiritual growth.  In James 1:19, it says “…But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.”  People need to feel both heard and understood and be shown grace when they open up their hearts.

There are two important parts to accountability:
(1) To help one another avoid sin; and
(2) To help one another to pursue holiness. 

However, accountability should always be offered, never forced. If a person is not teachable, there can be no accountability.

“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.  And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another; especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” 
Hebrews 10:24-25, NLT

This verse is a call to action and represents the responsibility we have to one another in the body of Christ.  In order to provide accountability to others, we have to work to spend time with others “in person” so that we can encourage them in their walk with the Lord.  As we all know, other modes of communication using technology can be very misleading and superficial; therefore, they are not as successful in providing good accountability like Jesus did.

“Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path.  And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.” 
Galatians 6:1, NLT

From this verse it is clear that we are not to turn our attention away from another struggling brother or sister in Christ.  We are to “get the log (of sin) out of our own eye” so to speak and bathe our conversation in prayer and seek to gently come alongside a struggling believer to help them to get established in the spiritual disciplines, to have victory over sin, and to learn to walk missionally.  When we practice healthy, biblical accountability, it enables us to embrace and experience the power of the gospel.