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"Each of us shall give account of himself to God."

Text: Romans 14:12

THE DOCTRINE OF ACCOUNTABILITY

Paul employed another important doctrine to his readers- the principle of accountability! That ought to help them avoid the problem of judging others.

“So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.”
Romans 14:12

1. The parables of Jesus

The Lord Jesus Himself taught this principle of accountability. In the following parables, He emphasized the importance of this teaching. Servants are held accountable! The Parable of the Talents stands out (Cf. Matthew 25:14-30).

2. Each of us shall give account of himself to God

a) The Church is held accountable

In Revelation 2-3, each of the seven churches of Asia Minor was held accountable to the Lord Jesus.

i) There is careful evaluation.

ii) There is commendation.

iii) There is rebuke.

iv) There is a word of warning (where applicable).

b) The individual is held accountable

i) Personal self-examination is commended (Cf. 2 Corinthians 13:5)

ii) Paul practised this principle of accountability most carefully (Cf. 1 Corinthians 4:1-5)

c) The testing of the worth of our life’s work

i) Paul used the imagery of testing by fire (Cf. 1 Corinthians 3:10-15)

ii) The worth of our work will be tested by fire.

iii) If our work is built on gold, silver and precious stones we will stand the test of fire,

iv) If our work is built on wood, hay and straw we will suffer loss.