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Five year old little Johnny brought his shoe to his father, which he had gotten in a knot. Nobody can get a shoe string in a knot like little Johnny! Little Johnny's approach to getting the knot out is to pull the strings harder. Rather than bringing the shoe to his father earlier, he brings it later and the knot is so tiny and so tight that it is takes an act of God to get it undone. Little Johnny's father looked at him and said, son how many times have I told you that when you pull your shoe stings and the knot won't open up like it should, don't pull harder. It will only make the knot worse, to which Little Johnny replies, I pull harder on the strings because I think I can get it out, that's why I pull harder, dad. When you think about this concept of pulling harder on the knot,... isn't that the way it is with the child of God? We get our lives into a knot and we will not admit that it is a self made knot and so we pull harder and harder until it takes an act of God to get it out, to get our lives untangled! As children of God will we be held accountable for our actions, for the knots we get our lives into!!! The Bible is very clear that God will hold His people accountable before Him on the “day” of final judgment.

Matthew 12:36-37 ESV I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

Most of us have seen the children's demonstration of the toothpaste tube. The teacher explains that when they squeeze the toothpaste, it is like the words coming out of your mouth. Students are then asked to try to put every last drop of the toothpaste back in the tube. Finally, the teacher explains that just as the toothpaste can't all be put back in the tube, their words cannot be taken back once they've been said. The same analogy applies to all of us. And one day we will be held accountable for the careless words we speak. As Christians we do not think soberly enough, about this. We forget or neglect the fact that we will be held accountable for every word we say. We engage in flippant speaking, all the while thinking that no actual accounting will happen. The truth is that it will! Our words matter; they matter for eternity!

Romans 14:12 ESV So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Some Christians seem surprised, if not stunned, at the idea that they will have a day of accountability. What about God’s mercy and grace, they ask? I thought Jesus’ death in my place, cast all my sins and failures off my record. For what am I going to be held accountable? It is true by faith in Christ, we will not be accountable for the death penalty our sins deserve. On the other hand, Christians are called to follow Christ, become like him and to live obediently. Our habits of sinning are to diminish; our habits of living rightly are to increase. And, because we are responsible for cooperating with the Holy Spirit, being obedient, we will be held accountable to God for that obedient cooperation. Some future day, in the presence of Our Lord Jesus, we will be held accountable for our words and actions and all of it will become evident!

1 Corinthians 3: 13-15 ESV Each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

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