Accountability for Youth and Adults

The title today, Accountability for Youth and Adults. Accountability. You are responsible. You'll eventually have to deal with whatever it is you do. How much do your children know about the purpose of human existence? Why they were born and what God is working out here on earth with mere mortals? Human beings made of dust with a glorious potential of eventually becoming spirit beings in the kingdom of God.

Our member surveys reveal that youth education was a great need in the Church of God. And based on what's been happening in the Church really for decades is that to a large degree the lifeblood of the Church depends on the health of the family and young people coming along because 50% or so of our baptisms come from church families, in some cases even more. In the past, we placed a great deal of emphasis on memory work.

And I think memory work is a good thing. Youngsters could recite the books of the Bible, the Ten Commandments, the Holy Days, tell you what they symbolize. Yet for some reason our children did not seem to benefit all that much from having learned in a repetitious robot way this knowledge. Now it's important, but it is not the essence of what one really needs to know. It is necessary, but you have to have more. Learning is categorized by the psychologist into three main domains. One is the cognitive domain, that is what we call head knowledge, the knowledge that we have in our heads.

It's what you know. The other domain, the effective domain, having to do with what you do with what you know. What is your behavior? How do you put the knowledge into action? And then the psycho-motor domain having to do with physical skills. All of us have difficulty in translating what we know into constructive, positive action. Almost everyone knows more than what they actually practice. Our greatest challenge is closing the gap between what we know and what we do. I really wonder how well our children understand about their reason for being, and I wonder how well we communicate it to our children.

Some might laugh at the notion of communicating to children their purpose, human existence, but you can begin, as parents and as children, you can begin to learn about God and have a relationship with Him. God has, from the beginning, sought to give us eternal life. From the Garden of Eden to the present time. Let's read a couple of scriptures along those lines.

Let's look at Genesis 2. And Genesis 2, verse 8, And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, And there He put the man whom he had formed, And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant. And it goes on to describe the wonder of Eden. And then, verse 15, And the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden, to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, You shall not eat of it, for in the day that you eat thereof, you shall surely die.

Or in dying you shall die. Didn't mean that that instant they would die, but the wages of sin is death, and the only way back is through a Redeemer, which He promised. Also in the Garden was the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life was also planted in the Garden, and after Adam and Eve sinned, we'll note in chapter 3, verse 22, chapter 3, verse 22, And the Lord God said, Behold, the man has become as one of us.

By that it means that he has taken to himself the paragative to decide good and evil, not looking to God for the knowledge of good and evil, but deciding for himself. And now lest he put forth his hand, and take also the Tree of Life, and eat, and live forever. Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken.

You look in Revelation 22, so we go from the first book in the Bible to the last book in the Bible. And how did I introduce this? I said that from the beginning, God sought to give us eternal life. In Revelation 22, in verse 1, And he showed me a pure river water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

So God, from Genesis to Revelation, wants us to have eternal life. We seem to be a people who really get excited about new knowledge, new plans, new programs, but we seem to have difficulty in implementing, following through, and persevering oftentimes with something. We're familiar with 1 Corinthians 8.1. We'll just quote it here that Paul writes that knowledge puffs up, but charity, agape, godly love, edifies. Knowledge puffs up. But knowledge, of course, is necessary.

A little bit more of that later, perhaps. To say we have difficulty in some ways is an understatement. Oftentimes, we don't even try. It's as if we live to hear some new theme. The people in Athens came to that. Let's look at Acts 17. This thing of human curiosity, perhaps one of the great things that Satan used to deceive Eve, was this thing of curiosity, wanting to know, and especially wanting to know the secret knowledge, especially wanting to know if there were any shortcuts to eternal life.

In Acts 17, I think this is the third Sabbath I've turned here, Paul is in Athens after leaving Berea and leaving that part of Greece. He came into Athens. Athens is really the seed of Western democracy and education that spread westward into Europe and eventually the United States.

And while Paul waited for them at Athens, that is, his traveling companions, his spirit was stirred in him when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. Therefore, he discussed, disputed, in the synagogue for the Jews and with the devout persons in the market daily with them that met with him. Then certain philosophers, the Epicureans and Stoics, encountered him and some said, what will this babbler say? Others said, he seems to be a center-forth of strange gods because he preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him unto Ariacopas, saying, may we know what this new doctrine wherewith you speak is, for you bring certain strange things to our ears. We would know, therefore, what these things be for all the Athenians and strangers which were there, spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing. Knowledge puffs up, the charity edifies. We have sufficient knowledge unto salvation and, in fact, Paul wrote to Timothy, saying, even with the Old Testament, that you have sufficient knowledge unto salvation. Now let's look at 2 Timothy chapter 4, the admonition that Paul gave that I mentioned over and over again with regard to the preaching of the gospel from the public proclamation to preparing a people for the return of Jesus Christ. And that is the Word of God. The Spirit of God and the Word of God are the two convicting agents. You can have all the knowledge in the world from nuclear physics to whatever else it might be, but if you're not convicted by the Spirit and the Word of God, you have little. In fact, you have no chance of being in the kingdom of God. You have to be convicted, the very depth of your being.

2 Timothy 4, 1, I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, whom shall judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom, 2 Peter 3, 1, preach the Word, be instant in season.

Now, if you say, well, I'm not a preacher, but the admonition to all of us is to search the Scriptures daily, meditate upon the Word of God, study the Word of God. Out of season, instant in season, out of season, reprove, and that word reprove has to do with convict, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine, for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lush shall they heed to themselves teachers having itching ears. The sermons are not just for knowledge. The sermons are hopefully given to motivate you, stimulate you to grow in grace and knowledge. All of us might become more like God and Jesus Christ, and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables.

So we want to study the Word of God for it to be a part of us, not just for the purpose of knowledge, though knowledge is necessary, and there is a critical threshold of knowledge necessary.

We have been a people who are in many ways self-righteous because we know things that other people don't know or do. We know about God, that God exists. We know who God is, that he is the one through Jesus Christ who created us in his own image. We know that God has, working out a great purpose here below, and we know that God is not a trinity. We know that we can be partakers of the divine nature, and we could go on with what we know about God. We know that man does not have an immortal soul. He does not have inherent immortal life abiding within him. We know the great plan and purpose of God.

But, on the other hand, sometimes we tend to forget that God says plainly, many are called and few are chosen. And we have to make our calling an election sure. Remember that the title is Accountability for Young, for the Youth, and for Adults.

We know about the Holy Days that you heard in the sermon at the Sabbath. We know about clean and unclean foods, and we could go on and might come back to that a little bit later. In addition, some can give an air of superiority with regard to prophecy and world affairs. And we do try to keep informed. We hope that we will watch and pray always that you may be accounted worthy to escape as in the Bible. What I'm trying to say here is that to know these things are necessary and good, but if we think that knowledge is the essence of salvation, that that's all there is to it, then you're sadly mistaken. There is a critical threshold of knowledge that you must attain to, or must be convicted of. One time I was talking with my brother. He said, why do you people think that you're the only church? Why do you think that you have to be a member of your church? I said, well, according to Scripture, there has to be a critical threshold of knowledge to understand who God is, what God is, what is His purpose, who man is, what man is, and what is His purpose. And if you don't understand those things, it's very difficult to be able to be in the kingdom of God. Of course, most people that go to church on Sunday, they don't understand family of God, kingdom of God. They talk about going to heaven or going to hell.

And we can ask ourselves, have we communicated to our children accountability that they will be accountable and have to give answer for themselves? We'll turn to the Scripture in just a moment. It's almost like that there are—and I've mentioned this before—we have young people. Now they're in their 50s. They were young when I—40-something years ago, when I first started teaching and preaching an ambassador. Now they're in their 50s, and they still hang around the church, but they won't make a commitment, won't give their lives totally and fully and make that commitment. Look at Ezekiel 14. I think last week we turned to Ezekiel 18 and read something similar. In Ezekiel 14 and verse 13—these are very sobering Scriptures here—Ezekiel 14 and verse 13.

Son of man, when the land sins against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out my hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and I will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it. That day is coming. Judgment is coming.

Though these three men—Noah, Daniel, and Job—were in it, they should deliver but their own soul's life essence by their righteousness says, the Lord God. If I cause anoism beast to pass through the land, then they shall spoil it so that it be desolate that no man may pass through there because of the beast. Though these three men were in it, as I said, says the Lord God, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters. They shall only be delivered, but the land shall be desolate. Or if I bring sword upon the land and say, sword, go through the land, so that I cut off man and beast from it. Though these three men were in it, as I live, says the eternal God, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves. Accountability, young and old, are accountable. I think that's one of the things that we have lacked is teaching accountability. There are consequences for every action. Or if I send pestilence into the land and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast. Though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, says the eternal God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter. They shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness. So accountability is clearly stated here in Scripture.

Now, we look at Proverbs 29. We're talking about accountability and how long will God bear with us.

And we're talking about people who refuse to make a commitment. People who like, well, they don't attend church anymore, but they sort of keep up with it. They may read about people on Facebook, and of course there's the church of Facebook, and that is one of their main avenues of information to sort of track people that they used to know what they're doing. And of course, for a lot, it is a column of propaganda and gossip.

In Proverbs 29.1, it says that, he that being often reproved hardens his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.

So God is patient. He's long suffering, not willing that any should perish, but there does come a time of accountability.

There was a time when we believed that our knowledge of dietary laws would keep us from getting cancer. But I doubt most of us believe that in and of itself, anymore, however, a good diet will surely help, and we should eat the best foods that we possibly can. It is said that the Seventh-day Adventists who have a very strict dietary regimen, basically vegetarian, have a lower rate of cancer than the general population, but they also get cancer. But the problem arises when a person confuses food with righteousness. And we've gone through in the church in years past white sugar versus brown sugar, white flour versus whole wheat flour, and some obviously are better than others.

We seem to have forgotten the lesson of Job. Righteousness comes from God, and it requires more than even ritualistic obedience. You read the first chapter of Job and it says, Job was a righteous man walking all the statues of God. But yet Job had a lot to learn. Job had to learn that in all cases and all circumstances, all cases and all circumstances, God must be justified and man-judged. It requires surrender, submission, and service in mind and heart. Look at 1 Corinthians 13. 1 Corinthians 13, we haven't turned here lately, but I go here quite often in 1 Corinthians 13 verse 1. This deals with knowledge and doing and a lot of aspects of what we can do, and many of them are right and good. But those alone will not do it. That is, those alone will not be translated necessarily into the righteousness of God. So let's read it. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not charity, agape, love, God is love, I am become a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. If we're not becoming as God is, regardless of what we know, what we understand, or what we do, according to this is in vain. And though I have the gift of prophecy, I understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I can remove mountains and have not charity, I am nothing. God is more interested in what we are becoming than necessarily what we are, what we know, or what we're doing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and am not becoming as God is, have not charity, it profits me nothing. So, we see very clearly that God wants us to become as He is. You remember Matthew 5, become you therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. Look at 1 Timothy 5 and verse 8. 1 Timothy 5 and verse 8. See the end result, the product of what God wants is given here in 1 Timothy, and we'll start in verse 5. 1 Timothy 1 verse 5. Now the end, that Greek word for end is telos, it means the outcome or the result of. It doesn't mean end in the sense of cut off or you don't do it anymore. Now the outcome or result of the commandment is charity, agape, spiritual love out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfamed. See, if we're not going there, then it profits nothing.

So, do we clearly understand the importance of the family unit? Do we know that the marriage covenant is sacred and a lifetime commitment until death do you part? That was God's intention. Look at Matthew 19.6. I know we find in the Old Testament that some of the prophets, David was a prophet, he had more than one wife, and there were others who had more than one wife that God used. But that was not his intent, as we shall read here from the beginning. I'm paraphrasing now, going back to Genesis 3, where man was alone and God said, I will make him a help me for him. And then he said that a man shall leave his father and mother and shall cleave unto his wife and the twain shall become one. And some people say, well, what about the Old Testament people? And God allowed some some things under the terms of how he was dealing with them in the patriarchal age and later the old covenant. But now we want to read from Matthew 19, and we'll start here in verse 3. The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, trying him, saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? Women were treated very poorly under the hands of many of the Pharisees and various Jewish sects, S-A-C-T-S, and that they, it came to the point that they were putting away their wives for burning the beans or whatever it was, so that they could put them away from almost any cause. And he answered, and said unto them, Have you not read that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, as I've talked about from Genesis? And then he quotes from Genesis and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they of twain shall become one flesh. Wherefore, they are no more twain but one flesh, what therefore God hath joined together, let not man put us under. Yes, that marriage covenant is sacred. In reading the marriage ceremony, part of it says, Do you now covenant with God and man, woman, and you enter into that covenant relationship of marriage? So do we know in practice the God-ordained structure of the family? That is, the father is the God-ordained head of the home, and the wife is commanded to be in submission to her husband. We're talking about accountability for young and old and some of the things that we really need to be reminded of if the church is going to fulfill what God has called us to do. Look at 1 Corinthians 11, where God, here through the Apostle Paul, tells us what the structure is with regard to authority and submission. In 1 Corinthians 11, verse 1, of course, this would not be politically correct at all.

Be you followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. Now, praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the ordinances as I deliver them to you. But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God. So he went from lowest to highest. So God, Christ, man, woman, children. And there is a structure, and whatever you are, whatever state you are in now, it is a precious opportunity. If you are the husband, to fulfill that role as God has given commandment. If you are the wife, to fulfill that role as God has given commandment. If you are a father, to fulfill that role as God has given commandment. If you are a mother, to fulfill that role as God has given commandment. If you are For our young people, whether you be male or female, God has ordained a role for you. God says that the father and the mother must be committed to rearing the children in the fear and admonition of God. Let's look at that in Ephesians. We're close here. Just a few pages forward in Ephesians chapter 6. Following up on what we've just read there, God, Christ, man, woman, children. In Ephesians chapter 6 verse 1, children obey your parents in the eternal, for this is right, accountability for young and old, for youth and adults. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise, that you may do well, that it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth. And you fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture. That word nurture means the total package of teaching and also disciplining your children, the nurture and admonition. See, in school we have various disciplines. Sometimes we call them subjects. Each discipline, each subject, has a set of laws and rules, the subject matter. And if you don't follow the laws and rules of the subject matter, of course, you fall into error. And so, fathers and mothers are to teach their children the discipline, the subject matter, the essence of what life is all about. It says, bring them up in the discipline, the total package and admonition of the Lord.

Teach them, of course, accountability. And probably every parent in here could quote Proverbs 22.6, train up a child in the way that he should go, and when he's old, he will not depart from it. So do we understand, as thoroughly as we should, the roles of father and mother. Do we understand and practice the God-ordained principles for child-reary? We must admit that we have made some mistakes along the way, and it seems that we have swung from one pendulum to the other. We need balance in all of that.

Are we deeply convicted and committed to following God's way for all aspects of our lives? Yes. During the past few years, several members of the Church of God have sued one another for divorce, and of course there are times for that. But we have to be very careful.

So what can we do to move from the area of just knowing to the area of doing? What can we do to help our children really understand why they were created? One of the areas that I have told our youth instructors here is to teach and emphasize to teach and emphasize to recognize to teach God exists and develop a relationship with God and Christ. A very young child can be taught to recognize God and Christ and direct their prayers to God to come to understand a lot about it. I believe there are many things that we can do to sharpen and help our children and ourselves to more clearly see what we need to do. I remember as a child myself, five and six years old, beginning to learn Scripture, beginning to pray to God. I didn't have much understanding in the abstract sense, but that comes along where there is no vision, the people perish. And one of the things that each one of us needs to ask ourselves, am I in the process of perishing? Have I lost the vision? Have I lost the reason for my being?

Judgment is now on the house of God right now. And we must remember that what we have noted from Ezekiel, that judgment is individual. Though Job, Daniel, and Noah be in it, they should save only themselves, neither sons nor daughters.

So let's turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 3. Here we'll see that every person's work is going to be made manifest. I believe this is first and foremost directed toward the ministry, and that is that they are laboring in a building, and then trying to make and help every person make sure that they make it. Of course, some of the greatest disappointments in my life has to do with looking back and seeing people that I gave my life to, and they are no longer with us.

And you hope and pray that that will change. In 1 Corinthians 3, I have to decide here where I'm going to start with it.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 3, we start in verse 9, For we are labors together with God, you are God's husbandry, you are God's building, and according to the grace of God which is given unto me as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another builds their upon. But let every man take heed how he builds their upon. For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, that is, Jesus Christ. See, the church is built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ, the prophets, and the apostles, Jesus Christ told Peter, upon this rock, big rock, Peter will I build my church. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, every man's work shall be made manifest. See, accountability, the day is coming, no matter who you are, where you are, what you've done, that you'll have to give an account. For the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire. The fiery trials of life and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide, which he has built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss. But he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire. Know you not that you are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you. Judgment is not just a time for passing sentence, as some might believe. That is, whether you will be in God's kingdom or perish in the lake of fire, judgment has to do with a time for salvation. And now is our day. And daily our work is being made manifest through our response, through our response to what God has revealed to us, whether we're putting it into action in the affective domain. The family unit is a microcosm of the family of God and the kingdom of God. God is vitally concerned about our role, our attitude, and action in the family structure. Now I want us to focus on how we and our children can grow in our relationship with God, and grow in understanding of the reason why they and we were born. I've already mentioned that we have generally taught the young and old the form of the Church of God, and what do I mean by the form? We go to church on Saturday. The keeping of the Sabbath is very important. We keep the holy days. The keeping of the holy days is very important. We should eat the proper foods, very important. We should get the proper rest, very important. We should get the proper exercise, very important. And we should tithe, very important. And so it goes. All these are right and good, but there must be substance in order for these to be a benefit.

God has ordained that we should surrender, submit, and serve Him. All of those things are right and good, and it's a means to an end. But none of those will justify us before God alone.

Let's look at 2 Timothy 3. 2 Timothy 3.

In verse 5, the first part of the chapter describes behaviors that will be extant in the last days. We look at verse 4, traders, heady, high-minded, is 2 Timothy 3 for work. Lovers are pleasure more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness. They may be at church, they may even bring their Bibles.

But denying the power thereof. What is the power thereof? Through the Spirit and Word of God, that we can become new creations, that the very Word of God can be written on our inward parts by the Holy Spirit, that we will have a new knowing within, a new conscience, a new sense of right and wrong. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof from such, turn away. A hasten to add that, of course, doing all these things is very important, but there's much more.

I used to be a coach, and I've coached both high school and college-age people, and I know what we taught, what I taught as a coach. Hard work, sacrifice, discipline, citizenship, scholarship, teamwork, perseverance, and endurance. All of those could apply to being a Christian, fighting the good fight of faith, and if a player would not pay the price, he was dropped from the squad or discipline. Negative behavior was not reinforced. One of my saddest little stories had to do with this running back that I had when I was head coach at Hattiesburg High School in Mississippi. He was recruited by Alabama and had already signed a scholarship, but he was on the baseball team in the spring after football, and one day I was turning off the main drag onto the road that went down to the high school, and there, sitting at the light, was this young man puffing on a cigarette.

And, of course, he had already had a couple of infractions, and I dropped him from the team. I hated to do it, but I did it. He went on to Alabama, where he started as a sophomore in three years. Their featured running back came back to Hattiesburg and became mayor of the city. So he learned a lot.

What we do, the example that we set, and even if we make mistakes, we can turn around. We can do the right thing. And perhaps what I did that day helped that young man tremendously. I know even his dad called me and wanted me to reverse it, but I didn't.

And I know when you went to Alabama, at that time, Bear Bryant was the head football coach. He said, you better do it, or you won't be around. Of course, we don't have that kind of physical discipline in the church, and God doesn't necessarily administer that kind of discipline with us.

But there is discipline, and we need to communicate that to our children. If you look at Hebrews 12, verse 6, we see it very clearly, and that's one of the things. Keep in mind what we said, that our title is Accountability for Young and Old. We're focusing on the youth at this moment. What would you say is the missing dimension with regard to having parents and children seeing the overall picture, the great vision to really understand, really come to know what is right and what is wrong? I would say that it is in teaching them about God and Christ in a personal way that their commitment is personal, one to God and Christ. There should be no excuse for a young person to come into their teen years or young adults and say, well, it was always my parents' church. I never really proved it for myself. And after I really looked into it, well, did they really look into it? Did they really understand? Do you really understand why you draw breath and who you are really accountable to? If we are no more than the animals that live in the jungle, how sad that is if we don't understand the difference?

And teaching to understand that we're all accountable to God and Christ. In Hebrews 12, verse 6, the inspired words of God through the Apostle Paul in Hebrews 12, verse 6, For whom the Lord loves he chastens and scourges every son whom he receives. If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons. For what son is he whom the father chastens not? But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, see, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, all need God's loving care and discipline.

Where all, where all are partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. So God disciplines, and so should we.

We have discovered in our counseling of young people in the Church of God for baptism that the area that they are weakest in, and this is not an absolute in all cases, but it has to do with how a person is justified before God. And of course, then, that introduces the role of Christ, that through Christ we can have our sins remitted, and we can be forgiven of our sins, and our sins can be removed from us as far as the east is from the west. God the Father and Jesus Christ are intimately involved in the redemption process. God the Father calls us, John 644, Jesus Christ died to redeem us and buy us back from sin and death, as noted in Romans chapter 5 verses 6 through 10. And God the Father begets us to a new spirit life. So we're all one of one. Look at Hebrews chapter 2. Hebrews chapter 2.

See, as I said earlier, the physical family to a large degree should be a mirror of the spiritual family. It should parallel what God is doing in bringing sons and daughters to glory in his family. In Hebrews 2.9, we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him for whom are all things and by whom are all things, and bringing many sons unto glory to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. How was that so? That Jesus Christ was tried to the very nth degree, faithful and obedient to death, suffering an ignominious death, and faithful all the way. At one point he said, think not that I should call to my father and he would send legions of angels. No, he remained faithful, stayed the course all the way through. For both he that sanctifies, and they who are sanctified, are all of one. For which cause he's not ashamed to call them brethren? And you harken back and turn back to Romans 8 right quick. In Romans 8, we see this outcome, this outcome that we, what we are going to be.

In Romans 8, 17, and if children then heirs of God and join heirs with Christ, see he's not ashamed to call them brethren. Join heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. So brethren, we have talked about here today accountability for young and for old. We're all accountable, and we're all going to individually and we are at the present time, judgment is now in the house of God, standing daily before the judgment seat of Christ. You remember the story of the rich young ruler. He came to Jesus and said, good master of what must I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus Christ said, if you would be, if you would enter into life, then keep the commandments. Young men said, which? Christ listed some. The young man said, I will I have done this from my youth. And Jesus then said, if you would be perfect then, go and sell everything that you have and give it to the poor. And the young man went away sorrowful. He was not able to rend his garments, much less his heart. Joel 2 13 says, rend your heart and not your garments.

So, brethren, that's what God wants us to do, to surrender and submit totally unto him.

We all need to gird up the loins of our minds. Peter writes in 1 Peter 1 13, wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ, the grace the divine favored, resurrected as glorious radiant spirit beings in the kingdom of God, as obedient children not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance. But as he which has called you is holy, be you also holy in all manner of conduct, because it is written, Be you holy, for I am holy. Brethren, all of us need to examine ourselves and our priorities and put first things first. We're here because God called us through the Spirit and Word of God, convicted our minds and hearts and have opened them so that we can walk in God's marvelous light. What an opportunity! What a privilege! God has given us the knowledge. We have the cognitive knowledge. So let's go forth and translate that knowledge into the affective domain of action, closing the gap totally between what we know and what we do.

And we conclude with this. This is Romans 13, last few verses. The apostle Paul writes, and that knowing the time that now it is high time to awake out of slumber, For now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness. Let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantedness, not in strife and envy. But put you on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provisions for the flesh, to fulfill the lust thereof. Remember, we're all accountable.