Key Verses: James 5:19-20 “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover multitude of sins.” One of the greatest blessings we have as Christians is the gift of accountability. What is accountability? It is a commandment that we as Christians have received from God to hold one another God’s standard of living. This means that you and I have a responsibility to hold each other accountable. If I look and see you living in sin, it is my job to go in a spirit of love and help you see your sin and lead you back to Christ and holy living. The key here is to do this in a spirit love. Unfortunately so many Christians use the command of accountability as an excuse to judge others and have a self righteous attitude. We must do this in love. When this commandment is carried out in love it is a tremendous blessing to the one who holds the other accountable as well as the one who is approached about their sin. How is it a blessing? First it is a blessing to the one who obeys the command to hold other Christians accountable because by doing so you may have literally saved that person’s life. You may be wondering, ‘how did I do that?’ God only puts up with sin in the life of a believer for so long before He exercises discipline. God’s most extreme for of discipline is death. This is seen 1 John 5. So you are blessed in knowing that you may have prolonged the life of the person you approached in love. Second it is a blessing to the one who is in their sin for the same reason! They get to live! God may spare His heavy hand of discipline if you repent. By you being approached while living in your sin and by you repenting you avoid the consequence of that sin in this life. Thus the phrase, ‘and cover a multitude of sins.’ We are all called to hold Christians accountable in living for Jesus. However, if you cannot do this in a spirit of love then don’t do this at all. If you attempt to do this with a hateful judgmental attitude then you are nothing more then a self righteous Pharisee who will cause even more hurt to the church and the one who has wandered from Christ!
