Scriptural Reference:

"For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned
under the law will be judged by the law."
Romans 2:12

"For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is
due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil."
2 Corinthians 5:10

"I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways,
according to the fruit of his deeds."
Jeremiah 17:10

"I tell you, on the day of judgement people will give account for every careless word they speak."
Matthew 12:36

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

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.
The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."
James 5:16

Reflection: Accountability and judgement is oddly a contentious issue within the Christian church these days. I say oddly as Christens should be well aware of the day of judgement set aside for everyone. Both saved and un-saved will be tested as gold in fire. Each will be judged and a sentence will be made. So why should there be so many problems and heated debates on a topic that is clearly defined in the Bible? The source of our faith. It seem the problem arises from the interpretations of the Bible. Whereas some churches with state that the Bible "is the Word of God" others will state that the Bible "contains the word of God". The difference may seem minor. But it really is huge when you take time to examine it. If the Bible is the Word of God then every word, command and rule is taken literally. They are written in stone and are not flexible or adaptable. While if the Bible just contains the word of God those who read it will use this to pick and choose which 'words' they feel obliged to accept. A doctrinal editing that will make it easier for some to justify their lifestyle choices. Which when I say lifestyle choices I am clearly meaning their sins.

We need to take this apart to fully understand what is important and what the Bible teaches us. And to be frankly clear these two are the same thing. In Romans 2:12 we are told that all have sinned. This applies to everyone. There's no room for negotiation. Each and every person was firstly born into sin and fro the day they start acting independently have sinned. As for the judgement for our actions, this is explained on 2 Corinthians 5:10 and Jeremiah 17:10. The Lord, Jesus the Christ, will be tasked with searching our actions, motives and even our casual words. Yes we will each be give an account to God for our actions and our words. Through Jesus the Christ we will each need to know which side we stand on.

So what options do we have? The Bible tells us that the Truth will set us free. There are two truths at work in this. The first is the person of Jesus the Christ. As he is the Truth, the Life and the Way. The second is that we ourselves are to tell the truth and confess our sins, errors and mistakes to Jesus and to each other James 5:16. Psychologists have said that when we hold in a painful secret we create a mental leach that slowly drain us both physically, mentally and spiritually. So it's important to take our sins to God through prayer. We are also encouraged to share our sins and mistakes with each other. This part of the process keeps us from becoming complacent and indifferent to the mistakes that divide us from each other. I will point out here that we take our prayer and our confessions directly to God through our Lord and Saviour Jesus the Christ. There is no human intercessory that we should be telling our mistakes. With the exception of our closest family and friends who can help us through the difficult times. The position of a priest as a "Christus" is not represented or supported in the Bible.

"For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus"
1 Timothy 2:5

The time is drawing near for us all to stand before the judgement throne. Time now to make sure we are clear as to what we need to do to be certain of our state of salvation. Accept Jesus the Christ as your Saviour and Redeemer. Before it's too late.

Prayer:
Lord, Jesus the Christ,
I come to you with,
A sad and contrite heart,
A humble submissive attitude,
And a proper reverent fear.

I admit to my many,
Grievous sins and mistakes,
Lose and casual words said,
Missed chances to do good,
As I seek your forgiveness.

I praise your holy name,
And your embracing love,
Your amazing forgiving grace,
Your healing redeeming touch,
In you alone do I truly trust.
Amen