Lesson 12: Accepting Spiritual Accountability

“God develops me in a close spiritual community.”

To see the necessity of interaction with other Christians for spiritual growth.

Important work gets evaluated by someone. When we work, we know that we need to satisfy the one we work for. When we work with people, we want them to think that we do good work. We respect the opinions of certain people about our work.

The opinions of people are important in relationships also. In every relationship we learn to adjust our manners and behavior. The responses of others show us when they are pleased and when they are not.

Even when we play a game we are evaluated. There are rules to follow. Other players and spectators make comments. Points are counted. Achievements are cheered, and mistakes are criticized.

► What would happen if a worker didn’t care whether or not his coworkers think he does good work?

► What happens to a person who doesn’t care if people think he is rude?

► What is a game you like to play? How do the rules of that game affect how you play it?

What about our spiritual lives? Is evaluation from others important? Does it matter to you what others think about your spiritual condition? Do you know what your closest friends think about your spiritual condition? Are you willing to be evaluated and to adapt according to what you hear? Do you know where to look for the right evaluation?

We need spiritual accountability.

Spiritual accountability gives us accurate evaluations from those who can help us adapt and develop spiritually.

To have spiritual accountability is to establish a relationship with a person or group that gives spiritual direction.

A person with spiritual accountability reports

• His spiritual condition

• His successes and failures in spiritual disciplines

• His commitments for the future

Without spiritual accountability, we do not fulfill all of the commands of scripture; and we neglect a means that God has designed for giving us grace for victory and spiritual growth.

…confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed… (James 5:16).

A person will not confess private failures except in a relationship that makes it easy. If he is not confessing to someone who will pray for his faults, he is neglecting the means God has designed for meeting those needs. After the instruction in this verse comes the promise, “…The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).

Unless we know someone very well, we won’t know what his most serious burdens are. Most people won’t tell about their serious burdens in a large congregation. We cannot fulfill this scriptural command without being in a relationship that makes it possible.

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24).

We are to examine one another closely with a motive of love in order to see what encouragement and reproofs are necessary. Encouragements will be shallow, and reproofs will be resisted unless we have a special relationship with the other person.

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account… (Hebrews 13:17).

Many Christians want to be independent of any spiritual authority. They feel free to reject any instruction from their pastor and others. God wants us to be under spiritual authority. God appoints people with maturity and discernment to be responsible for the souls of others.

Ask yourself these questions to determine whether or not spiritual accountability is established in your life.

What relationships do I have which make it possible that...

• Someone is helping me bear my most serious burdens?

• I am confessing my faults to someone?

• I am helping someone with his burdens?

• Someone is responding to my present spiritual condition?

Are there times that I feel the lack of this kind of relationship:

• Times when there is nobody I can lean on?

• Times when I am glad that nobody knows my condition?

• Times I would not want to report my spiritual disciplines?

Is there someone whose spiritual authority I accept?

• When have I submitted to his directions?

• Do I heed his warnings about spiritual dangers?

Let’s consider how to form relationships that will establish spiritual accountability.

Spiritual accountability works best when there is…

1. Privacy. You don’t want your personal sharing to be told to others.

2. Assurance that others accept you and care about you. You don’t want to open up to those that might use your weaknesses against you.

3. A scheduled time to share. It may not happen spontaneously, at times when you just happen to be together.

This kind of spiritual accountability can function between individuals or in a small group.

To hold someone spiritually accountable means that you regularly ask…

• How are you doing in your spiritual disciplines?

• Do you have spiritual victory?

• Are you following through with the commitments you have made recently?

• What specific commitments do you need to make because of truth you have recently learned?

John Wesley established small groups to provide spiritual accountability. They stated their purpose and method, as follows:

The purpose of our meeting is to obey that command of God, “Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.

For this purpose, we intend

1. To meet at least once a week.

2. To come punctually at the set time, unless unusual circumstances prevent it.

3. To begin exactly on time, with singing or prayer.

4. To each describe plainly and freely the true condition of our souls, with the faults we have committed in thought, word, or deed, and the temptations we have felt since our last meeting.

5. To end every meeting with prayer, according to the needs of each person present.

6. To desire one person present to describe his own condition first. Then, to ask the rest, one by one, as many searching questions as are needed, concerning their condition, sins, and temptations.

Many small groups have found it beneficial to have each member set goals for personal spiritual disciplines, then report each week on his success in meeting those goals.

Some groups establish a covenant that each member commits to. Here is an example of a group covenant:

I covenant to meet with this group every week, when possible. I will share honestly the spiritual events and condition of my life. I will try to provide encouragement, direction, and accountability to my fellow group members. I will open my heart to the life-changing truth of God’s Word. I will keep in absolute privacy the personal needs shared in these meetings. I will pray for each member of my group daily. I will submit to accountability for spiritual disciplines.

A believer needs spiritual accountability, whether it is provided by a spiritually mature individual or a group. It is one of the means that God uses to give us grace.

Ask members of the group:

► Do you see a personal need for spiritual accountability?

Ask some of the questions in the lesson that help a person realize his need of accountability.

Ask if they think they are fulfilling the scriptural commands of spiritual care for one another.

Lesson 11 included a form for setting individual goals for personal disciplines. The group should discuss how to report. In a very small group, members could report to the group in turn. A larger group could divide into clusters of three for this reporting. If new members join the group, do not require them to report immediately. They need time to feel comfortable in the group.

Heavenly Father,

I want to be faithful to obey all of the commands of your Word. I want to help my brothers and sisters carry their burdens; I want to encourage them; I want to admit my failures to them so they can pray for me.

I want to accept the spiritual leaders that you have called to watch over me.

Give me the humility I need to admit my faults and the love I need to help others with their faults. Help me to not be angry when I am corrected or hurtful when I help correct others.

Thank you for the spiritual family you have given to help me grow spiritually.

Amen

Look at James 5:16; Galatians 6:2; Hebrews 10:24, Hebrews 13:17. Read the passage surrounding each of these verses. Try to think of specific ways that you have recently obeyed those instructions. What are some actions that you could begin in order to better obey them?