Week of Monday July 29 – August 4
Accountability – Man as Battle Buddy
Moses and Aaron were among his priests; Samuel also was among those who called upon his name. They called to the Lord, and he answered them. In the pillar of the cloud, he spoke to them; they kept his testimonies and the statute that he gave them. O Lord our God, you answered them; you were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrongdoings. Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy!
- Psalm 99:6-9 ESV
The psalmist understood and experienced the blessing and protection of the God who hears and answers our prayers. He also understood what it meant to be accountable to the God. The Creator of heaven and earth was forgiving but sternly disciplined those who did wrong.
Much like it was with the psalmist, God has brought blessings untold to our nation and our families, yet He sees the actions of our lives and the intentions of our hearts, and He will hold each of us accountable for our sins.
Men, one of the ways we can willingly submit to God’s accountability is by making ourselves accountable to other godly men. Interestingly, the psalmist mentions three men: Moses, Aaron, and Samuel. Moses certainly held Aaron accountable when he gave into the people’s wicked desire for another “god” and crafted the golden calf. Also, Samuel held King Saul accountable for usurping the priestly role of making sacrifices. We all need a “Moses” or a “Samuel” in our lives to whom we submit ourselves and make ourselves accountable. We all need a “Battle Buddy” who will call us out when we go off track morally and spiritually.
The spiritual-sounding phrase “I am answerable only to God” may be a subtle excuse for not answering to anyone, including God! Charles Colson, one of President Nixon’s closest aides during the Watergate coverup, later became a Christian. In his book God and Government, Colson wrote:
Christians need to hold one another accountable. Although I know intellectually how vulnerable I am to pride and power, I am the last one to know when I succumb to their seduction. That’s why spiritual lone rangers are so dangerous—and why we must depend on trusted brothers and sisters who love us enough to tell us the truth.
This is what a Battle Buddy can do for you and you for him! The writer of Hebrews speaks some tough truth:
Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (3:12-13).
Yet the author later lovingly admonished them:
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near (10:24-25).
The author of Hebrews is both calling the readers of the letter out and challenging them. This message applies to us. We can’t simply leave this in the Bible; we must live it out.
One of the ways you and I can live it out is by asking a godly man in our lives to serve as a Battle Buddy, an accountability partner. We need a faithful fellow follower of Jesus to hold us to account if we hope to serve the Lord effectively in this wicked and ungodly culture that tries to destabilize the very foundation of our faith in Christ. If you have a battle buddy, get serious about establishing mutual accountability. We need to aspire to become a “Moses” or “Samuel” in another man’s life.
- Do you have a faithful male friend who will speak the truth of God into your life regardless of the cost to your friendship?
- Are you a Battle Buddy to another man of God with whom you spend quality time? Do you hold each other personally accountable?
- If you answered “no” to the previous questions, ask God to send you a Battle Buddy or make you a better Battle Buddy.
Accountability – Man as Battle Buddy
Moses and Aaron were among his priests; Samuel also was among those who called upon his name. They called to the Lord, and he answered them. In the pillar of the cloud, he spoke to them; they kept his testimonies and the statute that he gave them. O Lord our God, you answered them; you were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrongdoings. Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy!
- Psalm 99:6-9 ESV
The psalmist understood and experienced the blessing and protection of the God who hears and answers our prayers. He also understood what it meant to be accountable to the God. The Creator of heaven and earth was forgiving but sternly disciplined those who did wrong.
Much like it was with the psalmist, God has brought blessings untold to our nation and our families, yet He sees the actions of our lives and the intentions of our hearts, and He will hold each of us accountable for our sins.
Men, one of the ways we can willingly submit to God’s accountability is by making ourselves accountable to other godly men. Interestingly, the psalmist mentions three men: Moses, Aaron, and Samuel. Moses certainly held Aaron accountable when he gave into the people’s wicked desire for another “god” and crafted the golden calf. Also, Samuel held King Saul accountable for usurping the priestly role of making sacrifices. We all need a “Moses” or a “Samuel” in our lives to whom we submit ourselves and make ourselves accountable. We all need a “Battle Buddy” who will call us out when we go off track morally and spiritually.
The spiritual-sounding phrase “I am answerable only to God” may be a subtle excuse for not answering to anyone, including God! Charles Colson, one of President Nixon’s closest aides during the Watergate coverup, later became a Christian. In his book God and Government, Colson wrote:
Christians need to hold one another accountable. Although I know intellectually how vulnerable I am to pride and power, I am the last one to know when I succumb to their seduction. That’s why spiritual lone rangers are so dangerous—and why we must depend on trusted brothers and sisters who love us enough to tell us the truth.
This is what a Battle Buddy can do for you and you for him! The writer of Hebrews speaks some tough truth:
Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (3:12-13).
Yet the author later lovingly admonished them:
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near (10:24-25).
The author of Hebrews is both calling the readers of the letter out and challenging them. This message applies to us. We can’t simply leave this in the Bible; we must live it out.
One of the ways you and I can live it out is by asking a godly man in our lives to serve as a Battle Buddy, an accountability partner. We need a faithful fellow follower of Jesus to hold us to account if we hope to serve the Lord effectively in this wicked and ungodly culture that tries to destabilize the very foundation of our faith in Christ. If you have a battle buddy, get serious about establishing mutual accountability. We need to aspire to become a “Moses” or “Samuel” in another man’s life.
- Do you have a faithful male friend who will speak the truth of God into your life regardless of the cost to your friendship?
- Are you a Battle Buddy to another man of God with whom you spend quality time? Do you hold each other personally accountable?
- If you answered “no” to the previous questions, ask God to send you a Battle Buddy or make you a better Battle Buddy.