Ecclesiology #5

You can tell how someone’s doing in their relationship to Jesus from how they’re relating to people in the community. Don’t make an excuse for them, such as a propensity towards an awkward disposition or not finding much common interest with particular people. If Jesus would only come to me based on common interests, I’d be so screwed.

Therefore, not having an outreaching attitude speaks clearly to one’s priority in preserving the self instead of allowing oneself to be vulnerable. We can afford to be vulnerable because of Christ’s vulnerability shown towards us. So what do we do about this awkward individual? You allow them into your life and watch the spirit break down the walls (1 Thessalonians 2:8).

My working definition of accountability takes into account how people interact with others more than their spiritual disciplines. Accountability groups can unfortunately degenerate to pride festering in the form of “oh, look how open I can be about my sin” or “oh, look how diligent I am.” I don’t need to know how diligent your devotional life has been when I can see it in your interactions with people and myself. The main question in accountability is, “Is there something affecting our relationship? If so, what are we going to do about it?”

Oh, you’re struggling with lust. With pride. With anxiety. Great, let’s restore you in Christ and restore our relationship. Contrast this with how a judging pharisee does accountability and their priority in identifying the root sin. Don’t we do this a lot in the name of godly accountability? This objectifies and distances the person. Instead, you humanize him by making the restored the relationship the main priority.

Pharisees keep people at a distance. We come into the mire with people because that is what Jesus did for us.