It is nice to feel seen in a culture where we are all wearing masks (figuratively speaking that is). And most of us have that one friend or family member that won't bat an eye if we do something crazy, and usually that involves our sin. Whether that is drinking too much, being gluttonous, gossiping, lying, etc.
It isn't a coincidence that those friends are the ones that we feel safe to sin around. They don't usually hold us accountable, and often times they will join in too. It builds a false sense of closeness, that ultimately ends in unsatisfied longings and regrets.
It is interesting to look back at the first two people ever alive: Adam and Eve. How was it that they held each other accountable back then? Well, luckily for us it is documented! Let's take a look at Genesis 3:1-7.
"Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths." (ESV)
Eve got caught in sin, and naturally, she invites her husband and only friend to come join her. The progression from one person sinning to two is practically seamless. Why? There was no accountability. Adam didn't hold Eve accountable, and Eve didn't think to hold herself accountable when asking her husband to violate God's commands.
What we see follow is destruction, not only for them and their relationship, but also for all mankind. Not many of us think to ourselves, "What would it have been like had Adam held Eve accountable to the rules that God spoke directly to him!?" Possibly this is because the main point of the passage itself is not about accountability. It is about man's prideful heart being willing and ready to disobey their creator.
But as followers of God today, we have to look at their mistake that affected all of history and ask ourselves, "How can we learn from their mistakes? What can we do different?"
I propose that all of us need to take time to journal out in prayerful confession to God, the ways in which we have lured other people into sin. We can also pray confessionally the times where we have given into other friends or family members invitation to sin. Let's make a pact to try to honor God by holding one another truly accountable. Let's remind each other- it is worth it to stand firm in Christ and not give into sin.
In Christ,
Taylor
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