Why is Accountability Important?

       

       This practice is more so under the umbrella of fellowship, but I think it is such an important ill used discipline that it deserves its own paragraph. There are several passages that I could mention on this topic, but I think Paul captured the idea best in his epistle to the church in Galatia, “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:1-2). That “restoring” Paul speaks of we have example of in I Cor. 5 when Paul offers strong words for what the Corinthian church ought to do with a brother in sin. They were to correct, rebuke, and if the brother was repentant than as Matt. 18 stated “you have won him over”. 
       Paul describes that we are not merely dealing with flesh and blood, we battle against spiritual powers and forces (Eph. 6:12). In other words, when we battle against sin we are entering into an ongoing spiritual conflict between Satan and the hosts of the heaven. Satan, as we know wants to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10). The answer to Daniel’s prayer was withheld because the angel was in battle with a fallen angel (Dn. 10:12-14). Make no mistake, there is a strong connection between the world seen and unseen, what we do matters, and sometimes what happens in our lives is borne out from the world unseen. Therefore, we need to keep each, through gentleness and love, in righteousness and away from sin, and do that by keeping each other accountable.