What Are You ‘Responsible’ For? [v294]

AUGUST 2023

As one grows up, they take on more responsibility as they mature and are more accountable for their actions. So then, what is the MOST IMPORTANT thing that people are ‘RESPONSIBLE’ for doing during their lifetime?

INTRODUCTION
Part of growing up is taking responsibility for oneself. We start as infants with no personal responsibility whatsoever—everything that we need is done for us. As we progress through the various stages of childhood, we take on more and more responsibility. We learn to tie our own shoes, clean our own rooms, and complete our own homework on our own. Then, when one makes it to ‘adulthood’—definitely a different age for many—most are then capable of being responsible for some really ‘important’ things. In addition to the ‘normal’ caring for oneself/family, employment, paying bills, having a ‘home’, paying taxes, being law-abiding, etc., some people are responsible for many people’s livelihoods like CEOs of companies, life-and-death situations like a heart surgeon, or for national security like a president of a country.

In many ways, the difference between a child and an adult is their willingness to take personal responsibility for their actions. We learn that responsibility sometimes has its ‘rewards’ and irresponsibility has other, less-than-desirable effects—some that ‘hamper’ one’s life.

[ VIDEO: The Power of Personal Responsibility – Dr. Jordan Peterson:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwWuKBBXhzU&t=93s ]

Clinical psychologist Dr. Jordan Peterson points out in the video that “productive responsibility” should manifest itself in being responsible to oneself—and the future self—to the group of people in your ‘inner circle’ (siblings; spouse; children; family; acquaintances), their local community, and then their ‘broader’ community.

He then mentions that getting oneself “under control” (especially “one’s tongue”), “telling the truth,” not trying to “impress” or “manipulate” other people, doing what one “believes to be true,” protecting one’s “reputation,” and making life “an adventure” are important aspects to pursue when desiring to be a ‘responsible’ person.

He continues by saying that one needs to have a “productive attitude,” undertake “meditative prayer,” “stabilize one’s anxieties,” “dream a vision,” “specify one’s goals (a “finite purpose”),” “sharpen their aim,” “differentiate oneself,” “make incremental steps forward,” and do “generous things” that “justify the weight of one’s existence.”

Well, that’s a comprehensive list of items to start with on one’s ‘way’ to being responsible. So, in this post, I will try to ‘elaborate’ on some of Peterson’s suggestions, propose some others, and then submit what I think is the MOST IMPORTANT thing one is ‘RESPONSIBLE’ FOR during their lifetime.

<<< TABLE OF CONTENTS >>>

WHAT IS ‘RESPONSIBILITY’?
TAKING ‘CONTROL’
RESPONSIBILITY AND MEANING

‘TYPES’ OF RESPONSIBILITY
‘PERSONAL’ RESPONSIBILITY SPECIFICS

‘CHARACTERISTICS’ OF A RESPONSIBLE PERSON

‘BENEFITS’ OF BEING A RESPONSIBLE PERSON

WHY PEOPLE ‘REFUSE’ TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY

WHY IS IT SO ‘HARD’ TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY?

‘WAYS’ TO GET PEOPLE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY

GENERAL ‘AGREEMENT’ ABOUT RESPONSIBILITY

A ‘CHRISTIAN’S’ RESPONSIBILITY
MOST IMPORTANT: TO BE “BORN AGAIN”

ACCOUNTABILITY
TO GIVE AN ‘ACCOUNT’
DEVELOPING PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY

‘DIFFERENCE’ BETWEEN RESPONSIBLE AND ACCOUNTABLE
‘DIFFERENCE’ BETWEEN

‘HUMANITY’S’ RESPONSIBILITY
‘OBEDIENCE’
‘SALVATION’
‘EVANGELISM’

‘GOD’S’ RESPONSIBILITY

GOD’S ‘SOVEREIGNTY’
HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY
GOD’S ‘ELECTION’

‘DOCTRINE’ OF SALVATION
“FIVE SOLAS”
‘FAITH’ ALONE
TWIN ‘TRUTHS’
SIMPLY ‘BELIEVE’

DOES DIVINE DECREE ELIMINATE HUMAN WILL?

THE ‘TENSION’ BETWEEN SOVEREIGNTY AND FREE WILL

“DOCTRINES OF GRACE”
“T.U.L.I.P.”

WRAP-UP
BELIEVERS ‘TAKING’ RESPONSIBILITY
‘DEFLECTING’ RESPONSIBILITY
‘BLAMING’ GOD
BECOMING A “NEW CREATION”
A ‘BELIEVER’S’ RESPONSIBILITY
‘MONERGISTIC’ REGENERATION
OVERCOME YOUR ‘PROCRASTINATION’

<<< SUMMARY >>>

The following is a collection of ‘snippets’ from the post that aims to give you the overall ‘gist’ of this post.
[ 15-20 Minute Read ].

WHAT IS ‘RESPONSIBILITY’?
So, exactly what is an “adult”? Well, Webster’s defines it as “grown up” and “mature in age, size, strength.” Then, I looked up the word “mature” and found that it said it is “fully developed, grown up.” Kind of ‘related’, right?

So then, let us look at a few things that adults ‘do’:
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TAKING ‘CONTROL’
Well, the book “Life Entrepreneurs” says that psychologists call the extent to which we feel that we have control over the events of our lives, the “locus of control.” The authors say that people are either the ‘captains’ of their fate—steering the ‘ship’ toward their horizon of choice—or are ‘drifters’ on a ‘raft’, being carried by the current and winds randomly out to sea.
———
[ CHART: Drive and Direction Matrix; From the book, “LIFE Entrepreneurs,” by Christopher Gergen and Gregg Vanourek ]

Researchers distinguish between an internal locus of control (when one believes that control over what happens resides within us) and an external locus of control (when one attributes success to luck, fate, or other outside influences). Now, note from the chart above that the ‘locus of control’ occurs on a continuum—it is not a one-or-the-other situation.

According to researchers, people with an internal locus of control tend to:
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RESPONSIBILITY AND MEANING
Clinical psychologist Dr. Jordan Peterson said that if “one wants to have a successful relationship, one must take responsibility in creating a ‘reciprocal’ relationship. He continued by saying that if we take personal responsibility for ourselves—the way we would think of taking care of a loved one—we will find a key to happiness and meaning.

One of the things that clinical psychologist Dr. Jordan Peterson often talks about to his audiences is the relationship between responsibility and meaning. He believes these philosophical frameworks can actually help structure your ‘aim’ in life.

Peterson said that “Meaning is actually the instinct that helps you guide yourself through that catastrophe, and most of that meaning is to be found in the adoption of responsibility.”
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[ VIDEO: “Jordan Peterson on Responsibility and Meaning” (Lewis Howes’ interview about Peterson’s book, “12 Rules for Life”):
https://youtu.be/V52RLZFGHUM?t=293 ]
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‘TYPES’ OF RESPONSIBILITY
Responsibility means you are trustworthy, dependable, and able to take ownership of a task or project and see it through to completion. There are many types of responsibility. The ‘major’ ones are:
– Personal
– Professional
– Ethical
– Economic
– Social
– Environmental

The following are a few ‘SPECIFIC’ examples of responsibility to stimulate your thinking:
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‘PERSONAL’ RESPONSIBILITY SPECIFICS
We all have responsibilities in life—whether they relate to ourselves, our family, our work, our community, our country, or even ‘humanity’.

So, what are these responsibilities and how does one fulfill them? Well, one’s responsibilities are the ‘duties’ and ‘obligations’ they have taken on themselves and for others. They are the ‘commitments’ one makes to themselves and to others to ensure that they are living a meaningful and fulfilling life. The primary ones are:
– Personal
– Parent
– Toward One’s Family
– Friend
– Employee
– Citizen
– Toward Humanity

Now, by understanding and fulfilling our responsibilities, we can live meaningful and fulfilling lives. Responsibility never has a ‘holiday’. Only death ‘parts’ one from their responsibilities.

So, don’t be concerned with what others do. Just be determined to ‘FULFILL’ YOUR ‘responsibilities’!

‘CHARACTERISTICS’ OF A RESPONSIBLE PERSON
The United States Armed Forces originated a term that allows for “AOR” or “Area of Responsibility.” This system is designed to allow a single commander to exercise command and control over all military forces in the AOR, regardless of their branch of service.

AOR is a pre-defined geographic region assigned to combatant commanders of the Unified Command Plan (UCP), that are used to define an area with specific geographic boundaries where they have the authority to plan and conduct operations—for which a force, or component commander bears a certain responsibility.

Combatant commanders may designate theaters of war, theaters of operation, combat zones, and communications zones. Joint force commanders may define additional operational areas or joint areas to assist in the coordination and execution of joint warfare. The size of these areas and the types of forces used depend on the scope, nature, and projected duration of the operation.

This ‘concept’ can also be utilized by a person determined to take responsibility for their life. So, here are some ‘AOR’s’ for a person to take personal responsibility for, and why they are so important:
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So, taking personal responsibility is essential for achieving success and living a fulfilling life. By ‘owning’ your actions and decisions, you gain confidence, purpose, and accountability. Remember, NO ONE is going to do it for you! You’re it! You choose your own words, behavior, and actions.

Responsibility builds character. It will define how people see you, as well as how you handle everyday situations. Responsible people tend to earn the respect of others.

They are ‘successful’ in life, both personally and professionally. They are someone to be ‘counted on’.
———
So, the following are a variety of ‘actions’ one can take to develop their personal responsibility:
– Make No Excuses
– Stop Complaining
– Stop Placing Blame
– Overcome Procrastination
– Accept Negative Emotions
– Think Before Acting
– Act, Don’t React
– Look For Solutions
– Get Going
– Be Proactive
– Be Accountable For Yourself
– Assume The Consequences Of Their Actions
– Embrace Your Flaws
– Be Transparent In Your Actions
– Desire To Improve Your Habits
– Keep Your Promises
– Be Consistent And Stick To Your Schedule
– Be Organized
– Exercise Self-Discipline
– Never Be Late
– Learn How To Manage Your Finances
– Don’t Be Covetous/Petty
– Stick To Your Values
– ‘Watch’ Yourself
– Be Dependable
– Be Dedicated And Meticulous In Your Work
– Be Honest
– Be Consistent
– Be Willing To Work To Earn Someone’s Trust
– Have No Qualms About Apologizing
– Take Care Of Yourself And Others
– Your Thoughts Matter
– Practice Self-compassion

Hopefully, this list will get you ‘pointed’ in the right direction for developing your responsibility character. We all need to face reality, mature, and seize control of our lives. NO ONE is going to do it for you!

‘BENEFITS’ OF BEING A RESPONSIBLE PERSON
Life can be stressful and unpredictable, and sometimes it is easier to shy away from taking responsibility for our actions. That is because accepting responsibility for our actions is often hard and is common to avoid responsibility for short-term relief from negative emotions. However, the LONG-TERM consequences can be SIGNIFICANT and LIFE-CHANGING—good or bad!

Taking responsibility for your actions means you recognize the areas of your life that you can control and make positive changes to. It also means accepting and moving past the things you cannot control, without placing blame or excuses.

Taking responsibility for your actions empowers you to have the agency to influence your life. You are not just reacting to situations, rather you get to choose how to respond to them.

When you take responsibility for your actions you first acknowledge the issue, recognize what role you play in the situation, implement an action plan to resolve the issue, and then create ‘strategies’ to limit the chances of it happening again in the future.

Taking responsibility for your actions has many benefits. The following are some good reasons to become a more responsible person:

– It Increases Your Ability To Learn
– It Can Help You Can Discover Prioritization
– It Improves Your Mental Health
– It Strengthens Your Relationships
– It Helps Build Strong, Long-Lasting Relationships
– It Will Help You Become A Better Leader
– It Will Help You Show Compassion Toward Others
– It Will Help You Not Place Blame
– It Will Help You Not Be A Complainer
– It Will Help You Gain A Higher Internal ‘Locus Of Control’

So, as has been shown above, there are MANY ‘BENEFITS’ of taking responsibility for your actions.

WHY PEOPLE ‘REFUSE’ TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
Accepting responsibility for our actions is a sign of emotional maturity; it demonstrates self-awareness and a belief that we can change and learn to do better. On the other hand, people who don’t think they’ve done anything wrong, have no reason to change.

Owning your mistakes is also important relationally. When we repair the damage or harm we have caused, we build stronger, healthier relationships. In comparison, denying responsibility deteriorates trust and goodwill.

While there are a wide range of reasons for avoiding accountability, below are some of the more common reasons:
– Feeling Entitled
– Perfectionism
– Shame
– Trauma
– Inability to change
– Gaslighting

So, if you are the type of person who won’t accept responsibility, it’s time to start ‘owning up’ to your mistakes and responsibilities.

Try to be open to feedback. Often, slowing down can help. Do not be so quick to respond defensively, but take time to consider other people’s perspectives and thoroughly think through your responses before acting.

You might also benefit from learning how to make a complete and sincere apology.

Finally, if one is not sure whether they are at ‘fault’ or not, it may be helpful to get an outside perspective from an impartial friend or therapist who can provide an impartial point of view and help them get clarity about what is their responsibility and what is not.

WHY IS IT SO ‘HARD’ TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY?
Accepting responsibility enables one to grow as an individual and develop strong relationships. Each time they take responsibility for their actions, they are less likely to live out the famous Proverb, “Like a dog that returns to its vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.” One needs to identify why they struggle with taking responsibility with brutal honesty first to break free from their dysfunction. If they don’t, they will never improve.

So, if one finds themselves ‘stuck’ in the same patterns, it could be due to several factors. With that in mind, the following are some reasons that one is not getting any better:

– It Is Easier To Look For A ‘Scapegoat’
– Playing the Victim
– You Have Been Taught To Blame
– The Blame Game
– Denial
– Dodging Responsibility Can Be ‘Fun’
– Being Defensive Is Instinctive
– We Want To Avoid Shame
– It Takes Courage
– It Takes Self-Awareness
– It Takes Effort
– Fear
– Pride

Sadly, the thing is, there are some people who no matter what happens, they struggle to accept responsibility. Caught in cycles of ‘victimhood’ and blame they constantly look outside of themselves for reasons when things go wrong. Taking responsibility is undeniably hard to do—BUT ‘NECESSARY’!

So, the following compelling reasons why we struggle to accept responsibility, and then how to turn them around.

Taking responsibility certainly doesn’t mean having to shoulder the blame for every little thing that may go wrong. It is more about facing up to whatever life ‘throws’ at you, and knowing what happens next is ultimately up to you.

Only when you face up to your own internal ‘power’ and the influence you have over the direction of your own life can you steer your ‘ship’ in the right direction.

‘WAYS’ TO GET PEOPLE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
So, in a work environment, management encourages their people to take responsibility and perform with excellence in the following ways (which can also work for the individual encouraging themselves in their own lives):

– Help People Get A Vision Of Excellence
– Expect Excellence
– Lead By Example
– Get A ‘Commitment’ To Excellence
– Reward Responsibility
– Use Responsibility-Encouraging Words
– Analyze The Process And Payoff Of Taking Responsibility

So, it is not enough to acknowledge the other person’s excellence. The best way to keep it going is to help them understand the reason it came about in the first place. WHY did things turn out right and HOW can they replicate it?

GENERAL ‘AGREEMENT’ ABOUT RESPONSIBILITY
The thing is, there is one ethical behavior found in all religions: All faiths insist that ‘COMPASSION’ is the test of true spirituality, and that it brings us into relation with the transcendence they all call “god.” Each has formulated its own version of what is sometimes called the “Golden Rule.” Further, they all insist that you cannot confine your benevolence to your own group, and you must have concern for everybody—even your enemies.

The following listing—from “The Norman Rockwell Album”—shows each ‘major’ religion’s version of the “Golden Rule”:
———
So, did you notice the fifth one in the above list? “We must treat others as we wish them to treat us.” That’s the “Golden Rule.” They ALL AGREED on this ‘ethic’.

[ It’s pretty amazing that many people agreed on anything. It must be at the ‘core’ of our being! ]

A ‘CHRISTIAN’S’ RESPONSIBILITY
After all of this discussion, I’m thinking you probably would agree that responsibility is a big ‘concept’, and an even bigger ‘task’. This expectation of responsibility was not just something our parents asked of us; God also ‘REQUIRES’ it of us. He has given us His Word, the Bible, which is full of things we are responsible for. This then begs the question, “What does the Bible say about responsibility?”

Well, just before I answer that, let’s get a definition of what responsibility is. Webster’s defines it as: “The ability to answer for one’s conduct and obligations, to be trustworthy, to be able to choose for oneself between right and wrong.” Well, based on that definition, the Bible teaches A LOT on the concept of personal responsibility.

Throughout Scripture, God has given humans things that they are responsible for with an expectation of accountability to what He has given them. The very first person God ever created, Adam, was given a ‘charge’ of responsibility. He put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. God commanded the man: “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die” [ Genesis 2:16b-17 ].

From the very beginning, God gave Adam the responsibility of work and the responsibility of obedience. God gave him an assignment and a command, and he held him accountable for both. This responsibility was real for Adam and has been real for everyone since Adam. God still gives commands and assignments, holding the believer accountable to accomplish them.

So, responsibility is a major ‘theme’ throughout the Bible, discussed in some form or fashion from cover to cover. While the Bible may not use the word “responsibility” many times, it is implied in many ways:

– Preaching The Gospel And Making Disciples
– Being a Good Example
– Being Loving
– Serving
– Being Forgiving
– Keeping A Proper Attitude
– Managing Resources
– Working
– Studying God’s Word
– Obeying God’s Word
– Rejoicing, Praying, And Giving Thanks

As I have mentioned, taking responsibility is the willingness to give an account for your actions and to ‘answer’ for your conduct and obligations. This applies to the believer, too!

MOST IMPORTANT: TO BE “BORN AGAIN”
As I mentioned previously, at times, people try to avoid personal responsibility, usually through blame-shifting. Adam tried to blame Eve for his sin (Genesis 3:12). Cain tried to dodge responsibility (Genesis 4:9). Pilate attempted to absolve his guilt in the matter of the crucifixion of Christ: “‘I am innocent of this man’s blood,’ he said. ‘It is your responsibility!’” [ Matthew 27:24d ]. Ultimately, attempts to ‘pass the buck’ are futile. “You may be sure that your sin will find you out” [ Numbers 32:23 ].

The thing is, each one of us has the personal responsibility to “repent and believe the good news” (Mark 1:15) and then to glorify the Lord with their good works (Ephesians 2:10). We cannot evade our personal responsibility to exercise faith in Jesus.

When one believes ‘in’ Jesus, they accept His death and resurrection on their behalf and begin to allow God to instill in them a desire to obey Him. Their motivations and responsibilities begin to look like ‘what’ Jesus did.

The Apostle John wrote: “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of Him. By this, we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” [ 1 John 5:1-3 ].

In a few other examples, at Pentecost—50 days after Jesus resurrected from the dead—the people who heard the Apostle Peter’s sermon were “cut to the heart” and asked what they needed to do to be saved. Peter said: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” [ Acts 2:38b ]. Then, when the Apostle Paul and Silas were in prison and a violent earthquake made all the prison doors open, the jailer was going to kill himself since he thought all the prisoners had escaped. Paul stopped him from doing it. The desperate jailer then asked Paul what he needed to do to be saved. He and Silas responded: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” [ Acts 16:31b ].

So, the MOST IMPORTANT ‘SPIRITUAL’ RESPONSIBILITY’ that one has to oneself is that one needs to ‘BELIEVE’ that salvation has been made available by God through His Son, Jesus. One’s personal responsibility is to acknowledge that they are a sinner in the sight of a holy and righteous God, that their sins have alienated and separated them from Him, and one needs to turn away from their sins by coming to Jesus for forgiveness on the grounds of what He accomplished on the Cross.

[ FYI: For more details about becoming “born again,” view these previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” posts:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/what-really-matters-v270/
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/developing-ones-character-v283/ ]

The Bible then teaches that a believer’s responsibility is to bring every thought into subjection or captivity to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5) and being accountable to God for the life they live. Some of the things a believer can do are:
– Having The Right Attitude
– Daily Bible Study
– Daily Prayer Life
– Attend Church Services
– Giving
– Evangelism
– Being Christlike

Now, after reading all of those ‘responsibilities’, the believer might feel that it is a daunting ‘task’. HOWEVER, they are not alone in attempting to accomplish being a responsible person. God has given them the HOLY SPIRIT, and a part of His ‘job’ is to help the believer live up to the things God requires.

For this reason, the believer must learn to ‘lean on’ the Holy Spirit and depend on His strength. When they do this, He will keep them ‘on task’. Without Him, they are left to their own ‘devices’. (Good ‘luck’ with that one!)

So, if you are a believer, are you fulfilling the responsibilities God ‘requires’ of you?

ACCOUNTABILITY
Believers are made to serve God by obediently, carrying out whatever task He has entrusted them with. Serving implies responsibility— responsibility toward Him, ourselves, our family members, and toward other fellow humans.

So, if we take a careful look at Genesis 2:16-17, we can clearly see the first responsibility men had concerning God’s commandments was TO ‘OBEY’. All throughout the Word of God, obedience is also something that always plays a foremost role in people’s lives who are serving God sincerely.

So, obedience is the ‘FOUNDATION’ of a believer’s RESPONSIBILITY to God, and is the very thing that maintains and sustains their responsibilities as God’s children. Besides, blessings are promised based upon obedience: “Blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and obey it” [ Luke 11:28 ].

TO GIVE AN ‘ACCOUNT’
God expects believers to be responsible and self-governing. He has given us His laws, which set ‘boundaries’ on how they are to conduct themselves. When they fall short, they are to take responsibility, repent, and ask the Holy Spirit to help them make the appropriate changes.

A major part of the repentance ‘process’ is confessing their sins to God, which essentially means they are TAKING ‘RESPONSIBILITY’ for their sins before the God of the universe. The thing is, God aids those who take responsibility: “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy” [ Proverbs 28:13 ].

So, what exactly should believers be doing? Well, the following are some of the ‘major’ things they should be doing:
– Know God’s Word In One’s ‘Mind’
– Place The Word Of God In One’s ‘Heart’
– Demonstrate God’s Word In One’s ‘Life’
– ‘Proclaim’ God’s Word To Others

DEVELOPING PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY
Management consultant Todd Herman defined personal accountability as “Being willing to answer for the outcomes resulting from your choices, behaviors, and actions.”

When one is personally accountable, they take ‘ownership’ of situations that they are involved in. They see them through and take responsibility for what happens—good or bad. They don’t blame others if things go wrong. Instead, they do their best to make things right.

So, even though it sometimes can be tough to take personal accountability, you will find that it tends to offer many advantages. A 2005 study found that children who were encouraged to take personal responsibility for their actions also had more positive social interactions.
[ more…]

‘DIFFERENCE’ BETWEEN RESPONSIBLE AND ACCOUNTABLE
So, responsibility is essentially the duty to respond to and complete tasks. Responsibility is task-oriented. It can include: who has what role, what that entails, and what must be done to be successful. Responsibility cannot technically be assigned to someone. A person must choose to take responsibility for something that is in their power and control, and they choose to do it willingly.

A responsible person is answerable for the results of their task. Responsibility is something you choose to do because they have the skillset, and their role determines it. It usually is the job description, defined roles, or task that helps them achieve their certain goals.

If one is given a responsibility, they are responsible for the task’s implementation, execution, and completion. Moreover, for huge tasks, they can share responsibility amongst ‘team’ members.

Responsibility refers to a person owning or being in charge of a specific task or assignment. It relates to that person’s duty to respond to and complete tasks. This includes:
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‘DIFFERENCE’ BETWEEN
People often consider accountable and responsible to be the same thing, and many people use the terms interchangeably. However, there are differences between them and their role in the workplace. A person may still be responsible for a task without being accountable. Similarly, a person may take accountability for a responsibility.

The following are some differences between accountability versus responsibility:
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[ CHART: Accountability/Responsibility Differences – Darren Finkelstein ]

So, as you can see, accountability and responsibility are different. That is why the accountable person may not necessarily be responsible.

Again, responsibility is task-oriented, while accountability is result-oriented. An accountable person does not have control and power over the task and merely bears ‘ownership’ for the results, whether negative or positive.
[ more…]

‘HUMANITY’S’ RESPONSIBILITY
The thing is, EVERY human being has enough knowledge of God to be held accountable before Him at the judgment day (Romans 1:18-23). However, there is much more accountability for believers who know the ‘message’ of the Gospel and yet have not acted in faithfulness and obedience to it.

Now, no one will be judged for not obeying ‘revelation’ they did not receive. HOWEVER, they WILL be ‘judged’ according to the knowledge of the truth they DID have ‘access’ to. The thing is, the Bible tells us that ALL OF US—every human being on the planet—has access to the knowledge of God. It’s just that the unbeliever sometimes has “exchanged the truth for a lie” (Romans 1).

The thing is, the believer is held to a HIGHER ‘STANDARD’, since they HAVE been given a ‘revelation’ from God about the message of the Gospel. So, they WILL BE judged on how they handled the revelation they have been given, and WHAT THEY ‘DID’ with it!

The following—obedience, salvation, and evangelism—are the ‘primary’ responsibilities that God desires humanity to realize, but ‘EXPECTS’ the believer to attain.

‘OBEDIENCE’
The “Shema” (“Hear”) is a prayer that was—and is—spoken daily in the Jewish tradition:
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‘SALVATION’
Jesus told a prominent Pharisee (and a member of the Sanhedrin, the ruling body of the Jews), Nicodemus, that he needed to be “born again” (John 3:3) or “born from above.”

The question then logically follows: “Why does a person need to be born again?” Well, the Apostle Paul answered that by saying: “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins” [ Ephesians 2:1 ] and “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” [ Romans 3:23 ].

All people are spiritually “dead,” and when they receive spiritual life through faith in Jesus, the Bible likens it to a “rebirth”—and only those who are born again have their sins forgiven and have a ‘relationship’ with God.
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SO, to reiterate—and EMPHASIZE—for the UNBELIEVER, “He who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” [ John 3:36 ].

WOW! That’s NOT ‘good news’! BELIEVE ‘in’ Jesus RIGHT NOW!

‘EVANGELISM’
This, then, is the believer’s responsibility: to submit themselves completely to God and His commandments (the previous “responsibility” of obedience), become a ‘child of God (being “born again), and go and tell the ‘Good News’ of the Gospel to all the world. Because God has so abundantly provided for the believer—who deserves nothing from Him—they should be determined to give of themselves abundantly in service to Him, to whom they owe everything!
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– Just Sow ‘Seeds’
Now, the one area that continues to trouble me is why we need to give an effective (or, as Packer says, “clear and forcible”) presentation of the Gospel when we acknowledge that the clarity and forcibleness of the presentation has nothing to do with the end result. Well, again, it is all about ‘obedience’, not results. Jesus explained that human hearts are like types of soil (Luke 8:5-15). The seed sown is the same in each case, but people receive the Word of God differently and respond differently. The believer’s job, as the sowers of ‘seeds’, is to present truth as effectively as they know how and entrust the results to God.
[ more…]

‘GOD’S’ RESPONSIBILITY
Wow, God promises that He will be “responsible.” He says that He will assume FULL ‘RESPONSIBILITY’ for His ‘children’s’ needs when they ‘OBEY’ Him—and that is the case with His ‘chosen’ people, the Israelites, from the outset.

God has made Himself ‘obligated’ to meet the believer’s needs when they faithfully obey and trust Him. So, when a believer is ‘walking’ in step with Him, He assumes full responsibility for the answers to their needs, problems, challenges, and circumstances of life.
[ more…]

GOD’S ‘SOVEREIGNTY’
Now, regarding God’s responsibilities, nothing happens without God’s willing it ‘to’ happen, willing it to happen ‘before’ it happens, and willing it to happen in the ‘way’ that it happens. So then, let me tell you about how God’s ‘SOVEREIGNTY’ relates to providence, redemption, and election.
[ more…]

HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY
So then, if God is sovereign in all matters of providence, redemption, and election, then what is the point of exerting any effort in one’s salvation? Well, nowhere in the Bible is the believer encouraged to be passive and inert. The Apostle Paul said: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” [ Philippians 2:12-13 ].

So, people ARE ‘responsible’ for what they do with the message of the Gospel—whatever ‘information’ they have (Romans 2:19-20)—and punishment is just—eternity in Hell—if they reject the message. Then, those who reject do so voluntarily. Jesus lamented, “You are unwilling to come to Me, that you may have life” (John 5:40). He told unbelievers, “Unless you believe that I am [God], you shall die in your sins” (John 8:24).
[ more…]

GOD’S ‘ELECTION’
The doctrine of “divine election” is explicitly taught throughout the Bible. The prophet Jonah said “Salvation is from the Lord” [ Jonah 2:9 ], and the Apostle Paul said that “In Him we [believers] were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him [God] who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will” [ Ephesians 1:11 ], and finally, Jesus said, “No one can come to Me, unless it has been granted him from the Father” [ John 6:65 ].

Moreover, God did not choose certain sinners to be saved because of something praiseworthy in them, or because He foresaw that they would choose Him. He chose them solely because it ‘pleased’ Him to do so: “My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure” [ Isaiah 46:10 ]. His purposes for choosing some and rejecting others are hidden in the secret ‘counsels’ of His own will.
[ more…]

‘DOCTRINE’ OF SALVATION
The doctrine of salvation is made up of many ‘elements’. There is the matter of God’s sovereign ‘election’ and ‘predestination’, and then there is the matter of ‘regeneration’ and the truth of conversion (justification; sanctification; and redemption).

A story is told about Jesus meeting with a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ‘ruler’ of the Jews. During His discussion, five times Jesus spoke of being “born again.”

Now, the whole point of the analogy Jesus used—of being born again is to demonstrate that something has to happen to the person that they can’t do or contribute to in any way. The analogy describes a spiritual reality to which the one born makes no contribution.
———
So, the bottom line here is that religion, in any form and to any degree, is completely useless in getting anyone into Heaven—one must be “born again,” a belief that Jesus is who He says He is—Lord and the ONLY Savior for humanity

[ FYI: For more details on Jesus being the only ‘way’ to get to Heaven, view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/the-only-way-v253/ ]
———
So then, let me tell you WHAT YOU CAN ‘DO’. As I ended last month’s post: ASK God for mercy and to give you ‘life’. Then, the mystery of mysteries, Jesus said, “Him that comes to Me, I will never turn away” [ John 6:37 ]. Then He said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” [ Matthew 7:7-8 ]. Yes, the mystery of all time!
WHAT YOU CAN ‘DO’: ASK God for mercy and to give you ‘life’.

“FIVE SOLAS”
So, a person believes by faith alone—“Sola Fide”—which is one of the ‘components’ of the “Five Solas” that are the identifying ‘benchmarks’ of the Reformation, on which Protestantism was founded and is a true understanding of the Gospel.

The Reformers came up with these to encourage the Roman Catholic Church back to the Bible, with the first sola being “Sola Scriptura,” or “Scripture Alone” (since the Roman Catholic Church was using—and still uses—extra-biblical, man-made teachings for one’s salvation).
[ more…]

‘FAITH’ ALONE
In faith alone was the great discovery that the Roman Catholic monk Martin Luther made that launched the Reformation. He was kind of the ‘spark’ that ignited what had been happening previously—by, notably, John Wycliffe and Jan Hus—to ‘recover’ the true Gospel: Salvation comes by faith alone, NOT by faith plus works as the Roman Catholic Church was—and still does—believe that is required for one to get to Heaven.

So, back to what this post is focusing on “Sola Fide”—the aspect of salvation that the Apostle Paul declared: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” [ Ephesians 2:8-9 ].

Now, you might be asking, “How can salvation be solely a work of God, and me be held responsible for believing or not believing? How can those two go together?” Well, Pastor John MacArthur termed it as “twin truths.”

TWIN ‘TRUTHS’
Pastor John MacArthur suggested this illustration from the Old Testament to try to help explain this ‘conundrum’ (I have selected its ‘highlights’):
[ more…]

SIMPLY ‘BELIEVE’
Well then, let me ‘flip’ my narrative and tell you something about unbelief. The Apostle Paul said: “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit” [ 1 Corinthians 2:14 ]. So, without being “born again”—after which the person ‘receives’ the Holy Spirit—one is ‘foolish’/ignorant.

So then, what is the ‘remedy’? Well, since the confrontation of unbelief leads to a commendation of belief, Jesus says the ONLY ‘THING’ one can do is BELIEVE: “Everyone who believes may have eternal life in Him [Jesus] (John 3:15). Sola Fide, by faith alone.

Then, at another time in Jesus’ discussion with Nicodemus, He was VERY ‘specific’ about what Nicodemus was troubled and distraught, by saying: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” [ John 14:6 ]. I’m sure that Nicodemus was ‘taken aback’ by that statement.

[ FYI: For more details about Jesus being the ‘only’ way to get to Heaven, view these previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” posts:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/the-only-way-v253/
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/two-choices-one-way-v254/ ].
[ more…]

DOES DIVINE DECREE ELIMINATE HUMAN WILL?
So, to illustrate this, I am going to use an answer that Christian apologist Frank Turek gave to a conference attendee. He asked Turek this question:

“So, if God knows everything then God already knows who is going to Hell and who’s going to Heaven before He them and the universe. So, with this viewpoint how could we all have free little if everything’s already determined?”

Turek responded:
———
Most say, “That doesn’t sound fair!” Well, God’s ‘standard’ is perfection. So, if one is not perfect—just like God—then they can’t be in His presence, since you would ‘spoil’ the environment with your sin. However, since that can’t happen, one is justly condemned to where they CAN be with their sin—Hell.

The thing is, ALL humans get what they ‘deserve’—Hell. Now, the fact that God chooses some to salvation is not about being fair—it is about demonstrating His ‘GRACE’!

THE ‘TENSION’ BETWEEN SOVEREIGNTY AND FREE WILL

“DOCTRINES OF GRACE”
The “Doctrines of Grace” is a phrase that is used as a replacement for the term “Calvinism,” to remove the attention from John Calvin—which he would have wanted—and instead focus on how the specific points are biblically and theologically sound. The phrase describes the soteriological doctrines that are unique to Reformed theology.

“T.U.L.I.P.”
These doctrines are summarized with the acronym “T.U.L.I.P.”:
– Total Depravity
– Unconditional Election
– Limited Atonement
– Irresistible Grace
– Perseverance of the Saints
[ more…]

WRAP-UP
In many ways, the difference between a child and an adult is their willingness to take personal responsibility for their actions.

When one looks at what adults ‘do’, it gives one a better idea of what maturity is in a fully developed person. Actually, being ‘proficient’ in all these ways is rather a high ‘watermark’ to meet for most of us—though we all continue to improve as much as we can during our lives.
[ more…]

BELIEVERS ‘TAKING’ RESPONSIBILITY
Because a believer is still a ‘normal’ human, their ‘internal’ nature can lead them to refuse to take responsibility for their actions, too. In fact, when they are confronted with their mistakes, they will often play the same “blame game” a ‘secular’ person does, and attempt to deflect their responsibility onto someone else. Hmmm… not very “Christlike”!

‘DEFLECTING’ RESPONSIBILITY
Well, there were many people mentioned in the Bible that did not portray a “Christlike” character. It gives examples of believers not acting as they should. Here are a couple of examples of individuals who refused to take responsibility for their actions and then tried to deflect responsibility for their errors onto others:
– Aaron
– King Saul

‘BLAMING’ GOD
Sadly, when deflecting responsibility doesn’t work, it is common for even the ‘children’ of God to blame Him. Consider the following examples from the Bible:

– After being confronted for eating the forbidden fruit, Adam found a way to blame God for his sin: “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate” [ Genesis 3:12 ].
– After killing his brother, Cain complained that God’s punishment was too harsh (Genesis 4:13).
– When they went into captivity for their sins, the ancient Israelites complained that God was unfair and that their punishment was unjustified (Ezekiel 18:25).
– Job’s wife blamed God for the calamity that fell on them and even tried to convince her husband to curse God (Job 2:9).

BECOMING A “NEW CREATION”
As I just mentioned, even though a believer is still a ‘human’—and fallible—they have been ‘imputed’ with the Holy Spirit and have been made a “new creation”: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” [ 2 Corinthians 5:17 ]. SO, they SHOULD NOT be playing the “blame game” or ‘deflecting’ responsibility if they ‘TRULY’ believe!
[ more…]

A ‘BELIEVER’S’ RESPONSIBILITY
SO, my ANSWER to the question I posed at the beginning of this post—“What is the MOST IMPORTANT thing that people are ‘RESPONSIBLE’ for doing during their lifetime?—is that one needs to become a “new creation” and BECOME “BORN AGAIN”!

This means that BEFORE one can ‘fulfill’ their Christian responsibilities they must ‘become’ a believer. This means you must be “BORN AGAIN” (John 3:3-5) by ‘trusting’ in Jesus as your Lord and Savior. This will then lead them to true REPENTANCE (Acts 17:30-31). The person is then made a ‘child’ of God’s family by being ‘baptized’ in obedience to the truth (Romans 6:3-4).

Just like the parable that Jesus told about a Pharisee and a tax collector praying in the Temple. He noted that the tax collector didn’t even dare to lift his eyes toward Heaven as he prayed. Instead he “beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’” [ Luke 18:13d ]. Jesus then said that the tax collector “went home justified before God” [ Luke 18:14b ]. He had been “born again” and ‘reconciled’ by God. THAT’S WHAT YOU NEED TO ‘DO’ TO BE ‘ASSURED’ OF HEAVEN AFTER THIS LIFE ON EARTH!
———
So, I also want to make it ‘plain’, reiterating the statement I made for what I—and the Bible—says is a person’s MOST IMPORTANT ‘spiritual’ responsibility in their lifetime:

To ‘BELIEVE’ that salvation has been made available by God through His Son, Jesus and one’s personal responsibility is to acknowledge that they are a sinner in the sight of a holy and righteous God, that their sins have alienated and separated them from Him, and they need to turn away from those sins by coming to Jesus for forgiveness on the grounds of what He accomplished on the Cross.
[ more…]

‘MONERGISTIC’ REGENERATION
Now, as a reminder, this is NOT something you have to ‘WORK’ FOR—God has already ‘DONE’ all the work FOR YOU! You just NEED TO ‘REPENT’!

Just as your physical birth just ‘happened’ to you—you had no part in it—the same is true of your spiritual birth. Salvation is a ‘gift’ God gives you for repenting!:

OVERCOME YOUR ‘PROCRASTINATION’
It was mentioned by the experts that ‘PROCRASTINATION’ just might be the worst ‘ENEMY’ when one is trying to be a responsible person.

Now, life can be so hectic at times that it is only natural to want to put things off. However, a ‘RESPONSIBLE’ person accounts for those ‘hiccups’ in their schedule and does not save things for the last minute! So, experts suggest that one should reduce distraction, refine their motivations, write down their goals, and scrutinize their calendar for when they are wasting precious time.

[ FYI: For more details about procrastination and some ‘tactics’ on how to stop it, view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/a-sense-of-urgency-v269/ ]

Procrastination will lead you nowhere and since YOU are wholly ‘responsible’ for your own FUTURE, procrastination is probably hindering you from acting on what is the MOST ‘IMPORTANT’ thing a person needs to do ‘BEFORE’ THEY DIE: REPENT of their sins and BECOME a ‘child’ of God—become “BORN AGAIN”—which ‘guarantees’ them a place in Heaven… FOREVER!

I ‘BEG’ those who are ‘UNBELIEVERS’ to get ‘right’ with God RIGHT NOW! (Note: A prayer of repentance is just below to help you verbalize your ‘heart’ to God about this.) Again, just be like the tax collector in the Temple and cry out, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’”

Then, for ‘BELIEVERS’, I pray you are—in your own particular way—doing what Jesus commands for you to be doing: Spreading the ‘Good News’ of the Gospel:

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you”
[ Matthew 28:16-20 ].

<<< END OF SUMMARY >>>

<<< ALL THE DETAILS >>>

The following is a comprehensive presentation of each topic in the Table of Contents.

So then, let us look at a few things that adults ‘do’:

– Adults usually do engage in gainful employment regularly, take care of their self, spouse, family, extended family., and close friends
– Adults are answerable for their life obligations, including employment, bill paying, house chores and upkeep, and being as good as their word
– Adults are held responsible for what they sign up to do in both their public and private lives, such as what they say, write, promise, and do
– Adults are held accountable for their actions and commitments in life, whether that is in a marriage, a relationship, a friendship, or in a work environment
– In the community, an adult is a ‘worthwhile’ citizen regarding keeping their house and yard maintained, being informed about community issues, being concerned with the welfare of others, and regularly participating in the voting process

When one looks at what adults ‘do’, it gives one a better idea of what maturity is in a fully developed person. Actually, being ‘proficient’ in all the ways I mentioned previously, is rather a high ‘watermark’ to meet for most of us—though we all continue to improve as much as we can during our lives.

Some propose that ‘self-responsibility’ or ‘self-accountability’ is the quintessential defining attribute to qualify as an adult. The word “responsibility” literally means “response-ability.” That is, possessing the ability to respond. So self-responsibility means not only to have the ability to respond, decide, and choose but to further participate in an ‘engaged’ fashion and take responsibility for one’s life.

The attribute of being responsible for oneself is the willingness and enactment in the behavior (sometimes called “praxis”) of living according to one’s capacities (which, hopefully, continue to improve as one ages). Self-responsibility can be seen in taking care of doing what you said, promised, and signed up to do, without any if’s, and’s, or but’s (blaming others, rationalizations, reasons, or sniveling excuses for not doing what you said you would do).

This character trait of self-responsibility is synonymous with self-accountability. In like fashion, “accountability” literally means “account-ability.” That is, ‘owning’ the ability to account for one’s own life. To be self-accountable means to be answerable for the obligations and duties one has in their life by the very nature of being alive on planet Earth.

So, anyone who is self-accountable answers fundamentally to themselves, honoring a ‘code’ of ethics and integrity that goes to the depth of who they actually are in the ‘depths’ of their personality. It is actually pretty simple to understand, but tough to achieve.

Now, the critical ‘building blocks’ that create a solid foundation to both enable and empower anyone to embrace self-responsibility or self-accountability are:

– Presence
Only by showing up in this here-and-now moment can self-responsibility and self-accountability become authentic.

– Honesty
By having the integrity to tell the ‘straight-up’ truth, people will then trust one in the future.

– Stalwart
Expressing disciplined words and actions communicates a stable personality that can ‘stand up’ to pressure and make a reasoned decision.

– Congruent
Words, actions, facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice all communicate the same message of clarity: It communicates a trust and confidence that what is seen, heard, and experienced is real, authentic, and true.

– Being Open
Staying open translates into being available to all ‘inputs’ which shows one’s maturity of not being a ‘know-it-all’.

– Win-Win Attitude
Always trying to make something work for all involved—putting one’s ego ‘behind’ them.

– Commitment To Grow
Publicly state the intention to grow and follow through in direct actions to accomplish it.

We all take on more responsibilities as we go through life. Responsibility for the rent, car payments, and possible mortgage. We are also responsible for getting a job done based on a deadline.

However, that’s not all. Taking responsibility for one’s life also includes ‘personal’ things like, thoughts, feelings, words, actions, circumstances, health, relationships, education, career, finances, choices, behaviors, free time, and ‘impacts’. These, and many other things that one is responsible for, can all be daunting.

[ CHART: Drive and Direction Matrix; From the book, “LIFE Entrepreneurs,” by Christopher Gergen and Gregg Vanourek ]

According to researchers, people with an internal locus of control tend to:

– Be Healthier
– Report Being Happier
– Exhibit More Independence
– Achieve Greater Success In The Workplace

So then, how does one know if they are not taking responsibility? Well, one ‘shirks’ responsibility and they tend to:

– ‘Blame’ Others
– ‘Complain’ About Things
– Feel ‘Hopeless’
– Experience ‘Learned Helplessness’
– ‘Drift’ Through Life
– ‘Settle’ For Less

However, as one becomes more ‘mature’, one better understands that there are incredible benefits of taking responsibility for oneself. Regardless of what has happened or why, taking responsibility is one of the most important things one can do to improve the quality of their life, relationships, and outcomes. Taking full responsibility can:

– Boost One’s Confidence
– Provide More Resilience
– Not Depend Upon Others
– Increase One’s Decisiveness
– Improve One’s Health
– Reduce One’s Stress Levels
– Lead To Taking More Action In Life
– Help One Achieve Our Goals
– Free One Up To See The Good In People And Situations
– Help Summon One’s Courage
– Lead To Better Relationships
– Help One Improve Their Follow-through
– Invoke One’s Power To Choose
– Dramatically Improve One’s Leadership
– Help One Intentionally Craft Their Life

The thing is, one must ‘give up’ some things when they take responsibility—primarily related to bad habits and guilty pleasures. For example:

– Give Up On ‘Complaining’
– Give Up On ‘Making Excuses’
– Give Up On ‘Blaming’ Others
– Give Up On Being A ‘Victim’

So, instead of complaining, making excuses, blaming, or playing the victim, one can change their mindset toward one of accountability. Instead of deflecting toward others (or toward bad luck), one can turn their gaze within and ask:

– What Is My Role In This?
– How Have I Contributed To This?
– What Can I Do About This Now?

Again, to become a more mature adult, one needs to get curious about what happened and why, and what they might do differently to make it better or avoid the same mistake.

So, taking responsibility for oneself DOES NOT mean being a ‘Lone Ranger’, ‘disconnected’ from others. So, even when one takes full responsibility for their life, they can—and should—reach out to others for help. They can ask for their input, or ask them to help hold them to be ‘accountable’.

Now, one is wise to take full responsibility for their relationships too, instead of expecting others to know what they want or waiting for others to change.

So, being accountable doesn’t mean being alone. It just means being the ‘captain’ of one’s life. It ultimately means changing the trajectory of one’s life toward more fulfilling and better outcomes.

A strong sense of responsibility gives birth to innovation, resilience, courage, achievement, and generosity. Those who see themselves as responsible for living a ‘productive’ life are the ones who most of the time contribute the most in life—problems will be transformed into opportunities by people who choose to act with responsibility.

Peterson said that “Meaning is actually the instinct that helps you guide yourself through that catastrophe, and most of that meaning is to be found in the adoption of responsibility.”

Dr. Peterson goes on to say that “If we take personal responsibility for ourselves—the way we would think of taking care of a loved one—we will find a key to happiness and meaning.” It is one’s ‘responsibility’ to find their meaning in this life.

Dr. Peterson finds that his definition of greatness is best captured in one word — responsibility. Winston Churchill also agreed with this by saying that “The price of greatness is responsibility.”

[ VIDEO: “Jordan Peterson on Responsibility and Meaning” (Lewis Howes’ interview about Peterson’s book, “12 Rules for Life”):
https://youtu.be/V52RLZFGHUM?t=293 ]

[ FYI: One of the tools that Dr. Peterson has in his toolbox is a program called Self Authoring. It is an online storytelling platform that helps people tell their stories in six epochs. The program also helps people analyze their virtues and their faults:
https://www.selfauthoring.com/ ]

So, Dr. Peterson says that YOU are ‘totally’ responsible for your life. This is the foundational principle one must embrace if one plans for happiness and success in their life and work. Sadly, MANY people think everything is someone else’s ‘fault’. Every problem can be explained away with reasons why they can’t affect the outcome, especially at work where it is easy to find excuses because people are so closely intertwined—and every project has a chain of internal ‘links’ who are dependent on others in the chain.

Every failure has a ‘scapegoat’ that can be used to avoid taking responsibility for one’s own actions. In their mind, failure is never the result of the choices they have made. Hmmm… I’m thinking that kind of person is a bit unrealistic and immature.

– Personal
Personal responsibility refers to doing things in your personal life that set you up well for the future and don’t cause harm to you personally.

– Professional
Professional responsibility refers to being responsible in your workplace and trustworthy for your employer.

– Ethical
A catch-all for any example of responsibility that involves moral dimensions.

– Economic
Managing finances in ways that do not over-extend your budget or get you into unsustainable debt.

– Social
Living in a way that is respectful to your community and that treats others the way you would like to be treated.

– Environmental
Being responsible for the environment to leave it in good shape for future generations.

The following are a few ‘SPECIFIC’ examples of responsibility to stimulate your thinking:

– Fiscal Conservatism
Type: Economic

Being conservative with your money is responsible because it will prevent debt, default, and future economic pain.

– Strong Work Ethic
Type: Professional

Work ethic refers to your ability to work hard and with integrity. It is a highly desirable workforce skill.

By contrast, a person with a poor work ethic will be seen as an irresponsible employee because they will slack off when not being micro-managed and not be trustworthy in the workplace.

– Helping People In Need
Type: Social

Helping others is an example of social responsibility. It shows that you have a sense of responsibility to your peers, colleagues, and fellow citizens—and that you care about your impact on those around you.

– Recycling
Type: Environmental

Caring for the environment through practices like recycling is responsible because it means the environment will be put on a more sustainable footing for future generations.

– Doing The Right Thing When Nobody Is Looking
Type: Ethical

Ethically responsible people will behave fairly, ethically, and with integrity even when nobody is looking.

– Being Trusted When Alone
Type: Professional

An employer looks for a responsible employee who can be trusted to look after company assets without supervision.

– Self-Control
Type: Personal

A person who has self-control can delay gratification and remain focused on their goals. An irresponsible person, on the other hand, will not have self-control and likely fail to meet many of their goals.

– Not Showing Favoritism
Type: Professional

A boss or teacher who does not show favoritism is considered responsible. They maintain their professional integrity and trustworthiness.

By contrast, nepotism and favoritism are seen as irresponsible behaviors that can lead to inefficiency in business and government and injustice in society.

– Meeting Productivity Targets
Type: Professional

Meeting productivity targets shows that you take your responsibilities at work seriously and that you can be relied upon and trusted to do what you say.

If you meet your targets in your performance reviews, you will get a reputation for being responsible, trustworthy, and reliable.

– Fixing Your Mistakes
Type: Ethical and Professional

A person who fixes their mistakes is considered to be doing the responsible thing. For example, if you drop the milk and it spills all over the kitchen floor, it is your job to wipe it up.

By contrast, if a person makes a mistake and then pretends it was not them, most would consider it to be an irresponsible act.

– Contributing To A Team
Type: Ethical and Professional

Irresponsible team members who fail to complete their assigned tasks on time, ‘harm’ the rest of the group.

– Volunteering
Type: Social

Choosing to volunteer some of your time to a cause you care about shows a level of social responsibility. It demonstrates how you take your obligation to your community seriously.

– Punctuality
Type: Professional

Showing up late shows a lack of respect for other people’s time, and effective time management is a crucial responsibility in most careers.

– Professional Development
Type: Personal

Ultimately, each person is responsible for their success or failure. Engaging in personal development is a strong indicator of a belief in personal responsibility.

– Managing Business Budgets
Type: Economic

Budgeting or approving purchasing decisions effectively demonstrates financial responsibility.

– Training Or Teaching Team Members
Type: Professional

Teaching or training others shows that you can accept responsibility as a team leader for the education of your team.

This is necessary for a leader because it shows that you do what you can to ensure your team is as effective as possible.

– Donating To Charity
Type: Social

Similar to volunteering, charitable donations show that you feel a social responsibility to your community.

One way to do this is to donate to an effective ‘algorithm’ fund. Effective altruism is a type of donation that ensures every dollar is efficiently used and as effective as possible.

– Meeting Deadlines
Type: Professional

Finishing your work before agreed-upon deadlines shows that an employer can trust you with business-critical responsibilities.

– Environmentalism
Type: Environmental

Feeling some responsibility to improve the world around you is a sign of maturity and empathy.

– Apologizing When You’re Wrong
Type: Personal

A sincere apology is a sign that you accept responsibility for your actions, even when you get things wrong.

– Investing
Type: Economic and Personal

Investing is a form of delayed gratification for your finances. Investments are a responsible way to plan for your future.

– Staying Fit And Healthy
Type: Personal

Keeping in shape is hard work, but it demonstrates a level of discipline and responsibility to yourself.

– Independence
Type: Personal

The more you can prove that you are responsible, the more independence you will be granted.

– Caring For Family
Type: Personal

Caring for family members, especially your children or elderly parents, is an obligation and your personal responsibility as a family member.

– Not Cheating
Type: Ethical

You may get away with cheating for some time, and maybe forever, but it is still a decision that is highly risky and, therefore, not worthwhile.

– Seeking Professional Help
Type: Personal and Professional

The mature thing to do is to hire a ‘professional’ to help one make sure they are doing the right things, rather than trying to do things oneself that they know very little about.

‘PERSONAL’ RESPONSIBILITY SPECIFICS
We all have responsibilities in life—whether they relate to ourselves, our family, our work, our community, our country, or even ‘humanity’.

– Personal
Assuming responsibility for one’s life once they reach adulthood or attain a significant ‘realization’.

This sense of responsibility starts with one’s thoughts and extends to everything they do or not do in their life.

This includes taking care of one’s physical and mental health, their actions, decisions, thoughts, feelings, words, actions, inactions, intentions, habits, relationships, work, earnings, and goals, then making themselves better than their previous self.

– Parent
One has a responsibility to be a good ‘role model’ for your children. This means teaching them right from wrong, setting boundaries, and providing them with the tools they need to succeed—making sure they are ‘skillful’.

– Toward One’s Family
One has a responsibility to take care of their family members. This includes providing emotional support, financial support, doing household chores, helping out around the house, spending quality time, and being there for them in times of need. It also includes taking care of parents and in-laws in their old age.

– Friend
As a friend, you have a responsibility to be supportive and loyal to the right thing. This means being there for them in times of need, listening to them, and being honest with them.

– Employee
One has a responsibility to be a productive and responsible member of the team. This means following the rules, showing up on time, being respectful to your colleagues, completing your tasks, and doing your best to contribute towards the success of the company.

– Citizen
One has a responsibility to be an active and engaged member of your community. This means voting, paying taxes, staying informed about local and national issues, and providing feedback to the government in the form of suggestions and complaints.

– Toward Humanity
We all have a responsibility to make the world a better place. This means donating to the needy, being kind to others, raising a voice against injustice, respecting individual rights, and doing our best to make a positive impact on the world.

So, don’t be concerned with what others do. Just be determined to ‘FULFILL’ YOUR ‘responsibilities’!

– It Builds Confidence
You learn to trust yourself and your decisions, which can help you take more risks and pursue bigger goals. This confidence can be infectious, inspiring others to take charge of their own lives as well.

– It Creates A Sense Of Purpose
You know what you want to achieve, and you have a plan for getting there. This can help you stay focused and motivated, even when things get tough.

– It Helps You Learn And Grow
Learning from your mistakes and failures. This mindset can help you become a better, more resilient person. Instead of blaming others, you look for ways to improve and grow.

– It Increases Accountability
You are no longer waiting for someone else to come along and fix things for you. This can help you build stronger relationships, both personally and professionally.

Then, to start to take personal responsibility, one needs to:

– Set Clear Goals
Define your goals and create a plan for achieving them. This will help you stay focused and motivated.

– Take Action
Once you have your plan, start to take action. Break down your goals into smaller tasks and work towards completing them.

– Embrace Failure
Don’t be afraid to fail. Instead, look for ways to learn and grow from your mistakes.

– Stay Committed
Taking personal responsibility requires commitment and discipline. Stay focused on your goals and don’t give up when things get tough.

So, taking personal responsibility is essential for achieving success and living a fulfilling life. By ‘owning’ your actions and decisions, you gain confidence, purpose, and accountability. Remember, NO ONE is going to do it for you! You’re it! You choose your own words, behavior, and actions.

Responsibility builds character. It will define how people see you, as well as how you handle everyday situations. Responsible people tend to earn the respect of others.

They are ‘successful’ in life, both personally and professionally. They are someone to be ‘counted on’.

People who take complete responsibility for their lives usually experience a kind of ‘joy’. They enjoy making thought-through choices and are willing to be responsible for their choices.

Now, the most important aspect of taking responsibility for your life is to acknowledge that your life IS your responsibility. No one can live your life for you and you are ‘in charge.’ No matter how hard you try to blame others for the events of your life, each event is the result of the choices you made and are making.

Responsibility doesn’t come at birth. It is something that is acquired as you age. It is a ‘skill’ that can be developed! One shapes their personality with their actions.

Responsibility is one of the most appreciated values in society and it doesn’t appear out of the ‘blue’. The real scope of responsibility tends to be greater than that attributed to it. Indeed, it is not something that only determines the life of the individual, but also of those around them.

Now, there are many types of responsibility. For example, it is not the same to speak of legal responsibility as moral responsibility. Nevertheless, these are the two variants with the greatest impact on society since they directly affect it.

Experts have long been deeply interested in ‘moral’ responsibility. They are codes or behaviors that are expected of certain people.

Etymologically, the word “responsibility” is derived from the Latin, “responsum,” and the verb, “respondere.” In fact, responsibility is a highly complex value. It translates as the quality or ability to respond to commitments.

So, the following are a variety of ‘actions’ one can take to develop their personal responsibility:

– Make No Excuses
Making excuses is like taking the easy way out. Rather than admitting fault or mistakes, we make excuses to rationalize actions, even if they may be wrong.

Making excuses when you mess up prevents you from growing through this learning opportunity. Rather than find excuses for any decisions or actions you take, acknowledge that you have a choice.

It can be tempting to make excuses to justify our behavior, however, it is not productive, and will not benefit you in the long term.

Part of the power of taking responsibility for your actions is that you silence the negative, unhelpful ‘voice’ in your head. When you spend your thinking time on success and goal accomplishment—instead of on making excuses—you free up the emotional ‘space’ formerly inhabited by negativity.

So, the next time you catch yourself making an excuse, interrupt that incessant tape that is playing in your mind and stop rehearsing that excuse-filled conversation. Spend your thought time planning your next successful venture.

When you make a mistake, own up to it. Instead of transferring the blame to someone or something else, say the true reason why you failed to do something. (By coming up with an excuse, you actually admit to being irresponsible.)

You need to think clearly about what you can and cannot do, in order to avoid having to make excuses for yourself.

Responsible people see the bigger picture; they set aside their egos for the benefit of the relationship as a whole.

If they don’t take responsibility for it now, they’ll never grow to avoid it happening again in the future.

It’s extremely common for people to use a thousand-and-one excuses to avoid certain commitments. However, those who are responsible don’t adopt this kind of attitude. In fact, they’re not afraid to accept or refuse to participate in something if they consider it to be the right thing to do.

This is also related to the other characteristics of responsible people. Indeed, they feel true consideration for others in all respects.

– Stop Complaining
Along with a willingness to own their own mistakes, responsible people will not complain very often—because they understand that complaining usually gets you nowhere.

Responsible people won’t whine about things being unfair or place unwarranted blame on others. Instead, they will reflect on why things happened the way they did—and try and figure out what, if anything, they could have done for things to turn out differently.

Responsible people ‘own’ the circumstances and are always looking for ways to learn from their mistakes and improve upon them.

These people are optimistic and often upbeat, rarely looking for scapegoats.

Complainers are usually the people who talk too much and do nothing.

By always nagging about the world around you, you actually fill yourself with negativity. By being negative, you are being miserable. Cutting down on complaining will bring you to a better mindset, as well as prolonged happiness.

When not accompanied by action, complaints are always useless. They simply cause frustration and, if nothing is done to solve the problem, it’ll always be there.

Far from choosing to complain about an unfavorable situation, a responsible person will try to reverse it. That’s when it’s possible, of course. Naturally, this isn’t always possible.

– Be Mindful Of Complaining
Moaning is an insidious habit that rewires your brain and is bad for your health, yet something that most of us indulge in.

While a mild amount may be a way of letting off steam, complaining can easily spill over into victimhood and blame.

– Stop Placing Blame
Eliminate blame to eliminate excuses. If the blame ‘track’ plays repeatedly in your mind, you are shifting responsibility for your decisions and life to others—not a good ‘plan’!

Blame is a defense mechanism. It is easier to blame others when things go wrong, or when a mistake is made rather than taking full responsibility for your actions. Just because it is easier does not mean that it is right, or that it will benefit you in the long term.

In the moment, shifting the blame may alleviate some stress and negative emotions. However, it will not resolve the issue and will likely leave you feeling guilty and emotionally drained.

Blame does not improve a situation and only leads to anger, resentment, and bitterness.

Even when others make mistakes that impact you, ultimately you decide how you are going to feel about it.

– Overcome Procrastination
Procrastination may just be your worst enemy when you are trying to be a responsible person.

To earn and succeed in every aspect of your life, you need to work hard for it. The first step you could make toward the top is to stop procrastinating. Stop wasting precious time!

The hours you spent browsing through the Internet, scrolling through Social Media, or lying around doing nothing, could have been used for better things. (For instance, you could have read a book, gone for a walk, done a workout, or finish that project you were far behind on.)

Procrastination will lead you nowhere. You are responsible for your future, so learn how to stop procrastinating now and start acting on what truly matters.

[ FYI: For more details on ‘procrastination’, view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/a-sense-of-urgency-v269/ ].

Procrastination is undoubtedly on the opposite side of responsibility. Those who are responsible fulfill their duties or their actions when they must do so. They don’t continually postpone necessary assignments or jobs. This applies to everything, from their chores at home to assigned projects at work.

Life can be so hectic at times that it is only natural to want to put things off.

However, a responsible person accounts for those ‘hiccups’ in their schedule and does not save things for the last minute!

– Accept Negative Emotions
You will inevitably experience negative emotions in your life. Taking responsibility for your actions can bring up feelings of discomfort, fear, and shame. These emotions can be difficult to cope with, but it is important to accept them to move forward.

Avoiding negative emotions and discomfort only perpetuates it in the long term and makes it more difficult to take responsibility for our actions and move forward.

When we’re drained, our rational defenses are lowered. Emotional decisions are made for short-term fulfillment—while at the same time jeopardizing a long-term goal. Being mindful of one’s moods and feelings is important to stick to the plan we set for themselves.

Emotions can also get in the way of cooperating with others and holding a grudge jeopardizes the teamwork needed to get any high-quality work done.

While responsible people may not like everyone, they still keep it civil with professional matters.

Being a responsible person, they choose their words wisely and has a clear course of action—especially when they are seeking to resolve a conflict or improve a situation in some way.

To do that, they need to keep their emotions at bay.

Understanding the value of keeping your composure and having patience is key if you want to be a responsible person.

– Think Before Acting
Responsible people know that they must deal with consequences and respond to them. They don’t manage their decisions spontaneously but try to assess all eventualities to ensure that they make the correct choices. They also employ this attitude, albeit less methodically, to the smallest of decisions.

– Act, Don’t React
When we react to situations without thinking it through, the response will likely be defensive, without resolving the issue.

So, it is important to take a step back and act on the situation in a way that is calm and impactful. It can be difficult to have a calm perspective during the heat of the moment, but there are some things you can do to bring yourself to a calm place, so you can move forward: Perform a ‘relaxing’ exercise; Go for a quick walk; Call a friend to talk about the situation.

Once you are in a state where you are acting and not reacting, you are better able to make informed and rational decisions to rectify the situation.

– Look For Solutions
People often ‘linger’ on a problem because coming up with a solution could take too much time and energy.

They give up their efforts to improve their situations, so they go through their days with the unnecessary additional stress they can’t be bothered to fix.

To the responsible person, when there’s a problem, they try their best to come up with a solution; it’s an open loop that they need to close in some way.

They don’t sit around waiting for the ‘miracle’ that may never come. They get to work and look for solutions.

– Get Going
Procrastination can plague anyone. A deadline inevitably ‘shocks’ the irresponsible person and becomes an energy-draining motivation to cram the work, producing lower-quality output.

A responsible person doesn’t shy away from what they have to do. They do the work that’s required of them. If the deadline is still months away, they break down the assignment into simple steps that they can work on immediately.

They don’t dally when there’s a deadline on the horizon.

– Be Proactive
Waiting for the “right” conditions to make any progress on a personal goal will get you nowhere. Simply reacting to the events of life is an inefficient way to achieve success. A responsible person not only lives in the moment but has their eye on the future. They don’t look at it with much anxiety, as people commonly do. They anticipate what might happen, and make the appropriate changes today.

For example, they know that if they continue on the path of eating junk food, the future hospital bills will be devastating.

So, they take the proactive approach of keeping their health in check every day.

– Be Accountable For Yourself
The first, and most basic, step you can take when trying to be a responsible person is to be accountable for yourself. Owning your mistakes and admitting when you are wrong.

It also means stop blaming others for your shortcomings or inability to get what you want.

Responsible people also tend to only commit to what they know they can do.

They assess and manage expectations… and learn to recognize their own limitations. They are not afraid to say “No.”

– Assume The Consequences Of Their Actions
This is one of the most common manifestations of responsibility. A responsible person accepts the consequences of the things they say or do. On the contrary, an irresponsible person does just the opposite.

A responsible person responds directly to everything that caused their actions, especially in the face of unfavorable consequences.

– Embrace Your Flaws
The more you try to run from uncomfortable emotions or qualities within yourself you don’t like, the more you will feel the need to avoid responsibility.

Trying to ignore the shadow side of life or yourself only leads to denial.

– Be Transparent In Your Actions
Responsible people aren’t afraid to show themselves as they are. This means they don’t hide what they do and think. Of course, this doesn’t imply that they live in glass houses, but certainly much information about them is usually known by others. It’s related to the fact that they’re usually really straight because they avoid behaviors or actions that contradict their principles at all costs.

– Desire To Improve Your Habits
Creating better habits is a practical way to lay the foundations of greater self-responsibility.

It is these small choices and decisions that you make that help you to positively shape your own life—including what you eat, how often you exercise, the quality of your sleep, etc.

– Keep Your Promises
One of the most valuable qualities of responsible people is their fulfillment of promises. Certainly, people who accept responsibility as one of their primary values avoid making promises that they won’t keep. They also make sure to keep their word when they’ve committed to someone to do something.

– Be Consistent And Stick To Your Schedule
Having a routine is good. Routine means order, and this means that you are on the right track. This will give you some ‘consistency’. Being responsible means that you are in control of what you do.

If a responsible person tells others to treat people with kindness, they will stay consistent with their words and follow their own instructions. They are not hypocritical; they’re honest and true to their beliefs. The actions match their words.

A responsible person does well to carefully reflect on their beliefs and change them if they feel they’re wrong.

– Be Organized
As we grow older, there are more and more obligations to juggle. There is an obligation to our children, family, friends, acquaintances, work associates, bosses, and even all the companies and banks to be financially responsible. Keeping up with all these areas of life can be challenging to someone unprepared to face adulthood and the “real world.” Responsible people manage their time and resources wisely.

They avoid wasting energy on the things that don’t ultimately add any value to them like partying and spontaneous purchases.

They keep a daily schedule and review their obligations as often as they can to make sure that the engine of their life is running smoothly.

Responsible people are typically organized. They aren’t necessarily ‘anal’ but they definitely have their act together when it comes to planning and scheduling.

– Exercise Self-Discipline
Responsible people know what they want… and will tweak their lifestyle to make it happen, if necessary.

They will eat a healthy, balanced diet. They will get enough sleep. They will make time for exercise. They will seek ways to ‘sharpen’ their minds.

Responsible people are masters of the balancing act because they know that anything is possible if they want it bad enough.

Acts of self-discipline are merely ‘rungs’ on the ladder to success.

– Never Be Late
Punctuality is not only a sign of being responsible but it’s also a sign of respect to the other person. Arriving at a meeting on time (or even earlier) is a show of character that says “I am serious about doing business with you.”

A responsible person tries their best to avoid such financial obligations to pile up. They make sure that their bills and even their debts are paid at the appropriate time. If they can’t pay by the required date, they deal with it as soon as possible.

There is honestly no good reason, these days, to be late to work, a doctor’s appointment, or a social engagement—barring an unforeseen delay or accident. However, in this case, a responsible person would call the person/organization to tell them why they will be late.

The thing is, even ‘unforeseen’ circumstances can sometimes be prevented by just leaving the house a bit earlier.

[ I remember the American comic “Gallagher” saying something like: “If you don’t want to always be in a hurry and under duress, just leave your house one stop light early tomorrow.” ]

Also, not feeling rushed is a great way to relieve stress and will likely make you more productive in the end.

They don’t waste their own time, nor that of others. On the contrary, they value and appreciate it according to their own and others’ schedules that have been stipulated in advance.

– Learn How To Manage Your Finances
One of the major responsibilities you will have as an adult is to take care of your money—it’s a ‘mark’ of maturity.

People spending the majority of their salary before the end of the month and neglecting to pay their bills (because they found some other, usually shiny thing to spend the money on) is what an irresponsible person does.

A responsible person isn’t one to make impulse purchases. They’re smart with their spending. They wisely budget their money, splitting it between their wants and needs. They have long-term financial goals that aren’t only about them but include the people that they love as well.

Responsible people make sure to know exactly where their money is coming from, how much, and where it all goes to. If you want to be taken seriously, and live a normal life, you will need to learn how to deal with money.

– Don’t Be Covetous/Petty
Responsible people are not competitive when someone has a nicer car than them, nor do they belittle people who earn less than them. No matter who that person is, a responsible person treats everyone with the same foundational respect that they all deserve.

They listen, empathize, forgive, and forget. Holding onto grudges and prejudices not only complicates relationships but hinders any kind of individual growth.

– Stick To Your Values
We all have an underlying value system, whether we are aware of it or not. Acting against our held beliefs is a common cause of stress and inner turmoil.

While it can be difficult at times to be honest, sticking to one’s values and telling the truth shows that that person is one of integrity.

Responsible people stand up for what they believe in with no shame or embarrassment.

– ‘Watch’ Yourself
As we grow older, people begin to expect that we can ‘take care’ of ourselves. (No one’s going to look out for us anymore.)

Parents and bosses tend to be more ‘hands-off’ as one becomes more mature, trusting that one can accomplish their goals and responsibilities all by themselves.

Responsible people can take care of themselves, practicing the values of self-discipline and independence.

– Be Dependable
Responsible people will make mistakes, just like everybody else. But what sets them apart is their desire to be someone that others can count on—which means they will make things right in the end.

A responsible person shows up when they’re supposed to and do what is expected of them.

Being dependable also means thinking about how your actions affect others and taking that into account.

– Be Dedicated And Meticulous In Your Work
This is basically because they try to give the best of themselves in anything they undertake. That is why they are so outstanding when it comes to fulfilling academic and work assignments. However, it is not only in these contexts that they excel. In fact, they are dedicated and meticulous in everything they do. They take care of their health, achieve their life plans, and manage their agendas, along with everything else.

– Be Honest
As we mentioned earlier, responsible people are ruled by their honesty. This quality can be uncomfortable for other people, as it doesn’t always match with what they expect. Responsible people aren’t shy about dishing out compliments and saying thanks. In the same way, they’re not afraid of pointing out faults or criticizing things that they don’t like.

Responsible people are honest and sincere because they consider that the most appropriate thing is to be honest and tell the truth.

Intention is one thing, and following through is quite another. Honoring the commitments you make to yourself and others is a powerful way of putting responsibility into action.

– Be Consistent
Consistency is extremely important in the lives of responsible people. They are consistent with their values and principles and don’t do or say things that deviate from them.

This does not imply that they do not change their minds. It is quite the opposite. That said, when they do, they are equally consistent so they are not at all unreliable or unpredictable.

– Be Willing To Work To Earn Someone’s Trust
There is a saying, “Trust is given, never earned.” Responsible people, however, won’t accept trust that isn’t earned.

Trust is the responsibility of the person who wants high trust. If you want others to trust you—it is your responsibility. If you want to be able to trust others—it’s your responsibility.

There’s another popular saying: “If it is to be, it is up to me.” If you are to have high trust in your relationships, it starts and ends with you.

When responsible people enter the workplace, they show determined management that they can be counted on to handle more responsibility.

Responsible people will never let themselves be overlooked for lack of trying.

– Have No Qualms About Apologizing
Nowadays, people often forgive or apologize without really thinking about it. However, responsible people apologize when they feel they should, and always do so sincerely. That’s because they have a strong regard for others.

This is an extremely important characteristic, as it’s all too easy to apologize when we don’t really mean it. Nevertheless, responsibility always goes hand in hand with honesty.

– Take Care Of Yourself And Others
Responsible people actively practice ethics and morals. According to Gustavo Bueno, ethics is understood as all those rules aimed at the survival of the individual. Morality concerns the rules aimed at the survival of the group. Responsible people will always ensure the care and integrity of themselves as well as that of the society that surrounds them.

As you might expect, there are also many other characteristics of responsible people, although the ones mentioned above describe their behavior and actions in a nutshell. Responsibility is one of the supreme values, so, naturally, it’s one of the most difficult to assimilate and maintain. So, value all the responsible people you have around you since they’re usually QUITE ‘RARE’!

– Your Thoughts Matter
Consider Earl Nightingale’s apt summation of the power of your thoughts: “Whatever we plant in our subconscious mind and nourish with repetition and emotion will one day become a reality.” Think about it. Your thoughts are always with you.

Thoughts tend to play themselves over and over again in your head. They can either support you to think about and take positive action or not. Your thoughts either limit or support the accomplishment of your goals. Negative thoughts are overwhelming and they can take control of your mind.

Your thoughts govern the success of your interpersonal interactions. Your thoughts are the ‘headlights’ illuminating your path in the darkness. They always precede you and your actions. Again, Nightingale said that “The mind moves in the direction of our currently dominant thoughts.”

Live every day as if what you do matters—because it does.

– Practice Self-compassion
Though it is important to take responsibility for our actions and make things right, it is equally important to be kind to yourself.

Negative thoughts and feelings are natural and valid, but they do not help the situation, and they do not leave room for self-compassion.

So, to forgive yourself, and show yourself kindness, while still holding yourself accountable and taking responsibility for your actions.

Being responsible is more than a ‘state of mind’—it takes ‘work’. Responsible people are also not okay with mediocrity. They strive to be the best version of themselves so that good things will happen.

Taking responsibility for your actions empowers you to have the agency to influence your life. You are not just reacting to situations, rather you get to choose how to respond to them.

Taking responsibility for your actions has many benefits. The following are some good reasons to become a more responsible person:

– It Increases Your Ability To Learn
Research shows that being responsible for one’s own learning is essential for academic, personal, and professional growth and success.

The ability to be a strong learner means going beyond what is provided to you and passively receiving the knowledge that is taught.

– It Can Help You Can Discover Prioritization
Responsibility and procrastination are polar opposites. Responsible people usually establish schedules, set priorities, and create goals to ensure they can discover the best ways to multi-task day after day.

– It Improves Your Mental Health
Studies show that “Developing personal responsibility positively contributes to one’s well-being, self-esteem, and psychological health by empowering individuals to take ownership over behaviors and actions.”

When you take responsibility for your actions you feel a sense of control, rather than feeling like a victim of circumstance. Taking responsibility for your actions involves taking an active role in problem-solving, rather than waiting or hoping situations will resolve on their own.

Things are within your control and will likely lead to improved ‘symptoms’ over time.

– It Strengthens Your Relationships
Taking responsibility for your actions plays a key role in relationships. When you do this, you demonstrate to your spouse, family member, or friend that you are mature and willing to be honest and vulnerable.

This, in turn, establishes an ‘environment’ where the other individual feels safe to be vulnerable and authentic, leading to relationships characterized by trust, openness, and transparency.

– It Helps Build Strong, Long-Lasting Relationships
But those who take responsibility for their mistakes and remain accountable for their day-to-day actions can foster trust with friends and family members.

And ultimately, this trust can serve as the foundation for rewarding relationships with others.

– It Will Help You Become A Better Leader
Responsibility is a common trait found in leaders, as these individuals commonly think before they act and focus on the greater good consistently.

Responsible individuals frequently can be counted on to finish any task to the best of their ability.

So, focus on becoming a more responsible person, and you can experience unparalleled personal growth!

– It Will Help You Show Compassion Toward Others
Responsibility and empathy often go hand in hand, and perhaps it’s easy to understand why.

A responsible individual cares about others and will do what it takes to support his or her friends and family members; comparatively, an empathetic individual can take a walk in another person’s shoes to better understand his or her perspective and act accordingly.

As a responsible person, you can serve as a reliable shoulder to lean upon for friends and family members in times of need.

– It Will Help You Not Place Blame
Life may seem unfair at times, but as a responsible individual, you will never blame others for problems that arise. In fact, this individual will try to make the best of any situation and deal with each difficulty as it approaches. (When it comes to the blame game, no one ever wins.) Focus on finding solutions to these issues.

– It Will Help You Not Be A Complainer
Let’s face it, no one likes a complainer, Responsible people understand that life can be tough at times but will try to find the positive signs in a negative situation.

– It Will Help You Remain Cool And Collected
Responsible people often remain calm, cool, and collected in even the most high-stress situations, as they understand what it takes to control what they can at all times.

– It Will Help You Gain A Higher Internal ‘Locus Of Control’
If you have a higher internal ‘locus’ of control, you are more likely to attribute your success (and failures) as being a result of your own actions. If you have a higher external locus of control, you may believe that your life is not within your control and that any success or failure you experience is attributed to luck or fate.

People with an internal locus of control take responsibility for their actions as they recognize the aspects of their life that they can influence, and act accordingly.

Studies show that individuals with a greater internal locus of control have higher self-confidence and are more resistant to stress.

So, as has been shown above, there are MANY ‘BENEFITS’ of taking responsibility for your actions.

While there are a wide range of reasons for avoiding accountability, below are some of the more common reasons:

– Feeling Entitled
Some people think they are superior to others and therefore are ‘entitled’ to do what they want without bearing the consequences. Often, this is an unconscious attempt to overcompensate for self-doubt, low self-esteem, or insecurity.

– Perfectionism
Perfectionists base their self-worth on their performance and achievements. So, making a mistake—and admitting they are less than perfect—is especially painful for them. And all-or-nothing thinking magnifies small mistakes, making them seem like major failures to a perfectionist.

– Shame
When people feel ashamed of their behavior, they may “shut down”, deny, hide, or lie about their behavior to save face and lessen the distress they feel about it.

– Trauma
Avoiding responsibility can be a response to trauma. Some people who experienced painful abuse, criticism, betrayal, rejection, or other trauma, continue to see themselves as ‘victims’. They are so focused on their own emotional pain that they struggle to see how they harm others.

Others have traumatic memories of being severely punished, blamed, or ignored when they made mistakes as children. Which, understandably, makes them reticent to admit when they’re wrong now.

– Inability to change
Research about taking responsibility shows that when people believe they can change, they are more likely to admit their mistakes. This makes sense because taking responsibility for our mistakes is usually the first step in changing our behavior.

As you may know, it is very difficult to have a relationship with someone who consistently refuses to take responsibility for their behavior. You may need to limit your interactions with them. Or, in some cases, this may be a deal breaker and you will need to consider whether you can continue a relationship with someone who repeatedly causes you harm, does not take responsibility, or makes amends.

– Gaslighting
This type of behavior can become ‘abusive’. Gaslighting is a form of emotional abuse where one person not only denies responsibility for their wrongdoings but denies that the events occurred. It is a form of manipulation used to deny responsibility, shift the blame onto someone else, and cause the victim to question their perceptions and reality.

People who are being gas-lit, feel confused and that they are losing their ‘grasp’ on reality. They feel like they are always to blame.

So, if you are the type of person who won’t accept responsibility, it’s time to start ‘owning up’ to your mistakes and responsibilities.

You might also benefit from learning how to make a complete and sincere apology.

So, if one finds themselves ‘stuck’ in the same patterns, it could be due to several factors. With that in mind, the following are some reasons that one is not getting any better:

– It Is Easier To Look For A ‘Scapegoat’
One of the primary reasons taking responsibility is so hard is simply that blaming everything and everyone is just so much easier.

– Playing the Victim
Another kind of person thinks that the whole world is ‘attacking’ them. Admitting any kind of wrong would be like opening the gate with the barbarians waiting to charge. They are always needing to ‘defend’ themselves at all costs.

– You Have Been Taught To Blame
From an early age, we all learn what is right and wrong, fair and unfair. Our parents, our teachers, and society instill this in us.

But this ingrained sense of justice also leads to judgment, shame, and guilt. So, we also learn that side-stepping blame allows us to avoid these uncomfortable emotions.

Lie, divert attention elsewhere, and shift the blame and you might just get off scot-free.

Pushing responsibility onto others is often a pattern of behavior that starts when we are young and continues well into adulthood.

– The Blame Game
This person thinks that it is never their fault. Their eyes are constantly on the lookout for the errors of others. Somehow, when it comes to their own part, they are ‘blind’ or view themselves as ‘holy’ and innocent. They believe a lie that is not only a barrier to responsibility but ultimately intimacy too.

– Denial
Denial is a coping mechanism that gives you time to adjust to distressing situations–by refusing to accept the real truth about it.

Denial keeps us ‘stuck’ because we cannot see through the skewed veil of perception we are placing on the world.

When we are in denial we tend to refuse to acknowledge a difficult situation, not face the facts of a problem, and downplay possible consequences of the issue

When it comes to taking charge of your own life, denial allows you to hide from responsibility by completely hiding from it.

– Dodging Responsibility Can Be ‘Fun’
In the same way, dodging responsibility can be so much easier, it can also be way more fun.

Blaming other people inflates your ego and makes you feel better about yourself in the process. Because pointing out how someone else is in the wrong, automatically makes you in the right.

Refusing to take responsibility for yourself can lead to some fairly frivolously enjoyable behaviors too—chasing your own pleasure rather than making sacrifices for your greater good.

Avoiding responsibility helps us to sidestep obligation or any sense of burden we feel that may bring with it.

– Being Defensive Is Instinctive
Whenever we feel under attack we have been ‘programmed’ to instinctively fall into the stress response fight or flight mode.

That is why when we experience criticism or blame, our natural reaction can often be to fight back rather than accept.

We are ‘hardwired’ in us to have a protective reflex to attack sources of threat. This is a protective response to keep us from harm—either physical or emotional. So even when our feelings are hurt, this kicks in to attempt to ‘shield’ us.

– We Want To Avoid Shame
Shame and guilt are self-conscious emotions that everyone feels throughout life at some point. They’re defined as the negative affective states that occur in response to a transgression or shortcoming, and both are self-conscious emotions, meaning that self-reflection is critical to their occurrence.

Feeling shame can bring up a whole host of negative emotions that make us worry about being rejected, flawed, or inadequate in some way.

Taking responsibility for even seemingly small transgressions is difficult because it all feeds into this deeper fear running in the background that we are not good enough.

Nobody wants to feel alone or ostracized so it can be tempting to shirk responsibility rather than face the shame of your actions.

When a person admits wrong, they ‘court’ shame. This can be painful, difficult, and uncomfortable for them. Living in denial is just easier to do in the short run. However, in the long run, the cost is usually great.

– It Takes Courage
Whenever you take responsibility, you have to be prepared to face the ‘shadow’ sides of yourself. Accepting responsibility means acknowledging when you may have made an error or mistake.

It demands that you take a long hard look at yourself—the good, the bad, and the ugly. That can be an uncomfortable and even painful process. If you don’t have strong foundations of self-love and self-worth, it can be just too scary to face.

It can feel much easier to brush your bad qualities under the carpet than do something about them.

Being prepared to see your own flaws and act upon them takes immense bravery and courage.

– It Takes Self-Awareness
One of the biggest obstacles to change and growth in life is not being able to see the initial problem. If you are incapable of identifying an issue, how can you correct it? Well, this is a challenge for those who lack self-awareness.

Self-awareness involves being conscious of different aspects of yourself—which include your traits, your behaviors, and your feelings. It requires you to analyze yourself through reflection and introspection.

Without the presence of self-awareness in your life, you cannot begin to take responsibility for yourself.

– It Takes Effort
When we recognize that the power to create our own results in life starts and ends with us, there are no more excuses. The problem is, excuses are remarkably handy for allowing us to be lazy in life.

There is no doubt that choosing better requires effort. We use excuses to let us off the hook whenever we are called to make an effort that we cannot be bothered with.

If we remain defeated and tell ourselves, it’s not my fault and there’s nothing I can do, it lets us off the ‘hook’.

– Fear
Some people are afraid to admit guilt since they think that it will cause people to think less of them. It would be a blemish on their ‘record’ and they fear it will define them. Fear can be tremendously ‘paralyzing’ for this kind of person.

– Pride
Elevating oneself to a level of superiority and thinking that they are above being wrong or causing hurt actually comes from a weak ‘sense’ of self. Accepting responsibility will be a challenge for them because they believe everyone ‘owes’ them.

Avoiding responsibility, through blaming external factors (whether that be circumstances or other people) in many ways ‘elevates’ us.

If you think that everybody owes you, that life itself owes you, this inflates your pride.

Pride allows us to feel superior and above wrongdoing. When we admit our capacity for mistakes, we must admit our capacity for weakness.

‘Swallowing’ your pride and admitting fault can shake the image we have of ourselves and our status in the world.

So, the following compelling reasons why we struggle to accept responsibility, and then how to turn them around.

Only when you face up to your own internal ‘power’ and the influence you have over the direction of your own life can you steer your ‘ship’ in the right direction.

– Help People Get A Vision Of Excellence
Lots of people don’t even know what “excellence” means. After all, they’re doing their job and think that’s good enough. Jim Collins, the author of “Good to Great,” says, “Competence is the enemy of the great.”

So, show them your vision of excellence that goes beyond competence.

– Expect Excellence
When leaders and managers oversee every detail of every function, they’re saying, in effect, they don’t expect excellence from their people. They expect failure.

As Sterling says in the book, Pygmalion in Management, it’s very difficult to disguise your expectations. If you do just enough to get by, they will sense that and act accordingly.

Expect excellence from others and learn to project your expectations.

– Lead By Example
A German proverb says, “When you walk your talk, people listen.” In other words, if you take responsibility for excellence, chances are the people around you will also take responsibility and practice excellence.

– Get A ‘Commitment’ To Excellence
It’s unbelievably powerful. As F. W. Woolworth, the founder of the retail chain noted, “We would rather have one person working WITH us than three merely working FOR us.”

– Reward Responsibility
When people take responsibility for excellence, they typically do it for a reason.

One of the main reasons people take responsibility is because they want to receive praise. Others are encouraged to take responsibility when they get something tangible.

– Use Responsibility-Encouraging Words
When people take on more and more responsibility, they’re bound to make some mistakes, and some correction is needed. That’s normal. In those cases, you would be well advised to follow Goethe’s advice, “Correction does much, but encouragement does more.”

– Analyze The Process And Payoff Of Taking Responsibility
Excellence does not randomly strike like lightning. It’s the result of certain acts of responsibility taking. The process can be replicated, if it’s understood.

GENERAL ‘AGREEMENT’ ABOUT RESPONSIBILITY
The thing is, there is one ethical behavior found in all religions: All faiths insist that ‘COMPASSION’ is the test of true spirituality, and that it brings us into relation with the transcendence they all call “god.” Each has formulated its own version of what is sometimes called the “Golden Rule.” Further, they all insist that you cannot confine your benevolence to your own group, and you must have concern for everybody—even your enemies.

The following listing—from “The Norman Rockwell Album”—shows each ‘major’ religion’s version of the “Golden Rule”:

BUDDHISM:
“Hurt not others with that which pains yourself.” [ Udanavarga ]

CHRISTIANITY:
“All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” [ Bible, St. Matthew ]

CONFUCIANISM:
“Is there any one maxim which ought to be acted upon throughout one’s whole life? Surely the maxim of lovingkindness is such – Do not unto others what you would not they should do unto you.” [ Analects ]

HEBRAISM:
“What is hurtful to yourself do not to your fellow man. That is the whole of the Torah and the remainder is but commentary. Go learn it.” [ Talmud ]

HINDUISM:
“This is the sum of duty: do naught to others which it’s done to thee, would cause thee pain.” [ Mahabharata ]

ISLAM:
“No one of you is a believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” [ Traditions ]

JAINISM:
“In happiness and suffering, in joy and grief, we should regard all creatures as we regard our own self, and should therefore refrain from inflicting upon others such injury as would appear undesirable to us if inflicted upon ourselves.” [ Yogashastra ]

SIKHISM:
“As thou deemest thyself so deem others. Then shalt thou become a partner in heaven.” [ Kabir ]

TAOISM:
“Regard your neighbor’s gain as your own gain: and regard your neighbor’s loss as your own loss.” [ T’ai Shang Kan Ying P’ien ]

ZOROASTRIANISM:
“That nature only is good when it shall not do unto another whatever is not good for its own self.” [ Dadistan-i-dinik ]

American poet Edwin Markham commented on what follows after learning the Golden Rule: “We have committed the Golden Rule to memory; let us now commit it to life.”

Daniel Maguire, professor of ethics emeritus at Marquette University, posits an everyday analogy to help explain the importance of this ethical similarity among the religions in his 1993 book, “The Moral Core of Judaism and Christianity: Reclaiming the Revolution.” He maintains if representatives of the major religious traditions were all sitting around a table conversing, they never would agree on their doctrinal statements, and the beliefs they cherish, but they would agree on their ethical admonitions, the ‘BEHAVIORS’ they emulate.

The world’s oldest international interfaith organization, the “Parliament of the World’s Religions,” at its centennial celebration in 1993, presented a draft of a document called the “Declaration Toward a Global Ethic.”

This was a statement that Hans Küng hoped would unite the world’s religions and spiritualities around the ethical concerns they already share. Küng wrote:

“From the beginning, it was clear that a global ethic does not mean a new global ideology, or even an attempt to arrive at one uniform religion. The call for a global ethic does not aim to replace the supreme ethical demands of each individual religion with an ethical minimalism; it is not meant to take the place of the Torah, the Sermon on the Mount, the Qur’an, the Bhagavad Gita, the Discourses of the Buddha or the Sayings of Confucius… It simply aims to make known what religions in (the) West and East, North and South already hold in common, but is so often obscured by numerous “dogmatic” disputes and intolerable self-(opinions). In short, the “Declaration Toward a Global Ethic” seeks to emphasize the minimal ethic which is absolutely necessary for human survival.”

So, on Sept. 4, 1993, this “Global Ethic” was ratified as an official document of the Parliament of the World’s Religions and was signed by more than 200 leaders from 40 religions and spiritualities. The Declaration made the following assertions:

– A common set of core values is found in the teachings of the religions
– There exist ancient guidelines for human behavior found in religious teachings which comprise the conditions for human sustainability and flourishing
– Humans are interdependent; Thus, we must respect the community of people, animals, and plants and work for the preservation of the earth
– All of our decisions, behaviors, and failures to act have consequences.
– We must treat others as we wish them to treat us
– We consider humankind our family and so must not live for ourselves alone but should serve others
– We must commit ourselves to a culture of nonviolence, respect, justice, and peace
– We must strive for a just social and economic order, where everyone has an equal chance to reach their full potential as human beings

So, did you notice the fifth one in the above list? “We must treat others as we wish them to treat us.” That’s the “Golden Rule.” They ALL AGREED on this ‘ethic’.

[ It’s pretty amazing that many people agreed on anything. It must be at the ‘core’ of our being! ]

– Preaching The Gospel And Making Disciples
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” [ Matthew 28:19-20 ].

– Being a Good Example
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” [ Matthew 5:14-16 ].

– Being Loving
“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” [ Matthew 22:37-39 ].

– Being Giving
“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” [ 2 Corinthians 9:7 ].

– Serving
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” [ 1 Peter 4:8-10 ].

– Being Forgiving
“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” [ Matthew 6:14-15 ].

– Keeping A Proper Attitude
“Do everything without grumbling or arguing” [ Philippians 2:14 ].

– Managing Resources
“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” [ Luke 12:48 ].

This verse never mentions the word responsibility, yet we see we are entrusted and expected to do much with what we have been given. From our definition of responsibility earlier, this is simply being trustworthy.

– Working
“How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
When will you get up from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
and poverty will come on you like a thief
and scarcity like an armed man”
[ Proverbs 6:9-11 ].

– Studying God’s Word
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” [ 2 Timothy 2:15 ].

– Obeying God’s Word
“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” [ Joshua 1:8 ].

– Rejoicing, Praying, And Giving Thanks
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” [ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ].

As I have mentioned, taking responsibility is the willingness to give an account for your actions and to ‘answer’ for your conduct and obligations. This applies to the believer, too!

– Having The Right Attitude
Why would the believer not keep my attitude right if I believe that “All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose?” [ Romans 8:28 ].

– Daily Bible Study
It is from the Bible that we learn God’s will for man. It is from the Bible that we learn our responsibility toward God. The Bible is God’s instruction to His ‘children’ (2 Peter 1:21)

– Daily Prayer Life
Prayer is both a responsibility and a privilege for a Christian. Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” [ Matthew 7:7 ]. Many of the great promises of Jesus relate to prayer. For example, Jesus said, “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” [ Matthew 21:22 ]. God does answer the prayer of a faithful believer.

– Attend Church Services
The believer needs the strength of Christian fellowship. Christians are warned to, “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” [ Hebrews 10:25 ]. A believer’s attitude should be that of King David: “I was glad when they said to me, Let us go into the house of the Lord” [ Psalm 122:1 ].

– Giving
A believer’s giving must include the giving of their time, talent, and money. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” [ Matthew 6:19-20 ]. The believer’s giving—or lack of it—can either cause God to withhold blessings from them or to give so much that they will not even receive all that He gives (Malachi 3:8-11). The believer should learn to be liberal in their giving—of all ‘kinds’.

– Evangelism
It is the responsibility of one Christian to teach another about Jesus. “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” [ 2 Timothy 2:2 ]. Evangelism is a command of the Lord Jesus. “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” [ Mark 16:15 ]. Christians must teach the ‘lost’ (unbelievers) about the one that brings salvation.

– Being Christlike
We should desire to be ‘like’ Jesus. The Apostle Paul wrote, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” [ Galatians 5:22-23 ]. Following this simple teaching will produce a powerful Christian example.

[ FYI: For more details on how you can ‘integrate’ the fruit of the Spirit into your life, view the “Fruits Of The Beatitudes” website I created:
https://fruitsofthebeatitudes.org/ ]

So, if you are a believer, are you fulfilling the responsibilities God ‘requires’ of you?

So, what exactly should believers be doing? Well, the following are some of the ‘major’ things they should be doing:

– Know God’s Word In One’s ‘Mind’
The believer should learn as much as they can about what the Bible teaches about God and themselves, as well as His plan for the world. Consequently, it is their ‘responsibility’ to know and learn His Word.

When asked about the greatest commandment in the Law, Jesus said: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” [ Matthew 22:37 ].

– Place The Word Of God In One’s ‘Heart’
The truth of Scripture should become part of our thought life. As Scripture emphasizes, the believer should meditate upon His Word day and night.

It is not enough to have an ‘intellectual’ understanding of the Bible. Many individuals have an incredible amount of knowledge of the things of Scripture, yet none of it has penetrated into their ‘heart’. It is only an academic exercise. King Davis emphasized that it is crucial that the Word of God penetrate one’s ‘heart’: “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” [ Psalm 119:11 ].

– Demonstrate God’s Word In One’s ‘Life’
What the believer knows and what they think should be lived out in their ‘actions’. The Bible calls the believer to be obedient to the authority of God’s Word. However, the obedience is based upon a genuine ‘freedom’ that belongs to them. Again, King David wrote: “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer” [ Psalm 19:14 ].

– ‘Proclaim’ God’s Word To Others
The message of God’s Word needs to be shared with a needy world. It is not enough that the believer keeps it to themselves. Jesus said: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” [ Matthew 28:19-20 ].

It is crucial that believers take each of these ‘steps’ seriously. It is a ‘commandment’ from God!

Accountability also builds trust because people know that they can depend on someone because they know that they will keep their word.

Now, personal accountability is not a trait that people are ‘born’ with. It is a ‘way’ of living that one can learn. The following strategies will help one become more accountable:

– Know Your Role
– Be Honest
– Say You Are Sorry
– Use Time Wisely
– Don’t Overcommit
– Reflect On Your Actions/Make Changes

If one is given a responsibility, they are responsible for the task’s implementation, execution, and completion. Moreover, for huge tasks, they can share responsibility amongst ‘team’ members.

Responsibility refers to a person owning or being in charge of a specific task or assignment. It relates to that person’s duty to respond to and complete tasks. This includes:

– Who has a certain role
– What that role entails
– What the role requires a person to do to be successful

Responsibility focuses on specific roles and processes necessary to achieve goals to help define what each person must do to ensure the task is successful.

Now, accountability is a bit different. It is literally the ability and/or duty to report on—or give account of—events, tasks, and experiences. Accountability for a specific task, process, service, etc. is usually assigned to just one “point person.” Accountability also means the one is willing to accept the bear the onus of a mistake committed by someone else in their team.

Being accountable means taking ownership of the results of a task. An accountable person answers for their actions and the results achieved. It requires the person to explain why and how success or failure occurred.

Being accountable also means ‘owning’ one’s actions rather than placing the blame on others, especially if plans did not achieve the desired results—being ‘liable’ to face consequences from some authority if the task isn’t completed successfully.

The following are some differences between accountability versus responsibility:

– What It Focus On
Responsibility is task-focused. It relates to a person’s role in completing a certain task. Accountability is results-focused. It relates to how a person reacts or owns the results of their task.

– How It Is Acquired
Accountability requires personal choice and action. However, responsibility does not. A person may receive or assume a responsibility.

– When It Occurs
Accountability and responsibility are time-sensitive. Accountability may only occur after a person finishes a task. However, responsibility can occur before or after a task. Because of this, being accountable often applies to one situation, but being responsible may be ongoing.

– Who Has It
Many people may share responsibility for completing a certain task or project. However, accountability relates more to personal choices. This means multiple people cannot share accountability and belong to only one person.

Now, it might be easier for you to understand the differences between accountability and responsibility by viewing the following side-by-side ‘comparison’ table:

[ CHART: Accountability/Responsibility Differences – Darren Finkelstein ]

So, as you can see, accountability and responsibility are different. That is why the accountable person may not necessarily be responsible.

So, spiritually speaking, the more knowledge the believer has of God’s will for them, the more they are accountable for doing it.

The Apostle Paul gives the believer kind of a ‘warning’ if they are not accountable and responsible:

“If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire”
[ 1 Corinthians 3:14-15 ].

[ FYI: For more details about what kinds of ‘rewards’ the believer will receive in Heaven, view these previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” posts:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/theres-no-place-like-home-v288/
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/heaven-on-earth-v289/ ]

The following—obedience, salvation, and evangelism—are the ‘primary’ responsibilities that God desires humanity to realize, but ‘EXPECTS’ the believer to attain.

‘OBEDIENCE’
The “Shema” (“Hear”) is a prayer that was—and is—spoken daily in the Jewish tradition:

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates”
[ Deuteronomy 6:4-9 ].

Later, Jewish tradition developed a three-part Shema prayer that also included Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Deuteronomy 11:13–21, and Numbers 15:37-41 (The three portions are mentioned in the Mishnah). Tradition states these three parts cover all aspects of the Ten Commandments.

The Shema prayer was so influential and important that Jesus used it as the beginning of His answer to the “greatest commandment” question:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these”
[ Mark 12:30-31 ].

When Jesus began His answer with the Shema prayer, He acknowledged the Lord God as most important and that complete devotion to Him is the most important of the commandments.

The greatest commandment also underlines that a loving relationship with God is absolutely essential for God’s people! Loving others is meaningless if that love is not in response to a loving, covenantal relationship with Almighty God. A loving relationship with God must be set and nurtured first; only then will love for others flow out in response.

Even today, believers can look to the words of the Shema as a wonderful expression that the Lord is the one true God. As they acknowledge His lordship, their response remains to “hear” Him, love Him with all our heart, soul, and might, and obey all His commandments.

The Shema expresses the foundation of Christian living. Jesus loved and obeyed God. So, if the believer is to be like Jesus, the desperate desire of their heart is to do the same. Believers then, through the power of the Holy Spirit, express their unconditional love of God through obedience and through loving others as Jesus did.

A believer’s responsibility is to learn and understand God’s instruction, first from the Bible (“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” – James 1:27), and then learning to allow Jesus to take one’s burdens away when one is ‘walking’ with Jesus consistently (Matthew 11:28-30).

When a believer ‘presses’ into their relationship with God, He will direct their lives (Proverbs 3:5-6), and, in turn, they should continually grow in their submission to God’s guidance and direction (James 2:26). “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ” [ Colossians 3:23-24 ].

The believer’s focus should be: “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” [ Colossians 3:2-4 ]. When they are focused on God and His ways, they understand and carry out the responsibilities with which He has entrusted them—primarily the “Great Commission” (discussed below).

‘SALVATION’
Jesus told a prominent Pharisee (and a member of the Sanhedrin, the ruling body of the Jews), Nicodemus, that he needed to be “born again” (John 3:3) or “born from above.”

So then, how does the new birth come to be? Well, again, the Apostle Paul states that “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” [ Ephesians 2:8-9 ].

When one is saved, they have been “born again,” spiritually renewed, and are now a ‘child’ of God by right of that new birth. Faith in Jesus—the One who paid the penalty of sin when He died on the Cross—is how one is born again. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come!” [ 2 Corinthians 5:17 ].

This not only gives the believer the hope of eternal life in Heaven, but it also gives them the motivation for their responsibilities while they are ‘waiting’ here on earth (1 Corinthians 15).

[ FYI: For more details about being “born again” and having your sins forgiven by Jesus, view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/developing-ones-character-v283/ ]

When one believes ‘in’ Jesus, they allow God to instill in them a desire to obey Him. Their motivations and responsibilities begin to look like walking with Jesus. The Apostle John wrote:

“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome”
[ 1 John 5:1-3 ].

ALL people are ‘responsible’ to BELIEVE in Jesus (to get to Heaven). God will also hold those ‘accountable’ for their UNBELIEF (and will be sent to Hell). Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life” [ John 5:24 ].

SO, to reiterate—and EMPHASIZE—for the UNBELIEVER, “He who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” [ John 3:36 ].

WOW! That’s NOT ‘good news’! BELIEVE ‘in’ Jesus RIGHT NOW!

So, when the believer goes out to the ‘world’ to tell the ‘Good News’ of the Gospel, the primary purpose of their evangelism is to glorify God, and not to save souls. Now, the believer might say to me, “What are you talking about?” Well, even though the believer will ‘express’ the message, it is God’s work in people’s lives that He, through the Holy Spirit, is the One that will actually ‘move’ people to salvation. (Yeah, I know, that’s a bit ‘picky’, but true.)

The Reformed view says that the believer should do their best and then not ‘worry’ about the results—which are up to God! It is not through one’s apologetics or reasoning—in a purely logical sense—but the believer primarily reasons out of the Scriptures and ‘points’ people to what the Bible says. It is God— not the believer—who is the ‘evangelizer’. They just get to ‘journey along’ with God as He does the work of evangelism while they are ‘presenting’ His truths. So, the believer’s ‘responsibility’ in evangelism is to proclaim the Gospel with their lips and their lives knowing that it is God who is going to work in people’s hearts to bring them to faith.

The believer is ‘called’ to be a witness for Jesus in both word and deed. As the Apostle Paul said: “For it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” [ Romans 1:16 ].

Theologian J.I. Packer, talking about God’s sovereignty and a human’s responsibility in evangelism, said it better than I ever could:

“If we forget that it is God’s prerogative to give results when the gospel is preached, we shall start to think that it is our responsibility to secure them. And if we forget that only God can give faith, we shall start to think that the making of converts depends, in the last analysis, not on God, but on us, and that the decisive factor is the way in which we evangelize. And this line of thought, consistently followed through, will lead us far astray… It is right to recognize our responsibility to engage in aggressive evangelism. It is our right to desire the conversion unbelievers. It is right to want one’s presentation of the gospel to be as clear and forcible as possible. If we preferred that converts should be few and far between, and did not care whether our proclaiming of Christ went home or not, there would be something wrong with us. But it is not right when we take it on us to do more than God has given us to do. It is not right when we regard ourselves as responsible for securing converts, and look to our own enterprise and techniques to accomplish what only God can accomplish… only by letting our knowledge of God’s sovereignty control the way in which we plan, and pray, and work in His service, can we avoid becoming guilty of this fault.”

God has plans for the believer, their relationships with other Christians, their relationships with others outside the faith, and for the Church (Ephesians 2:10). The Apostle Paul said that the believer should be “Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love” [ Ephesians 4:15-16 ]. It is their responsibility to yield to the work of the Holy Spirit within them (Philippians 2:12-13) and to grow in faith and obedience to Jesus.

So, the believer should rejoice in the opportunity that God gives them to share the awesome truths of His Word and to be faithful servants. They can rest in the confidence that they were faithful and can know that His will be done.

That’s it! So, believer, stop worrying about that you may not know everything about the Bible and its message, and may not be able to answer all the questions that people ask you. (Which will be a ‘learning’ opportunity for you.) Then, as I mentioned, don’t worry about the ‘results’—that’s God’s responsibility. Just go out and spread the ‘Good News’ about what Jesus can do for the person—as much as you can!

– Just Sow ‘Seeds’
Now, the one area that continues to trouble me is why we need to give an effective (or, as Packer says, “clear and forcible”) presentation of the Gospel when we acknowledge that the clarity and forcibleness of the presentation has nothing to do with the end result. Well, again, it is all about ‘obedience’, not results. Jesus explained that human hearts are like types of soil (Luke 8:5-15). The seed sown is the same in each case, but people receive the Word of God differently and respond differently. The believer’s job, as the sowers of ‘seeds’, is to present truth as effectively as they know how and entrust the results to God.

Personal evangelism is the ‘responsibility’ of every believer. God calls each of us to different tasks and endows us with different gifts, but the goal is the same—the salvation of the lost (1 Corinthians 12:6-7; Luke 19:10). He places us in strategic positions for influence, not privilege. We have neighbors, coworkers, friends, and relatives who need to hear the good news about Jesus.

So, whether a believer is called to lead evangelistic crusades or simply cultivate a relationship with an unsaved neighbor, personal evangelism should be the ‘driving force’ in their lives. Jesus’ words spoken to His disciples—more than 2,000 years ago—still apply to His followers today: “As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work” [ John 9:4 ]. As long as the believer has breath, they can do personal evangelism, and as long as they stay ‘surrendered’ to the Holy Spirit, He WILL do it ‘THROUGH’ them (Luke 12:12).

However, there is a ‘catch’: He does this according to His will, purpose, plan, and timing—and meeting needs does not necessarily mean meeting every ‘desire’ that the believer has. God may choose to answer their prayers quickly, or He may have them wait for a ‘season’. Regardless, when the answer comes, it will be perfectly timed and the exact thing needed!

Now, in general, the value of any commitment is based upon two things: The ‘ABILITY’ of the promise maker to fulfill the promise, and the ‘INTEGRITY’ of the promise maker to follow through on their promise.

Well, God certainly ‘qualifies’ on both accounts and He has ‘PROVEN’ that He will ALWAYS keep His promises! (Genesis 46:27; Joshua 21:45; Romans 4:21; 2 Corinthians 1:20; Philippians 4:19; 2 Timothy 2:13; 2 Peter 3:9).

So, the believer can ABSOLUTELY ‘COUNT ON’ God to NEVER ‘FAIL’ them and ‘satisfy’ all of His responsibilities!

– God Is Sovereign In ‘Providence’
First off, Reformed theology insists that God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent—all-powerful, all-knowing, and everywhere present. Each assertion is a ‘variant’ of divine sovereignty. His power, knowledge, and presence ensure that His goals are met, that His designs are fulfilled, and that His superintendence of all events are—to God, at least—“risk-free,” written in ‘stone’.

Well, the thing is, the Bible says that EVERYTHING is ‘decreed’ by God: “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord” [ Proverbs 16:33 ].

– God Is Sovereign In ‘Redemption’
Now, some people object to the idea that God knows all events in advance of their happening, since they insist that deprives mankind of its free will and the freedom to choose.

So, if it truly lies in their unaided ability to save themselves, why does the Bible say that God “quickens,” and “regenerates”? The fact is that the Bible says that God constantly pursues people (“The Hound of Heaven”) and that HE is the One that does the ‘saving’.

– God Is Sovereign In ‘Election’
Scripture then gives a very ‘resolute’ example of God’s sovereignty regarding the doctrine of “election”: “Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?” [ Romans 9:21 ].

On the face of it, this might appear unfair and arbitrary. BUT, if God were to grant us what we ‘deserve’, we would ALL be damned to Hell! God’s “election” is therefore a ‘GRACIOUS’ act: “So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy” [ Romans 9:16 ].

So, if God is sovereign and has chosen who He wants, how can one know, for sure, that they are going to Heaven? Well, just like Jesus told Nicodemus, one can’t ‘do’ anything. HOWEVER, one CAN pound on their ‘chest’—like the publican (in Luke 18)—and say “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” That’s ALL you can do!

There is NO ‘magic prayer’. You just ‘PLEAD’ for His divine grace! King David said it well:

“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. He will send from heaven and save me; he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah. God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!”
[ Psalm 57:1-3 ]

The Bible says that God said that King David was a “man after my own heart” (Acts 13:22c). BUT, the obvious question is how could God call David a man after His own heart when he committed such terrible sins, including adultery and murder?

Well, essentially, after David finally realized that he had done wrong, he ‘REPENTED’. God DOES NOT expect believers to be perfect here on earth. He knows who we are—our ‘hearts’ are “deceitful above all things” (Jeremiah 17:9). It just depends on how one ‘responds’—like King David (who repented) or the “Rich Man” (who did not repent).

After David was confronted by Nathan—and he TRULY repented—he wrote this ‘prayer’ to God:

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight… Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow… Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”
[ Psalm 51: 1-4a, 7, 10-12 ].

THIS can also be YOUR ‘prayer’ when you fail and want to be ‘reconnected’ with God!

The thing is, the Bible maintains that the believer IS ‘RESPONSIBLE’ for their actions and behavior—culpable in transgression and in obedience while also saying that the believer’s salvation is ENTIRELY God’s work and that He ‘chose’ who would be saved before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4-5)! Believers DO NOT choose God (Romans 3:12), He chooses them (Deuteronomy 7:6, 14:2; John 15:16). Yes, there is a ‘mystery’ about how all this ‘works’.

Now, even though this is a ‘mystery’, the Bible DEFINITELY ‘AFFIRMS’ both God’s sovereignty and human responsibility—two sides of the same ‘coin’. One must accept both truths though they may not understand how they correspond to one another.

Admittedly, these truths are hard for the human mind to embrace, but Scripture is unequivocal about them. The Apostle Paul states the doctrine in inescapable terms by showing that God chose Jacob and rejected his twin brother Esau “though the twins were not yet born, and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice might stand, not because of works, but because of Him who calls” [ Romans 9:11 ]. A few verses later, Paul continues saying: “He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy” [ Romans 9:15-16 ].

Then, Paul anticipates the argument against divine sovereignty and ‘reprimands’ the skeptic: “On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, ‘Why did you make me like this,’ will it?’” [ Romans 9:20 ].

Now, Jesus combined both divine sovereignty and human responsibility when He said, “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” [ John 6:37 ]; “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life” [ John 6:40 ]; “No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him” [ John 6:44 ]; “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life” [ John 6:47 ]; and, “No one can come to Me, unless it has been granted him from the Father” [ John 6:65 ]. How both of these two realities can be true simultaneously cannot be understood by the human mind—only by God.

So, above all, one MUST ‘NOT’ conclude that God is unjust because He chooses to bestow grace on some but not to everyone. God is never to be measured by what seems fair to human judgment. Man would be VERY foolish to assume that he, a sinful creature, has a higher standard of what is right than an unfallen, infinitely, eternally holy God. But God WILL NOT be held to human standards: “‘My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts’” [ Isaiah 55:8-9 ].

A story is told about Jesus meeting with a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ‘ruler’ of the Jews. During His discussion, five times Jesus spoke of being “born again.”

Think of physical birth. What contribution did any of us make to our physical birth? None. We did not contribute to our physical birth and that is why Jesus chose this analogy—because one also makes no contribution to their spiritual birth. None.

One receives this birth from Someone else in the same way that they receive their physical birth from someone else. No one gives themselves physical life, and no one, by any means, gives themselves spiritual life either. That’s the whole point. Spiritual ‘birth’—or “regeneration”—is wholly a sovereign work of God—the first ‘work’, election, and the second work, ‘regeneration’. The new birth is ‘required’ to be saved.

Jesus is very clear that salvation is not for those who become more ‘’religious. It is not for those who try harder to be ‘good’. It is not for those who live morally improved lives. It is not for those who turn away from certain vices. It is not for those who diminish evil behavior and escalate noble and good behavior. The ‘doors’ of the Kingdom open only to those who ‘abandon’ all self-effort to ‘earn’ their way into Heaven! One just NEEDS TO ‘BELIEVE’ in Jesus!

Theologians term this as “monergistic” rather than “synergistic.” This is a work of God TOTALLY apart from man. (Again, one doesn’t do anything to contribute to their physical birth and does not do anything to contribute to their spiritual birth.)

Now, Nicodemus had reached the absolute ‘pinnacle’ of Judaism—he was THE teacher of Israel. A VERY ‘religious’ man. HOWEVER, as Jesus determined from his questions, he was NOT headed for Heaven! What?! He was following the ridiculous ‘formulas’ for virtue that were ‘invented’ by the Pharisees—and he was really good at following all 613 of them!

So, the bottom line here is that religion, in any form and to any degree, is completely useless in getting anyone into Heaven—one must be “born again,” a belief that Jesus is who He says He is—Lord and the ONLY Savior for humanity

[ FYI: For more details on Jesus being the only ‘way’ to get to Heaven, view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/the-only-way-v253/ ]

Now, let me tell you something about the word “again.” It’s the Greek word “anothen.” It actually means “from above.” So then, it could also be translated as “born from above.” Both are correct. One needs to have another birth from God above, from above, which is to say that the person makes NO contribution to it

So, it doesn’t matter whether one is a ‘priest’, religious leader, or even if one is an atheist and rejects religion, they are all in the same ‘boat’. Regeneration is a divine miracle that happens from God above.

Jesus’ message is very simple. The Kingdom of God is only entered through being “born again.” That’s the only way. Apart from that, NO ONE enters the Kingdom of God.

So now, let me talk ‘specifically’ about “regeneration.” It is related to the truth of “irresistible grace,” which is one of the five ‘components’ of Calvinism, represented by the “T.U.L.I.P.” acrostic: Total depravity; Unconditional election; Limited atonement; Irresistible grace; Perseverance of the saints.

Some call it the “supernatural subpoena” or the “unyielding summons.” It is all about when God ‘draws’ the person to Himself, out of their sinful ‘deadness’. This is where God drags one out of the ‘grave’. This is what ‘enables’ the dead sinner to repent and believe.

Now, the reason that one comes to salvation is because God sovereignly turned on the ‘light’ in them, dispelled their darkness, gave them life for death, light for darkness, sight for blindness, and truth for ignorance. The Apostle Paul said, “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son” [ Colossians 1:13 ].

Again, God saved His ‘elect’ not based on deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy by the washing of ‘regeneration’. Regeneration is a birth that wipes out, that ‘washes away’ all one’s transgressions and renews the believers by in the ‘indwelling’ Holy Spirit.

So, how does all this happen? Well, the Apostle Paul told us simply: “Faith comes from hearing” [ Romans 10:17 ]. One CANNOT be regenerated apart from hearing the truth from the Bible. Regeneration comes first and only when you’re made alive can you repent and believe. “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God” [ 1 Peter 1:23 ].

Why does God do this? Well, to gather a people to become His own possession—to love Him, to adore Him, to serve Him, to worship Him, and to ‘fellowship’ with Him forever and forever! Wow, the Creator of the universe wants to have fellowship with the believer!

Now, there is another analogy that Jesus uses about spiritual birth being completely out of the hands of the sinner. He asked, “What do you do to control the wind?” Well, nothing. It comes from ‘above’.

You can’t ‘summon’ the wind or send it away. You also can’t do a presentation on how to increase the wind in your community. The wind is invisible, uncontrollable, irresistible, and unpredictable. It doesn’t show up because you want it, and it doesn’t go away because you would like to get rid of it.

This is the second analogy that Jesus uses with this smart, clear-thinking, logical rabbi—to tell him that this is a work in which he doesn’t participate. This is “irresistible grace,” as the Apostle John said: “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes” [ John 5:21 ].

Now, even though God saved the person by His will, no one has ever been saved against their will. Anyone who has been saved has willed to be saved themselves! Anyone who has repented and believed the Gospel has willed to repent and believe in the Gospel. In fact, anyone who has been saved has had such a compelling, powerful desire to be saved that they literally ‘push’ their way into the Kingdom, Jesus said. They are compelled to do this. They come with tears. They come pounding on the chest, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner” [ Luke 18:13 ].

So then, ‘how’ are they willing? Well, because God ‘makes’ them willing (Psalm 110:3). When God puts out the ‘call’: “Come forth,” and life surges into the person’s dead soul, that life ‘activates’ their will. That life produces repentance and faith. (They do not you come ‘kicking and screaming’, but come weeping with joy!)

So, the question is, ‘how’ does the sinner become willing since “No sinner left to himself is either willing or able to come to God” (John 6:44; Romans 3:11)—their corruption is too profound, too far-reaching, and too comprehensive. Well, God’s sovereign power ‘summons’ them to believe. A gracious, powerful, supernatural, heavenly regeneration of our whole inner being that makes them ‘WILLING’.

Some ask then, “What about a person’s free will?” Well, probably America’s greatest theologian, Jonathan Edwards, dug a little deeper into this. Pastor John MacArthur paraphrased what he said:

“What we choose is not really determined by the will. What we choose is not really determined by the will. It is determined by the mind. What the mind thinks is what makes the choice and the mind is not neutral. The mind is not neutral. The mind is corrupt, the mind, to borrow Jeremiah’s word, the mind of man is deceitful above all things and exceedingly wicked.”

So, the mind is not ‘neutral’. It thinks some things are best and it is free to choose. “When confronted with God, the mind of the sinner never thinks that following or obeying God is a good choice.” That was not desirable to them. “Therefore,” continues Edwards, “unless God changes the way we think, our minds will always tell us to turn from God, which is precisely what we do.”

So, back to “irresistible grace.” A sinner cannot change their will because their mind is corrupt. They can’t move their will toward God, not by logic, not by persuasion, not by clever preaching, and not by emotional music. God has to supernaturally ‘call’ the sinner up from the dead, at which point all their faculties are given new life, a new mind, and a new will as mighty God works a work of regeneration.

The “Cambridge Declaration” explains it this way: “God’s grace in Christ is not merely necessary, but is the sole efficient cause of salvation. We confess that human beings are born spiritually dead and are incapable even of cooperating with regenerating grace.”

So then, let me tell you WHAT YOU CAN ‘DO’. As I ended last month’s post: ASK God for mercy and to give you ‘life’. Then, the mystery of mysteries, Jesus said, “Him that comes to Me, I will never turn away” [ John 6:37 ]. Then He said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” [ Matthew 7:7-8 ]. Yes, the mystery of all time!

Then, the second sola, “Solus Christus,” or “Christ Alone,” was a critique of the Roman Catholic Church’s teaching of Mary being a co-redemptrix (contradicting 1 Timothy 2:5-6, which proclaims that Jesus is the “only mediator between God and man”).

The third sola is “Sola Gratia,” or “Grace Alone” since, as I have said, salvation is not by grace AND works—as the Roman Catholic Church teaches—but by GRACE ‘ALONE’.

The fourth sola follows right behind Grace Alone with “Sola Fide,” by “Faith Alone.”

Finally, the fifth Sola is “Soli Deo Gloria,” or to the “Glory of God Alone.”

[ FYI: Detailed video presentations about the “Five Solas” are in the “Articles” section below. ]

TWIN TRUTHS
Pastor John MacArthur suggested this illustration from the Old Testament to try to help explain this ‘conundrum’ (I have selected its ‘highlights’):

“God has a will. We know that. God will do His will, or whatever the Lord wills, He does; whatever He purposes, He brings to pass. The will of the Lord cannot be thwarted. He is absolutely sovereign. He does what He wills in every life. He does what He wills among men. He does what He wills in the world. He brings His own purposes to pass. That aspect of the sovereignty of God is clearly revealed all over Scripture…

“But here’s a very interesting illustration of how that goes together with responsibility. In the tenth chapter of Isaiah, God introduces Assyria… in a very interesting way… God is going to bring divine judgment on Assyria… Assyria is a weapon in the hands of God… God is picking up Assyria like a weapon to use Assyria to unleash His wrath…

“God says, “I am going to pick up Assyria, the rod of My anger, the staff of My wrath, My indignation, and I’m going to send it against a godless nation, against Israel.” And that’s what He did. Assyria was God’s tool…

“Then you come to verse seven, most interesting. “Yet, it does not so intend, nor does it plan so in its heart.” I’m going to use Assyria to do this and this is not Assyria’s plan. This is not what Assyria is choosing, this is what I am choosing for Assyria to do. This is not Assyria’s intent. This is not its plan. Rather, it has its purpose—to destroy and cut off many nations…

“Well, this is amazing. Assyria has no intention of doing this. God literally, sovereignly picks them up, drives them at Israel to accomplish His will, and then He says in verse five, “Woe to Assyria.” Woe to Assyria, a nation to be destroyed for doing something they didn’t choose to do, doing something they didn’t plan to do, doing something that was not their intention to do…

“Assyria had its own plans. God had different plans. But Assyria will be destroyed…

“God punishes a nation for doing what God picked them up and made them do. There’s no explanation. There’s no way to harmonize those things. Full responsibility for pride fell on the king of Assyria. Full responsibility for evil intention and massacre fell on Assyria. Even though they were acting by divine decree, they bore full responsibility for what they did. This again is an illustration of those parallel realities: human responsibility and divine sovereignty. And they will always run parallel, and they will always have to be understood that way. Sinners bear the full weight of responsibility for their acts of defiance against God, even when God is using them to accomplish His purposes. And yet all things are decreed and determined by God as to their final end.”

So then, in the New Testament, the Apostle Paul spends a bit of time on this conundrum of God’s divine sovereignty (chapter 9) and human volition (chapter 10). He gives this illustration of God’s sovereignty:

“Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated” [ Romans 9:13b ]. What? How is that justice? How can God make that determination before they were born? How can He choose Jacob and not Esau? Most people say, “That’s NOT fair!”

Well, here’s God’s answer: “I’ll have mercy on whom I will have mercy. And I’ll have compassion on whom I will have compassion” [ Romans 9:15 b ].

God continues, “But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? ‘Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’ Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use? What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore’” [ Romans 9:20-22 ].

So, since God created EVERYTHING, He has a ‘right’ to make known the riches of His glory on vessels of mercy—as He sees ‘fit’.

Then, Paul presents the other side of the ‘coin’: human responsibility. First off, humanity has an inadequate view of God as holy and perfectly righteous: “Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness” [ Romans 10:3 ]. They also have an utterly inadequate view of themselves as totally and utterly sinful.

However, Paul continues to say that “Jesus is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes” [ Romans 10:4 ]. How amazing is that?! The righteousness that brings an end to the tyranny of the Law is available to EVERYONE WHO ‘BELIEVES:

“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved” [ Romans 10:9-10 ].

If this issue of sovereignty and human responsibility is nothing more for you than some kind of a ‘mental exercise’, then you have missed the entire point. It IS a ‘conundrum’ that cannot be harmonized because it is VASTLY ‘BEYOND’ our thinking and understanding. IT is at a ‘depth’ that man cannot fathom. In fact, God says His ways are unfathomable and His judgments are unsearchable (Romans 11:33 ). All this to say, we feeble-minded humans cannot know the ‘mind’ of God.

So, how does divine sovereignty and human responsibility in salvation ‘harmonize’? Well, my answer is “I don’t know how and they can’t be harmonized—at least in our human minds.” All I can tell you is that, in the Bible, these two truths harmonize—run parallel with each other—and are presented as both being true! One just must to ‘content’ to believe both—because God says so!

Now, hopefully, after all this discussion, you have a better understanding of what role faith/belief plays in one’s salvation and regeneration—a Divine ‘work’ of God. (Well, I feel a bit more comfortable about it all now.)

The thing is, there IS one ‘thing’ we DO KNOW for sure: We ARE ‘RESPONSIBLE’ for our BELIEF ‘in’ Jesus, and one’s unbelief will send them to Hell… forever!!!

Again, Nicodemus asked, “How can this be?” So, Jesus explained that it was by God’s grace, will, power, and work, and has NOTHING to do with what the person does. Divine sovereignty. HOWEVER, the person IS ‘responsible’ to BELIEVE. A ‘conundrum’ that cannot be harmonized in the human mind.

That is what ‘TRUST’ in the God of the Bible is all about. That God is good and that in “all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” [ those who have believed ] (Romans 8:28).

[ FYI: For more details about ‘trusting’ God, view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/learning-to-t-r-u-s-t-v263/ ].

The thing is, God then tells us that “For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified” [ Romans 8:29-30 ]. Wow, believing—becoming “regenerated”—is only the ‘BEGINNING’ of an amazing ‘process’ for the believer! This is called “sanctification”—something that happens on earth before the believer arrives into Heaven.

[ At least at the time of this writing, unless something ‘substantial’ happens that I would need to respond to, “sanctification” will be the topic I will pursue in next month’s post. ]

DOES DIVINE DECREE ELIMINATE HUMAN WILL?
So, to illustrate this, I am going to use an answer that Christian apologist Frank Turek gave to a conference attendee. He asked Turek this question:

Turek responded:

“Do you like football? [Response: “Yes”]. Let’s suppose you like NFL football, so you have Direct TV and NFL direct ticket so you can watch all the games on Sunday.

One Sunday you’re away from the TV but you record the games that you want to watch later. Now, let’s suppose you’re coming home that night and your friend texts you all the scores. And you go, “I didn’t want to know the scores,” but you know them now.

And so, you get home and you elect to watch one of the games you already know what the score is going to turn out to be. Question: Does that mean the players on the field don’t have free will because you know the outcome? [“I don’t know”]. Okay. They still are freely doing what they’re doing on the field. The game is all ready finished. They’ve already done it.

Now, God is outside of time. So, from His perspective everything has already happened—even though it hasn’t from our perspective. ‘Cuz we’re in time He’s outside of time.

So, God knows the end from the beginning. That’s how He can do prophecy. Obviously, He’s all-knowing as well and just. Because it’s already happened in His mind doesn’t mean that He’s causing us to do it directly. We still have free will.

When God created you—if you’re a believer—he knew you would be a believer. When God created Richard Dawkins, he knew Richard Dawkins would be an atheist. But you freely chose to be a believer and Richard Dawkins freely chose to be an atheist. And so, God is just. Because He knows what’s going to happen doesn’t mean that we don’t have free will. Does that make sense? [“Okay”].

Well, it’s an analogy. It may not perfectly illustrate it. God’s outside of time. He knows the end from the beginning.”

So then, is there human will? Well, yes, but it’s not necessarily ‘free’. Let me explain.

The human will is within the ‘bounds’ of its own sinfulness—“free” to make sinful choices, but it cannot choose righteousness on its own. It is free, but it is ‘limited’. It is kind of like a criminal in prison.

They have been sentenced and sent to jail, and are now incarcerated in a prison. So, do they have any freedom? Well, sure, within the ‘walls’ of the prison. They can walk around the areas they are allowed to go in. They have the freedom to think what they want. They have the freedom to act within the ‘bounds’ of the rules set by the prison management.

HOWEVER, it is freedom ‘IN’ the prison. There is no freedom to leave and go ‘outside’ of the prison.

This is like the ‘unregenerated’ (unbeliever) person. They are free within the confines of their fallenness, their reprobation, their depravity—their ‘nature’ as a sinner. BUT, they are NOT free on their own to do anything other than that which is consistent with their ‘fallenness’.

So, it is a ‘contained’ freedom and the ONLY thing that breaks that freedom is the intruding, sovereign, eternal power of God. Again, God does that when He wills for whom He wills—not apart from their faith and repentance—but using their faith and repentance which He Himself ‘generates’.

This is wholly an act of God when, all of a sudden, the bars to the prison are opened, and all the sinners are turned loose—to have a new righteous freedom. They now experience a freedom that, for the first time, they are able to do what is ‘right’.

So, some ask the question, “How can God hold sinners responsible for their ‘condition’ when it can’t be altered, except by God?” Well, the answer is that God always does ‘right’ and EVERY sinner ‘deserves’ Hell.

Most say, “That doesn’t sound fair!” Well, God’s ‘standard’ is perfection. So, if one is not perfect—just like God—then they can’t be in His presence, since you would ‘spoil’ the environment with your sin. However, since that can’t happen, one is justly condemned to where they CAN be with their sin—Hell.

The thing is, ALL humans get what they ‘deserve’—Hell. Now, the fact that God chooses some to salvation is not about being fair—it is about demonstrating His ‘GRACE’!

THE ‘TENSION’ BETWEEN SOVEREIGNTY AND FREE WILL
God tells us, very plainly, that He is sovereign and He also tells us that we have ‘responsibility’.

So, we have to understand that, at least at the outset, God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility are not apparent contradictions—and there shouldn’t even be any ‘tension’ that exists between them—because God ordains the ends of all things and He ordains the means of those ends. He ordains our works and what we believe. He ordains both.

That is not a contradiction. These things work together according to God’s perfect plan.

So, clearly, there is something called “divine sovereignty” and there is something called “human free agency.” It is NOT the bringing together of two ‘equal’ things.

“DOCTRINES OF GRACE”
The “Doctrines of Grace” is a phrase that is used as a replacement for the term “Calvinism,” to remove the attention from John Calvin—which he would have wanted—and instead focus on how the specific points are biblically and theologically sound. The phrase describes the soteriological doctrines that are unique to Reformed theology.

“T.U.L.I.P.”
These doctrines are summarized with the acronym “T.U.L.I.P.”:

– Total Depravity
– Unconditional Election
– Limited Atonement
– Irresistible Grace
– Perseverance of the Saints

Reformed Christians believe that all five of the doctrines of grace are derived directly from the Scripture and that the acronym TULIP accurately describes the Bible’s teaching on soteriology—the doctrine of salvation. The following is a brief description of each of the letters in the acronym TULIP.

Total Depravity
As a result of Adam’s fall, the entire human race is affected; all of Adam’s descendants are spiritually dead in their trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1, 5). Calvinists are quick to point out that this does not mean that all people are as bad as they could be. Rather, this doctrine says that, as a result of man’s fall in Adam, all people are radically depraved from the inside and that their depravity affects every area of their lives.

Unconditional Election
Because man is dead in sin, he is unable (and stubbornly unwilling) to initiate a saving response to God. In light of this, God, from eternity past, mercifully elected a particular people unto salvation (Ephesians 1:4-6). These people are comprised of men and women from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation (Revelation 5:9). Election and predestination are unconditional; they are not contingent on man’s response to God’s grace (Romans 8:29-30; 9:11; Ephesians 1:11-12) because man, in his fallen state, is both unable and unwilling to respond favorably to Jesus’ offer of salvation.

Limited Atonement
The purpose of Jesus’ atoning death was not to merely make men savable and thus leaving the salvation of humanity contingent on man’s response to God’s grace. Rather, the purpose of the atonement was to secure the redemption of a particular people (Ephesians 1:4-6; John 17:9). All whom God has elected and Jesus died for will be saved (John 6:37-40, 44). Many Reformed Christians prefer the term “particular redemption” as they feel that this phrase more accurately captures the essence of this doctrine. It is not so much that Christ’s atonement is limited as it is particular, intended for a specific people—God’s elect.

Irresistible Grace
God has elected a particular people to be the recipients of Jesus’ atoning work. These people are drawn to Jesus by an irresistible grace. When God calls, man responds (John 6:37, 44; 10:16). This teaching does not mean that God saves men against their will. Rather, God changes the heart of the rebellious unbeliever so that he now desires to repent and be saved. God’s elect will be drawn to Him, and that grace that draws them is, in fact, irresistible. God replaces the unbeliever’s heart of stone with a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). In Reformed theology, regeneration precedes faith.

Perseverance of the Saints
The particular people God has elected and drawn to Himself through the Holy Spirit will persevere in faith. None of those whom God has elected will be lost; they are eternally secure in Him (John 10:27-29; Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 1:3-14). Some Reformed theologians prefer to use the term “Preservation of the Saints” as they believe that this choice of words more accurately describes how God is directly responsible for the preservation of His elect. It is clear in Scripture that Christ continues to intercede for His people (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25). This continues to provide believers with the assurance that those who belong to Christ are eternally His.

These five doctrines together form the doctrines of grace, so called because they summarize the salvation experience as the result of the grace of God, who acts independently of man’s will. No effort or act of man can add to the grace of God to bring about the redemption of the soul. For truly it is “by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

So, when salvation is correctly perceived in this way, then—and only then—God receives all the glory for it. Only Sola Gratia produces Soli Deo Gloria!

WRAP-UP
In many ways, the difference between a child and an adult is their willingness to take personal responsibility for their actions.

In like fashion, “accountability” literally means “account-ability.” That is, ‘owning’ the ability to account for one’s own life. To be self-accountable means to be answerable for the obligations and duties one has in their life by the very nature of being alive on planet Earth.

Meaning is actually the instinct that helps one find it by the ‘adoption’ of responsibility.

Dr. Peterson goes on to say that “If we take personal responsibility for ourselves—the way we would think of taking care of a loved one—that we will find a key to happiness and meaning.” It is one’s ‘responsibility’ to find their meaning in this life.

So, Dr. Peterson says that YOU are ‘totally’ responsible for your life. This is the foundational principle one must embrace if one plans for happiness and success in their life and work.

– Aaron
When ancient Israel left Egypt, God led the people to Mount Sinai, where they would receive His laws. Moses went up the mountain to receive the commandments from God Himself. Because Moses was away for so long, the people got weary and asked Aaron to make “gods that shall go before us.” Unfortunately, Aaron obliged and made a golden calf for them to worship. He even declared a “feast to the LORD” in honor of the idol (Exodus 32:1-6).

When Moses finally came down and confronted his brother, Aaron refused to take responsibility. Instead, he blamed the people: “You know the people, that they are set on evil” [ Exodus 32:22 ]. Aaron downplayed his own involvement in the situation, saying, “I cast [the gold] into the fire, and this calf came out” [ Exodus 32:24 ]. Right.

– King Saul
Though Saul had the appearance of a king, he lacked the character to reign righteously. For example, before going into battle with the Philistines, Saul was instructed to wait for Samuel to come and offer sacrifices to God (1 Samuel 10:8).

But, instead of waiting for the prophet, Saul got impatient and hastily performed the sacrifices himself. When confronted by Samuel, Saul offered a litany of excuses for why he did it his way instead of God’s way (1 Samuel 13:8-11).

A similar thing happened when Saul was instructed to completely destroy the Amalekites, yet refused to do it (1 Samuel 15:3, 8-9). Saul again blamed the people instead of taking responsibility for his failure (1 Samuel 15:15).

‘BLAMING’ GOD
Sadly, when deflecting responsibility doesn’t work, it is common for even the ‘children’ of God to blame Him. Consider the following examples from the Bible:

Now, no one reaches sinless perfection in this life, but the ‘redeemed’ believer is BEING ‘SANCTIFIED’ (being made holier day by day, sinning less and hating it more each time they fail). Yes, they do still sin, but unwillingly and less and less frequently as they mature. The difference is that their new ‘self’ is no longer a slave to sin, as they formerly were. They are now freed from sin and it no longer has ‘power’ over them (Romans 6:6-7). They are now ‘empowered’, by the Holy Spirit, for righteousness. They now have the choice to “let sin reign” or to count themselves “dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11-12). Best of all, they now have the power to choose the latter! Even though a believer continues to sin, there is a BIG difference between continuing ‘to’ sin and continuing to ‘live in’ sin.

Again, as I mentioned previously, all one can ‘DO’ is to ASK God for mercy and to give them ‘life’. Then, the mystery of mysteries, Jesus said, “Him that comes to Me, I will never turn away” [ John 6:37 ]. Then Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life” [ John 6:47 ].
Just like the parable that Jesus told about a Pharisee and a tax collector praying in the Temple. He noted that the tax collector didn’t even dare to lift his eyes toward Heaven as he prayed. Instead he “beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’” [ Luke 18:13d ]. Jesus then said that the tax collector “went home justified before God” [ Luke 18:14b ]. He had been “born again” and ‘reconciled’ by God. THAT’S WHAT YOU NEED TO ‘DO’ TO BE ‘ASSURED’ OF HEAVEN AFTER THIS LIFE ON EARTH!

The Apostle Peter also made this plain:
“According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in Heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
[ 1 Peter 1:3-5 ].

This means that God ‘caused’ us to become born again—he ‘birthed’ us into His family!

So, I also want to make it ‘plain’, reiterating the statement I made for what I—and the Bible—says is a person’s MOST IMPORTANT ‘spiritual’ responsibility in their lifetime:

To ‘BELIEVE’ that salvation has been made available by God through His Son, Jesus and one’s personal responsibility is to acknowledge that they are a sinner in the sight of a holy and righteous God, that their sins have alienated and separated them from Him, and one needs to turn away from their sins by coming to Jesus for forgiveness on the grounds of what He accomplished on the Cross.

The Apostle John emphasized this by saying:

“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome”
[ 1 John 5:1-3 ].

So, when one is focused on God and His ways, they will then understand—and carry out—the responsibilities with which He has entrusted them.

‘MONERGISTIC’ REGENERATION
Now, as a reminder, this is NOT something you have to ‘WORK’ FOR—God has already ‘DONE’ all the work FOR YOU! You just NEED TO ‘REPENT’!

Just as your physical birth just ‘happened’ to you—you had no part in it—the same is true of your spiritual birth. Salvation is a ‘gift’ God gives you for repenting!:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast”
[ Ephesians 2:8-9 ].

This simple statement immediately obliterates all “works righteousness.” It crushes the notion that religion, ceremony, ritual, and sacraments can make any contribution to the sinner’s new spiritual birth.

Theologians call this “monergistic” regeneration (rather than “synergistic”). This is a work of God apart from the person. This divine ‘miracle’ comes down from God, and there is NOTHING for them to ‘do’. It is God’s work alone. (Soli Deo Gloria!)

So, to underscore and emphasize this truth, NO ONE is going to enter God’s Kingdom by trying hard to be a better person, more religious, more virtuous, or more philanthropic. No one is going to enter based on their own ‘works’. That is exactly the point Jesus was making with the Pharisee Nicodemus.

Nicodemus had spent his life attempting to earn his way into Heaven through fastidious, self-righteousness legalism. Then, with a simple illustration, Jesus stops this legalist dead in his ‘tracks’. Essentially, Jesus is saying, “Your morality, your good works, your adherence to the law, and the rabbinic traditions are all useless! It was all for nothing. Utterly meaningless!” Wow! I’m thinking that Nicodemus was perplexed and ‘rattled’ by Jesus’ statement.

Now, after Jesus left this earth, NONE of the New Testament writers told anyone to ‘do’ something to be “born again.” They consistently called on sinners to REPENT and BELIEVE. That’s it! In addition to that, they never prescribed a ‘prayer’ (“Sinner’s Prayer”) or even a process either—since there are no ‘steps’ to re-creating oneself. Again, God does all this alone.

Sinners are “dead in ‘their’ trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1), utterly unable to save themselves. They cannot do anything to ‘trigger’ their new spiritual birth—it is an independent act of Divine mercy:

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved”
[ Ephesians 2:4-5 ].

Knowing man’s propensity to claim credit that he does not deserve, the Apostle Paul included this reminder to his believing readers:

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”
[ Romans 6:23 ].

Again, the person does not ‘do’ anything to save themselves. They can’t. They are ‘dead’ (spiritually).

The Apostle Paul further stressed the wretchedness of the unregenerate heart and the sinner’s impotence to save themselves:

“For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit”
[ Titus 3:4-5 ].

One’s new spiritual birth is a unique and unilateral work of God: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” [ 2 Corinthians 5:17 ]. Then, if there was any ambiguity, Paul adds: “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” [ 2 Corinthians 5:18 ].

There is NOTHING one can do to save themselves. It is an act of God’s mercy alone, and He doesn’t need (or want) any input or assistance from humanity.

OVERCOME YOUR ‘PROCRASTINATION’
It was mentioned by the experts that ‘PROCRASTINATION’ just might be the worst ‘ENEMY’ when one is trying to be a responsible person.

[ FYI: For more details about procrastination and some ‘tactics’ on how to stop it, view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/a-sense-of-urgency-v269/ ]

Then, for ‘BELIEVERS’, I pray you are—in your own particular way—doing what Jesus commands for you to be doing: Spreading the ‘Good News’ of the Gospel:

[ Excerpts by: Will Joel Friedman, Ph.D; Jeanne d’Arc Nyiramwiza; Djordje Todorovic; Lachlan Brown; Kunal Desai; Steve Farber; Susan M. Heathfield; Lewis Howes; BJ Foster; Jessie Faber; Nicole Krause; Dr. Sharon Martin; Tina Fey; Alan Zimmerman; Ray Vander Laan; Dr. Chris Drew; Robert P. Sellers; Darren Finkelstein; Isaac Khalil; Got Questions; John Piper; Frank Turek; Derek Thomas; Steven Lawson; James Montgomery Boice; Rabbi Dov Heller ]

RELATED POSTS:

“Are You ‘Adopted’?”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/are-you-adopted-v293/

“Developing One’s ‘Character’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/developing-ones-character-v283/

“Realistic ‘Expectations’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/realistic-expectations-v281/

“‘Investigating’ Something”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/investigating-something-v277/

“It’s ‘WHO’ You Know”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/its-who-you-know-v271/

“What Really ‘Matters’?”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/what-really-matters-v270/

“A Sense Of ‘Urgency’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/a-sense-of-urgency-v269/

“Being ‘Discerning’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/being-discerning-v266/

“Being ‘Misunderstood’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/being-misunderstood-v265/

“Gaining A Deep ‘Understanding’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/gaining-a-deep-understanding-v264/

“Learning To ‘T.R.U.S.T.’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/learning-to-t-r-u-s-t-v263/

“Persistently ‘P.U.S.H.’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/persistently-p-u-s-h-v261/

“Two ‘Choices’, One Way”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/two-choices-one-way-v254/

“The Only ‘Way’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/the-only-way-v253/

‘PRAYER’ OF REPENTANCE
In the Bible, there is a parable that Jesus told about a Pharisee and a tax collector praying the Temple. He notes that the tax collector didn’t even dare to lift his eyes toward Heaven as he prayed. Instead he “beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner’”—and Jesus said that the tax collector “went home justified,” he had been “born again” and ‘reconciled’ by God. (Luke 18:9-14).

If you are ‘sensing’ something like that right now, let me strongly encourage you to HUMBLE YOURSELF, CRY OUT to God, and PLEAD for Him to mercifully ‘SAVE’ YOU! None of us have a ‘claim’ on our salvation, nor do we have any ‘works’ that would cause us to deserve it or earn it—it is purely a gift of Divine grace—and all any of us can do is ask. So, CONFESS YOUR SINS and acknowledge to God that you have no hope for Heaven apart from what He provides through Jesus. [ See Psalm 51 ].

There is no ‘formula’ or certain words for this. So just talk to God, in your own words—He knows your ‘heart’. If you are genuinely sincere, and God does respond to your plea, one will usually have a sense of joy and peace.

Jesus said, “He that comes to Me, I will not cast out” [ John 6:37 ].

[ FYI: This is a great sermon on the “Call to Repentance” by John MacArthur from his book “The Gospel According to Jesus”: https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/90-22/the-call-to-repentance (Transcript: http://www.spiritedesign.com/TheCallToRepentance-JohnMacArthur(Jul-27-2019).pdf) ].

[ NOTE: If you have ‘tasted the kindness of the Lord’, please e-mail me—I would love to CELEBRATE with you, and help you get started on your ‘journey’ with Jesus! ].

<<< RESOURCES >>>

“12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos“
By: Jordan B. Peterson

What does everyone in the modern world need to know?

Renowned psychologist Jordan B. Peterson’s answer to this most difficult of questions uniquely combines the hard-won truths of ancient tradition with the stunning revelations of cutting-edge scientific research.

Humorous, surprising and informative, Dr. Peterson tells us why skateboarding boys and girls must be left alone, what terrible fate awaits those who criticize too easily, and why you should always pet a cat when you meet one on the street.

What does the nervous system of the lowly lobster have to tell us about standing up straight (with our shoulders back) and about success in life? Why did ancient Egyptians worship the capacity to pay careful attention as the highest of gods? What dreadful paths do people tread when they become resentful, arrogant and vengeful?

Dr. Peterson journeys broadly, discussing discipline, freedom, adventure and responsibility, distilling the world’s wisdom into 12 practical and profound rules for life. 12 Rules for Life shatters the modern commonplaces of science, faith and human nature, while transforming and ennobling the mind and spirit of its readers.

“Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life”
By: Jordan B. Peterson

The companion volume to 12 Rules for Life offers further guidance on the perilous path of modern life.

In 12 Rules for Life, clinical psychologist and celebrated professor at Harvard and the University of Toronto Dr. Jordan B. Peterson helped millions of readers impose order on the chaos of their lives. Now, in this bold sequel, Peterson delivers twelve more lifesaving principles for resisting the exhausting toll that our desire to order the world inevitably takes.

In a time when the human will increasingly imposes itself over every sphere of life—from our social structures to our emotional states—Peterson warns that too much security is dangerous. What’s more, he offers strategies for overcoming the cultural, scientific, and psychological forces causing us to tend toward tyranny, and teaches us how to rely instead on our instinct to find meaning and purpose, even—and especially—when we find ourselves powerless.

While chaos, in excess, threatens us with instability and anxiety, unchecked order can petrify us into submission. Beyond Order provides a call to balance these two fundamental principles of reality itself, and guides us along the straight and narrow path that divides them.

“No More Excuses: The Five Accountabilities for Personal and Organizational Growth”
By: Sam Silverstein

Accountability is not a consequence … it’s your competitive advantage!

Early in the Minnesota Twins 2009 exhibition season, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire discovered a note on his desk from Justin Morneau, his star first baseman. It read: “Gardy: I forgot to run sprints after the workouts yesterday; I am fining myself.” Next to the note was a hundred-dollar bill.

Entrepreneur, author, and speaker Sam Silverstein asks: Is Justin Morneau accountable because he’s a superstar or is he a superstar because he’s accountable?

In No More Excuses, Silverstein identifies the Five Accountabilities shared by all truly successful people and organizations.

– Shows why accountability gives businesses and individuals the competitive edge
– How to instill accountability throughout the enterprise
– How the Five Accountabilities can support both values and strategic intent.
– Includes interviews with 50 carefully chosen Accountability Masters from six continents and all walks of life-including academics, Fortune 500 CEOs, and Hall of Fame athletes.

No More Excuses also features on-line resources for implementing and reinforcing each of the Five Accountabilities on a daily basis. Read it–and expand your own Accountability Zone!

“Radical Responsibility: How to Move Beyond Blame, Fearlessly Live Your Highest Purpose, and Become an Unstoppable Force for Good”
By: Fleet Maull Ph.D.

An Invitation to Discover Personal Freedom, Authentic Relationships, and Limitless Possibility

What is the greatest obstacle to your fulfillment, success, and happiness? “It’s the belief,” teaches Fleet Maull, “that your current situation, whatever it is, has the power to determine your future.”

Before he was a revered meditation teacher, Fleet Maull served 14 years in prison for drug trafficking. And during that time, he embarked on a path of transformation and service that today has helped tens of thousands―from inmates to hospice patients to top-level business leaders. With Radical Responsibility, he invites us to experience for ourselves the life-changing journey from victim to co-creator.

Here, he guides us step-by-step to shift our fear-based conditioning into the habits of courage, compassion, and positive change. Join him to delve deeply into:

– The complete Radical Responsibility® method for breaking free of your learned limitations and accessing limitless possibility
– Discovering basic goodness― your indestructible inner resource for happiness, connection, and strength
– Fleet Maull’s mindfulness-based emotional intelligence (MBEI) model―neuroscience-informed principles and tools for shedding shame and blame and embracing self-awareness, resilience, and freedom from our self-created suffering
– Getting off the Drama Triangle and into the Empowerment Zone―profound practices to transform interpersonal conflicts
– Creating your life plan―a clear and achievable map for living your highest purpose, and many other chapters of real-world-tested insights and strategies

If you would like to take your life to the next level and truly optimize your health, relationships, career, and other life pursuits, Radical Responsibility will give you the expert guidance to move beyond the inner walls of your beliefs and realize your full potential.

“How to Be Accountable: Take Responsibility to Change Your Behavior, Boundaries, and Relationships: Take Responsibility to Change Your Behavior, Boundaries, and Relationships”
By: Joe Biel and Dr Harper

Accountability means accepting responsibility for your actions and repairing any harm you have done. This book can be used by anyone who is ready to do the work to change toxic behaviors and patterns, from quitting smoking to atoning for abuse or crimes. At its heart, accountability is understanding that your actions do not always have the impact that you intend. Sometimes this is as simple as getting to know yourself and apologizing. Sometimes it’s a years-long process to recognize the motivations and behaviors that you see inside yourself and feel like you have no control over. Ultimately, accountability is something we each must choose for ourselves; nobody else can do it for us. The results can be unexpected and transformative, and improve your friendships, relationships, work, and community; most of all it’s about coming to peace with yourself. The authors share tough lessons learned through many years of personal and professional experience. This book will walk you through your own head to understand your own patterns and behaviors, untangle them, and live the kind of life you want.

“The Theory of Accountability: Building a Truly Accountable, High-Performance, High-Growth Life for Yourself and Your Organization”
By: Sam Silverstein

E=mc2

You may think you know what this familiar formula means, but until you read Sam Silverstein’s breakthrough book, you will not know its true power or its potential. This is the Accountability Formula™, and it forms the heart of the Theory of Accountability™.

Silverstein’s Theory of Accountability has nothing to do with physics, the speed of light, or the relationship between space and time. It has everything to do with personal and organizational growth, and with establishing the kind of leadership in your own life that makes excuses a thing of the past…and inspires true commitment from others.

The Theory of Accountability states: Our lived EXPERIENCE is the direct result of our MINDSET and our COMMITMENT SQUARED.

Silverstein’s new book examines each of these critical elements in depth, and shows you how to leverage the power of accountability to create a sustainable high-performance life and organization.

E stands for Experience. Our experience is the results: the outcomes we achieve in our life, in our business, and everywhere else. It is what we produce. Our experience impacts the lives of everyone we come in contact with. The problem is, all too often, our experience is erratic, random, unplanned, and dysfunctional–with results to match.

M stands for Mindset. The accountable mindset is based on a conscious decision to embrace possibility rather than fear. When decisions are driven by fear, our experience and the experience of everyone we come in contact with suffers. On the other hand, when decisions are driven by a set of beliefs that are based on valuing people, and on a foundation of abundance rather than scarcity, our experience improves.

C2 stands for Commitment Squared. How do we ensure that our mindset is driven by possibility and abundance, rather than by fear and scarcity? By focusing on our ability to make, keep, and expand specific commitments. There is truly awesome power in commitment. The quality of the results you achieve is always based on two things: how committed you are to people, and how committed you are to your mindset and your core beliefs. These are the two commitments of the accountable person. When both kinds of commitments are in full play, when you are all in, you are living to your full potential. Such commitments are like compound interest, because they produce increasingly greater results over time.

Sam’s latest book offers leaders a proven system for taking control of your life and transforming yourself and your organization…by harnessing the awesome power of accountability.

“Crisis of Responsibility: Our Cultural Addiction to Blame and How You Can Cure It”
By: David L. Bahnsen

“Yup, it is my fault — and yours. How assuming responsibility makes us better people: ‘Crisis of Responsibility’ by the inimitable @davidbahnsen”—Amity Shlaes, Author of The Forgotten Man

The left and right have gone to great lengths to blame the problems plaguing our society but neither Washington DC, Wall Street, Mexico, China, the Feds, nor the media are the cause of our problems—nor are they the cure.

Across the globe a “revolt” of sorts is taking place against elitism. No more will big government, big media, big banks, big bureaucracy, and big institutions hold the secret nuggets of truth and dictate our lives and fortunes. Financial markets, political punditry, and cultural leaders are all scrambling to react to the rise of the often disenfranchised.

But what happens after all the bogeymen have been vanquished? What if opposing the incompetence of the European Union, the biases of the American media, the corruption of crony capitalism, the arrogance of political power brokers, and allegedly unfair global trade deals is not enough?

The key to American prosperity in this new era of populism is for moral people to make responsibility matter again by renewing personal virtue and form lasting, mediating institutions that will trump the elitist bogeymen and scapegoats for generations to come.

If we fail as individual Americans to address this core crisis of responsibility, we have only ourselves to blame for what happens next.

“RESPONSIBILITY: God Takes Responsibility and So Christians Should!”
A Command Christian Discipleship Lesson Four (Christian Discipleship Lessons)
By: Guy Calandra

Without a doubt, we are in the age of no responsibility, nor accountability. The results of the irresponsible and unaccountable behaviors produce a horrendous cost of evil to individuals, families, and societies. Criminals are freed for their behavior, and society is blamed for it. Just watch the news and you can see the havoc play out in real-time. This spiritual-evil lack of responsibility is a problem found in today’s body of Christ. There is a lack of personal responsibility to learn about and submit to Christ. Jesus Christ, through whom all was created, took ownership responsibility for His creation, on the cross. We do not take the responsibility of the cross as serious as He did and still does! Jesus expects us to be earnest in our responsibilities toward God. History is littered with the tons of refuse of human irresponsibility from the pinnacle of power to the lowest in society. History only changes, for the good, when humans take the responsibility of the cross into their lives and behave accordingly. We will all be responsible to God at the judgement seat. There we will be examined on how good or bad we lived in accordance too God. Some will pass the test because they took the responsibility of the cross seriously, others will fail because they did not! How responsible are you, from loving God to loving your neighbor? Enter this lesson, on responsibility, and learn how imperative it is. I have learned it is a lifelong endeavor.

“You Must Be Born Again”
By: John MacArthur

Born again is a term you probably know well. Drawn from Christ’s clandestine conversation with Nicodemus, the phrase has featured prominently in evangelical conversation for decades—we even sometimes use it to delineate between nominal Christians and true believers.

However, many Christians don’t seem to understand the point of Jesus’ analogy. Some even misinterpret it in ways that directly contradict His meaning. When faced with the question of how to become born again, too many are quick to recommend a rote prayer or a series of steps to follow. They don’t realize that such instructions reflect the very doctrinal error that Christ was confronting in the first place. That same error pervades the church today, skewing much of gospel preaching and muddying the truth of God’s regenerating work. For the church to proclaim the true gospel, we need to recover and faithfully uphold what it actually means to be born again.

In You Must Be Born Again, John MacArthur examines the source of a familiar—but often misunderstood—phrase, and gets to the heart of God’s regenerating work in His people.

https://www.gty.org/store/booklets/45BORN/you-must-be-born-again

“You Must Be Born Again”
By: John MacArthur

Short, 22-Page, Softcover. Born again is a term you probably know well. Drawn from Christ’s clandestine conversation with Nicodemus, the phrase has featured prominently in evangelical conversation for decades — we even sometimes use it to delineate between nominal Christians and true believers. However, many Christians don’t seem to understand the point of Jesus’ analogy. Some even misinterpret it in ways that directly contradict His meaning. When faced with the question of how to become born again, too many are quick to recommend a rote prayer or a series of steps to follow. They don’t realize that such instructions reflect the very doctrinal error that Christ was confronting in the first place. That same error pervades the church today, skewing much of gospel preaching and muddying the truth of God’s regenerating work. For the church to proclaim the true gospel, we need to recover and faithfully uphold what it actually means to be born again. In You Must Be Born Again, John MacArthur examines the source of a familiar — but often misunderstood — phrase, and gets to the heart of God’s regenerating work in His people.

“You Must Be Born Again”
By: Tom Harmon

A consecrated life is one that is devoted to the worship and service of God. Consecrated people still experience failure, but they have matured sufficiently to know how to trust God and benefit through their failures and continue on their journey of faith. The Apostle Paul made it clear that he had not arrived at perfection, “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect; but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.” As I attempt to write about the consecrated life, I will be writing from the perspective of one that is following after Christ Jesus, and not as one who has arrived.

“The Second Birth”
By: John MacArthur

“You Must Be Born Again.”

Nicodemus—one of the premier religious teachers in Israel—was confused by those words of Jesus. What does it mean to be born a second time—to be regenerated? And who prompts the regenerating: man or God?

The teacher needed to be taught.

In The Second Birth, John MacArthur shows you Jesus’ answers to those questions from one of the most famous yet misunderstood passages in Scripture. Discover why the doctrine of regeneration is under constant attack, and how understanding it will cultivate thankfulness for your salvation—or possibly show you for the first time how you can be born again.

SERMON SERIES: https://www.gty.org/library/topical-series-library/328/the-second-birth

“How Can I Be Right with God?”
By: R.C. Sproul

God is holy, and we are sinful. God cannot stand to look upon sin. But the gospel of Jesus Christ reveals how sinful people can be right with God.

In this booklet, Dr. R.C. Sproul delves into Scripture and church history to explore the doctrine of justification by faith alone. In so doing, he explains that by faith alone in Christ alone, sinful men and women can be justified and stand forgiven before a holy God.

The Crucial Questions booklet series by Dr. R.C. Sproul offers succinct answers to important questions often asked by Christians and thoughtful inquirers.

“The Doctrine of Election”
By: Arthur W. Pink

Now, election and predestination are but the exercise of God’s sovereignty in the affairs of salvation, and all that we know about them is what has been revealed to us in the Scriptures of truth. The only reason why anyone believes in election is because he finds it clearly taught in God’s Word. No man, or number of men, ever originated this doctrine. Like the teaching of eternal punishment, it conflicts with the dictates of the carnal mind and is repugnant to the sentiments of the unregenerate heart. And like the doctrine of the Holy Trinity and the miraculous birth of our Saviour, the truth of election must be received with simple, unquestioning faith.

CONTENTS:

Introduction
The Mystery of Election
The Truth of Election
The Justice of Election
The Corollaries of Election
The Certainty of Election
The Difficulties of Election
The Signs of Election
The Fruits of Election
Other Books

“What Is Predestination?”
By: R.C. Sproul

The Bible clearly teaches that we contribute nothing to our salvation. It is the gift of God (Eph. 2:8), and He alone saves. Yet many Christians bristle at this idea. If God decides who will believe, they reason, doesn’t that destroy free will? Isn’t it unfair to punish people who had no choice? In this booklet, Dr. R.C. Sproul clears up common misconceptions and distortions of the doctrine of predestination. Far from being fatalistic, this doctrine reveals the riches of God’s grace and brings comfort to our souls.

“Can I Be Sure I’m Saved?”
By: R.C. Sproul

Many people in the church today are plagued by doubts about their salvation. Satan whispers that it is impossible that sinners such as they could be in a state of grace, and some churches compound the problem by teaching that it is possible for believers to lose their salvation. But assurance of salvation is possible in this life. Indeed, as Dr. R.C. Sproul argues in this Crucial Questions booklet, it is the duty of Christians to make their calling sure (2 Peter 1:10). To help believers reach this goal, Dr. Sproul defines assurance, shows how we can get it, reveals the blessings it confers, and warns of the dangers of false assurance. Here is assistance for those who struggle to know where they stand with Jesus Christ.

“Freedom of the Will”
By: Jonathan Edwards

A Careful and Strict Inquiry into the Modern Prevailing Notions of that Freedom of the Will which is Supposed to be Essential to Moral Agency

PDF: https://www.apuritansmind.com/wp-content/uploads/FREEEBOOKS/TheFreedomoftheWill-JonathanEdwards.pdf
Ebook: https://www.monergism.com/freedom-will-ebook

“The Potter’s Freedom (9-Part MP3 Lecture Series)”
By: James White

James White begins his nine part review of Norman Geisler’s book “Chosen but Free.” This is the series that led to the book “The Potter’s Freedom”. The following lectures are in MP3 format. To download, right click and save to your hard drive.

AUDIO SERIES: https://www.monergism.com/potters-freedom-9-part-mp3-lecture-series

“Christian Women’s Responsibility in Sharing God’s Word”
By: Sarah Lee Brown

The privilege of being a female Christian is so rewarding and exciting. Along with the privilege comes the responsibility to learn God’s will for us and to share it with others. There are many verses in the Bible showing us the need for each generation to teach the next generation. When this plan for learning and teaching is followed, we have strong families and strong churches. What happens when this plan for learning and teaching as given by God is not followed is we have generations who do not know God. This book supports the great need for Christian women to share God’s word with others. Included are many verses from the Old Testament where the people were commanded to diligently teach God’s word. The limitations upon women concerning their teaching is discussed and how authority must be established for all we do in religion is covered. The need to know the word before we can teach it to others is stressed. Included in this book is a concise summary of many Old Testament accounts beginning in Genesis with the creation and going through Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament which contains the promise of the forerunner for Christ. The seed promise is tracked from Genesis 3 throughout the Old Testament. The Israelites are followed from their beginning in Abraham to their captivity in Egypt, on to the Promised Land. The period of the judges and kings is covered and many of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Christ who was to come are noted. The miracles and teachings of Christ are shared and then the establishment of His church and its early years are covered. The theme of salvation in the church along with the organization, work, and worship of the church are discussed. Christian living with the special duties of women are included along with verses concerning the final destiny.

“A Treatise on the Eternal Predestination of God”
By: John Calvin

This volume contains two of the lesser known, but nevertheless very significant, treatises of John Calvin. Any publication of the works of the great reformer and teacher is its own best justification, and needs no explanation or apology. The reprinting of this little volume, however, has an interesting history. Until 1929 Calvin’s Calvinism was virtually unknown in the United States. It had not been included in the Calvin Translation Society’s classic set of the works of John Calvin, but had been separately translated by Henry Cole and published in England, but not in the United States. In 1927 it was reprinted in England by the Sovereign Grace Union, of which the Reverend Henry Atherton was General Secretary. In 1929 the late Reverend Herman Hoeksema visited Mr. Atherton in London and preached for him in Grove Chapel, Camberwell, London, on July 21. In remembrance of that occasion the Reverend Atherton presented the Reverend Hoeksema an inscribed copy of the book Calvin’s Calvinism. That event became the occasion of this work of Calvin becoming better known among Reformed people in this country, partly through Herman Hoeksema’s writing about and referring to it. Later, upon the suggestion of a Protestant Reformed minister, the late Reverend Gerrit Vos, the late Mr. William B. Eerdmans, Sr. included this volume in 1950 in the republication of Calvin’s works at that time. Since then it has long been out of print. Because it sets forth so clearly John Calvin’s teaching and defense of the sovereignty of God in predestination and providence, it is now republished. We hope it will reach a broad readership. The only change made in this volume is the addition of an Index of Scripture Passages Cited. —Homer C. Hoeksema Professor of Theology, Protestant Reformed Seminary, Grandville, Michigan

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

SPECIAL ‘GENERAL’ RESOURCE

“ApologetiX Songbook”
(An interactive PDF)

It features the lyrics to every song on every CD and every “download” from 1993-2020

Special features:

indexed by title, original song, original artist, subject, and Bible verse
each song’s page has icons showing what albums it appears on
each song’s page has a commentary from lyricist J. Jackson
each album’s page includes liner notes and track listing
print any pages you like or use for slides in church
photos from ApologetiX’s debut concert in 1992
discography of out-of-print cassettes
downloadable in PDF format

New features in this edition:

all song commentaries from J. Jackson updated and expanded
also indexed by year when original song spoofed was a hit
J.’s original handwritten rough lyrics to 40 ApX classics
scads of photos from ApX 25th-anniversary concerts
list of 40 ApX parodies most likely to be redone
over 200 new parodies and journal entries
list of the first ApX concerts in each state
six new full-length feature articles
DVD discography and synopses
never-before-seen rare photos
lyrics for over 700 parodies
over 1000 pages!

Interactive features:

click on any page number in indexes or TOC to go to that page
click on any album icon to go to its liner notes and track listings
click on any song title on an album page to go to that song

Note: This e-book is a download-only and doesn’t include sheet music.

The songbook is available for a donation of $50 or more. After we receive your donation, we’ll send you a follow-up email with the link.

Get the Songbook for a donation:
http://www.apologetix.com/store/store.php#songbook

Songbook Demo Video: https://rumble.com/vfazhl-apologetix-songbook-2020-demo.html

“THE SEARCH FOR MEANING” WEBSITE

This site presents discussions on the 12 most commonly asked questions about the Christian faith.

The 12 discussions are accessed by the “tabs” at the bottom of the page. The tabs are numbered 1-12. Roll your mouse over them and you will see the question displayed at the right. Click on the number to select that question.

Within each question (i.e. tabs 1-12), there are subtopics (or dialogues) to select that appear as smaller tabs underneath the numbered tabs. Roll your mouse over them and the title of these topics is also displayed to the right. Click on the open rectangle to select that dialogue.

For each question (1-12), a link to related resources and an optional flowchart is provided. To access this material, click on the respective words, “Related Resources” or “Options Flowchart.”

To play a more detailed discussion of the subject, between two people, select the desired dialogue and click on “Play Audio Dialogue.”

In the upper right-hand corner of the page, there is an icon that looks like binoculars looking at a question mark. Click on this icon to return to the homepage.

In the upper right-hand corner of a “Related Resources” page, there is an icon that looks like some books. Click on this icon to get to an “overview” page that has links to all of the resources for all of the questions. There also are additional “appendices” for most of the questions.

In the upper right-hand corner of a “Flowchart” page, there is an icon that looks like an Org chart. Click on this icon to get to an “overview” page that has links to all of the flowcharts.

http://4vis.com/sfm/sfm_pres/sp_q1_d1_1of10.html

[ Content by: Bill Kraftson and Lamar Smith; Website by Mark Besh ]

“FRUITS OF THE BEATITUDES” WEBSITE
(The ATTITUDES of Jesus that produce the CHARACTER of Jesus)

CLICK ON THE LINK to view:
http://fruitsofthebeatitudes.org/

FACEBOOK PAGE:
https://www.facebook.com/FruitsOfTheBeatitudes/

[ Mark Besh ]

[ P.S.: If you would like to investigate further about what it really means to “believe,” visit the following link:
http://4vis.com/sfm/sfm_pres/sp_q10_d1_1of10.html ].

<<< ARTICLES >>>

“Jordan Peterson on taking responsibility for your life”

Canadian professor Jordan Peterson became a blockbuster intellectual almost overnight with his latest book, 12 Rules For Life: The Antidote To Chaos. It rose to the top of the New York Times bestseller list earlier this year. He joined 7.30’s Leigh Sales to discuss taking responsibility for your own life.

[ ABC News ]

INTERVIEW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1biDxaT0ED4&t=30s

“Responsibility: That’s What Gives Life Meaning”

[ Jordan Peterson ]

TEACHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6-zTxWXnCo&t=289s

“Freedom Requires Responsibility”

In this clip, Jordan Peterson discusses the importance of responsibility and why it is vital to live a fulfilling and free life. He takes aim at society’s hesitance to encourage one another in our successes, especially those of men, reinforcing the mental, social and communal importance of celebrating important moments with those close to us.

[ Dr. Jordan Peterson ]

INTERVIEW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0_aUmx4uVI

“RESPONSIBILITY”

RESPONSIBILITY – Powerful Motivational Video | Jordan Peterson

[ Jordan Peterson ]

TEACHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDDCnMgPnlY

“Are You a Responsible Person?”

The factors that play a role in these interpretations and our behavior.

Sharon and Nicole were on their way to their cousin’s wedding when they stopped at a red light and saw a driver make an illegal left turn, hitting an oncoming vehicle. It was dark and from what they could tell, Sharon, Nicole, and the two male drivers were the only people in the area. The two other drivers seemed uninjured when they approached each other and engaged in an apparently animated discussion. Sharon wondered whether they should wait for the police to arrive or at least give the drivers their contact information. Nicole said no. She was concerned because they were in a dangerous part of town, she didn’t want to get involved, and she didn’t want to be late for the wedding.

The above scenario can serve as an illustration of whether Sharon and Nicole acted responsibly. Although there is no legal obligation to remain at the scene of a traffic accident and get involved, they could have assisted as witnesses. By not coming forward to those involved in the accident, were they acting irresponsibly?

Individuals who choose to belong to a group acknowledge their dependence on each other. This dependence relies on interconnectedness where the group members accept responsibility in meeting the needs and wants of the others in the group. According to Williams (2008), this form of social responsibility requires “mutual accountability,” wherein an individual not only holds others responsible for what they do, but the individual also understands that he or she will be held accountable for his or her actions and their consequences.

Being responsible is often viewed as a virtue and characterized as a person who is reliable, conscientious, trustworthy, and meets moral obligations. Yet, defining what responsible behavior is may not always be straightforward. There are several factors that can influence an individual’s behavior and thus his or her accountability. These include characteristics of the individual and the group, such as:

– Ability to act
– Individual’s role in the group
– Culture
– Religion
– Form of government
– Mores of the group
– Sense of belonging
[ more… ]

[ Shoba Sreenivasan and Linda E. Weinberger ]

ARTICLE: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/emotional-nourishment/202001/are-you-responsible-person

“9 Ways to Take Responsibility for Your Life”

Life doesn’t have to be something that happens to us but something we shape and control. With the influx of events that are entirely out of our control, there are many circumstances with which we do have a say in. When experiencing hardships, one may be inclined to feel discouraged and helpless. However, it’s important to remember that you can take control of your life by taking responsibility. Although we can not control everything in life that happens to us and the ones we care for, we can maintain how we respond.

A lack of responsibility for your life may show up in the following ways: pessimistic thinking, a victimized mentality, frequent arguments, indecision, stagnancy, and codependency. When we become responsible for our lives, we notice more things going in our favor. If you want to create a better quality of life, filled with peace and joy, then you should be mindful of how you approach the way you live your life.

Do you come it with a fiery passion? Or, do you view your reality with a lackluster lens? Whatever changes you seek to experience, you must first take responsibility for your life and never put your life fully in the hands of another person. When we do this, we give other people the power and permission to steer our lives in whichever direction, usually at the expense of our progression. To start taking responsibility for your life, you should implement the following habits.

Article Contents hide
9 Ways to Take Responsibility for Your Life

Take Responsibility to Prioritize Yourself
Stop Playing the Blame Game
Make Time for Self Reflection
Take Accountability
Don’t Internalize Judgment
Practice Compassion Towards Yourself
Be Mindful of Excuses
Take Responsibility to Remove Toxic People
Eradicate Negative Self-Talk
[ more…]

[ Amber Murphy ]

ARTICLE: https://declutterthemind.com/blog/take-responsibility/

“Adults Take Responsibility”

This might be the single most important lesson that a young person can learn in order to live
a life of accomplishment.

[ Essential Craftsman ]

TEACHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgybnQWOYoc

“Taking Responsibility For Everything In Your Life”

Are you taking responsibility for everything in your life? It’s not until you take ownership of your choices that you feel empowered to change.

[ Stefan James ]

TEACHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhVlYgi70Bk

“How To Take Responsibility Over Your Life”

Learn how to take full responsibility for your life and reach your full potential.

[ Patrick Dang ]

TEACHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vrb6odtRrM

“A Brilliant Lesson In Taking Responsibility For Your Life”

It’s the human condition to make excuses and find every possibility to not take responsibility for our lives and blame it on our boss, friends, other responsibilities or the weather. I did it all the time! Making this video really drilled the message that we are the only people who can make a real change in who we are and where we want to be!

[ Meir Kay ]

ILLUSTRATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BpvQ-Lr3zA

“HOW TO GET YOUR LIFE TOGETHER”

The Power of Personal Responsibility

[ Jordan Peterson ]

MOTIVATIONAL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwWuKBBXhzU

“10 Things You Are Not Responsible For”

There are several things you may be taking responsibility for that you don’t need to be, and doing so is likely causing you a lot of extra stress, overwhelm, anxiety, worry and maybe even some anger.

Today we’re going to talk about what 10 of them are, why many of them are tied to people pleasing and some are even unintentional boundary violations, and how to stop taking these ones on.

[ Julia Kristina ]

TEACHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOdU74L67k8

“STOP Playing a VICTIM and Take RESPONSIBILITY for Your Own LIFE!”

In today’s video learn how to pick up your responsibilities and move forward from Jordan Peterson! You’ll get expert advice on how to become the master of your destiny.

[ Evan Carmichael (Jordan Peterson) ]

TEACHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyQxWvHDn0A

“You Are YOUR Responsibility”

The idea of responsibility is tied to sacrifice, as being responsible means sacrificing short-term hedonic and immature whims for the highest good that one can imagine.

[ Jordan Peterson ]

MOTIVATIONAL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNe_uEk-P4c

“Take 100 Percent Responsibility For Your Life”

Take 100 per cent responsibility for your life otherwise, you will never achieve your goals. You have to learn to take responsibility for your actions and how to blame yourself when things don’t work out. It’s nobody’s fault. Your success and failure are your responsibility.

[ Productivity Guy ]

TEACHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B423bnVxUJk

“The Victim Mentality”

In this video, Jordan Peterson discusses his ideas about the victim mentality.

[ Jordan Peterson ]

TEACHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcX1MeyJEqc

“Pinocchio and the Abandonment of Responsibility”

[ Jordan Peterson ]

TEACHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSiLUddcE6k&t=44s

“Take Responsibility For Your Life”

[ Team Fearless ]

MOTIVATIONAL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00vZraHIcXI

“Hold Yourself Accountable or You’ll Never Get Where You Want In Life“

[ Team Fearless ]

MOTIVATIONAL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9kwMKt3Udo

“Take Accountability For Your Actions“

SPEAKERS: Simon Sinek; Tim Grover; Tony Robbins

[ Do4Nation ]

MOTIVATIONAL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeI_VUmdVqo

“WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS AT WORK?”

Career Advice Accountability

What Does It Mean to Take Responsibility for Your Actions At Work?
Today’s workplace is arguably more interconnected than ever. What you do may not only affect your own productivity, performance, and success, but your coworkers, teammates, bosses, customers, and so forth. For this reason, it is imperative that you take responsibility for your actions and maintain a high level of personal accountability even in the face of failure.

Is it easy to do? Of course not.

Is it worth it? Absolutely.

In the following article, you will find what it means to take responsibility for your actions, examples of taking responsibility at work, and the key factors that impact one’s likelihood of doing so.

Manage your time, productivity, and results better with the Self-Management Workbook.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS?
Taking responsibility for your actions requires the realization that you play a part in every situation or experience and, therefore, have some degree of responsibility over the outcomes or consequences. You may have heard it referred to as taking accountability. It means that your first reaction when a mistake is made or a conflict arises isn’t to blame others, make excuses, twist the facts, or flat-out lie. Instead, you swiftly acknowledge there is a problem, identify your role in it, and implement an action plan to minimize (or entirely eliminate) the chances of it happening again.

EXAMPLES OF TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS
As one Forbes author pointed out, someone who takes responsibility for their actions is an accountable individual. Here is what that may look like in action on the job:

You recognize and own up to your part of what is occurring
If your message is hurtful to someone, you are willing to examine how your communication may have been damaging

You don’t blame others when you’re at fault
You don’t make excuses for why things are happening
You don’t pawn off all the responsibility (or all the failure) onto your team or subordinate
If you continually miss deadlines or essential project parameters, you don’t pretend that it is all out of your control
If your employee or team is failing, you don’t stick your head in the sand and stay in denial – you proactively do something about it
If your relationships are faltering, you’re open to seeing how you’re contributing to (and even exacerbating) the challenges and conflict

WHAT MAKES SOMEONE TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR ACTIONS?
As Martin Luther King Jr. stated in a 1953 radio address, “One of the most common tendencies of human nature is that of placing responsibility on some external agency for mistakes we have made. We are forever attempting to find some scapegoat on which we cast responsibility for our actions.”

So, what exactly would make someone take responsibility for their actions at work? In an article for Berkley’s Greater Good Magazine that cross-referenced a number of studies, it was found that “when you believe that your behavior can change, you are more likely to be willing to admit responsibility. A big reason why you are able to admit fault is that you recognize that once you admit what you have done wrong, you can work to make it better, and so you are not threatened by admitting mistakes. People who do not believe that they can change are stressed by admitting their mistakes because they believe that those mistakes say something fundamental about who they are as a person.”

This highlights the importance of non-judgemental team culture and a relationship of trust with one’s direct leader when it comes to taking responsibility for your actions. If those things do not exist, it is not surprising that you are stressed, anxious, or fearful of taking responsibility for your actions as you assume ridicule, hostility, or even disciplinary action will follow. On the other hand, when your team’s culture is non-judgemental and everyone, including your leader, has your best interests at heart, taking responsibility for your actions actually becomes a valuable learning experience that you can move on from.

CONCLUSION
It is never easy to take responsibility for your actions, especially when those actions have consequences. But rest assured; it is worth it! As the bestselling author John C. Maxwell once said, “People who blame others for their failures never overcome them. They simply move from problem to problem. To reach your potential, you must continually improve yourself, and you can’t do that if you don’t take responsibility for your actions and learn from your mistakes.”

[ Emily May ]

“Accountability vs Responsibility: 5 Ways They Differ”

Have you ever worked on a team that operated like a well-oiled machine? Where everyone’s role was clearly defined, communication ran smoothly, and you didn’t have to constantly deal with problems because someone else dropped the ball?

Alternatively, have you worked on a team where everyone had a lot on their plate, but different tasks got left behind because people always thought someone else would do it or other things would come up, so things just got forgotten? This was probably where you commonly heard the phrase, “That’s not my job.” So, who is taking responsibility, and who can be held accountable?

Although it’s only a few, I can think of some teams I’ve been on that fall into the first category. And when I think back on these jobs, I have positive memories of strong employee morale, dedicated teamwork, and a sense of mutual trust.

If you can think of a situation that you’ve been in that clearly aligns with this, you’ll be able to relate to the difference between accountability and responsibility. [more…]

[ Connie Mathers ]

ARTICLE: https://www.developgoodhabits.com/accountability-responsibility/

“Learn What Responsibilities Are Yours To Own”

Confusing responsibilities can lead to destruction in your relationships, both for your life and the person you’re trying to help. Dr. Cloud talks about how and why we take on other people’s responsibilities, and how that limits both their control and our control and leads to chaos. There are times when we put ourselves in positions of responsibility over someone else’s behavior. When we do this we’ll wind up feeling the consequences for their irresponsible behavior. That makes us responsible for someone else’s consequences of their irresponsibility. Think of it as cosigning a loan, if they don’t show up and do what they are supposed to, you’re the one that pays. We often do it out of love, as an attempt to support someone. It happens all the time, but it’s a recipe for disaster. Make sure you are responsible for what you own and let others take responsibility for what they own.

[ Dr. Henry Cloud ]

TEACHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzHq4706vOE

“5. The Christian’s Duty In Response To Salvation (1 Peter 1:13-16)”

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
1 Peter 1:13–16

Big Question: What are the Christian’s duties in response to our great salvation as seen in 1 Peter 1:13–16?

Many think salvation is just about heaven and it doesn’t affect life now. However, this is not true. Our salvation should affect us tremendously.

In these verses, Peter moves to the imperative mode. He leaves describing and explaining our salvation to sharing the Christian’s duty in response to it by giving commands. What is the Christian’s duty?

The Christian’s Duty Is to Be Mentally Ready to Serve God
Therefore, prepare your minds for action.
1 Peter 1:13

Prepare literally means “gird up” and can refer to tightening a belt, cinching up a cord or rope, or tying something down in preparation for a certain action. In ancient times, this concept referred to the gathering up of one’s robe (Ex. 12:11; 1 Kings 18:46; 2 Kings 4:29; 9:1; Jer. 1:17). If a person wanted to move quickly and easily, often he would pull the corners of his robe up through his belt or sash to tie those corners in place. Peter metaphorically applies this process to the mind.1

The fact that Peter applies this concept to the mind, means that it is in the mind, or the way a person thinks, that is especially important in serving God. It also means that it is through the mind that a person is often tripped up and kept from fulfilling their calling in Christ.

Peter shows us the importance of the believer’s thought life in serving God. Certainly, we see this emphasized throughout Scripture. Christ taught that adultery first happened in one’s mind in Matthew 5:28. He also talked about anger being the seed that brings forth murder (Matt 5:22). In fact, we commonly see Paul focusing on the way a person thinks.

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Colossians 3:1–2

Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Romans 12:2

Application Question: What are some common ways we can get tripped up in our spiritual life by how we think? [more…]

ARTICLE: https://bible.org/seriespage/5-christian-s-duty-response-salvation-1-peter-113-16

“This Happened before you became a Christian – Regeneration”

Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus *said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things?
John 3:1-10 NASB1995

[ 21st Centruy Revival (Paul Washer, John MacArthur, Steven Lawson) ]

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjlZUtq2qnU

“You Must Be Born Again”

[ Dr. Steven J Lawson ]

TEACHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfXcgKE1hVo

“What is the Meaning of Being Born Again?”

In this message, Dr. Stanley brings clarity to the mystical concept of spiritual rebirth. For many of us, salvation can seem like too abstract an idea to comprehend, but the fact of the matter is it’s the cornerstone of our faith. Learn the simple truth of the gospel: what it means to be born again.

[ Dr. Charles Stanley ]

SERMON: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uTCNpM_8Ds

“Why Do We Need to Be Born Again?”

[ John Piper ]

SERMON: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSid4Fd9uMQ

“You Must Be Born Again” – Steven Lawson – John 3:1-15″

[ Steven Lawson ]

TEACHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGttCRpA56E

“Steven Lawson John 3:16 You Must Be Born Again Pt. 2”

[ Steven Lawson ]

TEACHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMI6CfwQw38

“You Must Be Born Again Pt. 3 – Steven Lawson – What is Gospel Ministry John 3:22-36”

[ Steven Lawson ]

TEACHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsMNchz_To4

“You Must Be Born Again (John 3:1-18)”

The will of God for the church in the world is to proclaim the gospel. That is our calling. Churches have been distracted, to put it mildly, in this current climate, get into all kind of things that are not the gospel even though they want to label them as the gospel. The gospel is the gospel. And this is a time for us to understand it explicitly and clearly.

Last week we looked at the conversion of Matthew, tax collector, and we heard the words of Jesus, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” And that is the remarkable reality of the gospel, that God saves sinners; that when we were enemies, He set to save us; that those people who are self-righteous and religious are by their own self-righteousness cut off from the hope of salvation. We saw last week that it was the religious Pharisees who thought they knew God and were the representatives of God who were most strongly denounced by Jesus and who were sons of hell, and making their disciples more sons of hell. Satan’s strategy is in religion. False religion is the satanic strategy across the world. Any deviation from the true and pure gospel is a damning lie, but it gives the illusion of knowing God.

You remember in the text that we looked at in Luke chapter 5, it ended by recalling the fact that there was an illustration of those who are religious being content with the old wine and not wanting to change to anything new. That was true of the Pharisees. It was so true of the Pharisees, so true. There were six thousand Pharisees or so at the time of our Lord in the land of Israel. There is only one conversion of a Pharisee in all four Gospels, one. They loved the old wine. They loved their religion. Jesus came to those who were irreligious, who were confronted with only their sin. The gospel always goes to those who are not holding onto any false religion. [more… ]

[ John MacArthur ]

SERMON: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA9TGq7hidw

“July 14, 2023 Devotional”

On one hand, Scripture again and again indicates that God is sovereign over salvation– He is in control of everything in the universe, including the salvation of sinners. He sovereignly draws and regenerates sinners whom he has chosen, and their salvation (including both their repentance and their faith) is entirely Rolling to his gracious work. It is not something the merit, accomplish, or choose for themselves. Fallen humanity is so enslaved to sin and hostile to God that without his gracious intervention, NO ONE would ever believe period

Yet, Scripture is equally clear that God earnestly calls all people to come to him, and he holds unbelievers responsible for their rejection of the gospel.

That raises obvious and potentially troubling questions how can God hold sinners responsible for their unbelief when he is the one who determines who believes in the first place? How can he righteously judge sinners for rejecting Jesus when no one can repent and believe apart from his choosing, drawing, and saving them? How is that true justice? How is Jesus’ plea to “Come unto Me” a bona fide invitation? What if we want to respond to his invitation but believed we are not one of the elect?

Well, Scripture really does provide satisfying answers, so we need not throw up our hands and dismiss these doctoral issues as beyond our reach.

Scripture teaches both divine sovereignty and human responsibility side-by-side, without ever being apologetic or evasive. What’s more, what we believe about these doctrines really does matter. It affects our love and reverence for God, how we evangelize the lost, and how we deal with doubts when the assurance of our salvation is shaken.

[ John MacArthur ]

“The Truth About Apostle Paul’s Conversion That Every Believer Should Know”

[ Grace Digital Network ]

TEACHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3hmxkLRYJc

“God Assumes Full Responsibility for Our Needs When We Obey Him”

At Thanksgiving, we take pause and thank God for His good gifts. But here’s an honest question for you: do you really believe God is able and eager to meet all of your needs?

Most people would say yes. But when difficulty comes, problems arise, and sorrow strikes, we often wonder where God is and how we can trust Him. But the Lord is not only capable of meeting all our needs, He is also able to satisfy the deepest desires of our hearts.

We need to learn how to focus on our faith when we are under trial. God is committed to meeting our needs, but first He wants to know that we are committed to living our lives for Him.

Jesus Instructions
Jesus told His disciples not to worry. He admonished them to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). This is a promise, a commitment, a pledge of action that we can claim. Jesus was telling His followers they were to set their hearts on God and His kingdom, and then every need and desire they had would be met.

The value of any commitment is based upon two things:

The ability of the promise maker to fulfill the promise.
The integrity of the promise maker, whether he has the character to follow through on the promise.

God Fulfills His Promises
God certainly qualifies on both accounts. He has all the wisdom, power, and ability necessary to fulfill His promises to us. He also has proven integrity—He always keeps His promises. He is utterly faithful to His Word. He is holy and immutable; He is unchanging. His commandments, statutes, and promises have not changed; they reflect our unchanging God. He is “the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

When you have an unmet need, the first thing you need to do is pray and tell the Lord what you are facing. Prayer is an act of faith. It declares your trust in God and His ability. Many times, He allows a need to come so that He can teach you to trust Him in a great way. No problem is too complicated or too difficult for Him to handle.

Jesus pledged that God would meet your needs when you “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” This means that He is obligated to meet your needs when you faithfully obey and trust Him. When you are walking in step with Him, He assumes full responsibility for the answers to your needs, problems, challenges, and circumstances of life.

But there is a catch: He does this according to His will, purpose, plan, and timing. And meeting needs does not necessarily mean meeting every desire that we have. He may choose to answer our prayers quickly, or He may wait for a season. Regardless, when the answer comes, it will be perfect, and it will encourage us.

One of God’s greatest desires is for us to learn to trust His wisdom and timing. Do you have a preconceived idea about how He must act to meet your needs or whom He may use to meet them? Anytime we expect God to move a certain way, we have missed the deeper lesson that He wants us to learn.

The Larger Lesson
Faith requires complete trust in Him, even when we do not understand why He has allowed circumstances to unfold a certain way. Think of all the people in the Bible who trusted the Lord and gained a wondrous victory: Moses, David, Esther, Jeremiah, Elijah, the disciples, Mary, and many more. We should never obey Him merely to manipulate our situation. God knows our hearts. When we are surrendered to Him, He sees our devotion and goes to work on our behalf.

God calls us to trust Him, and Him alone, to meet our needs and to be our total source of supply. Furthermore, the Lord requires that we obey Him as part of our trusting Him. Therefore, tell Him, “Lord, I trust You completely to meet my needs in Your timing and according to Your methods. I want to lay down my selfish hopes, dreams, and desires. Mold these so that they represent Your will for my life. And I will continue to obey You, by the power of Your Spirit, believing that as I do, You will take care of me.”

You can count on God’s love, wisdom, power, and grace. He has never failed you. He is the God who cares, and He will provide what you need at just the right time. And when He does, it will be abundantly beyond all you imagined.

[ Charles F. Stanley ]

“11 Responsibilities of a man according to the Bible”

The responsibilities of a man according to the Bible to his family and the world is based on the goal of preparing himself to be the head of the household. To do so, a man must carry out the responsibilities that God has assigned to him.

The Bible lays out a detailed list of duties that a man must do. The responsibilities of a ma according to the Bible encompasses not only what he should do for his family, but also what he should be able to do in every aspect of life.

What does the Bible say about the role of the man?
The Bible says a man is required to lead his household in the ways of God Almighty by exercising self-control, patience, love, kindness, charity, and wisdom. As a result, he reflects Christ in his home, and God’s desire is fulfilled. “For the husband is the head of the woman, just as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior,” says Ephesians 5:23.

Biblical expectations of a husband
Being a husband entails a great deal of responsibility. To successfully handle the responsibilities and expectations that God has set on spouses, it takes a character that has been molded by God and is in the process of ongoing improvement.

Here are the Biblical expectation of a husband [more…]

ARTICLE: https://www.bibleversespro.com/responsibilities-of-a-man-according-to-the-bible/

“12 Wonderful Responsibilities God Has Given to Men”

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them (Gen. 1:27).

Millions of men around the world faithfully strive to honor God in all their vocations in life. Here are ten wonderful responsibilities God has given to men: [more…]

ARTICLE: https://www.beautifulchristianlife.com/blog/12-wonderful-responsibilities-god-has-given-men

“12 Wonderful Responsibilities God Has Given to Women”

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them (Gen. 1:27).

Countless millions of women around the world faithfully strive to honor God in all their vocations in life. Here are twelve wonderful responsibilities God has given to women: [more…]

ARTICLE: https://www.beautifulchristianlife.com/blog/12-wonderful-responsibilities-god-has-given-to-women

“An Explanation of the Sovereign Gospel (Romans 9-11)”

I want to go back to our theme in this section. How do we harmonize the issue of divine sovereignty, human responsibility with our evangelistic duty, with our evangelistic duty? We are, after all we’ve learned, ambassadors for Christ. We have been given the ministry of reconciliation. We have been given the Word of reconciliation, the message about a reconciling God who has provided a way for sinners to be reconciled to Him. We are controlled, constrained, compelled, motivated and ruled by the love that Christ has for us, which love goes to all those for whom He died. We are to go into all the world, preach the gospel to every creature. We are, as Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:11, to persuade men because we understand the terror of the Lord, divine judgment, eternal hell, all of that. So we know it has been laid upon us to be faithful in our evangelistic responsibility.

At the same time, sometimes we struggle with this reality of divine sovereignty, and what it is that we can do when everything is predetermined by God and worked by the Holy Spirit. Well, the simple answer to the question is God has not only ordained whom He will save, but He has ordained that we in our faithful evangelism would be the means by which He would save His own. To be useful to Him is the purpose in the fulfillment of His sovereign plan, to be an instrument that He can use, to be a vessel unto honor, fit for the Master’s use; to be obedient because that brings, of course, blessing, reward in this life and eternal reward as well.

But in trying to harmonize this issue of divine sovereignty and human responsibility, which seems to me to be the number one issue that people who study the Bible grapple with, trying to harmonize that; my answer to that through the years has simply been to clarify the issue because the Bible doesn’t really give us a resolution to that because this is something that is beyond us. It is a transcendent reality that is perfectly harmonized in the mind of God, but a dilemma for us. Our responsibility is to give God the glory for salvation, and to give our lives to calling sinners to repentance in the ministry of reconciliation. Now a great illustration of how these two things are juxtaposed against each other will be found for us in the ninth, tenth and eleventh chapter of Romans. And I have been sufficiently mocked this week for covering only a few verses. So let’s see if we can cover three chapters in 45 minutes. [more… ]

[ John MacArthur ]

SERMON: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgvG3rUYjIE

“If God Is Sovereign, How Can Man Be Free?”

The Scriptures teach that God is sovereign over all. The Scriptures also teach that man is responsible for his actions. Are the two teachings contradictory? In this session Dr. R.C. Sproul will address the perennial questions surrounding the relation between the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man.

[ R.C. Sproul ]

TEACHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQ5cclvdWjo

“For Whom Did Christ Die?”

This session deals with the age-old controversy concerning the extent of the atonement. It explains the biblical and theological basis for the Reformed doctrine of limited or definite atonement, and demonstrates that such a view is the only ground for a secure redemption.

[ Steven Lawson ]

PRESENTATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh4cdrO9LYk

“The Doctrine of Election”

[ John MacArthur ]

Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFJFKFz2uYw
Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQJYaATKc-E
Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruHmL8Xhy88

“Unconditional Election: What is Reformed Theology?”

Upon what condition did God elect sinners to salvation? Was your positive choice for the gospel the basis for your election before the foundation of the world? Was God’s choice based on your foreseen choice? Simply put, did God choose you because you first chose Him? Would God be unfair if He chose some to salvation and not others? In this message, Dr. Sproul helps us understand this hard, yet biblical doctrine as he looks at “Unconditional Election.”

[ R.C. Sproul ]

PRESENTATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mg42ZdLOdyI

“Did Jesus die for the sins of every person or only for the elect?”

God didn’t make salvation possible for everyone; He made it certain for His people. From one of our live events, R.C. Sproul, Ian Hamilton, Stephen Nichols, and Derek Thomas consider God’s eternal plan of salvation.

[ Ligonier Ministries ]

Q&A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fljTboXk8K8

“Did Jesus die for the sins of the world or only for the elect?”

Dr. John MacArthur was asked “Did Jesus die only for the predestined?”. Find out his answer which most (even believers) may find shocking.

[ John MacArthur ]

Q&A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kANg4BcWM3o

“Unconditional Election”

[ R. C. Sproul ]

TEACHING: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/what-is-reformed-theology/unconditional-election

The Gift Of Predestination l The Inheritance Of The Redeemed”

For His glory, God takes the initiative in salvation. You are listening to “The Gift Of Predestination,” sermon 1 of the series, “The Inheritance Of The Redeemed.”

From before creation, God predestined Christians to salvation and instigated a plan to redeem us out of a world filled with sin. He did all of this for the praise of His glorious grace.

[ Pastor Lutzer ]

SERMON: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKuOrnx7AvE

“Preaching Predestination”

[ Steven Lawson ]

Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw6He3UlkpE
Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4nI4wMJ9Tk
Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fKTVGq7Bpw

What is Predestination?”

What is predestination? Is predestination in the bible? The Doctrine of Predestination explained, and what does that bible say about predestination vs free will. In this video, Pastor Nelson with Bible Munch looks at Romans 8:29, Romans 8:30, Ephesians 1:5, Ephesians 1:11, and many other verses to explain the doctrine of Predestination from a biblical perspective.

[ Got Questions Ministries ]

TEACHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKwYhUFAefo

“Why Did God Choose You?”

Why did God choose to save you? Paul Washer explains why God has elected you in this inspiring sermon clip.

[ Paul Washer ]

TEACHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hej1cyIVFUw

“PREDESTINATION & THE BIBLE–What is the Truth?”

Do we have a choice?

Does God predestine some to Hell?

Is there any way to explain this from God’s Word?

If God is “not willing that any should perish,” then what does the Bible mean in saying that “he hardens whomever he wills”?

[ John Barnett ]

TEACHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gigNbgxKPk

“How can we be free if God elects us?”

[ Frank Turek ]

Q&A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDzbdroUxjo

“Free Will Is a LIE From Satan”

[ Daily Theology (John MacArthur, Steven Lawson) ]

PRESENTATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl9st-CPiPU

“Do Calvinists believe in Free Will?”

In 2004, Real 2 Real Ministries / The Apologetics Group produced a 4-1/2 hour video documentary, Amazing Grace – The History and Theology of Calvinism. It was popular and sold over 30,000 copies. RC Sproul’s interview was the high point of the series as he succinctly explained the Reformed doctrines of grace. However, much of Sproul’s interview was cut from the final product. In this series, we present the raw, unvarnished interview with RC Sproul in its entirety.

[ R. C. Sproul ]

INTERVIEW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSgYJbXGb04

“Sovereignty and Free Will”

[ Todd Friel ]

TEACHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUPrJ1YtAgU

“Why We Can’t Choose God”

[ R. C. Sproul ]

TEACHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0C8AArEk3E

“Universal Declaration of Human Responsibilities- A Distant Dream in 21st Century”

This paper reviews “A Universal Declaration of Human Responsibilities,” proposed by the Inter Action Council in 1997, from the current political, social and global context. New issues have arisen, of which some have brought more serious impacts vis-à-vis previous years. New challenges in the 21st century include climate change, terrorism, resource shortages, a digital divide and internet violence. Poverty and disease still remain to be solved, while the instability of a globalized market continues to pose alarming threats to humanity. In dealing with these new challenges, this paper suggests that the above agenda need to be included for new tenets of human responsibility, especially at the political governance level. The foundation of human responsibility should be built though education. In addition, media should support the spread of human responsibility, rather than mobilizing hatred against others. The initiative to draft a Universal Declaration of Human Responsibilities is not only a way of balancing freedom with responsibility, but also a means of reconciling ideologies and political views that were deemed antagonistic in the past. The basic premise of this paper is that humans deserve the greatest possible amount of freedom, but also should develop their sense of responsibility to its fullest in order to correctly administer their freedom.

“I learned from my illiterate but wise mother that all rights to be deserved and preserved came from duty well done.”

Mahatma Gandhi

Rights don’t work without responsibilities and responsibilities don’t work without a higher purpose. Acting on this mysterious and sacred duty that we feel towards one another is the glue of any society. It’s easy to think that human rights happen in some distant court or deliberating body but the purpose of freedom is bigger than freedom. The point is to be free for something and for someone. Rights start with the individual but do not ends there. We find our truest selves in families, friends, neighborhoods, causes and congregations. These two sides of freedom — self and community gives reinforce and meaning to one another. We all have rights simply because we are human. They are inherent and inalienable and not merely a gift from those who happen to be in power somewhere. [more…]

[ Ashutosh Kumar Singh ]

DOCUMENT: http://www.penacclaims.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Ashutosh-Kumar-Singh.pdf

“Moral Responsibility”

First published Wed Oct 16, 2019
Making judgments about whether a person is morally responsible for her behavior, and holding others and ourselves responsible for actions and the consequences of actions, is a fundamental and familiar part of our moral practices and our interpersonal relationships.

The judgment that a person is morally responsible for her behavior involves—at least to a first approximation—attributing certain powers and capacities to that person, and viewing her behavior as arising (in the right way) from the fact that the person has, and has exercised, these powers and capacities. Whatever the correct account of the powers and capacities at issue (and canvassing different accounts is the task of this entry), their possession qualifies an agent as morally responsible in a general sense: that is, as one who may be morally responsible for particular exercises of agency. Normal adult human beings may possess the powers and capacities in question, and non-human animals, very young children, and those suffering from severe developmental disabilities or dementia (to give a few examples) are generally taken to lack them.

To hold someone responsible involves—again, to a first approximation—responding to that person in ways that are made appropriate by the judgment that she is morally responsible. These responses often constitute instances of moral praise or moral blame (though there may be reason to allow for morally responsible behavior that is neither praiseworthy nor blameworthy: see McKenna 2012: 16–17 and M. Zimmerman 1988: 61–62). Blame is a response that may follow on the judgment that a person is morally responsible for behavior that is wrong or bad, and praise is a response that may follow on the judgment that a person is morally responsible for behavior that is right or good.

It should be noted at the outset that the above schema, while useful, may be misleading in certain respects. For one thing, it suggests a correspondence and symmetry between praise and blame that may not exist. The two are certainly asymmetrical insofar as the attention given to blame far exceeds that given to praise. One reason for this is that blameworthiness, unlike praiseworthiness, is often taken to involve liability to a sanction. Thus, articulating the conditions of blameworthiness may seem to theorists the more pressing matter. Perhaps for related reasons, there is a richer language for expressing blame than praise (Watson 1996 [2004: 283]), and “blame” finds its way into idioms for which there is no ready parallel employing “praise”: compare “S is to blame for x” and “S is to praise for x”. Note, as well, that “holding responsible” is itself not a neutral expression: it typically arises in blaming contexts (Watson 1996 [2004: 284]). Additionally, there may be asymmetries in the contexts in which praise and blame are appropriate: private blame is a more familiar phenomenon than private praise (Coates & Tognazzini 2013a), and while minor wrongs may reasonably earn blame, minimally decent behavior often seems insufficient for praise (see Eshleman 2014 for this and other differences between praise and blame). Finally, the widespread assumption that praiseworthiness and blameworthiness are at least symmetrical in terms of the capacities they require has also been questioned (Nelkin 2008, 2011; Wolf 1980, 1990). Like most work on moral responsibility, this entry will tend to focus on the negative side of the phenomenon; for more, see the entry on blame.

A few other general observations about the concept of moral responsibility are in order before introducing particular conceptions of it. In everyday speech, one often hears references to people’s “moral responsibility” where the point is to indicate that a person has some duty or obligation—some responsibility—to which that person is required, by some standard, to attend. In this sense, we say, for example, that a lawyer has a responsibility (to behave in certain ways, according to certain standards) to his client. This entry, however, is concerned not with accounts that specify people’s responsibilities in the sense of duties and obligations, but rather with accounts of whether a person bears the right relation to her own actions, and their consequences, so as to be properly held accountable for them. (Unfortunately, this entry does not include discussion of some important topics related to moral responsibility, such as responsibility for omissions (see Clarke 2014, Fischer & Ravizza 1998, and Nelkin & Rickless 2017a) or collective responsibility (see the entry on collective responsibility and Volumes 30 and 38 of Midwest Studies in Philosophy).

Moral responsibility should also be distinguished from causal responsibility. Causation is a complicated topic, but it is often fairly clear that a person is causally responsible for—that is, she is the (or a) salient cause of—some occurrence or outcome. However, the powers and capacities that are required for moral responsibility are not identical with an agent’s causal powers, so we cannot infer moral responsibility from an assignment of causal responsibility. Young children, for example, can cause outcomes while failing to fulfill the requirements for general moral responsibility, in which case it will not be appropriate to judge them morally responsible for, or to hold them morally responsible for, the outcomes for which they may be causally responsible. And even generally morally responsible agents may explain or defend their behavior in ways that call into question their moral responsibility for outcomes for which they are causally responsible. Suppose that S causes an explosion by flipping a switch: the fact that S had no reason to expect such a consequence from flipping the switch might call into question his moral responsibility (or at least his blameworthiness) for the explosion without altering his causal contribution to it. Having distinguished different senses of responsibility, unless otherwise indicated, “responsibility” will refer to “moral responsibility” (in the sense defined here) throughout the rest of this entry.

Until fairly recently, the bulk of philosophical work on moral responsibility was conducted in the context of debates about free will, which largely concerned the various ways that (various sorts of) determinism might threaten free will and moral responsibility. A largely unquestioned assumption was that free will is required for moral responsibility, and the central questions had to do with the ingredients of free will and with whether their possession was compatible with determinism. Recently, however, the literature on moral responsibility has addressed issues that are of interest independently of worries about determinism. Much of this entry will deal with these latter aspects of the moral responsibility debate. However, it will be useful to begin with issues at the intersection of concerns about free will and moral responsibility.

Freedom, Responsibility, and Determinism
Some Approaches to Moral Responsibility
2.1 Forward-Looking Accounts
2.2 The Reactive Attitudes Approach
2.2.1 “Freedom and Resentment”
2.2.2 Criticisms of Strawson’s Approach
2.3 Reasons-Responsiveness Views
Contemporary Debates
3.1 The “Faces” of Responsibility
3.1.1 Attributability versus Accountability
3.1.2 Attributionism
3.1.3 Answerability
3.2 Moral Competence
3.2.1 The Moral Competence Condition on Responsibility
3.2.2 Conversational Approaches to Responsibility
3.2.3 Psychopathy
3.3 Skepticism and Related Topics
3.3.1 Moral Luck
3.3.2 Ultimate Responsibility
3.3.3 Personal History and Manipulation
3.3.4 The Epistemic Condition on Responsibility
Bibliography
Academic Tools
Other Internet Resources
Related Entries
[more…]

[ Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy ]

DOCUMENT: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/moral-responsibility/

“What the Bible says about Our Responsibilities to God”

Normally and customarily, self-defense is a legal right in virtually every nation on earth, but in the Christian’s case, God says, “No, it is not a right. There is a better way to do things.”

Notice verse 39: “But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.” He speaks of a slap, something every culture views as insulting rather than damaging. It may do damage to the person’s ego, but it is not something ordinarily intended to harm. Rather, it is intended to put down. Not only does a person get a slap on the right cheek, even worse is to be backhanded on the left (most people are right-handed). A whack with the back of the hand is even more insulting than the first slap with an open palm.

Jesus is trying to open our minds to something here. He is describing cases involving offense or insult. Such insults or offenses may not come by means of an actual slap but through gossip or maybe by being taken advantage of at work. The boss finds out that you are a good worker, so he piles more on you than you can actually handle. Then your good attitude begins to sour because the boss is taking advantage of you, and you begin to feel offended. [more… ]

[ John W. Ritenbaugh ]

ARTICLE: https://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/topical.show/RTD/cgg/ID/17033/Our-Responsibilities-God.htm

“Christian Responsibility | Mark 4:26-29”

Watch in this sermon as Pastor Clint helps us see 3 characteristics of Christian responsibility in this parable from mark chapter 4!

Preached by Clint Freeman on October 13th, 2019 as part 25 on our sermon series on the book of Mark titled ‘To The Cross’. We’ll opening up our Bibles to Mark 4:26-29.

[ Clint Freeman ]

SERMON: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nMeF9h_yN8

“What Is TULIP?”

What do tulips, the love of God, and a centuries-old understanding of salvation have in common? They are all reflected in what has come to be known as the five points of Calvinism.

How are these things interconnected? The word tulip forms an acrostic that summarizes a particular understanding of salvation that has at its center the love of God. Let’s see how this works. [more… ]

[ Robert Rothwell ]

ARTICLE: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/what-tulip

“Renaming The Doctrines of Grace”

English-speaking Reformed believers have long been taught the acronym TULIP as a memorization aid to the doctrines of grace. In classic Calvinist terminology, the letters stand for:

T – Total Depravity
U – Unconditional Election
L – Limited Atonement
I – Irresistable Grace
P – Perseverance of the Saints

Recently many authors and theologians have realized the shortcomings with trying to make theology fit into nice acronyms. In the case of TULIP, several of the terms have not received the most appropriate names in order to make them fit the acronym. Here are a few I have found that have chosen to rename them.

In The Doctrines of Grace, James Boice and Philip Ryken have chose to go with:

Radical Depravity
Unconditional Election
Particular Redemption
Efficacious Grace
Persevering Grace

R.C. Sproul in Chosen By God choose to use:

Radical Corruption
Sovereign Election
Limited Atonement
Effectual Grace
Preservation of the Saints

Finally, In his book Putting Amazing Back Into Grace Michael Horton goes with a Message-like adaptation of the terms:

Rebels Without A Cause
Grace Before Time
Mission Accomplished
Intoxicating Grace
No Lost Causes

It seems there is widespread disillusionment with the old classic TULIP. Having read the arguments, I tend to agree that it would be worth losing the acronym.

[ Tim Chalies ]

“Come to Me”

I want to do a bit of a series over the next few weeks—I’m not sure how long—dealing with the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, broadly speaking) to bring before you some of the compelling words and conversations of our Lord Jesus. I think you can’t improve on Him as the subject, no way. So His person, His work, His word in some very unique settings is going to be our pattern for the next number of weeks. And to begin that, I want to draw your attention to Matthew 11, verses 25 to 30. Matthew 11, verses 25 to 30. Part of this will be very familiar to you. But let me read those verses.

Matthew 11:25, “At that time Jesus said, ‘I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

“‘Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.’”

Our Lord has something to say to you this morning. Essentially, it starts in verse 28 with the invitation, “Come to Me.” “Come to Me.” Those are His words that have been ringing off the pages of Scripture since it was written, words of tender compassion, words of invitation, words of priceless value. This is His gracious invitation, and this is an expression of His mission. In Luke 19:10 He said, “For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save the lost.” That’s His mission. He’s come to seek and save the lost. [more…]

[ John MacArthur ]

SERMON: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KoMm4npwvg

“’You Must Be Born Again’ – Steven Lawson – John 3:1-15”

[ Steven Lawson ]

TEACHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGttCRpA56E

“A Supernatural Birth: The New Birth with Steven Lawson”

The new birth is not turning over a new leaf; it is receiving a new life. In this message, Dr. Steven Lawson explains how Scripture presents the Christian’s new birth as a supernatural event.

This message is from Dr. Lawson’s 12-part teaching series The New Birth.

[ Steven Lawson ]

TEACHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6W7ntNiMlZs

“God’s Role in Regeneration (John 3:1-10)”

For this morning, I want you to open the Word of God to the third chapter of John, back to the third chapter of John and the opening ten verses. Now, you who have been with us the last couple of weeks know how important and critical this portion of Scripture is. You know something about it now that we’ve sort of penetrated it at least as far as verse 3. The good news, we’ll finish all the way down to verse 10 this morning. I can’t exactly tell you when but we will finish verse 10.

Now I’m going to read it to you and then I’m going to say what’s obvious, and then we’ll dig down to what may not be quite as apparent. John chapter 3 verse 1. John writes, “Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher, for no one can do these things that You do unless God is with him.’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a man be born when he’s old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?’ Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, “you must be born again.” The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can these things be?’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things?’”

Five times in this passage we have a reference to being born again, or born from above. The word anothen can be translated “again” or “from above,” and both are applicable. Jesus is saying that for anyone to enter the kingdom of God, the realm of salvation, eternal life, forgiveness of sins, that person must be born from above, born again. This is the doctrine of regeneration, at the very heart of understanding salvation. [more…]

[ John MacArthur ]

SERMON: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8k9Vi-6m9k

“Regeneration – Charles Spurgeon Sermon – Born Again John 3:3”

“There are many who fancy they are born again who are not” – C.H.S.
Spurgeon makes the case that it’s possible to act and talk like a Christian, even profess to be a Christian, and yet not be a Christian.

– Are you a Christian? You must be born again

“Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”—John 3:3.

Main Points:

The matter of regeneration – 3:05
Seeing the kingdom of God – 22:32
Except we are born again we cannot see God’s kingdom – 23:47
Expostulation – 34:53

[ Charles Spurgeon ]

SERMON: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5V8GWWzlkA

“Does God Create Unbelief?”

If God alone is responsible for the salvation of the elect, does that mean He creates unbelief in those He didn’t elect? Examining this question in this message entitled “Did God Create Unbelief?” Dr. Sproul clearly establishes that God is not the author of sin and does not create unbelief.

[ R.C. Sproul ]

TEACHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0W-lfWwVHQE&list=PL30acyfm60fXGiDrDfncbzQgFZ-X-GYyz&index=6

“DOCTRINES OF GRACE – CATEGORIZED SCRIPTURE LIST”

God has recently given us the opportunity to discuss some theological issues with other Christians who believe differently than we do on a number of points, most notably the doctrines of grace. In such a circumstance, given the overwhelming supply of scriptural evidence that comes to bear on the topic, it seemed to me that the best approach would be a simple categorized scripture list: the fact that the entire paper would be scriptures, with the exception of a few brief explanatory notes, would underscore the truth that this is God’s own word and teaching; and the fact that it would be categorized would facilitate the ready comparison of scripture with scripture so as to lead one to a full-orbed understanding of the biblical teaching. Although I found a few good scripture lists of that nature available online, none of them was laid out in quite the progression that I was looking for, and so I developed my own. I’m posting it here with just the scripture references. Below, for your convenience I have provided a condensed version and a full version of the study. The study is also available in print from Monergism Books. [more…]

[ Monergism ]

ARTICLE: https://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/gracelist.html

“Calvinism vs. Arminianism – which view is correct?”

Calvinism and Arminianism are two systems of theology that attempt to explain the relationship between God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility in the matter of salvation. Calvinism is named for John Calvin, a French theologian who lived from 1509-1564. Arminianism is named for Jacobus Arminius, a Dutch theologian who lived from 1560-1609.

Both systems can be summarized with five points. Calvinism holds to the total depravity of man while Arminianism holds to partial depravity. Calvinism’s doctrine of total depravity states that every aspect of humanity is corrupted by sin; therefore, human beings are unable to come to God on their own accord. Partial depravity states that every aspect of humanity is tainted by sin, but not to the extent that human beings are unable to place faith in God of their own accord. Note: classical Arminianism rejects “partial depravity” and holds a view very close to Calvinistic “total depravity” (although the extent and meaning of that depravity are debated in Arminian circles). In general, Arminians believe there is an “intermediate” state between total depravity and salvation. In this state, made possible by prevenient grace, the sinner is being drawn to Christ and has the God-given ability to choose salvation.

Calvinism includes the belief that election is unconditional, while Arminianism believes in conditional election. Unconditional election is the view that God elects individuals to salvation based entirely on His will, not on anything inherently worthy in the individual or on any act performed by the individual. Conditional election states that God elects individuals to salvation based on His foreknowledge of who will believe in Christ unto salvation, thereby on the condition that the individual chooses God.

Calvinism sees the atonement as limited, while Arminianism sees it as unlimited. This is likely the most controversial of the five points. Limited atonement is the belief that Jesus only died for the elect. Unlimited atonement is the belief that Jesus died for all, but that His death is not effectual until a person receives Him by faith.

Calvinism includes the belief that God’s grace is irresistible, while Arminianism says that an individual can resist the grace of God. Irresistible grace argues that when God calls a person to salvation, that person will inevitably come to salvation. Resistible grace states that God calls all to salvation, but that many people resist and reject this call.

Calvinism holds to perseverance of the saints while Arminianism holds to conditional salvation. Perseverance of the saints refers to the concept that a person who is elected by God will persevere in faith and will not permanently deny Christ or turn away from Him. Conditional salvation is the view that a believer in Christ can, of his/her own free will, turn away from Christ and thereby lose salvation. Note: many Arminians deny “conditional salvation” and instead hold to “eternal security.”

So, in the Calvinism vs. Arminianism debate, who is correct? It is interesting that in the diversity of the body of Christ, there are all sorts of mixtures of Calvinism and Arminianism. There are five-point Calvinists and five-point Arminians and three-point Calvinists and two-point Arminians. Many believers arrive at some sort of mixture of the two views. Ultimately, it is our opinion that both systems fail in that they attempt to explain the unexplainable. Human beings are incapable of fully grasping a concept such as this. Yes, God is absolutely sovereign and knows all. Yes, human beings are called to make a genuine decision to place faith in Christ unto salvation. These two facts seem contradictory to us, but in the mind of God they make perfect sense.

[ Got Questions ]

“Divine Election”

[ John MacArthur ]

SERMON SHORT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2OXrTsWM4Q

“What are the 5 Points of Calvinism? | What is Calvinism and is it Biblical?”

John Calvin and what we know as the 5 points of Calvinism are frequently debated during Calvinism vs Arminianism conversations. When someone asks, what is Calvinism, no matter if they are referring to the five points of Calvinism or the 4 points of Calvinism, the question need to so be answered using the Bible as our authority. In this video, Pastor Nelson with Bible Munch defines the 5 points of Calvinism, the 4 points of Calvinism, and the meaning of the acronym TULIP.

[ Got Questions Ministries ]

TEACHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63W_Z-XOEJ0

“An Introduction to the Sovereign Gospel (Selected Scriptures)”

We have been talking about the gospel according to Paul, and looking at a number of aspects of that gospel. We’ve intersected and overlapped and that’s the way it should be. There is a component to the gospel according to Paul and the gospel to the other apostles, and the gospel according to Jesus, and the gospel of God, and the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, the gospel of salvation. There is a component to it that cannot be ignored, and of course Paul makes a major issue out of that, and it is that this is a sovereign gospel. It is dispensed, the power of the gospel, the saving work of the gospel at the will of God. Not only does righteousness come down from above, as we have learned, but faith comes down from above, conviction comes down from above. It is the Holy Spirit who convicts the world of sin and righteousness and judgment. It is the Holy Spirit who grants repentance, Paul says. It is faith itself, which is a gift of God. All the elements of salvation come down from above.

None of them rise from within us by our own will, our own works, our own intuition, our own good intentions. We are the recipients of salvation granted to us in every sense by the sovereign grace of God.

Now, Paul makes this very clear in Ephesians 1 and let’s start there. Ephesians chapter 1, and we’re going to look at a number of passages to help you to understand the sovereign aspect of salvation and how it relates to human responsibility. Whenever I do conferences around the world, and we throw in a question and answer session, inevitably one of the questions will always be: how are we to harmonize divine sovereignty human responsibility? How can we understand that salvations is a matter of God’s will, and God’s choice, and God’s purpose, and God’s timing, and at the same time make man, in any sense, responsible for what happens? This is the inevitable question. I might just say to you, you should get comfortable with that question. You will not in this life have a sufficient answer; so, your comfort must come in the question. [more…]

[ John MacArthur ]

SERMON: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44PizGRwKok

“5 Solas of the Reformation”

Sola Scriptura (“Scripture alone”): The Bible alone is our highest authority.
Sola Fide (“faith alone”): We are saved through faith alone in Jesus Christ.
Sola Gratia (“grace alone”): We are saved by the grace of God alone.
Solus Christus (“Christ alone”): Jesus Christ alone is our Lord, Savior, and King.
Soli Deo Gloria (“to the glory of God alone”): We live for the glory of God alone.

[ Dr. Steven J Lawson ]

PRESENTATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBsoEY9ylDQ

“What are the 5 Solas?”

In this week’s video Costi Hinn lays out the main things you need to know when it comes to understanding the Five Solas.

[ Costi Hinn ]

TEACHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPi45uaa6u8

“The Five Solas of the Reformation”

In each of the five solas of the Reformation, the accent is on the qualifier “alone.” Watch this brief clip of R.C. Sproul through the years teaching the truth of the gospel that was rediscovered during the 16th-century Reformation.

[ R. C. Sproul ]

TEACHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Cyuq3mGQhw

“5 Solas of the Reformation”

[ Steven Lawson ]

PRESENTATION : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2ux83XrZcQ&t=302s

“Can a Christian lose salvation?”

Can a Christian lose salvation? Is there any way that salvation can be lost? Once I am saved, is that salvation assured and secured?

[ Got Questions Ministries ]

TEACHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d83pH_nSsqE

“Justin Peters Thought He Was Saved Until This Happened.”

In this episode of Zero Compromise, our hosts Patricia Engler and Jessica Jaworski interview Justin Peters who is a Christian author and founder of Justin Peters Ministries. We discuss his false conversion, how to spot false teachers, and much more!

[ Zero Compromise ]

INTERVIEW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vt7897cqI2I

“Evangelistic Responsibility Of The Church: Go!”

What is the evangelistic responsibility of the church? Are you obeying the command to go and evangelize? Maybe I can help encourage you to pursue one more soul for Christ rather than have yourself excused from evangelism based on some idea that your personality is not by nature one to go evangelize.

[ Tim Conway ]

TEACHING: https://illbehonest.com/evangelistic-responsibility-of-the-church-go

“Live Like Jesus”

In this godless world, we are constantly tempted to live in ways that we shouldn’t, but by the power of God, we can deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and live like Jesus. There’s no better way to live!

[ Jack Hibbs ]

SERMON: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ktbe7vCkM4Q

<<< SONGS >>>

“Responsible”

Oh-oh-oh
Eh yeah
Oh-oh-oh
I’m Yours, yeah

You are responsible for me
I’m the apple of Your eyes
And You will never let me go
For I am Yours

You’re responsible for me
You’re the potter I’m the clay
And You have the only say in my life
I’m Yours
Yes, I am Yours
For I am Yours
For I am Yours

Your mind is always full of me
Your heart is where my life belongs
Your will for me is always good
And I am Yours
Yes, I am Yours
Your mind is always full of me
Your heart is where my life belongs
Your will for me is always true
And I am Yours
Yes, I am Yours

You are responsible for me (oh-oh-oh-oh)
I’m the apple of Your eye (oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
And You will never let me go
For I am Yours
You’re responsible for me (oh-oh-oh-oh)
You’re the potter, I’m the clay (oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
You will never cast me away
For I am Yours
Yes, I am Yours
Yes, I am Yours
Yes, I am Yours (totally Yours)

For I am Yours (everything Yours)
Yes, I am Yours (Jesus I’m Yours)
Yes, I am Yours
Yes, I am Yours

Your mind is always full of me
Your heart is where my life belongs
Your will for me is always good
Oh, I am Yours
Yes, I am Yours
Your mind is always full of me
Your heart is where my life belongs
Your will for me is always true
I’m Yours
I’m Yours, yes
I’m Yours
I’m Yours

You’re responsible for me (oh-oh-oh-oh)
I’m the apple of your eye (oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
You will never, oh no, never let me go
For I am Yours
You’re responsible for me (oh-oh-oh-oh)
You are the potter, I’m the clay (oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
You will never cast me away
I’m Yours
You’re responsible for me, say (oh-oh-oh-oh)
You’re the potter, I’m the clay (oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
And You have the only say in my life
For I am Yours

You’re responsible for me, eh-eh (oh-oh-oh-oh)
You will never let me go (oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
‘Cause I’m the apple of Your eyes, for I am Yours
For I am Yours (yes I am)
Yes, I am Yours (yes I am)
Yes, I am Yours (yes I am)
Yes, I am Yours (lift your voice and declare “for I am”)
For, I am Yours (yes, I am Yours, God)
Yes, I am Yours (yes, I am Yours)

[ Freke Umoh – “Responsible” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmEU65Qb48Q

“Accountable”

[ Tyler Prince ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQKOk46tab4

“Born Again”

I found myself looking into the mirror
Knew I wasn’t who I wanted to be
I was living like the way that I wanted
But my eyes reminded me, I’m not free

Believed a lie so everything that I know
Says I got to go, tired of going solo
But I’m never gonna go there again

This is what it is
This is who I am
This is where I finally take my stand
I didn’t wanna fall
But I don’t have to crawl
I met the One with two scarred hands
Giving Him the best of everything that’s left of
The life inside this man
I’ve been born again (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)

I see you walking like you’re living in fear
Having trouble even looking at me
Wishin’ they would give you more than words
Sick of people telling how it should be (how it should be)
What’s your download, where’d you get your info?
You saw that I’m show, now you’re in the in load
Gonna tell you what I believe, oh

We are the ones they call by name
(I’m never gonna look back)
Let go, let go the guilt, the shame
(Said, “I’m never gonna look back”)

This is who I am

This is what it is
This is who I am (am)
I didn’t wanna fall
But I don’t have to crawl (crawl)
I met the One with two scarred hands
Giving Him the best of everything that’s left of
The life inside this man
I’ve been born again

I’ve been born again
(Never gonna look back)

[ Newsboys – “Born Again” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us4VSFAKuPY

“Born Again”

Well I (I’ve been born again)
I’ve been born again (I’ve been born again)
Oh, I (I’ve been born again)
I been born again (I’ve been born again)
Don’t you know that I’ve been (To the river)
And I’ve been (Baptized)
My soul (Converted)
And I feel (Alright)
That’s the reason (I’ve been born)
I’ve been born again (I’ve been born again)

Oh, you know Jesus (I’ve been born)
My Lord (I’ve been born)
I sure do love Your Name (I’ve been born)
(I’ve been born)
Oh, Your Name (I’ve been born)
Is all (I’ve been born)
I trust (I’ve been born)
My Lord
And if You (I’ve been born)
Hadn’t died (I’ve been born)
My soul would not be saved (I’ve been born)
(I’ve been born)
That’s the reason (I’ve been born)
I’ve been born again (I’ve been born again)

Well I went to the valley (I’ve been born)
I didn’t know to stay (I’ve been born again)
My soul got happy (I’ve been born)
And I stayed all day (I’ve been born again)
He picked me up (I’ve been born)
Turned me around (I’ve been born again)
Placed my feet (I’ve been born)
Down on unchanging ground (I’ve been born again)
Well, I’ve been (I’ve been born)
To the river (I’ve been born)
And I’ve been (I’ve been born)
Baptized (I’ve been born)
My soul is (I’ve been born)
Anchored in Jesus (I’ve been born)
And I feel (I’ve been born)
Alright (I’ve been born)
Well He helps me (I’ve been born)
In the morning (I’ve been born)
And He helps me (I’ve been born)
In the noon (I’ve been born)
And He helps me (I’ve been born)
In the evening (I’ve been born)
And He will help you too

Well, well, well I’ve (been born again)
I’ve been born again (I’ve been born again)
Oh, I (I’ve been born again)
I been born again (I’ve been born again)
Don’t you know that I’ve been (To the river)
And I’ve been (Baptized)
My soul (Converted)
And I feel (Alright)
That’s the reason (I’ve been born)
I’ve been born again (I’ve been born again)
I said, That’s the reason (I’ve been born)
Well, That’s the reason (I’ve been born)
Now I’m not lyin’ (I’ve been born)
I—-‘ve been bo—rn again

[ Gaither Vocal Band, Russ Taff ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzuD3OUgkxo

<<< APOLOGETIX SONGS >>>

“Born Above”
(Parody of “Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen)

In the day he went about on the streets
Doing run-of-the-mill Pharisee things
At night he met with his master, the Lord
And said, show us what You mean
I’m a sage but You’re highly divine
Your wisdom’s respected, you’re second-to-none, top of the line
Oh — Jesus said, If you’re born from above
You can get that — you can go where I’m at
You gotta get it while you’re young
But you can’t find much, baby, till you’re born above
That’s what He told Him

Then He said to Him, you must be born again
If you want God to increase your vision
Just like the wind blows just where it wills
The same thing happens to Christians
You never see it make its path
Yet somehow you know, baby, whenever it blows past
Oh — will you walk with Me out on the water?
‘Cause, baby, I can prepare you to know the Father
If you wanna know, here’s the deal:
You must become a little child if you wanna know that God is real
Oh, let Me show you

John 3:3 ha!

Beyond this planet, Heaven’s got a home
Seems like it’s really far
The world’s unaware but it’s really near A
nd you don’t have to look so hard
The amusing part is it’s there in your heart
Yet it’s somehow out of reach in your midst
You either die with Me daily or you wait to die
And get everlasting death — ha!

The highway’s jammed with folks whose steering’s
Gonna get them burned alive
Well, everybody wants on the road to God
But there’s no way there but Mine
Together, Nicky, we can live at this address
I’ll scrub you of all the badness in your soul
Someday when you’re born again
You’re gonna get to that place you really wanna go
And you’ll walk with the Son
But till then — can’t find much, baby, till you’re born above
Come on, honey — can’t find much, baby, till you’re born above
Come on, Nicky — can’t find much, baby, till you’re born above

[ ApologetiX – “Grace Period” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJ56scF8NME

“Born-Again Child”
(Parody of “Born to Be Wild” by Steppenwolf)

Born-Again Child
Yes, the Lord is comin’
Straight out of the skyway
Lookin’ for repentance
Whosoever calls His name
Yeah, God’s a-gonna make it happen
Take the world at a sudden pace
Find all of the ones He wants
And export ‘em to space

Like a stroke of lightnin’
Every man that’s on earth
Will see Him again
Are you ready now, I wonder
Yeah, God’s a-gonna make it happen
Shake the world and its stubborn ways
Find all of His sons at once
And head home to His place

And if you use faith just now Y
ou’ll be born, born again, child
You can fly so high
You’re never gonna die
Born-again child
Born-again child

Yes, the Lord is comin’
Get out of your wild ways
Look in Romans 10 first
Do whatever stuff it says
Yeah, God’s a-gonna make it happen
Save the world with His lovin’ grace
Find out what He wants from us
And just grow in your faith

And with a new nature now
Yeah, you’re born, born again, child
You can fly so high
You’re never gonna die
Born-again child
Born-again child

[ ApologetiX – “Chosen Ones” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJ56scF8NME

“Nicky”
(Parody of “Mickey” by Toni Basil)

Oh, Nicky, you’re so blind
Open wide your soul and mind, hey Nicky, hey Nicky
Oh, Nicky, you’re so blind
Open wide your soul and mind, hey Nicky, hey Nicky
Oh, Nicky, you’re so blind
Open wide your soul and mind, hey Nicky

Hey, Nicky
You come around at night and ask about the Law
You like to talk to Christ ’cause you think He comes from God
Why can’t you see the light so you can teach them all, Nicky?
The wind blows where it wills and no one sees it blow
The same with those He fills – they believe, they just know
Every night you still leave with heart of stone, Nicky

O, Nicky, what a pity, you don’t understand
Salvation’s kind of hard when you ain’t been born again
No, Nicky, there’s some things you can’t do as a man
But God likes you, Nicky
He’ll help you through, Nicky, through Nicky
Open your heart, Nicky

Hey, Nicky
Now when you take these Bible truths
Then you’re gonna know
Every time you do you’ll get a little more shown
There’s nothing to confuse
So don’t play dumb, Nicky
So come on now, Nicodemus, anybody can
Any man or woman who believes is born again
The breeze in the trees still leaves its evidence, Nicky

O, Nicky, John 3:3 through 21 expands
You take this all to heart and you’ll take the Promised Land
O, Nicky, 7:50 there in John again
We find out you, Nicky
Still want the truth, Nicky, truth, Nicky
Open your heart, Nicky

Oh, Nicky, John 19 verse 39 I scanned
You play a vital part in the Savior’s burial plan
Oh, Nicky, when it’s finished then you’ll understand
What God must do, Nicky
He loves you, too, Nicky, too, Nicky
Open your heart, Nicky

O, Nicky, what a pity, you don’t understand
Salvation’s kind of hard when you ain’t been born again

[ ApologetiX – “You Can’t Say Euphrates Without the 80’s” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmvKbWuMExk

“Once Livin’ Twice Died”
(Parody of “Once Bitten Twice Shy” by Great White)

Well, it’s time to quit and start anew, little girl
Life’s been humblin’ and you’re stumblin’ all over God’s Word
You can’t remember where you got so much sin
And you don’t know just how we’re born again
You didn’t know what a rotten soul was
Until you read in John where chapter three told us
Christ was there with-uh Nick at nite
Be born again, He said, or else you’ll stay died … yeah

Now, it’s the middle of your life down a broken road
You see the Lord’s Book in a hotel drawer
You look inside — the Book is kinda neat
The written word ya read sure knocks you off your feet
You didn’t know how a rotten soul cooked
Until you caught the rich man in the Gospel of Luke
That hit home and your heart got hot
You said, “It looks like it’s time I was gettin’ right with God”

I said, my, my, my — you’re once livin’ twice died, babe
My, my, my — I’m once dead and twice alive, baby
My my my — you’re once livin’ twice died, baby

Ohh, woman, you’re a mess, gonna die in your sin
There’s blood of the Lamb if you let Christ in
Can’t keep Him out — confess with your mouth
You best read Romans 10 ’cause that’s where it’s found
You didn’t know how a rotten soul turned
Now you’ve got the manual and you’ll live if you learn
You got the picture — you’ve got to speak
Come to Him and pray and make it short and sweet

I said, my, my, my — you’re once livin’ twice died, baby
My, my, my — I’m once dead and twice alive, babe
My, my, my — you’re once livin’ twice died, baby

All right!

You didn’t know He had a rotten-soul directive
To fill us all and fix us was the Father’s prime objective
You told me, “I wanna know the Son”
And look at you now — this darkness is done

Oh-oh, my, my, my — you’re once dead and twice alive, babe
My, my, my — you’re once dead and twice alive, baby
My, my, my — you’re once dead and twice alive, baby
My, my, my — you’re once dead and twice alive

Ooh don’t die
Ooh don’t die
Don’t die
Don’t die
Don’t die, don’t die
So — don’t die
No — oh, don’t die
Oh, don’t die

[ ApologetiX – “Vision Gets Clearer as We Get Closer” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3afNUAi0JkU

“Two-Time Baby/Lord’s House Blues”
(Parody of “Love Me Two Times/Roadhouse Blues” by The Doors)

I’m a two-time baby — born twice today
I’m a two-time man — ‘cause I’m born again, yeah
I’m a two-time man — once born in Adam, once with Christ within I’m a two-time — I’m born again
Born one time — it was bleak
Born one time, baby — yeah, my flesh was weak Born a two-time man — trust Him my soul to keep I’m a two-time — I’m born again
I’m a two-time — I’m born again
Alll right!
You gotta rule, rule, rule
You gotta fill my soul, all right
Rule, rule, rule, rule and heal my soul
You gotta teach me how to reach Ya
Walk and talk, I wanna
Preach it to the nations — Bible revelation I believe Ya, Jesus, come in my life
I sure need Ya! I sure need Ya!
It’s up to You now! It’s up to You now! Save this sinner! Save us sinners! My Lord!
Yeah, but once you been born again, ya got nothin’ to fear Yeah, but once you been born again, ya got nothin’ to fear Your future is certain when the end is drawing near
Let Him rule, baby, rule!
Let Him rule, baby, rule! Let Him rule, baby, rule! Let Him rule — Oh, my Lord!

[ ApologetiX – “Chosen Ones” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4LCvazDuDo

“Won’t Get Born Again”
(Parody of “Won’t Get Fooled Again” by The Who)

They’ll be frightened of the beast
And they still will have no peace
And the hero that they worshipped will be gone
And the man who spurred them on
The one they thought could do no wrong
Is a tyrant a lot like Genghis Khan

A tip I have for the United Nations:
Take a browse through the Book of Revelation
Bible says there’s a stranger comin’ round
Who’ll specialize in charm and grace
Pacify every race
But he led all the people astray — who don’t get born again

A savior had to come — they knew it all along
But they never read about the one that’s false
And the world will bless his name
It’s a mystery and a shame
‘Cause the man that they love won’t win the last war

A tip I have for the United Nations:
Think about what you’ll do on that occasion
Bible says there’s a stranger comin’ round
Who’ll shoot up like a star in flames
Can’t quite guess his name
But he’ll get all the people to pray — who don’t get born again, no, no

He’ll fool the world when he finally arrives
They’ll be happy till they’re left out to dry
He’ll get all the nations to buy into his lie
But I know that the Israelites won’t comply — Will ya?

Yeahhhh!
And nothing is complete
Till all of Israel is redeemed
It’s in Romans verse 11:25
And the Lord will heal the rift
In all the hearts of Israelites
And the people and their God will both unite

A tip I have for the United Nations:
Wake up now to the dude in Revelation
Smile and grin when there’s peace all around
(Don’t) forget about the price you’ll pay
There on Judgment Day
When you get on your knees and pray
But won’t get born again — won’t get born again — no, no

Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhh! — meet the true God — name is Jehovah

[ ApologetiX – “Wordplay” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUNN2Ncdkcg

“Young As You Are”
(Parody of “Come as You Are” by Nirvana)

Young as You Are
Young as you are, as you were
As we want you to be
Kurt Cobain lives again
In our own memories
Tape rewinds; there you are
The voice is yours and the face
Stays preserved evermore
When you’re on MTV, yeah
MTV, yeah … MTV, yeah … MTV, yeah

Young as you are, can’t you see
That that’s no way to be?
Kurt is dead — that’s the end
And there’s no Remedy, yeah
Remedy, yeah … remedy, yeah … remedy, yeah

It’s a chance that he won’t have again
No, he won’t have again
No, he won’t have again

Please, yeah …. let him be, yeah
Let him be, yeah … let him be, yeah

Young as He was — 33
Jesus died for you and me
Let Him in as a friend
And you know where you’ll be, yeah
Heavenly, yeah … eternity, yeah … Heavenly, yeah

And God’s Word says you’ll be born again
Yeah, you’ll be born again
Yeah, you’ll be born again
Yeah, you’ll be born again

Heavenly, yeah … eternity, yeah

[ ApologetiX – “Ticked” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrsD3IIG85M

“Here I Go (Against All I’ve Known)”
(Parody of “Here I Go Again” by Whitesnake)

I don’t know what I’m doing
But I sure know that I’ve sinned
Hangin’ on the precipice with a thousand debts to pay
And I’ve made up my mind
I ain’t waitin’ for more signs
Here that story ends, here I’m born again

They told me, Keep searchin’ for an answer
They never seem to mind till you think you’re sure
Oh, Lord, I pray You’ll give me strength to bear this cross ‘Cause I know what this means
It won’t be long they’re calling me extreme

Here I go against all I’ve known
Though I’m down and out, I know I’m not alone
Though I’ve drifted far from shore, You’re on the boat
And I’ve made up my mind; I ain’t waitin’ for more signs

I guess You know it’s hard for me to trust You
Faith is all stuff we cannot see
But I’m gonna hold on, Lord, and rest in my faith ‘
Cause I know what I read:
To walk with God, I only need belief

And here I go against all I’ve known
Though I’m down and out, I know I’m not alone
By the Scriptures I was warned so long ago
And I’ve made up my mind
I ain’t waitin’ for more signs
‘Cause here I’m born again
Here I’m born again
Here I’m born again
Here I go

‘Cause I know what I need
To walk with God — so, Lord, help me believe

And here I go against all I’ve known
Though I’m down and out I know I’m not alone
Though I’ve drifted from you, Lord, I’m walkin’ home
And I’ve made up my mind
I ain’t waiting for more signs

Here I go against all I’ve known
Though I’m down and out I, know I’m not alone
All the Scriptures I once scorned I want to know

[ ApologetiX – “Wordplay” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xzk6IXeWIiE

“Learn Some Deuteronomy”
(Parody of “Pour Some Sugar on Me” by Def Leppard)

Get with Christ — Walk in faith
You and me need — His grace!

Livin’ by the law, babe, you’re gonna get it wrong
Livin’ by the law will make you dead and gone
Look at God’s commands in Leviticus and
Then in Deuteronomy you’ll see it man

Actually you’ll have to read in chapter three tonight
Of Galatians verses 19 through 25
Small crimes, any crime puts you in deep
Christ is the Savior, sayin’ look at Me (Yeah! Yeah! C’mon!)

Take your Bible — Shake it off
Everybody — breaks the law
Learn some Deuteronomy — can you name those laws?
Learn from Deuteronomy — c’mon try because
Learn your Deuteronomy — you ain’t good enough
God’s Law — is tricky to keep — born again you must be, yeah

(Listen!) Read* the Bible, yeah we’re liable, Jesus died though
Grace is livin’ Romans 7:1 and 4
There have been 613 written Bible laws
We ain’t even† exaggeratin’ the Jews said so — the Jews said so
You gotta read Leviticus 18 and read a little more
Deuteron’my 27, Habakkuk 2:4
Small crimes, any crime puts you in deep
Read it in James 2:10 I’m sure you’ll see
(Yeah! Yeah! Read a little more!)

CHORUS

You come to Jesus — Christ’s got the key
Jesus says — come to me
‘Cause God’s law (law) is so hard — it’s tricky to keep
Born again (yeah) amen — you must be
Cause you’re just a sinner — want some more proof?

Take your Bible (Take your Bible) — Shake it off (Shake it off)
Everybody (Everybody) — breaks the law
Learn some Deuteronomy — can you name those laws?
Learn from Deuteronomy — c’mon try because
Learn your Deuteronomy — oh, can you name those laws?
Learn your Deuteronomy — oh, can you name those laws?
Learn your Deuteronomy — Read it — and then you’ll
Learn your Deuteronomy — Oh, look and see!

[ ApologetiX – “Spoofernatural” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcX19Oy_y14

“Straight on Through (to the Other Side)”
(Parody of “Break On Through (To the Other Side)” by The Doors)

You know the day you come to Christ
Christ provides the way
Guides you from death to life
Straight on through to the other side
Straight on through to the other side
Straight on through to the other side, yeah

Forsake your pleasures here
Store up treasures there
Because He will recall the times we’re kind
They go through to the other side
Straight on through to the other side

Hey
Ah c’mon — heyy!

Everyone that — trusts my Savior
Never comes into — condemnation
Seek Him! Seek Him! Seek Him! Seek Him!
Heyy-eh yeah!

I’ve found if Christ lives in your heart
God redeems your life
All it takes is Christ inside
To bring us through to the other side
Straight on through to the other side
Straight on through oh
Oh yeah-eh-ehh!

It’s plain to see — we can be
Saved today — now’s the hour
Get His grace — seek and find
Streak on through to the other side
Straight on through to the other side

Straight on through, straight on through
Straight on through, straight on through
Straight! Straight! Straight! Straight!
Straight! Straight! Straight! Straight!
Yeah!

[ ApologetiX – “Braggadocious” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9bDhhR2KXA

“That’s Unbelief”
(Parody of “Bad Company” by Bad Company)

Mmm mmm … mmm
Mmm mmm … mmm mmm

Unbelief always comes to ruin
Destiny … mmm … is arriving soon … oh oh oh
I was born — with blood on my hands
But I’ve begun — to make my final plans

That’s quite a calling

That’s unbelief
What I’ve planned tonight
That’s unbelief
To betray our guide
Oh, to betray our guy
To betray our God

Troubled soul — deserting the Lord’s cause
Chosen one — who threw away God’s Son
Now these clowns – they don’t know I’ve changed
Six months out – is our claim the same?

I can hear them say

That’s unbelief
When I’m done tonight
That’s – that’s unbelief
To betray the Christ
Oh, yeah — to betray Messiah
Ooh ooh ooh oooh oooooh

LEAD
Oh-oh-oh oh-oh oh-oh

Hey, hey, hey-hey
That’s unbelief
I can’t decide
After the deed
Will they say I’m right?

Well, I say now
Was that unbelief?
Oh, yeah, yeah — yeah, yeah-eh
That’s come to be
Still today I cry

Whoa-oh yessss
When I’m hung on a tree
Ohhh will that at last comfort me?

That’s the way I’ll pay, yeah-eh
Don’t I feel dirty! Huh

Ahhhh ah ah
Some kind of double crosser
Double cross — but what a cost
Yeah, well, that’s unbelief
Oh, I sold His blood
Mmm mmm mmm mmm – yeah-eh eh

[ ApologetiX – “Conspiracy No. 56” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fdkzv0vumNo

“Life Restored”
(Parody of “Last Resort” by Papa Roach)

Plug my life into Jesus—this gets my life restored
Such a cakewalk—no brainer
Don’t need to fuss if I call on our savior
This gets my life restored

Plugged my life into Jesus—I’ve seen my life restored
Such a cakewalk—no brainer
Don’t need to fuss since I called Him my savior
Do not even care if I die later
Cause I belong to Jesus Christ
If they took my life tonight—chances are I’d arrive
In a place that’s out of sight—and I’m confident I’m doin’ fine

‘Cause I’m improving my life, renewing my mind
This all started with Romans 10:9
Doing what’s right, doin’ quite fine
This all started with Romans 10:9

I never realized I was meant to live
To live a new life if I would let Him within
Told me—death is the payoff for living in sin
End the cycle when you’re born again
It all started when I first discovered
The Book on my shelf and read cover to cover
Searching—to find religion that held my attention
Finding—something called Christian redemption

‘Cause I’m improving my life, renewing my mind
This all started with Romans 10:9
Doing what’s right, doin’ quite fine
This all started with Romans 10:9

I’ll be all right—I’ll be just fine
You’re runnin’ out of time
I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m fine
I can’t go wrong living this way

Plug my life into Jesus
This gets my life restored
Selfish nature—don’t need it
Go give it up—you can conquer your demons
Would it be wrong for me to pry
If you give your life to Christ—Chances are dynamite
You will make it out alive—and I’m confident you’ll do it right

‘Cause I’m improving my life, renewing my mind
This all started with Romans 10:9
Doing what’s right, doin’ quite fine
This all started with Romans 10:9

I’ll be all right—I’ll be just fine—You’re runnin’ out of time
I can’t go wrong livin’ this way—Can’t go wrong living this way
I’ll be all—right

[ ApologetiX – “Keep The Change” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lmj2zIK5kAc

“One Way”
(Parody of “One Week” by Barenaked Ladies)

It’s been one way, take a look and see
Up to Heaven, the Bible says it plainly
False faith and philosophy
Can’t get ya to Heaven — come back to Jesus
He’s the Way and the living Truth
You realize that all those false gods couldn’t help you
Yes indeed, He’s forgiven me
And He can still get you saved if you say you’re sorry

Holy cow! They got you hoodwinked
With the pagan god thing
I think you’re lookin’ at also rans
But some of this superstition
Though it might be called religion
Finds find you sizzlin’ with the devil in the fryin’ pan
It’s not like the Bible says it one time
More like 300 times — it says there’s only one avenue
First C’rinthians chapter 8:6, the Bible says this
You try to tell me that it’s not true
I think you’re makin’ a mistake
I’d like to take and wake and shake
I’d like to tell you how to find yourself the way there
Cause Jesus showed us and we know
Where every soul is gonna ago
Unless n’ they confess Him as their Lord and Savior

I cannot help it if I think there’s one way and you’re mad
Tryin’ hard not to sin but you’re still bad
There’s a time to die and after the funeral
Then you’ll understand what I mean when it’s too real
I have a tendency to stand behind John 14
John 14:6 could be my favorite Bible verse

It’s been one way — take a look and see
Deuteronomy says it pretty plainly
5:7 the passage reads:
“You shall not have other gods before me”
You can read Exodus halfway through
Go read that line in chapter 20 ‘cause it’s there, too
Yes, indeed, chapter 20, verse 3
Now, it’s written in two places for you, and you saw it

Check into China — the Chinese Christians
They haven’t done zip, but they’re chained up in prison
‘Cause they read their Bibles with the lights on
Or cause they prayed once (they prayed once)
Or cause they spoke on their religion

In America it’s more like getting dandruff
They see you stand up
They snicker when they see you passin’ by
They’d cure us all of all our bad flaws
They wanna make laws
But if they did they’d have us sterilized
They get upset at anyone who tries definin’ God above
They’re so alarmed they always try to start attacking
Their attitude is that you’re rude
And that no truth is absolute anyway, babe
So let them think the wrong thing

I cannot help it if I think there’s one way into Heaven
Kinda hard to ignore Matthew chapter 7
I can find a line in Acts chapter 4:12
Cannot be saved by the name of someone else
I have First Timothy to verify my beliefs
There’s quite a bit to read, but 2:5’s the verse

It’s been one way, take a look and see
Drop your guard and your pride and say I’m sorry
Bible says what you have to do
It says, you just confess that Christ is Lord — He’ll come in you
Believe that He’s risen, too
And realize you’re born again — I wouldn’t tease you
Yes, indeed, we can all be saved
There’ll still be too many who won’t say they’re sorry
Still Jesus waits till we say we’re sorry
Still Jesus waits, so please say you’re sorry
At least God don’t speak in code like Hammurabi

[ ApologetiX – “New and Used Hits” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s4vFiieRr8

“Seven Romans”
(Parody of “Every Morning” by Sugar Ray)

When we’re born again a halo ain’t a-gonna come
And hover over most folks’ heads
I know it’s not like that but Jesus Christ can use me
Though I’m weak and I’m an uptight man

I couldn’t understand — had to work it out:
“Born again as a Christian yet my problems aren’t over
And I’m gripped with doubts”
Somethin’ God’s revealin’ — stops me from that feelin’
Tells me I’m born again
Says I’ll make it through it — and Romans 7 proves it, amen

(Sugar Jay say:)
Oh oh oh oh — oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh — oh oh oh oh oh oh
Seven Romans — Seven Romans says I’ll make it
(Trust the Lord, baby — obey His word)
Jesus will right what’s wrong — He’s always right, He’s always right
(Trust the Lord, baby — trust the Lord, baby)

When we’re born again an archangel ain’t gonna come
And hover over most folks’ heads
I know I’m not nice but I know Jesus still loves me
And I know I can believe what He said

Sometimes it’s deceivin’ — when you trust your feelings
Turn to the Lord instead
Says I’ll make it through it — although I think I blew it again

Oh oh oh oh — oh oh oh oh oh oh
Seven Romans — Seven Romans says I’ll make it
(Trust the Lord, baby — obey His word)
Oh oh oh oh — oh oh oh oh oh oh
Seven Romans — Seven Romans says I’ll make it
(Trust the Lord, baby — trust the Lord, baby)

Jesus will right my wrongs — for me — baby
Jesus will right what’s wrong with me

When we’re born again a halo ain’t a-gonna come
And hover over most folks’ heads
I know I’m not quite done but Jesus Christ will do it
Like Philippians chapter 1:6 says
(Trust the Lord, baby — obey His word)

Whistling starts
Seven Romans
Seven Romans says I’ll make it
(Trust the Lord, baby — trust the Lord, baby)
Seven Romans
Seven Romans says I’ll make it
(Tells me I’m born again)
(Trust the Lord, baby — obey His word)

Seven Romans
(Do it again)
Seven Romans says I’ll make it

Seven Romans
(Trust the Lord, baby — trust the Lord, baby)
Seven Romans says I’ll make it
Whistling continues

[ ApologetiX – “Decent Alternative” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbKN4nVG_ro

“Complain“
(Parody of “Cocaine” by Eric Clapton )

If your plans don’t work out
You start to shake and shout — complain
Yes, you moan on your couch
Like Oscar the Grouch — complain
She don’t like, he don’t like, we don’t like – complain

If you get bad news
You ought to pray but you – complain
When your day is done
And it wasn’t fun – complain
She don’t like, he don’t like, we don’t like – complain

If you’re really headstrong
And you wanna gripe on, OK
Don’t forget this fact
Israel way back – complained
Israelites, Israelites, Israelites – complained

She don’t like, he don’t like, we don’t like – complain

[ ApologetiX – “Doves in Snakes’ Clothing” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlBiew86NaI

“Good News/Bad News”

This is a Gospel presentation and personal testimony of J. Jackson, lead vocalist of ApologetiX from their 20th-anniversary concert. It is available on the “20:20 Vision” album.

VIDEO (audio only): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q21Jnaq-EL8

<<< DEEP THOUGHTS >>>

“If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it. Don’t complain.”
[ Maya Angelou ]

“He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.”
[ Benjamin Franklin ]

“An important decision I made was to resist playing the Blame Game. The day I realized that I am in charge of how I will approach problems in my life, that things will turn out better or worse because of me and nobody else, that was the day I knew I would be a happier and healthier person. And that was the day I knew I could truly build a life that matters.”
[ Steve Goodier ]

“Abandon the idea that you will forever be the victim of the things that have happened to you. Choose to be a victor.”
[ Seth Adam Smith ]

“The luckiest people are those who learn early… that it’s essential to take charge of your own life. That doesn’t mean you don’t accept help, friendship, love, and leadership—if it’s good leadership—from others. But it does mean recognizing that ultimately you’re the one who’s responsible for you.”
[ John W. Gardner ]

“You are responsible for the world that you live in. It is not the government’s responsibility. It is not your school’s or your social club’s or your church’s or your neighbor’s or your fellow citizen’s. It is yours, utterly and singularly yours.”
[ August Wilson ]

“Character—the willingness to accept responsibility for one’s own life—is the source from which self-respect springs.”
[ Joan Didion ]

“The degree to which you accept responsibility for everything in your life is precisely the degree of personal power you have to change or create anything in your life.”
[ Hal Elrod ]

“Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anyone else expects of you. Never excuse yourself.”
[ Henry Ward Beecher ]

“Having a high view of God means something more than giving glory to God… it means giving glory to God alone. This is the difference between Calvinism and Arminianism. While the former declares that God alone saves sinners, the latter gives the impression that God enables sinners to have some part in saving themselves. Calvinism presents salvation as the work of the triune God—election by the Father, redemption in the Son, calling by the Spirit. Furthermore, each of these saving acts is directed toward the elect, thereby infallibly securing their salvation. By contrast, Arminianism views salvation as something that God makes possible but that man makes actual. This is because the saving acts of God are directed toward different persons: the Son’s redemption is for humanity in general; the Spirit’s calling is only for those who hear the gospel; narrower still, the Father’s election is only for those who believe the gospel. Yet in none of these cases (redemption, calling, or election) does God actually secure the salvation of even one sinner! The inevitable result is that rather than depending exclusively on divine grace, salvation depends partly on a human response. So although Arminianism is willing to give God the glory, when it comes to salvation, it is unwilling to give Him all the glory. It divides the glory between heaven and earth, for if what ultimately makes the difference between being saved and being lost is man’s ability to choose God, then to just that extent God is robbed of His glory. Yet God Himself has said, “I will not yield My glory to another” (Isaiah 48:11).”
[ James Montgomery Boice ]

“The law is good, but there is something it cannot do. It cannot save me.”
[ Francis Schaeffer ]

“May I never get over the fact that God saved a wretched sinner like me.”
[ Voddie Baucham ]

”The creator is absolute sovereign, executing his own will, performing his own pleasure, and considering naught but his own glory. And has he not a perfect right to do so? Since God is God, who dare challenge his prerogative? To murmur against him is rank rebellion. To question his ways is to impugn his wisdom. To criticize him is sin of the deepest dye. Have we forgotten who he is?”
[ A. W. Pink ]

“The hallmark of grace is an obedient heart. Again, we must be clear: Obedience does not produce or maintain salvation, but it is the inevitable characteristic of those who are saved.”
[ John MacArthur ]

“Erase John Calvin and his theology from church history, and I still believe in the absolute depravity of man, the unconditional election of God, the definite atonement of Christ, he efficacious grace of God, and the perseverance of all the saints. Because the Bible tells me so.”
[ Dustin Benge ]

“There can be no peace between you and Christ while there is peace between you and sin.”
[ Charles Spurgeon ]

“Soteriology simplified; God saves us by Himself, from Himself, unto Himself, for Himself.”
[ Burk Parsons ]

“The question is not, Is there free will? The question is, Is there good will? You’re free to will but will only according to your nature, and your nature is evil. So what you’re going to do is evil unless God comes in and gives you a new heart.”
[ Paul Washer ]

“Once God reaches out in seeking man, man may respond by seeking back. But apart from the seeking of God, no man seeks after Him.”
[ John MacArthur ]

“You are converted not because of your inherent righteousness, but because God converted you.”
[ R. C. Sproul ]

“God did not choose us because of anything good in us. He chose us in spite of us. The reason lies in God unmerited grace.”
[ Steven Lawson ]

“You played no part in your first birth, and you contribute nothing to your second birth. There is no cooperation in being born again.”
[ Kevin DeYoung ]

“To say that God’s sovereignty is limited by man’s freedom is to make man sovereign.”
[ R. C. Sproul ]

“The simple definition of the sovereignty of God is that; god rules over everything, absolutely everything, Down to every molecule and every atom in the universe.”
[ John MacArthur ]

“We talk about predestination because the Bible talks about predestination. If we desire to build out theology on the Bible, we run head on into this concept. We soon discover that John Calvin did not invent it.”
[ R. C. Sproul ]

“Religion says, ‘I obey, therefore I am accepted.’ Christianity says, ‘I am accepted, therefore I obey.’”
[ Alistair Begg ]

“Natural man does not want Christ. He will only want Christ if God plants a desire for Christ in his heart. Once that desire is planted, those who come to Christ do not come kicking and screaming against their wills. They come because they want to come.”
[ R. C. Sproul ]

“Christ alone atoned for sin and Christ alone can provide reconciliation with God.”
[ John MacArthur ]

“True repentance reflects contrition, a godly remorse for offending God.”
[ R. C. Sproul ]

“Giving your heart to Christ is not the Gospel. Salvation comes from something that Christ gives you, not something that you give to Christ.”
[ Charles Spurgeon ]

“Thousands of souls who give no evidence of being born again are quite confident that Christ has saved them.”
[ Arthur Pink ]

“People who go to Hell deserve to be there. People who go to Heaven do not deserve to be there. The first is justice, the second in grace.”
[ Steven Lawson ]

“When a man gets saved, he gets saved from God. The justice of God was coming for you. God saved you from Himself, God saved you for Himself, and God saved you by Himself.”
[ Paul Washer ]

“If God did not act first, no one would be saved.”
[ R. C. Sproul ]

“Regeneration is something that is accomplished by God. A dead man cannot raise himself from the dead.”
[ R. C. Sproul [

“Is God unfair in not choosing to save everyone? ‘Fair’ would send everyone to Hell. You don’t want fair, you want mercy.”
[ John MacArthur ]

“When we say that God is sovereign, we affirm his right to govern the universe, which He has made for His own glory, just as He pleases. We affirmed that Hhis right is the right of the Potter over the clay, that He mould that play into whatsoever form He choose… We affirm that He is under no rule or law outside of His own will and nature, that God is a law unto Himself, and that He is under no obligation to give an account of His matters to any.”
[ A. W. Pink ]

“A believer will never become an unbeliever, because faith is a gift from God”
[ Steven Lawson ]

“God would not have converted me, if He had not elected me.”
[ Augustus Toplady ]

“Salvation is God determined, God purchased, God applied, and God secured. From start to finish, salvation is of the Lord alone.”
[ Steven Lawson ]

“Those who have received salvation are to attribute it to sovereign grace alone, and to give all the praise to Him, who makes them to differ from others.”
[ Jonathan Edwards ]

“You’re not saved because you’re repentance and faith are perfect. You’re saved because the work of Christ is perfect and you’re clinging to that in your frailty and your hopelessness.”
[ Paul Washer ]

“The Lord saves me from the penalty of my sin, from the power of sin, and one day from the very presence of sin.”
[ Alistair Begg ]

“You contribute nothing to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary.”
[ Jonathan Edwards ]

“In Romans 3, Paul makes abundantly clear that unconverted people do not seek after God… so structuring worship to accommodate unbelievers is misguided because these unbelievers are not seeking after God. Seeking after God begins at conversion, and if we aren’t to structure our worship with a view to seekers, then we must structure it for believers, since only believers are sneakers.”
[ R. C. Sproul ]

“I am blessed, chosen, adopted, accepted, redeemed, and forgiven.”
[ Author unknown ]

“Everyone says, ‘I know Jesus.’ That’s wonderful, but does Jesus know you?”
[ Paul Washer ]

“As Christians, we accept one foundational truth—God and everything else makes sense. An atheist denies God and has to accept incredible explanations for everything else. It takes more faith to deny God than to believe in him”
[ John MacArthur ]

“Life is eternity’s sunrise.”
[ Mark Besh ]

RELATED SCRIPTURE VERSES:

Responsible:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/responsible

Responsibility:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/responsibility

Accountable:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/accountable

Accountability:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/accountability

Born Again:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/born_again

Believe:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/believe

Belief:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/belief

Salvation:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/salvation

God’s Sovereignty:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/gods_sovereignty

Election:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/election

Predestination:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/predestination

Doctrines of Grace:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/doctrines_of_grace

Evangelism:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/evangelism

Great Commission:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/great_commission

“A quick summary of the Christian “Gospel”:
JESUS’ PROPITIATION made our SINS FORGIVEN and IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS to us so that we have GOD’S ACCEPTANCE into His Heaven and receive ETERNAL LIFE.”
[ Mark Besh ]

Hope you enjoyed some of these insights—share them with your friends and colleagues—so we can have a larger ’pool’ to receive from, and more to share with! Also, remember to include your name as the “source,” if some of this wisdom is of your doing. I would like to give credit where credit is due!

<<< FOCUS VERSES >>>

“You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
[ Genesis 2:16b-17 ]

“You may be sure that your sin will find you out.”
[ Numbers 32:23 ]

“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
[ Joshua 1:8 ]

“May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
[ Psalm 19:14 ]

“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
[ Psalm 119:11 ]

“How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
When will you get up from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
and poverty will come on you like a thief
and scarcity like an armed man.”
[ Proverbs 6:9-11 ]

“The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.”
[ Proverbs 16:33 ]

“Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.”
[ Proverbs 28:13 ]

“My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.”
[ Isaiah 46:10 ]

“‘My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.’”
[ Isaiah 55:8-9 ]

“Salvation is from the Lord.”
[ Jonah 2:9 ]

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
[ Matthew 5:14-16 ]

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
[ Matthew 6:14-15 ]

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
[ Matthew 6:19-20 ]

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
[ Matthew 7:7-8 ]

“And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
[ Matthew 21:22 ]

“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
[ Matthew 22:37-39 ]

“‘I am innocent of this man’s blood,’ he said. ‘It is your responsibility!’”
[ Matthew 27:24d ]

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
[ Matthew 28:19-20 ]

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”
[ Mark 16:15 ]

“Blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and obey it.”
[ Luke 11:28 ]

“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”
[ Luke 12:48 ]

“God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”
[ Luke 18:13 ]

“He who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
[ John 3:36 ]

“For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.” [ John 5:21 ]

“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”
[ John 5:24 ]

“All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.”
[ John 6:37 ]

“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life.”
[ John 6:40 ]

“No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him.”
[ John 6:44 ]

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.”
[ John 6:47 ]

“No one can come to Me, unless it has been granted him from the Father.”
[ John 6:65 ]

“As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.”
[ John 9:4 ]

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
[ John 14:6 ]

“For it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”
[ Romans 1:16 ]

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
[ Romans 3:23 ]

“All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose?”
[ Romans 8:28 ]

“For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.”
[ Romans 8:29-30 ]

“Though the twins were not yet born, and had not done anything good or bad, in order that God’s purpose according to His choice might stand, not because of works, but because of Him who calls.”
[ Romans 9:11 ]

“Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated.”
[ Romans 9:13b ]

“He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.” [ Romans 9:15-16 ]

“But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? ‘Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’ Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use? What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore.’”
[ Romans 9:20-22 ]

“Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.”
[ Romans 10:3 ]

“Jesus is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.”
[ Romans 10:4 ]

“Faith comes from hearing.”
[ Romans 10:17 ]

“The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”
[ 1 Corinthians 2:14 ]

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come!”
[ 2 Corinthians 5:17 ]

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
[ 2 Corinthians 9:7 ]

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”
[ Galatians 5:22-23 ]

“In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will.”
[ Ephesians 1:11 ]

“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.”
[ Ephesians 2:1 ]

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
[ Ephesians 2:8-9 ]

“Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”
[ Ephesians 4:15-16 ]

“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”
[ Philippians 2:12-13 ]

“Do everything without grumbling or arguing.”
[ Philippians 2:14 ]

“For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.”
[ Colossians 1:13 ]

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
[ Colossians 3:2-4 ]

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”
[ Colossians 3:23-24 ]

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
[ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ]

“And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
[ 2 Timothy 2:2 ]

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”
[ 2 Timothy 2:15 ]

“For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.”
[ 1 Peter 1:23 ]

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
[ 1 Peter 4:8-10 ]

If you have a ‘neat’ story or some thoughts about an issue or current event that you would like me to try to respond to, I would be glad to give it a try…so, send them to me at: mbesh@comcast.net

Disclaimer: All the above jokes and inspirations are obtained from various sources and copyright is used when known. Other than our name and headers, we do not own the copyright to any of the materials sent to this list. We just want to spread the ministry of God’s love and cheerfulness throughout the world.

Mark

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LIFE'S DEEP THOUGHTS