Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

So I am  admitting to getting my righteous robes dirty. Just what kind of spot remover is available to us since those robes are not ours?

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

What if we don’t know where the spot came from? What do we confess then?

If you can see it, you know what caused it.

Can’t we just ignore it?

Sure but then it just gets bigger and uglier until others see it too.

Hebrews 10:24-25 English Standard Version

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

While the bible does not call out the term accountability partners, this scripture implies it.

James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

While James does not say one person is preferred over another, the inclusion of a righteous person to confess our sins too would indicate it is someone who has demonstrated a level of maturity that allows us to trust them.

If new to a church and seeking an accountability partner, ask the senior pastor for a candidate. That is how I got mine. One thing I would like us to do in the first meeting is to make a couple things clear from the onset. One, it is a two way street, you need to be there for them as much as they are for you. Two, it is cooperation, not a competition.

And one last thing, a good accountability partner does not let you off the hook. They may be guilty of doing the same thing and their conscience does not bother them. It is our conscience that needs to be assuaged, being told it isn’t a problem doesn’t help.

Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

I am asked often about what the bible says about the end times. I understand that the concerns being expressed are fear based and an earnest desire for everything to be put right. I am reluctant to be dragged into an endless conversation of eschatology. Nothing good has ever come out of it.

What does the bible say?

Here is my answer. Love one another. Love God. Love your enemies. Love is the only answer that makes any real difference in anyone’s life.

I get frustrated with what is going on but I boil it all down to the one issue that is the problem.

Sin.

Sinners do not want to admit they are sinners. “The law says I can, so it is not a sin.”

Man’s law is not universal. Man’s law is a rubber band that can be stretched until it breaks.

How do you love a sinner that refuses to acknowledge divine judgment?

I think I would begin by asking them if they are truly happy with the life they are leading?

The issue of a life lived to satisfy self is that it will use up the life energy of the sinner until they have nothing left in their life but the sin that is killing them. They are feeding the beast that cannot be satisfied. It consumes them.

Everyone has something that eats at them. Yes, even me.

Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

While I am here in this body I keep finding at least one spot that seems to reappear on my robes and no matter how many times I wash them, it comes back.

Romans 7:15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.

“Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! “ You know the rest so just love Him.