Why Should We Keep Short Sin Accounts?
Everyone sins (Romans 3:23), and everyone struggles with sin (Galatians 5:17). But how do we get over it? Calling out the Lord to come to us is a traditional way of looking at it, but it runs much deeper than this, which is a gross misrepresentation.
God wants uninterrupted fellowship with us so we can expect Him to be there (He is there). The Lord is continually with us so we must be ready to make the changes in mentality that bring us closer to Him accordingly, as changing the mentality will ultimately lead to changes in behavior patterns.
We want to be able to do this as our behavior patterns and all things we do and say will be judged when we leave. There is only one death, followed by a judgment by Christ (Hebrews 9:27). Once we are at this judgment seat of Christ, all things done will receive recompense for all done in the body, whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:10).
But what happens at the judgment seat? How will it happen? We will be judged in 5 areas: personal, family, career, church, and community (Colossians 3:1-4:20). And within these five areas we will be judged by three things: our mouth, motive, and deeds.
First, our motives must line up with God…all that we do must be for the sole purpose of giving God Glory (1 Corinthians 10:31). And the judgment in these things will come when God discloses the purposes of our hearts at the judgment seat (1 Corinthians 4:5). Matthew 6:33 tells us that we must seek first the Kingdom, but we rather would hold on to our sin and compartmentalize God in certain parts of our business. However, once we are sealed with the Holy Spirit that allows God access to every part of our being and every act we commit, good or bad. The judgment seat may not send us to Hell when we are sealed with the Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14), but the purpose of having the right mentality and motive to please God and advance His Kingdom is to have something to present to Him at the judgment seat that does just that. In order to have that, we must constantly fight sin, which disrupts our connection with God, to stay empowered by Him.
We will also be judged by our words (mouth). Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:36), and a tree will judged by its fruits (Matthew 12:33-35). When dealing with others, we must deal with them in love, restoring them in a spirit of gentleness (Galatians 6:1), and telling them the truth about what’s going on in their business in love (Ephesians 4:15). We must be spiritual (spiritually matured) to do this, as the Spirit will guide us to those God wants us to give reproof or insight to and also capacitate us to say it the way He wants it said. (John 5:19-20) Otherwise we operate out of the flesh and at best are ineffective in empowering others, but more often than not, we damage those around our further.
We will also be judged by our deeds. The things we build up in the Spirit, like fine metals, will withstand the test of fire at the judgement seat. Conversely, the works of the flesh will burn up but the builder himself will be saved (1 Corinthians 3:10-15; Ephesians 1:13-14). God must empower us in Love to bring us what He wants in the manner that He wants. Those who operate out of Love (in the Spirit, Galatians 5:16, 22-23) are in line with God, and know Him well, for God is Love.
