What do you all think about "accountability partners?"

[North Carolina Tentmaker]

First, let me say I am glad it worked for you. The church "rendition" seems to be matching 2 men who happen to be at the same meeting together or Sunday School, whatever -- a "forced" arrangement from the outset.

Yes, I agree with you, a forced arrangement would never work. There needs to be some mutual respect and shared experience. Beyond just showing up at the same meeting. You may actually have more success with an online friend and the anonimity of the internet than someone you see every day but don't trust.

Further, God's judgment of sin is integral and if you are denying that there is judgment involved by the other person, you are merely saying that they don't agree with God. But the emphasis is on edification, I know.

Absolutely. God does judge our sin. Your partner is not your judge, God has already judged you. We are not talking about someone pointing out the sin in your life. God has hopefuly already done that through the Holy Spirit. What we are talking about is after repentance getting encouragement and strength not to backslide again.

And then I, of course, realize that you can't talk to your wife about going to a strip club. It's preciesly your accountability to her that should keep you out of such things! What makes you think that talking about the sin with another man won't throw both of you back into the same ditch again?! What would you put the odds of that at?

There is of course always a chance of that, but what you need is another brother who is also dedicated from fleeing temptation and staying away from that ditch. Hopefully you stay away from the sin, but you need someone you can talk to openly and honestly about the temtation and desire of the flesh. And if you do fall, having confessed and received forgiveness from God, your partner encourages you not to fall again. The conviction /judgement /forgiveness /confession is all between you and God, your partner is just a fellow believer there for support and help. What I have seen and is really cool here is that your times of weakness will be your partners times of strength and vice verca. Not unlike a marriage relationship you can make up for each other's weaknesses and be stronger together then you ever could be alone.

I agree that a word to the wise ought to be sufficient. We ought to come along side one another in times of trial, for sure. And I'm not saying that we should be "enablers" as even a wife might be with some sins. In such cases, you may need to hold her more accountable. :saint: But thoughts and temptations are not sins and as soon as one turns again to sin, he/she will just have someone else to have to lie to.

You are right on here too. Temptations are not sins, and hopefully you overcome the temptation and never fall into the sin, but in our judgmental society today some believers will condemn you for even admitting the temptation. I am at times be guilty myself. Some temptations I just cannot understand and some sins I could never forgive. But you don't need my forgiveness.

I don't think we are that far apart here skypair, just with a different perspective and experience. Had I seen this done as you described I would have had problems with it also.

 

[USN2Pulpit]

So generally speaking, accountability partners is simply another step in the pursuit of biblical discipleship and encouragement of other believers. It is one of the ways that the Holy Spirit works.

I appreciate this posting...

 

[skypair]

Well, since you used the word "silly," I have to agree. It is a great misunderstanding of the Bible to reject the idea of accountability partners. The Bible is replete with instruction about mutual encouragement and accountability. Heb 10:24 says we are to stimulate one another to love and good deeds. James 5 says to confess your faults ot one another. Eph 5 says we are to submit to one another. Gal 6 says we are to bear one another's burdens. And we could pile verses on top of verses.

Oh, really? (In England, BTW, "Oh, really" is an insult!). :laugh: So Jesus said, "Let's all pair up with another same sex man/woman and have them ask us embarrassing questions the rest of our lives??" Isn't that called "marriage" if the sex is opposite?? :laugh: How about kids? You think they deserve any "accountability?"

To set the work of the Holy Spirit in accountability against the work of other believers would be like saying "I don't need a preacher; the Holy Spirit will teach me." That's biblically naive. The HOly Spirit uses the work of other people in our lives to accomplish his work.

Whoa!! Are you really so naive as to think you know who speaks for the Spirit??? Do believers make mistakes? Oh, yeah. I guess they do since they need "accountability partners." :laugh:

I have heard men say that they are accountable to God and their wife and no one else. That, quite frankly, is a naive idea, as well as a bad one. First, you are accountable to the church body whether you like it or not. You are also accountable to civil government and to your children. Furthermore, there is no way that a woman understands what it is like to be a man. I don't think that an accountability partner needs to have the same struggles (homosexuality was mentioned). In fact, putting two people together who have both struggled with the same thing is generally a bad idea. You need strength with weakness.

Of course we are accountable to a "host" of people besides family -- but it is also foolish to think that we can limit it to one person outside of God and family, isn't it?

It is one of the ways that the Holy Spirit works.

Larry, I believe in the "7 horns/7 eyes" (Rev 5:6) by which God directs our lives. Yes, government, family, conscience, law, etc. should "govern" our lives. But not person individual. Can you imagine anyone being THE moral arbiter of your actions???

skypair

 

[exscentric]

Quote:
Always kind of wondered if the Holy Spirit can't keep you accountable how could a man. Silly me, what do I know
"Well, since you used the word "silly," I have to agree. "

Oh thank you so much, I really needed that encouragement from a "brother" :tonofbricks:

"It is a great misunderstanding of the Bible to reject the idea of accountability partners."

You might point out where I said that in my two sentance statement.

"The Bible is replete with instruction about mutual encouragement and accountability."

Enlighten away and list what you would call "repleat."

"To set the work of the Holy Spirit in accountability against the work of other believers"

You can't even read between the lines of my comment and find all that.

"would be like saying "I don't need a preacher; the Holy Spirit will teach me." "

Humm thought He did. Again, silly me. Sure preachers have their place, but since we are believer priests, indwelled by the Spirit same as the preacher - seems we might do without him if the need arose.

"That's biblically naive."

Just silly me again I spose.

"The HOly Spirit uses the work of other people in our lives to accomplish his work."

He also works in lives all by His little lonesome without people at times as well.

 

[Pastor Larry]

So Jesus said, "Let's all pair up with another same sex man/woman and have them ask us embarrassing questions the rest of our lives??" Isn't that called "marriage" if the sex is opposite?? How about kids? You think they deserve any "accountability?"

I don't think Jesus said that. Neither did he say that marriage was about accountability or asking each other embarrassing questions. For my part, I don't find the questions embarrassing. I suppose if you are failing they can be embarrassing. I think discipleship and holiness is not embarrassing at all.

Are you really so naive as to think you know who speaks for the Spirit??? Do believers make mistakes? Oh, yeah. I guess they do since they need "accountability partners."

Yes, I think they make mistakes, but those who speak "for the Spirit" are known by how they conform to the Bible. Accountability si not about more revelation. It is about obeying what we already know.

Of course we are accountable to a "host" of people besides family -- but it is also foolish to think that we can limit it to one person outside of God and family, isn't it?

I wouldn't limit it to one person.

Can you imagine anyone being THE moral arbiter of your actions???

Yes, I can. God is the one who is the moral arbiter of our actions. And he has instructed us as believers to encourage one another to measure up to that standard.

 

[Pastor Larry]

Oh thank you so much, I really needed that encouragement from a "brother"

You are the one who used the word to begin with.

You might point out where I said that in my two sentance statement.

Why? I don't think I said that you said it.

Enlighten away and list what you would call "repleat."

The word is "replete" and I gave a number of references already.

You can't even read between the lines of my comment and find all that.

I know. I wasn't responding to you. I was responding to the thread in genearl.

"would be like saying "I don't need a preacher; the Holy Spirit will teach me." "

Humm thought He did. Again, silly me. Sure preachers have their place, but since we are believer priests, indwelled by the Spirit same as the preacher - seems we might do without him if the need arose.

Not if you are going to be biblical.

He also works in lives all by His little lonesome without people at times as well.

Yes he does, but the pattern of the NT is that the Christian life is lived in community, not alone.