How many of us have sensed the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives only to turn away from what He has impressed upon our hearts? Sometimes our response to Him is based more on fear than anything else, but it is still disobedience in God’s eyes. And if we are sensitive to His presence, don’t we feel the heaviness that comes from having grieved Him? Somehow we instinctively know that we will not move forward until we have repented and dealt with whatever issue He is addressing.

Presented With Truth

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day refused to believe that He was the promised Messiah. In fact, they willfully chose not to believe, even in the face of irrefutable evidence. Because of this they were held accountable for their sin of unbelief, leaving them guilty before God in terms of eternal salvation.

Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see’, your guilt remains.” John 9:39-41

Personal Accountability

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We all stand accountable before God; not for what we don’t know, but for what we do know. When we as individuals are presented with Truth and are given understanding, we have a choice to make; we can believe and accept what we’ve been given, or we can choose to reject and disregard it. In whichever way we choose, the Bible is clear, we are fully accountable for that choice.

Note: If you’re reading this and are not sure whether you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior – or even what that means – I would encourage you to either contact me directly or click here for a very simple, yet compelling explanation of what it means to receive salvation through Jesus Christ!

Just as this principle pertains to salvation, it also proves true as we walk with Him daily. When we are born again, the Holy Spirit is given to us as a Helper. As our Helper He directs our paths, convicts us of sin (whether intentional or not), and even prays for us in accordance with God’s will. At times He speaks very clearly to our hearts regarding a certain sin, thing, or direction. When He does, we must decide whether we will obey or disregard His leading. If we choose to disregard and go our own way, we risk suffering loss of intimacy and fellowship with Him; which, if left unattended and unrepented, will ultimately lead to a broken (though not severed) relationship. In contrast, as we learn to keep our hearts open to Him and allow Him to lead, convict, and fill us with His presence, we will be blessed in ways that are beyond anything we could ever expect or even imagine!

A Work In Process

If you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are a work in process. We are all at different places in our journey with God. Even so, we have this in common: God will continually and actively reveal His truth and His will to us throughout our lives, because we are His children and He wants what’s best for us. When we know we have heard Him, let’s respond with willing and obedient hearts as we continue growing and maturing in Him!