Question 1

What does the Bible say about personal responsibility?

Accepted Answer

Numbers 1:50-51“Put the Levites in charge of the Tabernacle of the Covenant, along with all its furnishings and equipment. They must carry the Tabernacle and all its furnishings as you travel, and they must take care of it and camp around it. Whenever it is time for the Tabernacle to move, the Levites will take it down. And when it is time to stop, they will set it up again.”The Bible says we are to fulfill our responsibilities wholeheartedly. This will show that we care about doing a job well and completing an assignment.Galatians 6:7-8Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.The Bible says that we are responsible for our own behavior and will bear the consequences for how we live.Genesis 3:12-13The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.”The Bible says we are accountable for our own choices and actions. Unfortunately, Adam’s first response when confronted by God for his sin was to blame someone else. God does not accept our attempts to shift blame. We are responsible for what we have done.Matthew 27:24Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. The responsibility is yours!”In attempting to avoid his own responsibility, Pilate condemned Jesus to death, thus condemning himself before God. Trying to avoid our responsibilities will only lead to trouble.

Question 2

Why is responsibility an important character trait?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 39:2-3The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did.Genesis 41:41Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt.”When we demonstrate the characteristic of responsibility, we will find that doors of opportunity will open to us. If we are responsible with what we have been assigned, greater opportunities with additional responsibility will come our way.Jeremiah 31:30All people will die for their own sins—those who eat the sour grapes will be the ones whose mouths will pucker.Ezekiel 18:20The person who sins is the one who will die. The child will not be punished for the parent’s sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child’s sins. Righteous people will be rewarded for their own righteous behavior, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness.Galatians 6:5We are each responsible for our own conduct.Responsibility is an important character trait because we all will be held accountable for our decisions and actions. We ultimately cannot get away with blaming others for our bad choices. God will always know the truth.

Question 3

What are my responsibilities before God?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 25:29“To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.”God holds us responsible for investing our talents and resources boldly for his Kingdom.Romans 12:6-8In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.God holds us responsible to use the gifts he has given us for the good of the church.1 John 4:11Since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.According to God, our two greatest responsibilities are to love him and love others.Micah 6:8No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.God holds us responsible for pursuing a personal relationship with him and for obeying him. He also requires us to maintain relationships with others that demonstrate his love and mercy.

Question 4

For what else am I responsible?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 2:15The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it.Psalm 8:6You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority.We are responsible for the care of God’s creation.Numbers 30:1-2Then Moses summoned the leaders of the tribes of Israel and told them, “This is what the Lord has commanded: “A man who makes a vow to the Lord or makes a pledge under oath must never break it. He must do exactly what he said he would do.”Ecclesiastes 5:4-6When you make a promise to God, don’t delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to him. It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it. Don’t let your mouth make you sin. And don’t defend yourself by telling the Temple messenger that the promise you made was a mistake. That would make God angry, and he might wipe out everything you have achieved.Ephesians 4:25So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.We are responsible for telling the truth and keeping our promises.Exodus 21:19“If he [an injured person] is later able to walk outside again, even with a crutch, the assailant will not be punished but must compensate his victim for lost wages and provide for his full recovery.”We are responsible to compensate others for any injury or harm we cause them, even if it is by accident.Matthew 12:37“The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”Ephesians 4:15We will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.We are responsible for the words we speak.1 Kings 1:6His father, King David, had never disciplined him at any time, even by asking, “Why are you doing that?” Adonijah had been born next after Absalom, and he was very handsome.Proverbs 22:6Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.We are responsible for disciplining our children.John 12:48“All who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken.”We are responsible for how we respond to Jesus and his message of salvation.

Question 5

How do I become a responsible person?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 25:20-21“The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’ The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities.’”Galatians 6:5We are each responsible for our own conduct.We become responsible people by conscientiously obeying God’s Word, doing what is right, and actively using the gifts God has entrusted to us.Romans 12:3Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.We can become more responsible by assessing how much responsibility we can handle, and not taking on more than we can do well.Proverbs 3:11-12My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.Hebrews 12:11No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.God will train us to be more responsible if we submit to his discipline and let him work in our hearts and minds.

Question 6

Will I be held responsible for bad outcomes that are not my fault?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 3:12-13The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.”Genesis 16:5Then Sarai said to Abram, “This is all your fault! I put my servant into your arms, but now that she’s pregnant she treats me with contempt. The Lord will show who’s wrong—you or me!”Exodus 32:22-24“Don’t get so upset, my lord,” Aaron replied. “You yourself know how evil these people are. They said to me, ‘Make us gods who will lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.’ So I told them, ‘Whoever has gold jewelry, take it off.’ When they brought it to me, I simply threw it into the fire—and out came this calf!”Matthew 27:24Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. The responsibility is yours!”First, we should consider our culpability in the matter. An honest and humble assessment of our behavior may reveal that we are responsible. Shifting blame to others will never go well.1 Chronicles 21:7-8, 17God was very displeased with the census, and he punished Israel for it. Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by taking this census. Please forgive my guilt for doing this foolish thing.” . . . And David said to God, “I am the one who called for the census! I am the one who has sinned and done wrong! But these people are as innocent as sheep—what have they done? O Lord my God, let your anger fall against me and my family, but do not destroy your people.”At times, God seems to be punishing innocent people for the sins of the guilty. In reality, we live in a fallen, sinful world, so the natural consequences of sin usually do affect others, even those who weren’t responsible for the problem.Numbers 14:20-23Then the Lord said, “I will pardon them as you have requested. But as surely as I live, and as surely as the earth is filled with the Lord’s glory, not one of these people will ever enter that land. They have all seen my glorious presence and the miraculous signs I performed both in Egypt and in the wilderness, but again and again they have tested me by refusing to listen to my voice. They will never even see the land I swore to give their ancestors. None of those who have treated me with contempt will ever see it.”Deuteronomy 21:1-9“When you are in the land the Lord your God is giving you, someone may be found murdered in a field, and you don’t know who committed the murder. In such a case, your elders and judges must measure the distance from the site of the crime to the nearby towns. When the nearest town has been determined, that town’s elders must select from the herd a heifer that has never been trained or yoked to a plow. They must lead it down to a valley that has not been plowed or planted and that has a stream running through it. There in the valley they must break the heifer’s neck. Then the Levitical priests must step forward, for the Lord your God has chosen them to minister before him and to pronounce blessings in the Lord’s name. They are to decide all legal and criminal cases. The elders of the town must wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken. Then they must say, ‘Our hands did not shed this person’s blood, nor did we see it happen. O Lord, forgive your people Israel whom you have redeemed. Do not charge your people with the guilt of murdering an innocent person.’ Then they will be absolved of the guilt of this person’s blood.”Joshua 7:1, 4Israel violated the instructions about the things set apart for the Lord. A man named Achan had stolen some of these dedicated things, so the Lord was very angry with the Israelites. . . . So approximately 3,000 warriors were sent, but they were soundly defeated.Often the whole community shares responsibility for what an individual or group of individuals has done.Deuteronomy 24:16“Parents must not be put to death for the sins of their children, nor children for the sins of their parents. Those deserving to die must be put to death for their own crimes.”Ezekiel 18:1-4“Why do you quote this proverb concerning the land of Israel: ‘The parents have eaten sour grapes, but their children’s mouths pucker at the taste’? As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, you will not quote this proverb anymore in Israel. For all people are mine to judge—both parents and children alike. And this is my rule: The person who sins is the one who will die.”In terms of judgment before God, a person is held responsible only for his or her own sins. God will not judge us eternally for someone else’s sins. Unfortunately, sin has consequences that affect others. Sin almost always hurts others, not just the sinner.Numbers 14:24“My servant Caleb has a different attitude than the others have. He has remained loyal to me, so I will bring him into the land he explored. His descendants will possess their full share of that land.”Those who are clearly innocent should not be intentionally punished with the guilty.

Question 7

Why is being a responsible person important for leaders?

Accepted Answer

Isaiah 6:8Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.”Being responsible and taking responsibility for our actions is the heart of leadership, for the leader is the one who responds to a need.Ezekiel 22:30-31“I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one. So now I will pour out my fury on them, consuming them with the fire of my anger. I will heap on their heads the full penalty for all their sins. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”If no one takes responsibility for the spiritual welfare of a group, they can fall into disobedience and suffer dreadful consequences. Wise leadership can protect the group from such problems.Acts 4:32-37All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need. For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles.The leaders of the early church called the people to be responsible for each other. This gave people like Barnabas the opportunity not only to care for others but also to emerge as a leader in the church.