Your Spiritual Accountability Partner

 

When it comes to partnering in marriage, God hasn’t kept us in the dark about His standards and expectations. In Ephesians 5:25, He tells the husband to love his wife just as Christ loved the church and gave his life for her. Again, in Colossians 3:19, He tells husbands they must love their wives and not be bitter towards them. In Ephesians 5:22, He commands the wife to submit to her husband in the same manner she submits to the Lord; and in 1Timothy 3:11, we learn that God expects the wife to be reverent, temperate, and faithful in all things. God’s standards demand for each spouse the highest level of mutual respect. His plan of marital union is nothing short of sheer brilliance. Those that do not have a clear understanding and appreciation of God’s purpose for marriage may be missing the mark. But make no mistake, God’s plan is the absolute best way to preserve family unity, and one of the most important tools in His plan is spiritual accountability.

Spiritual accountability is each person helping the other to uphold God’s standard, not in judgement, but through encouragement, correction, compassion, and honest communication. It is understanding that although marital unity brings the two together as one, each must continue to carry forth in ministry to one another. This ministering to one another allows each spouse to walk in purpose with the support and caring they need. Life moves at a very fast pace and bringing two people together can be complicated. Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit is paramount. Moving by his impetus will help in using the resource of time wisely. Being obedient to the Spirit’s guidance will also help in avoiding costly mistakes that can paralyze the unity in marriage.   

When two people are spiritually accountable to one another, they understand that Jesus Christ is the head of their union. He sets the timing of their spiritual elevation and promotion, and they should be committed to follow it. One spouse may be more sensitive to the Spirit in one area than the other and vice versa. They can help each other to grow and appropriately prioritize God’s agenda in the number one spot. We must never forget that as soon as we become born again, the clock starts ticking. We’ve got some place to be and we’ve got some stuff to do when we get there.

Salvation is received when we confess with our mouths that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we believe in our hearts that he was raised from the dead. Ephesians 2:8 tells us that our salvation isn’t a reward for good behavior. It’s a gift, and we could never have done anything to earn it. Because of what Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross, we are saved and rescued from darkness for all eternity. This is a gift that keeps on giving; it never ends. Accepting the love of Christ deeply in our hearts is our beginning. It’s the pivotal point in which our spiritual journey in Christ begins.

No human being is able to boast that they are so good or that they’ve accomplished such extraordinary achievements in life to warrant salvation. Ephesians 2:9 affirms that it is indeed a gift from God, and no one has grounds for boasting. Ephesians 2:10 goes on to tell us that we’ve been strategically engineered by God’s design, and He has molded us in the image of Christ. Because of this, you and I are fully capable, crafted, created, and equipped for God’s purposes. We can do all the good things that He planned for us to do even before the foundation of the world.

So, first things first, trusting God’s Will, Plan, and Purpose is the way to begin the extraordinary journey He’s destined for us. This same trust must be applied when it comes to the spiritual accountability partner that God has ordained for our lives. God expects us to meet His standard because He has equipped us to be able to do it. We are uniquely created to fulfill the purpose He has set before us. A spouse is our closest spiritual accountability partner. God knows the person that will be the most helpful in aiding us meet and maintain His standards. They will be strong in areas where we are not as strong, and together, you will increase each other’s strengths and strengthen each other where you are weak. This is God’s plan. It works, and meeting someone that will hold you spiritually accountable to be your best for God should be high on your list. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

 “Your Spiritual Accountability Partner”, by Alexandra Copeland, Copyright© 2020. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.