Another lesson in our series entitled Questions and Answers

1. The Age of Accountability

2. What is Accountability?
Question No. 1

3. Accountability implies that any
individual’s actions will be measured by
some standard which correctly labels those
actions right or wrong.
The argument about accountability is not
that there should be a standard to measure
what is acceptable...it is about where we find
that standard and how we enforce it.
A Working Definition

4. Accountability is what the citizens of our
country assumes will encourage our leaders
to rule well.
The government was founded upon the idea
of representation. The elected officials are to
be the voice of the people, for the people, by
the people because they come from the
people and can be removed by the people.
An Example

5. Accountability is a measurement of a
person’s actions. They are measured and
found to be acceptable or not.
Some Thoughts

6. Who are we Accountable to?
Question No. 2

7. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole
matter: Fear God and keep His
commandments, for this is man’s all. For
God will bring every work into judgment,
including every secret thing, whether good
or evil.
Ecclesiastes 12:13,14

8. If you love me, you will keep my
commandments.
Whoever has my commandments and keeps
them, he it is who loves me. And he who
loves me will be loved by my Father, and I
will love him and manifest myself to him.
John 14:15,21

9. There are 23 passages in the ESV that use the
phrase “keep My commandments.” It is
obvious that God has announced His
intentions for mankind.
A Specific Phrase

10. Why do you judge your brother? Or why do
you show contempt for your brother? For
we all shall stand before the judgment seat
of Christ. For it is written, “As I live, says
the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and
every tongue shall confess to God.” So then
each of us shall give account of himself to
God.
Romans 14:10-12

11. By what standard are we held
accountable?
Question No. 3

12. But thanks be to God, that you who were
once slaves of sin have become obedient
from the heart to the standard of teaching to
which you were committed, and having been
set free from sin, have become slaves of
righteousness.
Romans 6:17,18

13. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in
righteousness, that the man of God may be
complete thoroughly furnished for every
good work.
Second Timothy 3:16,17

14. When will we be held Accountable?
Question No. 4

15. We will be accountable when we know:
(1) Who we are accountable to*;
(2) What they will measure our actions by;
(3) What that standard asks us to do to
be acceptable in the eyes of the one we
are accountable to.
*See Acts 17:24-31 – All are accountable to
God now (“times of ignorance are gone”).
Follow Along Carefully

16. What is the Age of Accountability?
Question No. 5

17. Since we all learn at different paces and in
different ways and we all come to knowledge
of God’s Word according to our different
backgrounds...
there is no single age at which we must all be
held accountable.
Follow Along Carefully

18. Follow the Events in Acts 8:34-38:
(1) The Ethiopian is taught about Jesus
(2) It is implied that the Ethiopian learns
what it takes to please Jesus and what his
faith in Him will require;
(3) The Ethiopian acts and is immersed.
When was the Eunuch accountable?
The Ethiopian Eunuch

19. We will be accountable when we know:
(1) Who we are accountable to;
(2) What they will measure our actions by;
(3) What that standard asks us to do to
be acceptable in the eyes of the one we
are accountable to.
Follow Along Carefully

20. Is there anyone who is not Accountable?
Question No. 6

21. Individuals can’t be held accountable to God
if they aren’t able to intellectually
comprehend the following:
(1) They are accountable to God;
(2) The Bible is the standard God will use;
(3) The Bible asks us to believe, repent, be
immersed, confess Jesus as the Son of
God, live faithfully, and serve others.
Follow Along Carefully

22. That would imply that those who are unable
to ever comprehend those ideas (i.e.
handicapped) or those who haven’t yet grow
into the knowledge to comprehend them
(i.e. children) would not be held accountable
according to the same standards everyone
who can would be.
Conclusion