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Accountability

A visitor to our website writes:

"In the case of a person who was born prematurely, and that has mental disorders that cause them to not fully understand what is going on; are they competent enough to be held accountable before God on the Day of Judgment?  Most of their emotions are due to their disability."

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Dear friend,

When I think of a question like this, one of the first things that comforts me with respect to the Day of Judgment is that our great God will always prove to be a righteous and just Judge.  The Bible teaches us that He is a "God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He" (Deut. 32:4).  "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (Genesis 18:25).  In the end, when all of the facts are known and all of the judgment of God completed, He will prove to have judged everyone in a completely faithful and righteous manner.  He will have accurately taken all things into account, will have rightly measured the motives and intentions and limitations of people, and will always render a judgment that is fair and just.

Because that's true, I also take comfort in the fact that He is a God of great mercy.  Psalm 103:13-14 says, "As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who fear Him.  For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust."  He knows and understands when someone truly loves Him and is genuinely seeking to live for him; and yet who also suffers under physical, mental, and emotional limitations.  He will always take those things into account in a compassionate and gracious way.

As a just Judge, He holds us accountable to the degree we are genuinely "competent".  Some people can only know a little about Him, for example, because they were born in a part of the world in which the Bible had not been given.  They may only be able to see the creation and know that He is the Creator.  They may not have heard the full exposition of His commandments, or heard the message of the gospel.  But they will not stand accountable for what they did not know.  They will be held accountable for walking in the light of the truth that they had.  As Paul writes in Romans 2:12-16; "For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel."

I would also add that even if a person was suffering from the disabilities you mentioned, they would still need to place their trust in Jesus Christ and believe on Him with the best understanding they have.  All of us, no matter who we are and what limitations we may have, were born of Adam and Eve and are sinners.  We all need to be saved from our sins; and there is no other Savior than Jesus Christ.  And when it comes to the matters of everyday life; if such a person were intellegently aware of ways that they may have sinned or caused harm to someone else, they are obligated to the best of their ability to confess their sin and trust in Jesus for forgiveness.  Certain mental or physical limitations may cause us to be more prone to fall into certain sins, or to more easily say things that are hurtful to others; but if we are aware that we have done so, we still need to ask forgiveness from God and from others, and trust God for help.

Praise Him!  He is not only the righteous Judge of all; He is also the great Helper of the helpless!

Blessings in Christ's love,

Pastor Greg
Bethany Bible Church

(All Scripture quotes are taken from the New King James Version.)

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