Care and accountability are good things, but if not done with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, they can easily degenerate into paternalism and legalism. The only thing that we have to do in life is to believe in Jesus Christ; everything else, no matter how good, is to be done out of a voluntary desire to be more like Christ and to do His work on earth. Emphasis is on voluntary. To institute a requirement that participation in a certain group or groups is mandatory in order to be part of a Christian community is not Biblical.
The only person that we are accountable to is Jesus Christ. If a Christian brother is struggling with some sin and asks me to hold him accountable, I will gladly do so, but I will do so only as a proxy on behalf of Jesus Christ. More importantly, this “accountability” relationship exists because it is voluntarily initiated and requested by my brother in Christ, and not imposed by me on my brother. Likewise, we are disciples of Jesus Christ alone, and not of any other person. One Christian “disciples” another only as a representative of Jesus Christ, and only because the Christian being “discipled” voluntarily submits to participate in the relationship. Ideas such as “a Christian must be part of an accountability group” or “a Christian must be discipled by another, more mature Christian” are heretical and violates the truth that salvation is by faith alone in Jesus Christ, through the grace of God.
Luke 14:26 – This verse is Christ’s teaching in Scripture, but it is very dangerous if used in one-on-one settings. The abuse of this verse by heterodox teachers has caused countless human tragedies in the breaking up of families and relationships. It has given the name of Christ a negative reputation.
To blindly believe that “Christians must not have anything to do with Las Vegas” is not only narrow-minded and judgmental, but is also deeply unfair to the many Christians who toil night and day in Las Vegas to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to that city. Remember, even during the golden age of Baal worship in Israel under the evil Jezebel, there were 7,000 people who remained loyal to the one true God (1 Kings 19:18).
For God so loved Las Vegas that He gave His only begotten Son, that every casino executive, pit boss, card dealer, cocktail waitress, street hustler, prostitute, and other person who believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
TAF: apn 