James H. Cagle
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty (responsibility) of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecc. 12: 13, 14).
Man is the most irresponsible creature God made. All other creatures fulfill their responsibilities. All other creatures are amoral and have no free will and therefore no choice in the matter of their responsibilities. They carry out their responsibilities by creature instinct and intuition.
God created man in such a way that he could fulfill greater responsibilities that in their fulfillment man would reach his full potential and glorify God. God created the universe and is the Moral Governor of the universe. His law is the moral law of the universe. Man is a moral agent that is under God’s law and answerable to God.
If man received responsibilities from God then man is obligated to and answerable or accountable to God. But if, as some believe, man is not accountable to God, and there is no final judgment, then he has no responsibilities from God.
King Solomon summed up or concluded the whole matter of man’s responsibility from God and accountability to God. Solomon says that man is obligated to obey God’s commandments (His Word), and that God will judge man to see if he did, even in secret.
Fallen man could not fulfill his responsibility to God, and keep without fail all His commandments (Rom. 3: 20). Jesus Christ therefore in love took responsibility for man’s sin and was personally held accountable for them by God at Calvary (Rom. 3: 28). All those who are saved, who are now in Christ Jesus, will not be held accountable for their sins when they stand before God, for Christ’s sacrifice for sinful man satisfied a holy God and His holy law.
All those who are lost, who are outside of Christ, will be responsible for their sins and personally held accountable for them on Judgment Day by God (Rev. 20: 11-15).
