Voice Of The Valley Volume 2 Issue 2 April 1996

Who Is Too Blame? by Niles Hissom

A trend in our society that has been prevalent for some time has caused me to take a closer look at what is actually being pushed off on to people. For some unknown reason, people are very inclined to take the attitude: "It's not my fault, it's somebody else's fault." I have had an occasional opportunity to watch some 'TALK SHOWS' over the years and I have noticed that the theme of many of these shows deals with personal responsibility, or rather the denial of personal responsibility concerning the actions of individuals. The latest denials of personal responsibility that I have account of has come from a young man who blames his mother for his inability to "not cheat on his girlfriends." He revealed that he was conceived in one of the relationships that his mother had, while she was cheating. he now contends that it is not his fault that he "can't" keep himself faithful in relationships. Twenty years ago, or so, a comedian named Flip Wilson got a lot of mileage out of an ongoing "gag" in which he always claimed: "the devil made me do it." So it seems that this young adult male is claiming that: "my mother made me do it." Do people actually think that someone can actually have enough control over us that we cannot resist doing the things that we know are wrong (James 4:7)? Let's not confuse this with being compelled at gunpoint or knife point to do things. What is being espoused in the "it's not my fault" reasoning is that we can't help ourselves in matters of personal responsibility because someone has so much influence on us, we have no will in the matter. Flip Wilson's attempt to be funny really uncovered a deep seated condition of people's attitudes. If I do something wrong, I want to pass the blame on to someone else; that somehow removes my personal responsibility for my actions from me, to that person or persons whose influence compelled me to do wrong. Well friends and brethren, God says that personal accounting for our lives is to be required of us. God says in His Word that "every one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Romans 14:12). The Word of God teaches that God will render (pay in full) to every man according to his work (Psalm 62:12). Jesus makes the same kind of statement in Matthew 16:27. Look at Jeremiah 17:10. Jesus taught a parable, that we call the "Parable of the Talents," in Matthew 25:13-30, in which He makes it very clear that a person who doesn't take care of his personal responsibility will lose his soul. Don't even begin to think that a person will be able to stand before the SUPREME JUDGE of all of mankind and tell Him that what we did in life was the fault of someone else and not our fault. When we commit sin, it is our fault, not God's, not our neighbor, not our friends, not anyone's but ours. Temptation is brought about when a person is drawn away from doing right and enticed (to bait, to beguile, to allure; hence tempt) to sin because of the lust (strong desire) in us (James 1:14). And when the lust in us has conceived (indulges, takes over), it brings about sin as its result, and sin will result in eternal loss of one's soul (James 1:15). Sin is the transgression of God's Law (I John 3:4). So, shouldn't we think that it is time to act responsibly and come to grips with the fact that our personal actions will be the result of our exercise of our God-given free moral agency? If you are a Christian who is reading this, then be reminded again that God will hold you and me personally accountable for our actions. So, if we are not living the Christian life like we should, we can't blame anyone but ourselves for the loss of our souls. If you are reading this and not a Christian, then we urge you to find out what the Word of God teaches about what it takes to be saved, and do it quickly, while you have time and opportunity! The person who kills another cannot blame someone else when they are caught, or the person who steals and is caught, cannot blame anyone but themselves for the results. Neither will the person who never obeys the gospel commands of Jesus Christ ever be able to blame anyone but themselves when they stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ and hear these terrible words: "I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity" (Matthew 7:23). Some duties of life cannot be escaped. Personal responsibility cannot be thrown into someone else's lap. Let's take care of this while we have time and opportunity to do so. Let's render to God our personal obedience NOW (2 Cor. 6:2).