Great Responsibility

We are servants of the Lord, brought into a relationship with Jesus Christ, and He has given us a high
responsibility - to be His representatives, to speak and act out His truth. 1st Corinthians 4 says:
1 Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
2 Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.
3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself.
4 For I know nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord.

We are stewards; we have been given certain responsibility in the Kingdom.  We are to represent Christ well - so, we can be challenged to make sure our words are in line with His Word, to allow Christ to live through us, so that He may be exalted.  Consistent with the words of John the Baptist in the book of John 3, we are to decrease, so that Jesus may increase.  And, we should be careful to make sure that the content to which we expose ourselves lines up with the Scriptures.

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In 2nd Timothy 2, we can read a passage that deals with speaking God's Word in a clear and credible
manner:
14 Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers.
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.

With our words come great responsibility.  I think that is a clear teaching of Scripture, and it should make us think about what we speak, as well as how we speak it.  The phrase from Ephesians 4 about speaking the truth in love should not be taken lightly.

There's an article about speaking, and writing, that has generated quite a bit of discussion.  It appears on the Christianity Today website and is written by Tish Harrison Warren, who is ordained in the Anglican Church in North America.  While the primary focus of the article is on the accountability of women who are in public roles in ministry, such as blogging or public speaking, I think there are some principles that all of us should take to heart about taking responsibility for our words as representatives of Christ.

Warren writes:

...with the blessing and power of leadership comes the duty and vulnerability of speaking out of one’s particular theological tradition and in turn being held accountable to that same tradition. As public teachers—even those operating in cyberspace—we forfeit the luxury of holding merely “private” beliefs. When Christian writers or speakers make theological statements, we have a responsibility to give a specific argument, show our rigorous theological work, elevate the conversation, welcome strong criticism and debate, and in so doing, help others think and worship better.

Well said!  She also contends;

The New Testament presupposes that church authority, hierarchy, and discipline exist to protect orthodoxy and orthopraxy. This responsibility does not cease in this age of the Internet. Orthodox church institutions that value scriptural and historical faithfulness have a responsibility to provide clear guidance to Christian readers and listeners who are seeking to discern which voices to heed in the din of cyber-spirituality.

And, in closing, Warren says, "The church has said for millennia that bad teaching is more deadly than bad surgery. Now we have an influx of teachers who become so by the stroke of a key." After likening the importance for theological accuracy in Christian teaching to the rigorous training in the medical profession, she writes: "We need to be as discerning in whom we trust with care of souls as we are with care of our bodies."

I will say that in the blogosphere and social media, I do think there is a degree of accountability - when someone writes something that is theologically questionable, perhaps there will be negative feedback. Such is the case of a particular well-known women's speaker who continues to be a source of controversy because she said a same-sex relationship could be "holy."  This CT article questions who is holding this writer accountable; I would submit, in a sense, the accountability has come from people who have questioned those words. I believe that if you're going to depart from Biblical orthodoxy, you have to expect that there will be pushback - rightfully so.  Those battles often emerge on the Internet, which is not the most desirable forum, but that is one of the uncomfortable by-products of the cyber age.

Let's consider, though, two areas of responsibility.  One is for people, myself included, who minister in a public setting.  I am accountable to God for the words I speak and write. I submit to the Faith Radio Board of Directors, my General Manager, and to each of you.  I think those who hold leadership in the church are responding to and exercising a high calling.  If we are to serve, we recognize that we are serving the Lord as His representatives.   And, each of us serve in our own way, so we can remember that with our words - and our actions, for that matter, we have great responsibility.

We also have responsibility for what we consume.  I have said it repeatedly - check your sources. At Faith Radio, we have selected a lineup of solid Bible teachers who have a proven track record of teaching the Word of God accurately.  Our mandate from our Board has been to select and present the very best, and we are proud to submit that programming lineup to you.  We want Faith Radio to be a trusted source of teaching and information for you.  And, when you venture into other media, make sure that what you hear, read, or see is consistent with the Scriptures.  Just because someone is termed a "Christian" or "evangelical" leader doesn't mean he - or she - is teaching God's Word in a credible manner. Check the content against the Scripture; check the content provider by examining the background, perhaps even the associations, to see that he or she lines up.  Open your heart to all God wants to teach you, but guard your heart against that which could lead you astray.