We are always responsible for our actions, it matters not the circumstances, notwithstanding certain instances when evil actions of others befall us, we are accountable for what we do, how we think, how we respond in any given situation. We have the power of choice. It is why the Lord quoted Psalm 82:6 when He said, “ye are gods,” (John 10:34) the power of choice makes us so.
In any given circumstance we are given the free will to make up our own minds about the paths we will go upon, rarely are we forced. A woman who has not put her placard out, who dresses modestly, yet still is attacked by the rapist has not made a choice to become a victim, those who dress in a way meant to draw attention to the flesh are not desirous of the attack, yet have not done what was necessary to avoid it in the beginning stages, one cannot stand in the presence of sinners and not expect attacks. The young child who is simply chasing butterflies, engaging in the activities that are normal to the small and innocent should never expect to be attacked by evil in ways unimaginable, ways that rarely make the news because of their evil depravity, yet they are, many times a day across the globe.
There are victims of sin that have in no way attempted to draw evil unto themselves, and yet the evil occurs, at the hand of evil men and women. These are not counted as sin against the individual that they were perpetrated upon, these and many other incidences like them are the result of the actions of one man who made a decision to disobey the commandment of God, and they will continue for as long as man is upon this earth. Evil does not understand compassion, its appetites are never quenched, it knows no mercy, no pity, no love, age and innocence are never factored in.
We all have the capability of extreme evil within us, and the ability of incredible love, in this we are as gods, the choices we make are what makes us accountable. “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Gen. 6:5) “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.” (James 3:6) These truths from the Scriptures show us, notwithstanding the grace of God upon the very young and those of limited mental capacities, that sin is the prevalent nature of man, that there is no deviation or escape from this path, no matter the effort we put forth, we are born in sin and all will die in sin, it is why the truth is inescapable, it matters little if you have chosen to live a life of despicable evil, or if it be one of compassion towards all of God’s creation, all will die in their sins who do not repent. They will be separated from the love of Christ, and according as unto the path that He has set, for He alone is Sovereign, they will spend eternity burning, suffering, hopeless.
This is the truth that the morality of man cannot comprehend, the different degrees, as it were, of evil that man envisions, much less a risen Savior who paid the price for all, they cannot comprehend grace and what that unmerited favor cost. It is why the world of man will laud a favored individual and deride the callous one, it is why the most compassionate man will receive rewards, and the most vile will be detested, they refuse to accept that “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
The actions we are accountable for we will be held accountable for. It goes against every fiber of our being to believe that grace alone can save us from the wrath of God, one need not look at all the religious ideologies of the false churches, nor even at the traditions set in place by Evangelical churches to see this, the judicial systems across the planet that have set in place sentences that are relative to the crime, the mind of man that perceives one act as being worse, more grievous to witness, all of these are proofs that the world of man bases all of its value systems in works, the judgement of evil as relative to the action, when the truth comes from the Word of God, “There is none righteous, no, not one.” (Romans 3:10)
No one can move mountains without faith, (Matt. 17:20) “your faith has healed you,” was spoken by Christ to many, and it is this faith alone, another gift from Almighty God, that brings a man to the knowledge that no work, no matter what it is, is sufficient to bypass the cross of Christ. “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6) One way.
Do not ever look upon the world of mankind as anything more than corrupt, vile, and evil. “And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” (Matt. 19:17) Only the works done through us by the Holy Spirit are of any value, all else is as filthy rags before the Lord, (Isaiah 64:6) all of our efforts are in vain, they are as chaff, they will not be counted as worthy.
What the Lord God has set before every single person ever born is choice, and that ability is what makes us as gods. We have the choice to submit or rebel, there are no alternatives, the end of the path for both of those choices has been set by the Sovereign Lord of all creation, there is no variance. You are responsible in this matter, grace is offered to all who will submit, those who will not, will find no other path but the one that leads away from the kingdom. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” (Eph. 2:8)
