"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life." Galatians 6:7-8 (NASB)
Accountability is that built-in reward/punishment system created by God that rewards a person according to his or her behavior. If the behavior is pleasing to God, then there is positive reward, encouraging the person to continue on.
If the behavior is counter to what pleases God, He has made it so that unpleasant things happen and thus discourage a destructive lifestyle. The counter force operating that describes why a person still might persist in evil behavior despite bad consequences (think addiction) is the selfish nature we are all born with (called the 'flesh').
The foolish by definition do not understand the consequences of their actions. They do not see the connection between what they choose and what will happen as a result of their decisions and therefore end up with many negative factors influencing their lives.
The wise understand the implications of their choice upon their life. They see very clearly the end result of their decisions for both for the present and future and consistently make godly decisions.
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Scriptures typically quoted from the New American Standard Bible unless noted:
(C) Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1988