Thursday, July 28, 2005
Romans 8:33-34a "Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns?"
GOD'S COURTROOM
Ever been in a courtroom before? Ever served on a jury where you had to pass sentence on an accused criminal? Ever think about what it would like to stand before God, the judge of all mankind? Listen to what divine justice declares: "The imagination of a man's heart is only evil all of the time" (Genesis 6:5). "All have sinned!" (Romans 3:23).
It looks like an open and shut case. Our hearts and lives show us to be dirty lawbreakers. But suddenly holy and perfect Jesus bursts into the courtroom. He steps before the Judge and says, "Give sinners the credit for my sinless life. Make my perfect record their perfect record so that they can be free of all shame and blame. In exchange give me their sins; hold me responsible for what they have done." So Jesus is charged with our crimes. He is made responsible for the whole damnable, stinking mess. God the Father, as Isaiah 53 tells us, laid on him the iniquity, the crookedness, the sin, of us all.
That's why Paul says: "Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns?" What we are being told here, in effect, is that in God's courtroom it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. Satan isn't the judge over you. No human being is allowed to decide your case. You don't even have the final say. God alone does. And His decision? "NOT GUILTY!" Why? Because Jesus endured the sentence for all of mankind's crimes and all of our sins. Jesus was sentenced. He was punished. He paid. God's trial is over and done!
And in God's courtroom you have no right of appeal. Just accept the verdict! Believe it! Embrace it! Love it! Live by it! Nothing is going to change it. You are "Not Guilty!"
"But," you say, "there was that one thing I did when I was younger, and -- "NO APPEALS! You're not guilty! That particular sin you're thinking about has already been counted against Jesus!" "Well, but you don't know what I said to my wife this morning." Stop already! Yes, Christians most certainly do confess their sins, but there are no appeals. Confess the sin, but trust the verdict! You can't undo what Jesus did on the cross! What's done is done! As Jesus Himself said, "IT IS FINISHED!"
You can't seal up Jesus' tomb and pretend He didn't rise. You can't do anything to stop Jesus -- your Mediator, Who is at God's right hand, from speaking to His Father about how He paid for your sins.
Folks, you and I are just going to have to get used to the fact that we stand innocent and righteous before God. Through Jesus, your past is as white and pure as a new snow! Your present is as clean as clean can be. Your future sins have all been canceled and carried away once and forever!
