I served on a jury trial yesterday. I got to watch first-hand a prosecutor
He presented his evidence point by point. He assured the jury that it came down to ordinance 2925.21 of the Ohio Revised Code. Did the defendant violate that law or did he not?
Then the defense attorney presented his case as to why the defendant was innocent, assuring the jury that there was no violation of the law, but the victim baited his client to make it appear that a violation had occurred.
There was a lot of so-called evidence presented by both sides. Some of the evidence was not valid but thrown into the debate to cloud the true issue. Some of the testimonies revealed things about the character of the defendant and the victim. Emails and text messages showed more than the intended evidence for or against. Both parties were really on trial. I didn’t wish to sit in either of their chairs.
There were mistakes made by both the victim and the defendant and by those representing them.
After 2 ½ hours of selecting the jury, 4 ½ hours of debate between the lawyers, and 2 hours of discussion by the jury, the defendant was found guilty of violating the law.
The judge will sentence the defendant according to the law. The defendant has to pay for his own lawbreaking. No one else can pay his debt.
I came home exhausted and thanked God that I didn’t have the brains to be an attorney or a judge!
This morning in researching the defendant and the victim on the internet, I find that both parties have questionable past behavior. The defendant is even known as a bully provoking fights and lawsuits. So, I felt justified in finding him guilty in this case.
I have said all of that to say this. If you sat in that courtroom, would you have been found guilty as the defendant? What about as the victim?
- What would your testimony as a victim reveal about your character?
- What would your testimony as a defendant reveal about your character?
- There will be a Judgment Seat of Christ for believers in Christ as their Lord.
- There will be a White Throne Judgment for all unbelievers.
- God is the Judge of all human beings.
- Satan is the prosecuting attorney.
- Jesus is the defense attorney.
- You are the victim as well as the defendant.
- I am the victim as well as the defendant.
- (Those who judged the adulterous woman also came under judgment.)
- Those who know us will be in the jury, as well as an unseen cloud of witnesses.
- The verdict will be guilty as charged. The sentence will be eternity without God.
Our only hope of eternal life is through Jesus Christ as our Atonement!
- Jesus said your Prosecuting Attorney will be not only Satan but His Word which He has spoken to you. (John 12:48)
- Jesus is also your Advocate or Defense Attorney! (I John 2:1)
- Jesus is also your Judge. (Acts 10:38-42)
- Jesus is not an ordinary prosecuting attorney! He has tempered His Word with Mercy!
- Jesus is not an ordinary defense attorney! He is also the payment for our lawbreaking!
- Jesus is not an ordinary Judge! He has loved you enough to sacrifice His own life for your sins!
He knows we are guilty. He knows Satan has legal rights to accuse us. He knows we deserve the sentence of the Judge of all the earth. But, His love for us enables Him to pay our debt, to forgive us, and to set us free with eternal life!
All men sin, whether they are believers or unbelievers in Christ as their Lord. All have inherited sin from Adam. All deserve the wages of eternal separation from God.
Our only hope to walk away from Satan’s accusations is Jesus Christ paying our debt. The only hope we have of escaping the damning testimony of witnesses is Jesus Christ paying our debt.
You have to ask the defense attorney to not only defend you but to take care of the charges against you.
Until you acknowledge your sins and ask Him to wash them away with His Blood, you will die with your debt unpaid.
As long as you believe the accusations that Satan throws at you, you will suffer guilt and shame and avoid the Light and Truth of Jesus as your Savior.
As soon as you
When the crowd heard the sermon of Peter, they were convicted in their hearts and asked what they should do. Peter gave them that answer in Acts 2:38
“And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
An old-time preacher once said, “It is not our job to save people, but to get them lost!”