Acquitted!

Christ Jesus…is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us (Romans 8:34).

Christianity is like a TV crime drama.

A crime drama consists of two parts. First, there is the investigation of a crime. What laws were broken? Who are the perpetrators? And why did they do it? This is followed by an arrest and trial. Are the defendants sorry for the hurt they’ve caused? What is an appropriate sentence?

Christianity tells a similar story. It starts with a crime. The crime might be anything from feeling jealous to having an affair; it could range from swearing at someone to punching them in the face. Whatever the crime, it is a breaking of God’s Laws—that you should love God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself.

Who is the perpetrator? You already know the answer—you are the one who has failed to obey God’s law in all ways and at all times. You are the one who skipped worshipping God to go to the lake; you are the one who has yelled at a parent, lied to a teacher, took something that didn’t belong to you.

Why did you do it? Maybe you resented being told what you should and should not do. Maybe you did it for a thrill. Maybe your desires overwhelmed your good sense, at least for a while. But whatever your motivation, it does not justify your crime—not in God’s eyes.

God knows you are a perpetrator, and the day of your court appearance is set—on the day you die, you will appear before the Judge of heaven for sentencing. But the final verdict will depend on your relationship with your court-appointed defense attorney. If you met with Jesus before your day in court and told Him how sorry you were for all your crimes, He will do something remarkable before sentence is passed—He will approach the bench and speak to His Father on your behalf; He will reveal the exhibit of a cross, stained with His blood, as proof that the hellish punishment earned by your crimes has already been served by the Son of God. Based on this evidence, He will move that your case be dismissed, and you will enter heaven cleared of all charges.