Jesus Christ, ESQ.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2)

Last Friday I attended a virtual orientation preparing myself and others for Jury Duty selection. I had received a letter in the mail several weeks ago that I may be selected as a petit juror in a trial. While I never was required to attend the selection yesterday, I've had court, trials, and the like on my mind for the past several days. I've seen attorneys spar head-to-head on TV and in film, but never right in front of me where I'm playing a role. What would it be like? What is the person on trial for? Would I be able to make a good judgment? Would my peers agree with my judgment?

At the end of it all, I was not selected to attend, but the LORD used this experience to remind me that while I may have evaded Jury Duty today, I am going to be required to show up to court one day...and it will be His courtroom.

Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians 1:6 that God is just. But what does that mean? Now, I live in the U.S. where our justice system takes a position that the accused is innocent until proven guilty and that everyone deserves a fair trial with representation. I believe many people would agree with me that our justice system is very good, but not perfect. Thinking along those lines for imaging God's courtroom - are the accused innocent until proven guilty? Do the accused receive fair representation? Is it a good system?

Working backwards, yes God's system is a good one and yes we do receive a fair trial with representation (which I will discuss more later). Before we dive deeper there, I think we need to address there's one difference and it might surprise you: In God's courtroom, the accused are guilty until proven innocent. At first that leaves a bit of a bad taste in my mouth reading that back to myself. But I think it's because many other Americans like myself have grown up believing the opposite because of how our own system works. And I believe this conditioning makes it difficult to accept the concept of "original sin." The Bible demonstrates original sin in the Book of Genesis, how the first man and woman rebelled against God's commandments. Because of their sin and rebellion, you and I are now born into sin. It has become our nature to sin.

If you've seen the movie, Minority Report, with Tom Cruise, you know that his character is on the run from law enforcement throughout the film because of a crime he did not yet commit. It can sometimes feel that way thinking about original sin. It doesn't seem fair that we're born into these lives with our fates immediately sealed. The Bible says that the wages for sin are death and hell. So are we all really born with a destiny to perish for eternity?

Yes. We are.

But God is just. He is fair. And God isn't our accuser, He's our defender. And that is what makes His system good.

And I heard a loud voice saying in Heaven, “Now have come salvation and strength, and the Kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ; for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accused them before our God day and night. (Revelation 12:10)

I underlined the part of the verse above that I want you to read carefully. Who is our accuser, if not God? The answer is Satan. It shares how Jesus is not only able to defeat him, but how Jesus is our defender. We are born guilty because of Satan's accusation and it is because of him we are on trial before God, who is the ultimate Judge of all creation. But our loving Father knows very well this is not a fair trial, at least not without intervention. It is imperative that we know that God is in the business of justice, not unrighteousness. Paul writes in Romans 8:31 that God is on our side, He is not against us.

So what does God do? When Satan brings us to trial before God for our sins, God provides an attorney for us, His own Son. Will it look exactly like this when we meet God? I don't know if it will, but the Bible demonstrates for us that when we stand before God, if Christ is not by our side, we are going to spend eternity in hell. Just like in the U.S. where it is the accused's choice whether or not to be represented by an attorney, we also have to make a choice with Jesus.

Can we justify ourselves before God? The Bible says we cannot. The Bible declares that righteousness cannot be achieved by following a set of rules. Salvation can only come by Jesus Christ.

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly. (Galatians 2:20-21)

So what exactly is it about Jesus as our attorney that makes Him so valuable to us? Is it nepotism? Does God see Jesus and simply ignore the laws by which He governs, ultimately declaring we are innocent? That's not how God deals. That wouldn't be justice. You see, Jesus knows we have sinned. He knows we cannot win in a traditional battle of courtroom justice. The minute we take the stand, under oath, all of our unrighteousness is exposed.

He knows we're guilty. But He loves us still. So when it comes time for sentencing and the Judge is ready to call us forward to receive our punishment, He remembers that Jesus already paid the price for our sins on the Cross. Jesus is not only our defender against Satan and before God, but He is also our substitute.

God's trial is fair. But His sentencing does not seem fair, does it? Jesus died for me. Jesus died for you. This is a free gift of love, that God would send His Son to suffer and die an unjust death, all for us. Do you want Him by your side, representing you before God on your day of judgment? Or will reject the defense that is being offered to you? God willing, I pray, you will make a decision today to surrender yourself to Christ.

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