Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Not Guilty

NOT GUILTY

Romans 4:25

“He [Jesus] was delivered over to death for our sins and raised to life for our justification.”

Justification (jus-tif-i-KA-shon means confirmation) that something is true. Believers in Jesus were led to Christ so “that we might be justified by faith.” (Galatians 3:24). That means that whoever is saved is deemed righteous and innocent (of sin) in the Father’s eyes.

This is a big deal. The previous seven devotions (No Sugarcoating, Life Goal—Salvation, Daily Maintenance, Holy Spirit Divine Interruptions, It was For This, Baptism Debut, and Born Again) were designed to lead readers on the path to salvation. Everyone will be judged, but believers and nonbelievers will be judged differently.

Pastor John MacArthur calls Revelation 20:11-15 “the most serious, sobering, and tragic passage in the entire Bible...It is the last courtroom scene that will ever take place...There will be a prosecutor, but no defender; an accuser, but no advocate.”1

Jesus is believer’s advocate (AD-vo-kit means backer, supporter—someone who defends). Those who believe in Jesus as Savior, and embrace Him as Lord—are declared “not guilty” before the Father. Jesus spreads His arms wide, showing the nail marks from the cross in His hands, and says, “This person is not guilty.”

Satan, the accuser, cannot win any case where Jesus is the advocate.

Apostle Paul tells in 2 Corinthians 5:10-11 about believer’s judgment: “For we all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.”

Romans 3:25-26 says, “God presented Him [Jesus] as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in His blood, He did this to demonstrate His justice, because in His forbearance He had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—He did it to demonstrate His justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”

Take Home Nugget

Revelation 20:11-12 shows the scary judgment: “Then I [John] saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from His presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and the books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.”

Let us rejoice in Jesus’ declaration of “not guilty!



1John MacArthur, Because the Time is Near (Chicago: Moody, 2007), 305, 311.

J.D. Griffith


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