This Morning, As You Sit Where You Are, Imagine ...

This morning, as you sit where you are, imagine with me that this platform is the front of the courtroom. Imagine with me that you sit in the seat of the defendant.

To your right in this courtroom, sits Satan, the Devil. His job is to get a guilty verdict and keep you from experiencing forgiveness and new life. To your left sits Jesus, your attorney. His job is to get you your freedom!

Before you, Jesus, and Satan sits God the Father. He is the judge and the jury. He is perfect! (Slide 11)

It is a tense situation, just as tense and full of drama as anything that TV or the movies can deliver. But it is not made up it is real because it is about you!

In Zechariah 3:1 we read, “Then the angel showed me Jeshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord. Satan was there at the angel’s right hand, accusing Jeshua of many things. And the Lord said to Satan, “I, the Lord, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from a fire.”

Satan does the same to us. He accuses us of many things. We are guilty of many things. But Jesus wants us to be declared ‘not guilty.’

So you, your accuser, and your attorney and your Savior wait for the verdict.

The silence is deafening. The tension grows unbearable. Guilty or not guilty?

Then God asks you a simple question, ‘Do you confess your guilt and do you wish to make things right?’

‘Yes!’ you resolutely answer, ‘I do confess my guilt and want to make things right.’

Then another question, ‘Are you willing to pay the price of your guilt?’ You begin to answer, ‘Yes.. .’ but you are interrupted. ‘Father, I have seen to that,’ your attorney answers.

‘Then,’ the judge thunders, ‘NOT GUILTY!’

The gavel comes down and you hear the word, ‘case closed!’

Satan slinks away, grumbling and muttering under his breath. The holy judge gathers Himself up and leaves the bench and you stand there stunned… but free!

You turn to your attorney and you try to say thank you, but the tears interrupt your words and Jesus embraces you and says, ‘Go free! Live free! Serve free!’ And you do… living in the forgiveness of your guilt. Jim Kane