I Stand Accused

• Romans 8:34, Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

• Hebrews 1:3, Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:

We were appointed when we accepted Christ as our Savior. Satan is always trying to accuse us. In sin we had an old appearance, but in Christ we have a new appearance. We were made acceptable to God through the blood of Jesus. We have been given a crown of life, and we have also been given a charge to go and spread the Gospel of Jesus.

Can anyone tell just by looking at us that we are Christians? Have we traded our old clothes for new clothes, our old walk for a new walk, our old way of talking for a new way of talking? Do we use the same language, same jokes, same clothes? Do we go to the same places? Do we project Christ in our lives everywhere we go? Do we set the example? (Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, 1 John 1:9, Ephesians 4:24, 1 John 2:15-16, 2 Corinthians 6:17)

Thanks to Calvary, I am not the man I used to be. Thanks to Calvary, things are different than before.

Courtroom Script

The first time I preached this message, we presented a short presentation to the congregation. I was the accused man.

In the following script, the accused man has a torn (cut into strips) black shirt on under his jacket that the congregation cannot see. Under that torn shirt he is wearing a white T-shirt. The pastor of the church plays the part of Satan. Two other men of the church (deacon, choir director, Sunday school teacher, etc.) play the part of Jesus and God.

God:

Looks at Satan and says –

Satan, what do you have to say?

Satan:

Looks at the man then looks toward God and says –

This man is a liar, cheater, a drunkard, thief, selfish, had immoral thoughts

Satan pulls off the man’s coat, parades him around and says –

See, he is nothing but filthy rags, he is dirty, no good

God:

Looks at Jesus and says –

Jesus, what do you have to say?

Jesus:

Looks at the man then looks back at God and says –

One day I heard him cry out to me asking for forgiveness. He accepted my sacrifice of dying on

the cross for his sins. I do not know of these things.

Jesus takes off the rags, and parades man around then says –

See here, he is clean!

Jesus looks at the crowd and says –

What sins are you talking about? I do not remember them anymore. From the Book of Life, they have all been torn out. I do not remember them anymore.