Over the years we have seen a lot of celebrities accused of numerous various crimes but often acquitted because of a technicality or hung juries. Often the public knew these people were guilty wanting to truly hang the juries while others declared them innocent. It is doubtful that we will ever know the full truth in this life.
It is good that you have to be proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt or else the jails would be far fuller than they are now with innocent people though some guilty parties do manage to escape. There are so many laws on the books that it is really possible that there is not a day that goes by that some law abiding citizen does not break a law he has never heard of or one that is antiquated but never taken off the books.
In the case of the antiquated ones if someone were accused of the crime he would surely be acquitted though clearly guilty. It was once rare for a person known to be guilty to be acquitted but with that state of our culture it is becoming more common place. Normally, you have to have money for that to happen though because of loose interpretations of laws and judges litigating from the bench others have unjustly gotten their get out of jail free card.
Most of us have been accused of things we did not do and have done things that we were never accused of though we were guilty. Growing up, I had a lot of that happen. Once I got a reputation as being the bad boy in town it did not matter if I had done the deed or not. Thus it got to be a balancing act. I figured if I did a few things and got away with them it made up for some of the things I was accused and punished for that I did not do. If I was going to have to bear the constant blame and shame I ought to win the game.
Even as adults we will be blamed for things if we are the new guy on the job or the guy who just left a job. Isn’t it amazing that none of the old crew ever makes a mistake unless they retire? Your name is never more famous in a work area as at those two points in your career. Being blamed is no fun. If it happens a lot it gets old really fast and you consider job or church changes. What you may not know is that if you are a Christian you are accused day and night every day of your life.
Rev 12:9-11
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is 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, which accused them before our God day and night.
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. (KJV)
As we see here our adversary the devil has a prosecuting fit daily. He knows he is condemned and he cannot stand that lesser creations of God can be called the sons of God when they are so fallible and gullible falling for his deceits daily. I am sure that the devil can spend many hours just calling off my list of indictments before the Judge. He is demanding the death penalty and for me to be cast into the Hell he knows he someday will inhabit.
Brethren, if he were to succeed as a prosecuting attorney our futures would be very bleak indeed. We are not being accused of things we are not guilty of but rather things we are clearly guilty of in thought, word, deed be it by commission or omission. He has the goods on us. The evidence is airtight! There is video and audio abounding. We are undone.
I am not much for rote repetitive prayers, but the old office of Compline is an end of day prayer.
"I confess to almighty God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and before all the company of Heaven, that I have sinned, in thought, word, and deed, through my fault, my own grievous fault; wherefore I pray, almighty God, to have mercy upon me, to forgive all my sins, and to make clean my heart within me."
Brethren that calls the roll and says it all!! It makes you accept accountability and responsibility. There are enough witnesses for the prosecution to choke a blue whale and then some! There is only one witness for the defense! Or so it seems!
We see in this passage that the defense plea for the Tribulation saints that it is referencing has three points, the blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto death. There is a sermon in itself but we are going to look only at the Blood of the Lamb as our star witness in this daily court room.
Heb 7:22-28
22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.
23 And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:
24 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.
28 For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore. (KJV)
This is why the Blood of the Lamb is powerful! We know that in the Old Testament that sin was only remitted by the shedding of blood hence the elaborate sacrificial law with various animals for various sins as well as other offerings. Some animal had to die for the sins of a person. This substitutionary death brought life and forgiveness to the sinner!
Yet, in that process a sinner High Priest had to offer up daily the sacrifices for his own sins before he could offer up the ones for the people. If he messed up he was struck dead and the sacrifice was not accepted. A dangerous job to say the least and an awesome responsibility! There was definitely job security as the priest and the people sinned constantly. Imagine the tension and even fear on part of both priest and people until it was positive that the sacrifice was accepted. The fact the one who offered the sacrifice still lived was that proof!
Then God sent His own Son in the flesh to offer up Himself as the perfect Lamb for the once and for all perfect sacrifice for sin. He only had to do it once because His Blood covered all sins from the first to the last because He is Alpha and Omega! We know that the sacrifice was accepted because the One who made it is still alive!!! He died and rose the third day and is now on the right hand of God the Father to ever make intercession for us based on that once and for all sacrifice of His Blood! No more daily rituals, which is why the Mass is an abomination for it offers Him up continually and puts Him to an open shame as it speaks to a Saviour that is not much different than a man. He need not offer up a sacrifice for Himself for He is sinless and His work is accomplished needing not to be repeated in reality or ritual!
Thus my Brothers and Sister when that old devil stands up and makes accusations against us with all the facts and evidence he still loses the case. For the Saviour need but show His scars and point to the blood stained altar and say that we are guilty as charged but that those sins were covered by that Blood the day we were born again.
Yet another witness can also speak to our defense as the Holy Spirit illuminates the seal of God that He placed on us that day of new birth. That seal says that we are sealed unto the day of redemption and no man or anything else can separate us from the love of God and remove that seal.
With that God the Father can do nothing else but bear witness to the truth for He is truth. He smiles at His Son and the Spirit turning to face the prosecutor with a scowl and smashing His gavel down with a resounding crash says, “This child of mine is accused but acquitted and forgiven! Case dismissed!” And the crowd of witnesses against us roars, “Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.” Church of God can you say Amen and lift up your hands in praise? Hallelujah for the Cross and the Blood of the Lamb!! The guilty is acquitted by the mercy of the court!!!
O Brethren the devil never gives up and though he loses daily in the celestial halls of justice he will accuse you in a different court. He will rant and rave in the courtroom of your mind and heart. He knows that you willingly bear witness against yourself as he points out your flaws and weaknesses. You will say amen as he lists all your sins. You will readily condemn yourself and sentence yourself to a life in defeat and despair. He knows you will scream, “Guilty! Guilty! Condemned! Condemned!” while doubting your salvation and forgetting to call your key witness to the stand.
O Child of God, be not ignorant of his devices and call on Jesus! Plead His Blood on your behalf in the face of your accuser. Acknowledge the sins cast in your teeth then confess them to Jesus and rejoice in the forgiveness you receive! Slick and sly as Old Slewfoot is you have access to the wisdom of God for the asking from the Paraclete, the one called along side, the Holy Spirit who will bring to mind those things Jesus said and guide you into all truth! Once satan is pummeled by the truth received as you submitted yourself unto God and used it to resist the devil he can do nothing else but flee!
Don’t let him accuse you without resistance! You are a Child of the King! You are redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb! You are justified and sanctified by the grace and mercy of Almighty God! Don’t take the abuse! Admit the guilt but accept the acquittal! Seek the filling of the Spirit that you may walk in the light as He is the Light so that there is less material for the devil to work with but don’t accept his call for condemnation! The Holy Spirit convicts you of sin to lead you to repentance and restoration. The devil only accuses you to destroy your life and testimony. Receive the decree of Heaven and walk in the freedom and joy of that decree of love!!! Shout glory! Quote Revelation 20:10 out loud and remind the devil that he has no Saviour, no mediator, and no seal but of damnation and no hope forever because of the Blood that bought you!!! Walk in that victory given to you at Calvary! Walk as one accused but acquitted and free in Christ!
Friend, you might be reading this and you are not a Christian. You may feel guilt over your life’s decisions and actions. The devil doesn’t bring you up in the courtroom of Heaven for he knows he has you. He accuses you in your mind only to torment you before the time you die and drop into Hell. Worse, he may excuse you and give you excuses so that you feel no need of a Savior. Don’t listen to the liar whether he says you are without hope or have no need. There is hope for you are alive and you have need more than you can comprehend. Most Christians better understand their need of Christ years after their salvation but they understood it enough to accept the acquittal and be born again or saved by Jesus Christ.
Will you do that now? Call upon Him as Lord and Saviour so that you won’t have to face him as judge! He is willing to acquit if you will admit. Don’t delay! Judgment Day is one breath away! Maranatha!
