My Mom loved Perry Mason. I remember watching her iron and fold clothes as she watched him cause the guilty to crumble on the witness stand. Her love for Perry Mason is the reason I enjoy courtroom dramas to this day.
Among my favorites are Law & Order, Matlock, LA Law, the Perry Mason movies and others. But you get the picture.
There is a principle that often governs the outcome of courtroom cases that I believe also governs the outcomes of “cases” in the kingdom of Heaven. Let me explain.
When attorneys argue their cases, they will often cite cases that have already been adjudicated as setting the precedent for their arguments. The precedent, also known as case law, is a law that is based on an earlier ruling in a similar case. The earlier ruling was the first that required a legal remedy. When a judge’s ruling confirms case law, abides by the decision of an earlier court, he has followed a principle known as stares decisis.
Stare decisis is Latin for stand by that which is decided.
Here in the United Stated, courts must look to past rulings in similar issues, or case law, to guide their decisions. And where the case law is applicable, courts cannot disregard stare decisis and must uphold the prior decision.
You see, case law or precedents are binding on all courts in the same jurisdiction. Again, here in the United States, case law rulings by federal appellate courts are binding on all state courts and case law rulings by the US Supreme Court are stare decisis and, therefore, binding on all courts, state and appellate.
Let’s look at an example: the case of “Alice vs Lee and Tabitha”.
Alice owns an apartment complex and announces a rent increase. She gives her tenants 30 days’ notice. However, the state requires landlords to give tenants a 90 day notice of the upcoming rent increase. Lee and Tabitha, who are tenants, take Alice to court claiming she is not following the law as outlined by the state.
But the law, Alice contends, applies only to landlords who own two or more rental properties. After weighing the evidence and hearing the arguments, the judge disagrees with Alice’s position and rules in favor of Lee and Tabitha’s. Alice must now wait 90 days before she can enforce the rate increase.
This is the first case involving the state’s requirement to give 90 days’ notice before applying a rent increase. This is a “case law” or a ruling that sets a precedent for future cases similar to Alice vs Lee and Tabitha.
Now hang with me. We’re going somewhere. Trusts me.
One year later Cindy, facing a similar situation with Neil, takes him to court also claiming a violation of the state law. Cindy provides the judge with Alice vs Lee and Tabitha, the case law that ruled landlords must give tenants a 90 day notice when planning a rent increase. After reviewing the facts of the case, the judge follows the principle of stares decisis and rules in Cindy’s favor. Neil must now wait 90 days before he can apply the rent increase.
However, there are times when attorneys will present competing case laws to support their positions. This happens, for example, when attorneys cite case laws that have similar components but involve different industries.
For example, an attorney would use Alice vs Lee and Tabitha as case law against Bronc’s Construction Rentals, which does not deal with apartments but equipment like bulldozers, clearance loaders, and excavators. The attorney would argue that Bronc’s Construction Rentals, just like Alice’s apartment complex, is bound by the state’s 90 day rental increase notice law.
In these cases the judge will often say “I will take this under advisement.” In other words, “I will take the case laws, the citations and your arguments as ‘advice to be considered’ in issuing my ruling.” The judge decides which case law, in his opinion, is most applicable in the situation and then makes his ruling.
Ladies and gentlemen, any Christians don’t treat kingdom case law as stare decisis. Remember, stare decisis means “stand by that which is decided”.
When it comes to kingdom case law and kingdom stare decisis, many believe they can take the bible under advisement and decide for themselves what will be law for them. For example, wherever you find a denomination, you have found an organization that has taken the bible, which is eternal case law, under advisement.
Denominations, for example, are not supported by kingdom stares decisis and we see this very clearly in First Corinthians 1:10 which reads “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”
Ladies and gentlemen, the bible is kingdom case law and God considers it stares decisis.
We take the Bible “under advisement” because we believe we have a say in how it is to be interpreted. However, The Eternal Judge has already established the interpretations for the kingdom.
Psalms 119:89 says “For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.”
And Isaiah 40:8 says “The grass withered, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”
Turn to 2 Peter 1. We're going to read verses 20 and 21. “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophesy came not in old times by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
And lastly, let's look at 2 Timothy 3:16, 17. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
When we don’t esteem the bible (case laws) the way The Judge (and Author) esteems it, the power, authority, anointing and life the bible says are stare decisis – affirms and stands behind as already decided and settled – will not be available to us. We see this in Psalm 138:2.
“I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou has magnified thy word above all thy name.”
I have a question for you. What do you think would happen to our faith if we allow the bible to be stare decisis for us?
For the remainder of this message, we’re going to look at verses and passages that are eternal case law and stare decisis in the kingdom of Heaven. And, it is stare decisis whether or not we believe it and whether or not we are living it. For God, what we are about to see here in scripture is a settled issue. It needs to be settled for us too.
Again, the word stare decisis means “to stand by that which is decided.” I am going to repeat this definition throughout this message.
? John 3:16-18 – (16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (17) For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (18) He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
We see two things in these verses. (1) The person who believes in Jesus, His only begotten Son, will receive everlasting life. (2) The person who does not believe in Jesus is condemned already and will not receive everlasting life. There is no debate, discussion or other consideration.
You can live a “good” life by being kind to everyone, giving to the poor, feeding the hungry, etc. But if you never believe on Jesus and you never believe that He is the Son of God, you will spend an eternity with Satan, his devils, hell and death in the lake of fire. For our Heavenly Father, this is stares decisis.
? John 14:12-14 – (12) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. (13) And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (14) If ye ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
I am going to read this again. Please listen very carefully.
? John 14:12-14 – (12) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. (13) And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (14) If ye ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
This is stares decisis in the kingdom of Heaven. When we believe on Jesus, we will do the works He did! There is no maybe. There is no perhaps. When we believe, we will do! You see, from God’s point of view, all that is required to do the works that Jesus did is to faith. Ladies and gentlemen, it’s just that simple.
For our Heavenly Father, this is stares decisis because the moment we truly believe on Jesus is the moment we will do His works! If we are not doing the works could it be we really don’t believe on Jesus the way we say and think we do? I know we don’t want to believe that our faith is not where we say it is.
Ladies and gentlemen, if our faith is not where we say or believe it is, there’s nothing wrong with that. It only becomes a problem if we’re not willing to do anything to increase our faith. And the first place to start is by making a deliberate decision to spend time in His Word.
Romans 10:17 tells us that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”.
But it doesn’t end with just doing the works that Jesus did. Jesus tells us that when we believe on him, whatsoever we ask in his name, He will do it for us. Do you see this? Heaven stands by the decision that when we ask something of Jesus it will be done for us. There is no fine print in this decree. And ladies and gentlemen, Jesus repeats this in verse 14! He wants us to see what “stands as being decided” in Heaven!
Once again, stare decisis means “to stand by that which is decided”.
? Galatians 5:6 – For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
This verse, to me, is one of the most powerful in all of scripture. It shows us what it takes to live in this world the way Jesus lived in this world – by faith that’s powered by love. It’s so powerful. It’s so simple. God says our level of faith is based on how much we love. Let me put it this way: no love, no faith. For our Heavenly Father, this is stare decisis.
? Romans 13:8 – Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
The word “owe” in this verse means to be under obligation or indebted to someone. The bible says followers of Christ have one debt that must be paid – and we don’t have a choice. We must love one another. And based on this verse I don’t see anywhere that it is a debt we will eventually be paid off.
There are two Greek words used for the word “another” in this verse. The first is alleion and means “another of the same kind”. The second “another” in this verse is heteros. It means “another of a different kind”. We owe a debt of love to those who are born again and to those who are not born again. This is not up for discussion.
For our Heavenly Father, loving ISIS, the people who want to kill Christians, is stares decisis. For our Heavenly Father, loving the person who wronged you or someone you love is stares decisis. Your feelings and emotions are not relevant. Love is the debt we owe to every single human being on this planet. Period.
Stare decisis means “to stand by that which is decided”.
? Acts 4:10-12 – (10) Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. (11) This the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. (12) Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
The bible says “no Jesus, no salvation”. For our Heavenly Father, this is stares decisis.
? I John 5:4 – For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
Remember Galatians 5:6 where we read that “faith worketh by love”? Put this verse right up there next to it. We have overcome the world because of our Father. Isn’t that amazing? The moment God became our Father we became overcomers!
And do you know what enforces our standing as overcomers? One thing: our faith. Our faith is the reason why we are victorious in this life! For our Heavenly Father, this is stares decisis. Get a hold of that!
? Proverbs 18:21 – Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
The bible says that when we speak, the words will be either be words of life or words of death. Let me give you an example. Right now I am battling arthritis in my left ankle. Notice I didn’t say “I have arthritis” but “I am battling arthritis”. If I say “I have arthritis” I am taking ownership and speaking death into my life.
Why do you say that Bro. Barry? The bible says that in Heaven my healing has already been decided and is a settled issue (Psalms 103:3, 107:20; I Peter 2:24). I speak what the bible speaks. My “battle” is to speak healing to my ankle until the healing manifests. For our Heavenly Father, speaking words of life or words of death is stares decisis. We are the ones who must choose wisely.
Stare decisis – stand by that which is decided
? James 4:7 – Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from thee.
So many Christians believe they can do the latter part of this verse without doing the first part of the verse. We need to understand this: there is no resisting the devil without first being in total and absolute submission to God. For our Heavenly Father this is stares decisis.
This is just a sampling of what our Father says is stares decisis. When we believe our faith will leap and we will find the keys that will bring heaven to earth! Turn with me to Matthew 16:19.
"And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
For our Heavenly Father, this is stares decisis.
Ladies and gentlemen, this needs to be stares decisis for us if we truly want to see heaven on earth.
Note to the reader: Here are additional scriptures, passages that God considers stares decisis: Matthew 22:34-40, John 14:27, Colossians 2:10, Galatians 1:6-9, I Peter 1:13-16, I Timothy 2:1-4, I Samuel 15:22, Micah 6:6-8, Jeremiah 17:5, 2 Corinthians 1:20, Isaiah 26:3, Proverbs 14:12, Eccelesiastes 12:13, Psalm 1:1-3, 34:10, 19, Matthew 6:33, Genesis 1:26-28, I Corinthians 10:13
