“The Court Record”
Introduction/Illustration
Have you ever been in a courtroom? I won’t ask any of you here this morning to raise your hand if you have been to court. But I will tell you a story about one of my court experiences. Before you get worried and think that you welcomed a Pastor into your church that has a criminal record, let me assure you that my court experiences were not for my own crimes. As many of you know, I served several years in the United Marine Corps. I served the bulk of that time as a Sergeant and a Staff Sergeant; which simply means that I was always in charge of several young Marines. I remember one occasion in particular. Just before my work section was due to return from lunch I received a phone call from Lance Corporal Underwood. Keith. He was calling to inform me that he had been detained at the Yuma, Arizona, County courthouse. My first thought was that he had gone out and gotten arrested on his lunch break, but he went on to tell me the story of how a year earlier he received a ticket for fishing without the proper license on the Colorado River. The fine was only around one hundred dollars and he planned to pay it the next pay day. Well… he forgot. He suddenly had remembered some 12 months later and decided to go to the courthouse during his lunch break to pay the fine. Much to his surprise, the person at the ticket payment window referred him a sheriff’s deputy who referred him to a warrant which had been published for his arrest. The deputy told him to sit on a bench and wait for a break in the judge’s schedule so that he could be seen that day. Well, when I arrived at the courthouse Keith was more than a little bit shaken and upset. After a few hours of waiting we finally went into see the judge. Keith was obviously nervous and shaken. This was the very last thing that he wanted to be doing that afternoon. Not to mention his fears over what I and the other leadership in our work section were bound to say later. As Keith stood in front of the judge, I sat in the back of the small courtroom on a bench. The judge had Keith stand and after explaining to him that there was a warrant for his arrest and that since he had waited to pay the fine it had now increased to as much as several thousand dollars and was punishable by as many as 18 months in jail. Keith was very nervous. Well, the judge asked him, “How do you plea.” Almost as if on queue, Keith slowly turned to look to me for his answer. I gave him a scowl and a gesture turn back to the judge. The judge slammed his hand on the bench and said, “Young man, I asked you how do you plea.” Keith, rather sheepishly, replied. “Guilty, Sir.” The judge gave Keith quite and earful about handling his responsibilities and told him about how he appreciated his military service and told him that if he could pay double the original fine that day then he could settle the issue. So I helped Keith pay his fine that day and the affair was settled. I tell you, I must have a hundreds similar stories from the young Marines that I was responsible for or others that I worked with.
Transition
I told you that story to get you thinking about a courtroom. This morning, I would like for you to imagine another courtroom. This morning, I turn your attention to the book of Romans to explore the case of the supreme court of the universe vs. sinful mankind.
Body
The charge… HIGH TREASON. The judge… JESUS, WHO IS THE CHRIST.
The Bible says in the book of Romans; “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:18-20 NASB)
God has revealed himself to all mankind. There is, in the study of apologetics (That is, the defense of the Christian Faith) an argument for the existence of God called the teleological argument, which is the argument for the existence of God, from design. The universe declares the glory of God.
There are many in this day who would seek to pervert the word of God. They would have you to believe that mankind evolved from algae… or something… the universe is better designed than the best Swiss watch. How can you have a watch with no watchmaker?
The defendants in this case are the moral person, the pagan person, and the religious person.
-The moral person, with his good deeds, seeks to impress a Holy, Just, Righteous, all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving God.
-The pagan person is a hypocrite. Professing to be wise… he is a fool.
-The religious person, with his vain piety, his incense, his candles, his church affiliation, seeks to impress a sovereign God.
Romans 1:21-32 give the detailed indictment; pride, insolence, idolatry, sexual perversions, a reprobate mind; fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, envy, murder, contention, strife, deceit, harbored hatred, slanderers, back-biters, God-haters, proud, boasters, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, unmerciful.
Mankind stands at the judgment seat of Christ… GUILTY AS CHARGED.
There the jury sits and looks on at the proceedings.
-There sits the conscience of mankind in an old tattered suit. While sometimes good, he is often evil; he is defiled, weak, and sometimes seared as with a hot iron from repetitive sin.
-Next to him is seated the good deeds of mankind in a high priced, silk suit. Though dressed in fine clothing, good deeds can not save mankind.
“Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.” (2 Corinthians 11:15 NASB)
-And further to the left shining like the sun in white linen, sits the works of God.
-And finally the Law of God, also dressed in white, sitting firmly upright with excellent posture.
“For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves,”
(Romans 2:12-14 NASB)
Just then the defense stands to make an argument for mankind. The lawyer, a crafty man in an expensive suit, lays out the defense for each of the accused.
The pagan person, he declares, is ignorant. The moral person is better than the pagan person by comparison. And the religious person knows the law.
Just then, the verdict is given. Guilty as charged. The character of mankind is sinful. Mankind’s conversation is sinful. The conduct of mankind is sinful. Mankind is guilty of HIGH TREASON.
The sentence is given; “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 NASB)
Physical death; separation from the body. Spiritual death; separation from God.
Then, when it seems it could not get any worse for mankind. A miracle occurs. The judge steps off of the bench and makes his way to a cross. Mankind is justified freely. You see, what I have been talking to you about this morning is the doctrine of justification. That is, how God made a way for sinful mankind to receive a full pardon.
This miracle is wrought in the God the Father, it was bought in God the Son, and it is taught in the Holy Spirit.
“… For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation (That is a satisfaction) in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:23-26 NASB)
The scope of this miracle is unlimited. All may receive. (John 3:16)
The bestowal of this miracle is limited. Not all choose to receive. (Romans 3:22, 26; John 4:8)
This miracle is received freely by His grace. It is received only through faith. And it is received apart from the deeds of the law. (Romans 3:24, 28)
Conclusion
A couple of months ago I needed to hang some picture frames in the house that Christina and I purchased recently. And wouldn’t you know it, our house was built in the 1920’s and there is not a perfect straight angle or wall in that whole house.
So I began with one small nail but the frame wouldn’t rest properly on the crooked wall. So then I had another nail whole and in the end I had a gaping hole in my wall.
Well, I finally hung a big picture over the hole and figured… problem solved!
All of our efforts to please God are much the same; the moral man with his attempts at good living makes holes in his life; the religious man with his attempts to live rightly drives nails all through his life; and the pagan man with his vain attempts to comprehend God apart from the Bible rips at the walls of his life.
Righteous living is the product of having received the miracle of Jesus Christ. It is not a prerequisite to receive it.
I would like to conclude with this verse;
Romans 3:28 says (NASB) “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.”
Let us pray.
