Courtroom Drama
If you enjoy a good crime/courtroom drama, one of the things that you almost always look for is when the suspect finally admits they committed the crime. The detectives have done the work and being a follower of the show, you've watched each detail unfurl. The case is being built against the suspect and all the while, you're nodding in agreement on how it's all getting ready to hit the fan.
When the sentence is presented in the court ruling and the good guys win, you may even fist pump and congratulate yourself on a case well done (not realizing that this is all just a t.v. show, and you didn't really do anything...but that's beside the point).
Hey girl. Here's a fist pump just for you.
But what if it was you who was the suspect?
What if you were being tried for a crime?
And what if you knew you were guilty?
Would you be so quick to aid the detectives on your case and confess your crime, or would you try and worm your way out of it? The situation is different now. The tables have turned and you are facing almost certain punishment. Yeah, it definitely sucks, but what can you do?
If you believe that there is a God and if you believe in Jesus and the written Word of God, the Bible, then you have probably heard at some point in your life that you and I are guilty of a crime. The crime in question is sin against the holy and righteous God.
Paul puts it like this in Romans...
“23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”
And later...
“23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(Note: this is a weighty topic, and I'm no scholar. I'm keeping this really simple for my blog.) So, we see very plainly that the result of sin is death. Looking through the Old Testament (and even some of the New), we see how God has dealt with the treachery and wickedness that is sin. You and I are no match for handling sin on our own. We will always be defeated in trying to go up against it and beat it in our own strength (believe me, I've tried).
Thankfully, we don't have to worry about battle plans and strategies on how to conquer one of the greatest foes of our soul. In the letter to the Romans, Paul addressed the horrible consequences of sin, but he also presented the glorious, redemptive power that the work of Jesus Christ accomplished.
“9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. 11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” 12 Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. 13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.””
Reading through the Gospels, one can learn more on the life of Jesus and his sinless, blameless life. The sinless, blameless Jesus would have to be the one who would be the bridge between humanity and holy, righteous God. He did not waver. He did not abandon the plan of the redemption of humanity. He became the atoning sacrifice you and I needed to be made right with God.
“Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. 4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. 8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
Back to courtroom crime drama. You know you're guilty of committing the crime you did. The judge you face is The Judge. The One with greatest authority. If anyone would have the right to sentencing you (and me) with damning punishment, it would be Him. He knows the case backward and forward, past and present. He raises the gavel, but right before He brings it crashing down, He allows a witness to come forward. The witness takes the stand and, after a discourse with The Judge, gets up and leaves the room. The Judge then explains what just happened, saying that the witness presented some cold, hard facts and that these facts have put you in the clear.
Overjoyed, you leave the courtroom to go and find the witness and express your great gratitude and thankfulness. Looking back and forth down the hall, you run to see if he's left the building. But as you pass the holding cells, you see that the witness is inside. He explains to you that The Judge is holy and righteous and that punishment still had to be made lest The Judge be unfair and not very holy. The witness tells you that all will be made well and that he's happy that you are free.
Processing all this information, the witness says to you as you get ready to leave the building and reclaim your life, "Hey. Go and live a life that's free from the crime of sin. If something should happen to you, I'll be right here for you."
(SPOILER: The witness is Christ.)
So, I'm not the best at analogies and what-have-you, but hopefully you get the point of the above depiction. My question now is, "If we lived with the above knowledge of what the work of Christ has done for us, would we find it easier to confess our sin (and need) to have more of Christ in our lives?"
More and more, I see a need in my own life to come to Christ and confess the wrongs I've committed. I come to Him to confess my urgent dependency for Him. I come to Him to confess that I need the desire to live the crucified life so that I might glorify Him through the process (Gal. 2:20).
It's become a discipline in my own life to know that I can come to Christ to confess, sometimes with heart-wrenching and tears, but knowing that he loves me and isn't going to bail out when I drop an atomic bomb of messiness and ugly sin. He's already done the atoning work. Now, I can trust the victory He accomplished is also my own.
So, how about you? Have you found it necessary to make a practice of bringing your sin and your need to Christ? If not, take some time to do so and expect that you are coming into the arms of a loving Savior who isn't going to beat you over the head and shame you, but will wrap you up in a big hug and give you an encouraging pep talk that will inspire you to live better with Him at your side.
