"My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if you do sin, there is someone to plead for you before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the One who pleases God completely. He is the sacrifice for our sins. He takes away not only our sins but the sins of all the world." I John 2:1-2
In our worldly legal system, a trial without a jury is made up of the following main players:
1. There is an accused who stands charged with a given offense.
2. There is a prosecutor who seeks to prove the accused is guilty of the charge.
3. There is a defense attorney who seeks to prove the accused is innocent.
4. And there is a judge who must determine whether the accused is guilty of innocent based on the evidence presented and the work of the prosecutor and defense attorney. The judge hands down the final verdict.
Now picture a very different legal system...one which exists in the Heavenly Courts. This system is shockingly different from the system mentioned above. For starters, only one case is heard everytime by the Almighty Judge, God the Father. That case involves whether the accused merits life eternal in heaven or life eternal in hell. The accused in this example could be you, I, or anyone else who has passed on and seeks entry to Heaven. There's only one problem which also makes this legal system very different: we are all guilty before our case is heard. We're guilty because of our wicked sinfulness and we are all afflicted with it...there are no exceptions.
So in the heavenly legal system, there is no need for a prosecutor and the Almighty Judge, God, has a pretty easy job - just render a sentence of eternal damnation in hell to everyone who comes before Him. Would you say that things are not looking real good for any of us as we seek to enter heaven?
The good news is that it doesn't need to end this way. There can be a happy ending to each person's life if they only do one thing: know and trust in a personal Savior, Jesus Christ. Let me say this in another way - you have no hope of an eternal life in heaven without knowing and trusting Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. For Jesus is the only One who can stand before the Almighty Judge, His Father and yours, and intercede for you. And He can only do that if He knows you. In other words, you need to establish a relationship with Jesus today to ensure He will know you when the time comes for Him to intercede for you on the day you stand before the Judge.
So what makes Jesus able to intercede for us? It all comes down to the Cross where He bore all the sins of the world and gave Himself as a sin sacrifice so that we might be redeemed. His crucifixion paid the price for our sins and purchased our pardon. This is why Jesus can intercede...because He was the One who paid the price. He's the only One who can tell the Father to pardon someone and allow them into fellowship with Him in heaven because He's the only One who paid the cost with His blood. That blood shed by your Savior came out of a love like no other...an agape love...the love that would cause one to be willing to die for another. In the case of Jesus, He loved you and I so much that He willingly allowed Himself to be nailed and hung on a cross, although He was free of sin and had committed no crime. This blameless, unblemished lamb of God allowed Himself to be killed so you could live. The least you and I can do is take time to know such an awesome man...a man named Jesus.
Question: Would you allow nails to be driven through your hands and feet for someone you love? Would you hang from those nails on a cross, bearing not only your own weight but the weight of the sins of the world as well? Do you love people enough to die for anyone?
This Jesus, your Savior, gave it all for you and wishes for you to show your love in return by entering a relationship with Him and giving it all for Him. Do you know Him? Will He say He knows you if you die this very moment and stand before the Father to be judged? If you do know Him, continue to build that relationship and seek to be more like Jesus every day. If you don't know Him, please don't delay. Pray right now for Him to enter your life and do it daily. Read about Jesus in the Bible (pick and of the four gospels...Matthew, Mark, Luke or John) so you can better understand how He lived and died for you. Knowing Him will help you grow your relationship with Him now so you can meet Him face to face on that day when He stands before His Father and says He knows you, ushering you into life eternal in heaven. Don't miss making that day your day of glory. The other alternative is hell.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone who needs a bit of God's guidance today. I pray it will be a blessing for them.
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