VINDICATION

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com.

In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Hear me, Lord, my plea is just; listen to my cry. Hear my prayer — it does not rise from deceitful lips. Let my vindication come from You; may Your eyes see what is right.

Though You probe my heart, though You examine me at night and test me, You will find that I have planned no evil; my mouth has not transgressed. Though people tried to bribe me, I have kept myself from the ways of the violent through what Your lips have commanded. My steps have held to Your paths; my feet have not stumbled.

I call on you, my God, for You will answer me; turn Your ear to me and hear my prayer. Show me the wonders of Your great love, You who save by Your right hand those who take refuge in You from their foes. Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings from the wicked who are out to destroy me, from my mortal enemies who surround me.

They close up their callous hearts, and their mouths speak with arrogance. They have tracked me down, they now surround me, with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground. They are like a lion hungry for prey, like a fierce lion crouching in cover.

Rise up, Lord, confront them, bring them down; with your sword rescue me from the wicked. By Your hand save me from such people, Lord, from those of this world whose reward is in this life. May what You have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies; may their children gorge themselves on it, and may there be leftovers for their little ones.

As for me, I will be vindicated and will see Your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing Your likeness.

Psalm 17

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Vindication. Simply put, it’s when we have been accused of being guilty of something but then when the facts are presented, we find ourselves not guilty, innocent of what we have been charged with.

We see this happen all the time in life. Accusations seem to fly left and right, sometimes justified but still other times not. One need to only look at any election campaign and see this happening in full blossom.

So what happens when we have been accused of something?

If it’s true, then we should come clean and tell the truth. I say “should” because more often than not, we find people who will vehemently deny the charges against them, at least until all the evidence is presented that removes any doubt that they really did what they were blamed for. Too many times, we find people making a bad situation worse by concealing the truth.

If the accusation is false, then we should do everything in our power to ensure all the facts are presented to prove our innocence, not resting until we have maintained our reputation.

Now, all this is well and good when we’re looking at vindication from a worldly perspective but what about looking at it from a Christian perspective.

The first thing we need to know right away is that we are all guilty right off the bat before God’s judgment. Not one person is free from sin (Romans 3:23) and thus stand guilty before a God who despises sinfulness. There is no need to try and defend ourselves as the verdict is already rendered and sealed. There isn’t anyone who is vindicated when it comes to their direct relationship with God the Father.

If the story ended there, we would be in trouble – and we would be living in utter hopelessness. Thanks be to God that He didn’t let it end there.

For realizing that His children were doomed for destruction, He provided a way for us to be vindicated – to be justified or just-as-if-I-had-never-sinned – before God. Out of His great love for you, me, and all mankind, He offered His only Son Jesus to bear the penalty of our sins on Calvary’s cross so that His shed blood – the blood of the perfect unblemished Lamb of God – would serve as the final atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world. In order to receive this vindication, all one has to do is believe and trust in Jesus as their Savior and receive His invitation to eternal life with Him and the Father. That’s it.

So let me paint an illustration of how this might happen.

You die and stand before the judgment throne of God, guilty as charged of all the sins you have committed. The Lord God Almighty is ready to pass His full condemnation and wrath upon you which means your certain eternal doom when in steps Jesus and tells the Father that you are vindicated of your charges because He paid the price already for you. And with that, you are justified and assured your place in eternity with God and Jesus.

Question: Who wouldn’t want this?

It boggles my mind how many people in our world choose to reject this vindication offer from God. They decide the world - and all is trappings - is a better option than sacrificing their lives to follow in the steps of Jesus, the only One who ever lived a perfectly righteous life here on earth.

I sense David had the same frustrations in mind as he looked at his society back in Old Testament Jerusalem and considered the matter of vindication.

In the 17th Psalm, we find David praying to God, asking Him to hear his just plea and cry for continued shelter from his enemies. He knew God would answer him, ever showing him the wonders of His great love by providing His guidance and protection. He also knew that any possible hope of vindication would come from God and God alone.

David proclaims, “Let my vindication come from You”, not vindication earned from his good works but vindication God would Himself provide. David saw himself with a place in eternity with God as he wrote:

“As for me, I will be vindicated and will see Your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing Your likeness.”

David clearly saw his reward as still to come. Nothing in the world could ever rival being with God at life’s end, seeing His face and spending forever with Him. And David knew that not everyone would experience this kind of vindication. This is because there would be those in the world who would seek their rewards from the ways of the world. He knew that those who were separated from God in the world would also remain separated from Him when life ended.

Nothing has changed today.

There are really only two choices for mankind today. Choose the world and pursue its sinful desires, satisfying your will or choose to receive Jesus as Savior, turning from the world’s desires to pursue the way and will of God and His desires for life.

One way leads to vindication. The other leads to devastation.

Which way will you choose?

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com