Guilty As Charged, or Not…

“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.” John 3:18

No one likes to be condemned.  We think of condemnation as being judged to be any one or more of highly unfavorable descriptions such as mean, hateful, hostile, antagonistic, rude, unfriendly, and judgmental.  We also consider being condemned as being guilty of a crime that a judge or a jury has determined by the evidence presented in a court of law.  When Jesus used the words “condemned”, He was using it as described in the second definition: “guilty as charged”.  And we are all guilty before a just and holy God as the Apostle Paul wrote, “We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Without a remedy or an advocate of authority, we all stand condemned.  We have no excuse for our sin.  We cannot plead that we didn’t know that we were sinners, or that we didn’t intend to sin.  It is our nature to sin.  However, sin is not just doing bad things, it is not living up to God’s standard which is perfection.  But with an inborn propensity to sin, how can we possible be perfect?  I’m glad you asked that question.

By sending His only Son, Jesus, to make the once and for all sacrifice on the cross of Calvary, God gave us an Advocate of Authority who is perfect and who willingly paid the penalty for all sin that has ever been committed or that will be committed.  Our Father in heaven, in His justice and mercy would never leave His creation without a remedy for sin.  He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, as our remedy, and we must repent of sin and believe on the Son of God to be removed from under condemnation.  Otherwise, As Jesus stated, those who do not believe in Him and come under His authority as Lord and Savior, remain under condemnation, that is, they remain “guilty as charged”.

Thus we have two options: we can receive Christ as our Advocate before God, who is the Father and the Judge who will judge with His righteousness and truth (Psalm 96:13), or we can represent ourselves before the righteous Judge, and you know what “they” say about a defendant who acts as his or her own attorney.