Story "Not Guilty!"
Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2009 8:39 amI heard a story told many years ago of a man who appeared at the judgment bar of Heaven. It went something like this.
A certain man had passed from this life having yielded himself to the Lord many years before. Once translated from this life he appeared in a brilliant white room where there was a throne with a rainbow draping overhead shining in the prettiest colors he had ever seen. On the throne sat one from whose face sinful men would flee and run and hide themselves in the dens and rocks of the earth pleading for an avalanche of the mountains to fall upon them. However at the time of death neither Heaven nor Earth holds any hiding place for we must all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ just as we are. In the courtroom of Heaven were two different attorneys. One was very evil and sinister brooding anxiously over the accusations he was about to hurl at the Judge of the whole earth concerning the convicted man. His lips seemed to drop with drool as his anticipation grew and his malicious anger escalated against him. Soon he knew he would be able to convince the Righteousness Judge of the unworthiness of this supposed villain. On the other side of the court room stood one dressed in fine white apparel shining as the sun in full strength. He had a very calm and collective persona, he seemed to radiate a feeling of compassion that transcended all compassion this man had ever knew or experienced while fulfilling his allotted time on earth. The Court Room of Heaven now opens and the accused is called to the witness stand, promising to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth with the assistance of Him who sat upon the throne.
The true villain of the story steps up and relentlessly begins to announce all the sins of this mans past to the Judge. His accusations went something like this, 'This man who you suppose to presume innocent until proven guilty has violated every one of your righteous precepts. I remember the night he was caught by his wife in the very act of adultery and how he had lied to protect himself and his mistress. He has lied from his youth up and Sir, he has even taken your name in vain upon numerous occasions. One night he had been to the corner tavern and left so intoxicated that he hit another car killing some mother's son. On and on the accuser went with his accusations then finally concluded sarcastically this man is worthy of death and eternal separation from the presence of your righteous glory. The man stood with sweat drops falling from his head and face trembling down to his knees. He knew the accusations were true, but he also knew that after the auto accident he had sit in the prison and called out to the Lord beseeching Him for mercy. He knew he did not deserve mercy but anxiously anticipated that he would receive it by faith. He continued to grow in the Lord from that time forth leading many to righteous has he learned to trust the Savior more and more.
Finally the Accuser of the Brethren sits down and the righteous attorney steps up to the platform before the throne and whispers in the ear of the Judge "I paid his sin debt with my blood". The courtroom began to fill with an unexplainable peace. It was so much Peace that the accusing attorney hung his head in shame and exited the courtroom. As the Judge laid the gavel to the desk, the verdict was issued, My Son you are free, enter thou into the joys of the Lord. Your sins which were many have all been washed away. The blood of my Son declares you not guilty. This is the story and the final outcome of our lives. We may very well be guilty of many offences against righteous, but there is a Righteous Attorney that pleads our case with His own blood and declares us NOT GUILTY!
Written by Sue West
A certain man had passed from this life having yielded himself to the Lord many years before. Once translated from this life he appeared in a brilliant white room where there was a throne with a rainbow draping overhead shining in the prettiest colors he had ever seen. On the throne sat one from whose face sinful men would flee and run and hide themselves in the dens and rocks of the earth pleading for an avalanche of the mountains to fall upon them. However at the time of death neither Heaven nor Earth holds any hiding place for we must all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ just as we are. In the courtroom of Heaven were two different attorneys. One was very evil and sinister brooding anxiously over the accusations he was about to hurl at the Judge of the whole earth concerning the convicted man. His lips seemed to drop with drool as his anticipation grew and his malicious anger escalated against him. Soon he knew he would be able to convince the Righteousness Judge of the unworthiness of this supposed villain. On the other side of the court room stood one dressed in fine white apparel shining as the sun in full strength. He had a very calm and collective persona, he seemed to radiate a feeling of compassion that transcended all compassion this man had ever knew or experienced while fulfilling his allotted time on earth. The Court Room of Heaven now opens and the accused is called to the witness stand, promising to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth with the assistance of Him who sat upon the throne.
The true villain of the story steps up and relentlessly begins to announce all the sins of this mans past to the Judge. His accusations went something like this, 'This man who you suppose to presume innocent until proven guilty has violated every one of your righteous precepts. I remember the night he was caught by his wife in the very act of adultery and how he had lied to protect himself and his mistress. He has lied from his youth up and Sir, he has even taken your name in vain upon numerous occasions. One night he had been to the corner tavern and left so intoxicated that he hit another car killing some mother's son. On and on the accuser went with his accusations then finally concluded sarcastically this man is worthy of death and eternal separation from the presence of your righteous glory. The man stood with sweat drops falling from his head and face trembling down to his knees. He knew the accusations were true, but he also knew that after the auto accident he had sit in the prison and called out to the Lord beseeching Him for mercy. He knew he did not deserve mercy but anxiously anticipated that he would receive it by faith. He continued to grow in the Lord from that time forth leading many to righteous has he learned to trust the Savior more and more.
Finally the Accuser of the Brethren sits down and the righteous attorney steps up to the platform before the throne and whispers in the ear of the Judge "I paid his sin debt with my blood". The courtroom began to fill with an unexplainable peace. It was so much Peace that the accusing attorney hung his head in shame and exited the courtroom. As the Judge laid the gavel to the desk, the verdict was issued, My Son you are free, enter thou into the joys of the Lord. Your sins which were many have all been washed away. The blood of my Son declares you not guilty. This is the story and the final outcome of our lives. We may very well be guilty of many offences against righteous, but there is a Righteous Attorney that pleads our case with His own blood and declares us NOT GUILTY!
Written by Sue West