Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
—Romans 5:1 NKJV

The buzz of activity in the courtroom subsides, and all stand to their feet as the bailiff announces: “All rise! Court is now in session. The honorable Judge ___ now presiding.”

The judge reads the charges and asks for the defense plea: “Guilty” or “Not Guilty!”

All the evidence and testimonies, for and against, are presented, scrutinized, questioned, and weighed. After both the prosecution and the defense have rested their cases, an agonizing silence hangs in the air as the judge prepares to read the verdict.

This scenario plays out time after time, all across the world, every single day. Some lean more toward true justice than others.

As of this writing, I have never been before a judge for an accusation. Nor do I plan to. I have been before a judge to finalize our adoption. As support for a friend. To give a victim impact statement. To sit on a jury. Each time has given me cause to pause and think about another courtroom, another prosecutor, another Judge, another Defense.

In the Highest Court of all, before the Only Judge, our accuser stands and points his finger at us as he lists his charges. Stacks and stacks of hard, concrete evidence, wheeled in on carts, sit piled up on and all around his table so high that he can barely be seen. One by one, he lists all our offenses, all our shortcomings, all our missteps, and all our mistakes. By all accounts, we are guilty. We should be condemned. Except that …

Our Defense steps forward with a couple of ledgers in His hand. He opens the one with our name and addresses the Judge. “Your Honor, I have no such record of these charges in my defendant’s book.” He opens it, showing a single blank page. He then pulls out the second, much thicker and heavier ledger bearing His own name. He opens it, revealing page after page, line after line. It records every charge, every offense, every crime, and every wrong we’ve ever done, thought, or said. It even lists all the ones we have yet to commit.

“Your Honor, I have taken all this defendant’s wrongs, and I claim them as My own. I have taken the blame. I carry the guilt. I bear the shame. I have already paid the full price for each and every single one of these offenses—past, present, and future.” Then He bends down, removes His sandals, untucks His shirt, and raises His hands to show the wounds He received as full payment.

The Judge leans forward, examines the Defense’s wounds, and looks at the ledgers. He drops His gavel on the table and declares. “Judgment for the defendant! Case dismissed!”

If we don’t know Christ, we deserve to feel guilty and condemned—because we are! But … in Christ, we are forgiven and free. Praise God!

From our first to our last breath, Satan will use every means at his disposal to cause us to feel guilt, shame, and condemnation. He will hurl his accusations against us through other people. He will use our own stumbling and failing. He will whisper in our ear, “If you were a real Christian, you wouldn’t do that. You wouldn’t say that!” Even on our best days, he whispers little accusations in our ears. I can attest to that. It is very easy to listen to the accuser’s nagging whispers and let them affect our everyday life for Christ. Until we remember: “Judgement is for the defendant. Case dismissed!”

Jesus, thank You for paying the price for me. I am forgiven. I am free! Help me to live victoriously for You in that freedom every day of my earthly life. I love You, Lord!

And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having
wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us.
And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. —Colossians 2:13-14 NKJV

In Him,
Donna Perkins

Sweet Selah Ministries 

Vision
To inspire a movement away from the belief that “busy is better”
and toward the truth of God’s Word that stillness and knowing
Him matter most—and will be reflected in more effective work and service

Mission
To offer biblical resources and retreats that help women pause (Selah)
and love God more deeply as they know Him more intimately (Sweet)

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