Final Verdict

Have you ever been sentenced to time in prison or had to pay a hefty fine for a crime you committed? The thought, to me, is daunting. Sure, most of us have paid a parking ticket or a late fee from time to time, but fewer have heard a judge’s gavel pound when he declares a verdict, based on a jury’s decision or his own.

However, as a Christian, I’m aware of the ransom paid by my ultimate bondsman, Jesus Christ. Though I never deserved it, He took my penalty and paid the price on the cross of Calvary instead of me spending a life sentence of eternity in hell.

When Paul presented the gospel to the church of Rome, he explained how we are no longer condemned by the old law. Like a skilled lawyer, he presented the evidence of how, as followers of Jesus, we are free from the penalty of a guilty verdict.

Imagine if we were literally standing before God, our eternal judge, with a slideshow of our sins shown to those serving on the jury and all the witnesses in a courtroom. Would we feel guilty? Would we feel ashamed? Would we be filled with fear and anxiety?

Romans 8:1 above says we won’t. We can rest assured that we don’t have to wait in agony for a life sentence. By confessing our sins to our Savior, they are erased from our record.

When was the last time you confessed?

Lord Jesus, thank you for paying the price for my sins. Thank you that I don’t have to stand before anyone and be condemned. As Psalm 84:10 says, ”Better is one day in your courts than thousands elsewhere.” I stand amazed at what you’ve done for me. Amen.

Go Deeper — Make a list of all the things you feel guilty or ashamed about. Talk to the Lord about them. Speak Romans 8:1 out loud and imagine the pounding of a gavel proclaiming each paid, once and for all.