A former judge in Pennsylvania was recently convicted for receiving bribes and kickbacks to send juvenile offenders to a for profit youth jail. This scheme went on for years. The corrupt judge – Michael Conahan has been sentenced to 157 years in prison.
How would you like to face a corrupt judge like this? Can you imagine standing before a judge who would accept bribes? Who would rule against you, even when you are innocent? That doesn’t sound very fair to me.
Yet this is exactly how a lot of people see God. They want God to be a corrupt judge; a judge that they can bribe. We’ve all broken God’s Holy Law, the 10 Commandments. We’ve all lied, most of us have stolen something at one time or another, most of us have used God’s name in vain (that’s called blaspheme) and we’ve all coveted something before. So there isn’t a single one of us who hasn’t broken the 10 Commandments.
Hebrews 9:27 says, “it is appointed to men once to die, but after this the judgment.” All of us will die one day. 10 out of 10 people die. Over 150,000 people die each and every day and we will all have to stand before God on Judgment Day. You will either stand before God under your own “goodness” (which we’ve already seen really isn’t good compared to the 10 Commandments) or Jesus Christ will be your Advocate. Which will it be?
A lot of people aren’t worried about this because they think that they are good. The bible says in Proverbs 21:2 that “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord ponders the hearts.” Even though most of us are good by our own standards, we don’t measure up to God’s perfect standard.
When you say you are not worried about standing before God because you will just tell him all of the good things you’ve done, you are asking God to be a corrupt judge. You are trying to plead your case before Him. It won’t work. God is Holy, just and righteous. He is perfect and His nature is perfect. That’s why He cannot tolerate sin (Isaiah 59:2).
God obviously knows that none of us can meet his perfect standard. That’s why He sent Jesus to walk this earth 2,000 years ago. Jesus never sinned in thought, word or deed. He always (and only) did the will of His Father (John 5:30). He perfectly kept the 10 Commandments in the letter of the law and in the spirit of the law (Matt. 5:21-22 and 5:27-28). Then Jesus suffered an excruciating death on the cross and rose from the grave on the third day.
Salvation is a free gift from God (Romans 6:23). But you have to receive this gift. You have to turn from your sins and put your trust in Jesus. You have to quit standing in the court room defending yourself. You have already lost the court case. Your fine must be paid. Your mountain of sin debt has to be paid. If you continue representing yourself then you are on the losing side. You are just waiting around for death and then for God to sentence you to Hell for eternity.
But, the court is providing you an attorney, an advocate if you will accept Him. Not only is the advocate wanting to represent you, He actually wants to pay your fine for you. You can never be good enough or earn enough to wipe out your sin debt. But Jesus Christ has paid your fine for you, if you will accept this amazing gift. Since Jesus has paid the fine, the good judge, the just judge can legally let you go free.
Won’t you accept it today? You deserve eternity in Hell, but God offers you everlasting life if you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. If you do this, God will grant you a pardon. God will no longer see you as the guilty sinner that you are. No, He will forgive you of your sins and He will see you through the shed blood of Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:14).
Please repent and put your faith in Jesus. Do this today before it’s too late. Don’t foolishly expect God to be a corrupt judge. He is not. He is a good judge; a just judge and He will do what is right. He will punish guilty sinners and He will pardon true followers of Jesus Christ. Follow Jesus today and let your sins be forgiven. Humbly ask Jesus to take your crimes upon Himself. Then surrender your life fully to Him and follow Him completely from this day forward.