Your Day in Court [Part 2]

Pastor, author and Bible teacher Alan Wright.

The only one who can condemn you, the only one who can bring a charge against you has instead died for you. That's Pastor Alan Wright. Welcome to another message of good news that will help you see your life in a whole new light. I'm Daniel Britt, excited for you to hear the teaching today in the series that we've called the Top 10 from Pastor Alan, as presented at Reynolda Church in North Carolina in the first 10 years of Pastor Alan's radio broadcast ministry. If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program, I want to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now, a digital copy of the Top 10 from Pastor Alan Wright. This digital download can be yours for your donation this month to Alan Wright Ministries, or if you prefer, we do have a CD album available. Your choice as you listen to today's message go deeper as we send you today's special offer. Contact us at pastoralan.org, that's pastoralan.org, or call 877-544-4860.

That's 877-544-4860. We'll tell you more about it later in the program, but right now, let's get started with today's teaching. Here is Alan Wright. You know that famous Nicholson, you can't handle the truth. Only Nicholson could say that line just perfectly like that.

The drummer Perry Mason, or maybe for some of this crowd, Matlock. Always the defense attorney finds some way, this person who's definitely going to be convicted and yet finds just the right evidence and stands in their behalf, and if it weren't for this great defense attorney, then surely... Well, that's the image really that runs through the scripture, and it's familiar to us because the Roman legal system had pretty much the same elements that we have in our modern courtroom. You just envision a judge, a prosecuting attorney, a defense attorney, a defendant, witnesses, testimonies that are being given. You don't need to try to turn to these scriptures, but just to give you an example throughout the scripture, Psalm 119, look on my affliction, deliver me, for I do not forget your law. Plead my cause and redeem me. The famous scene of Daniel, we see the Ancient of Days, says in Daniel 7, I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat, and his clothing was white as snow.

A stream of fire issued and came out from him. A thousand thousands served him, and it says, he summed it up, said the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. Isaiah chapter 43 said, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.

Put me in remembrance. Let us argue together, it's courtroom language, set forth your case that you may be proved right. Micah 6, hear what the Lord says, arise, plead your case before the mountains. I even think the scene in the opening chapter of Job, where there's this scene and God is there and it says that the sons of God came before him, and Satan also came to them, and the Lord said to Satan, from where have you come?

And it's there that Satan begins to kind of prosecute his case against Job. Jesus used the courtroom language, Matthew chapter 10, when he said, everyone who acknowledges me before men, I'll also acknowledge before my father who's in heaven. That's courtroom language. He said in John 16, nevertheless, I tell you, it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the helper will not come to you. Well, the word for the Holy Spirit, the advocate, the paraclete, that was a common Greek term for a defense counselor in the court proceeding. John chapter 8, the Pharisees said to Jesus, you're bearing witness about yourself. Your testimony is not true. Jesus answered, even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from, but you do not know where I'm going, where I came from. You judge according to the flesh, I judge no one. See all the languages, courtroom language. And then Paul uses this kind of judicial language, 1st Corinthians chapter 4, but with me, it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself, for I'm not aware of anything against myself. And so he goes, and as I've said, John, the apostle, in his little epistle of 1st John over and over, but especially in this text, in chapter 2 of 1st John, he says, my little children, I'm writing these things to you so that you may not sin, but if anyone does sin, we have an advocate.

There's that word. We have a paraclete. We have a defense counselor with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. So all of these scriptures help to make sense of this main image of the courtroom that's so pervasive and how Romans 8 and Revelation 5 remind me so much of this.

The Romans 8 text is a text that is declaring that we are justified. It is declaring in a very real sense that here's the scenario, that there is a prosecuting attorney, Satan, the word Satan means accuser, who is making accusations that have in this courtroom no grounds. And what happens is that in this heavenly courtroom scene, you and I are the defendant, and we appear before the judge. And the prosecuting attorney, the accuser, is making all kinds of accusations based on all our sins and all of our crimes against God. And our defense attorney in this scenario is Jesus himself, the one who has died for us, who is our advocate.

And so the defense attorney essentially says to the judge, your honor, we hear these mockings and rantings from the prosecutor, but I need to remind you that the defendant cannot be tried on these matters because this case has already been tried and someone else was convicted and paid the crime. And Jesus holds out his hands, his side, his feet, and the judge sees the wounds and indeed recognizes that capital punishment has already been meted out, that there's already been the ultimate payment for all of the sin of you the defendant. And the judge simply says, this sin's already been paid for.

And so therefore this has no basis to even be in this courtroom. And the gavel comes down and says, not guilty. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Justification is so glorious. It is the heart of everything that we believe. Theologian Louis Burckhoff said, it is the judicial act of God in which he declares on the basis of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, that all the claims of the law are satisfied with respect to the sinner.

All the claims of the law are satisfied. I love these words of old preacher Charles Spurgeon. He said, my soul sit down.

I just like that right there. Whenever someday your soul's all anxious and you're running around on the inside trying to figure out life. Sometimes you have to say my soul sit down. My soul sit down and behold the justice of God as bound to punish sin. See that punishment all executed upon thy Lord Jesus and fall down in humble joy and kiss the dear feet of him whose blood has made atonement for thee. It is in vain when conscience is aroused to fly to feelings and evidences for comfort.

This is a habit which we learned in Egypt of our legal bondage. The only restorative for a guilty conscience is a sight of Jesus suffering on the cross. What Spurgeon saying is you don't get comfort from feeling like you're righteous. You don't get comfort by feeling as if you are innocent. You get comfort by fixing your eyes on the author and the finisher of your faith, the Lord Jesus Christ who has paid all of your debt, taken all of the punishment that was due to you and fixing your eyes upon the judge who says not guilty and seeing that this is your status in the world now and in the world to come.

God is just and he is the justifier. And then this image from Revelation 5 is a courtroom image, but now it's not about being declared guilty or not guilty. It is instead an image of probate court where a will is to be verified, attested to, opened up and released. This is a scroll that John sees is of utmost value, that whatever it is that is contained on the words in the front and the back of this scroll, a symbol, a metaphor, that it is something of such precious value when there's no one able to open it up. John begins in Revelation 5, 4, begins to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll. What was in this scroll? What was in the last will and testament of the Lord God?

What was it that was the inheritance that was described here? You'd have to go back to the beginning of days. You'd have to go back to hear God say to Adam and Eve that they were made in his own image. You'd have to hear him say to them, be fruitful and multiply. That your life is to be fruitful. It is to be full of fruit.

It is to be full of joyful productivity. You'd have to hear him say, have dominion in the earth. You'd have to hear God talking to them about what it is to be the head and not the tail, to be the ones that were made a little lower than the angels. All of that's in the scroll, the inheritance for the Christian. If you want to know what's in the scroll, you'd have to go back and sit in on the conversation between God and Abraham. And hear him tell Abraham to look your eyes to the skies and count the stars.

If you could count them, so would your descendants be. So is your life in this earth that you are blessed, Abraham. That's Alan Wright, and we'll have more teaching in a moment from today's important series. The life-changing message of good news has been taught over radio from Alan Wright Ministries for quite some time now, and God has used every one of those messages. But some broadcasts have really hit home in special ways. In gratitude of more than a decade of radio, we have assembled the most powerful, best-loved messages from each year of the first 10 and put them together in one special album. When you make a gift to Alan Wright Ministries this month, we want to give you Alan Wright's top 10 CD album or digital download.

Are you ready for some good news? Make your gift today and discover God's grace afresh with Alan Wright's top 10 of the first decade. Call us at 877-544-4860.

That's 877-544-4860. Or come to our website, PastorAlan.org. Today's teaching now continues.

Here once again is Alan Wright. All the blessing that was spoken to Abraham and all those promises, you'd have to go and sit on the conversation between God and Moses on top of Mount Sinai. You'd have to hear the Lord say that if my people will obey me, they will be my treasured people.

They'll be a priesthood, a nation of priests to me. You have to hear all the promises that are the rewards for obedience that the people never could fulfill because of their disobedience. You'd have to go and sit in on the conversations that David had with the Lord at Mount Zion. You'd have to be there when David danced before the ark and hear the inward testimony of the Holy Spirit that is reminding David of the promise that God made to David that someone from your family will dwell on the throne forever and that my steadfast love, the chesed, the covenantal love of God will never depart from you. I'll never leave you. I'll never stop loving you, David.

You've got to understand that's in this scroll. All the promises that were spoken through the prophet Isaiah, the promise that even when you are exhausted and when you feel that you are about to fall, that you will spread your wings like an eagle and you will soar, the promises to comfort, comfort my people, the promises of restoration that were spoken through the prophet Jeremiah, that this is what the Lord says I will restore. I will restore the fortunes of Jacob's tents.

I will have compassion on his dwelling, that the palace will stand in its proper place. You'd have to hear the words that were spoken through the prophet Malachi to test me in this and see if I don't open up the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing so great upon you that you cannot contain it. Then you'd have to listen to everything Jesus ever said and listen to him teaching by the sea of Galilee and telling the masses of people that gathered around him such delicious words that truly he could say to them do not be anxious about tomorrow. There's not a single sparrow that falls to the ground without my father's permission.

You need not worry as well. You'd have to hear Jesus tell his disciples you'll do the things that I do and even greater things than that you will do. All of that is in this scroll. You'd have to hear every one of the promises that was spoken throughout the scriptures and the apostle Paul who was saying that we are more than conquerors in Christ. You'd have to see that every one of the promises that are yes and amen in Jesus Christ, all of those promises, all of the riches, all of the spiritual treasures, everything that is good from God, all wrapped up in that scroll is part of the inheritance for the people of God.

Oh that the eyes of your heart would be enlightened and you would know the glorious hope of your calling and the glorious inheritance that you have amongst the saints. This is why John was weeping on the Isle of Potmos when he had this vision because nobody was able to open up that scroll. I always would imagine that this was a scene in which the first some little angel comes over and says well how hard could it be to open up a scroll with seven little seals on it and the angel tries to open up and this is all a metaphor but he can't open it up and then maybe even Gabriel comes over and says let me have that scroll. It's like King Arthur's sword. It's like Cinderella's slipper. It's like no no everybody's trying and then maybe Adam comes and said I was the first man I could open it up.

No you fell into sin. You can't open it and Moses comes and he says I spoke with God like face to face and he tries to open. He can't open it and David and they remind him of Bathsheba and they say no somebody would have to be perfect if they're going to open this scroll. Somebody who never sinned is the only one who's authorized to open this and so all attention turns upon God himself who's seated upon the throne and they say it must be God. He's the one who's going to open it and the Lord says no because it's not my inheritance.

I'm giving this inheritance to the people. This is what was promised to all of humanity. A human being has to open it and all of the heavens says yes but that would require a perfect human being and there isn't a perfect human being unless there would be a God man who was perfect in every way who never sinned and yet had paid a perfect sacrifice on behalf of all humanity and a human being could come and open it and this was the scene of the probate court in the heavens when John was on the Isle of Potmos and he was weeping. I think he wasn't just weeping in his vision.

He was literally weeping for what he saw. There's no one to open the scroll until verse five. One of the elders said to me weep no more behold the lion of the tribe of Judah the root of David has conquered so he can open the scroll and its seven seals and between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a lamb standing as though it had been slain. It's an interesting thought that this Greek word actually means a little lamb. He saw a little lamb. They were expecting the huge lion to come and rip it open but instead a little lamb stained with blood all throughout its wool looking like he'd just been killed he came and they sang a new song worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals for you were slain and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation no one's left out and you have made them and you have made them a kingdom and priest to our God and they shall reign on the earth and the little lamb opens up the inheritance for anyone who would receive Christ you not only have a day in court in which the judge says fully and finally not guilty but you also have your day of probate court in which you realize that the richest inheritance of eternal proportions is also for you for you are a co-heir with Christ simply by being in Christ you are a recipient Paul says of every spiritual blessing you know what these two texts and these two scenes of courtroom and the heavens have in common they are all about who's got proper standing you know what i mean by that it's like if you built a fence two feet over into your neighbor's yard your neighbor would have standing to bring the charge against you you and i wouldn't have standing because it's not our yard the one who is sinned against is the one who has standing who have we sinned against well there's a sense in which we sinned against one another and sinned against ourselves but it's like david said in psalm 51 after his great sin he said it's against you lord and only you that i have sinned that in a very real sense it's important to understand theologically that all sin is against god for he's our creator so it's very important to note this and note it well even satan himself though he is raging with accusation has no standing to bring a charge against the christian because you've not sinned against hell you're not sinned against satan you're not even sinned against other people you've sinned against god there's only one person in the cosmos who has standing to bring a charge against the elect this is what paul means he says who could bring any charge nobody has standing to bring the accusation except god himself and god the one who has standing has surrendered his standing instead has become to us the person of jesus and died in our place so the only one who can condemn you the only one who can bring a can bring a charge against you has instead died for you and revelation five is also about who has the standing to be able to open up the scroll you can't open it i can't open it the archangels can't open it moses can't open it the apostle paul can't open it only one person in the cosmos could open it and that is this little lamb who was slain on your behalf behold the lamb of god who takes away the sin of the world not just so your sins could be forgiven and declared not guilty but also so you could receive the inheritance that god had planned for you from the beginning of time oh hallelujah and all this is to say that judgment day in one sense for the christian has already come and yet it still will come but at the final judgment day you can understand that your case has already been dismissed so there can be no prosecution against you and you will on that day discover despite any of your own worthless feelings that the scroll has indeed been opened and that god is withholding no good thing from you for all eternity and so what this means is that you can tell every mocking voice whether it be your own voice of self-condemnation which is one of our greatest battles of the angst of our soul that is constantly condemning ourselves some point in your life you got to say sit down soul and fix your eyes upon the judge and hear him say not guilty sit down soul you have no standing to bring this prosecution against me and even if the tormenting voice of hell itself came to you even if you had to say to every demon in hell you could say it sit down and be silent you have no standing my sin was never against you it was only against god the judge and god the judge has justified me there is no charge therefore that can be brought against me isn't it odd that we use the idea of judgment day to try to curb sin by telling people they ought to be a little bit afraid when in fact of mower the power of the gospel is found in just the opposite be assured and be confident in other words this is why it is good news to say god is a judge and you will have your day in court and that's the gospel alan wright today's teaching your day in court it's in the series meet your maker but don't worry this is a grace-filled broadcast and the ministry is all about what god has done for us in jesus christ and alan's got a word about that here in just a moment stick with us the life-changing message of good news has been taught over radio from Alan Wright Ministries for quite some time now and god has used every one of those messages but some broadcasts have really hit home in special ways in gratitude of more than a decade of radio we have assembled the most powerful best love messages from each year of the first 10 and put them together in one special album when you make a gift to Alan Wright Ministries this month we want to give you alan wright's top 10 cd album or digital download are you ready for some good news make your gift today and discover god's grace afresh with alan wright's top 10 of the first decade call us at 877-544-4860 that's 877-544-4860 or come to our website pastor alan.org so alan i hear a lot of of legal and courtroom type discussion throughout scripture really and it it paints a wonderful picture because i think it puts it in in terms that i can understand and even apply in the world i live in and what good news to know that it's been paid for and so when when it's time to stand before the judge the declaration is in our favor it's a very important image in the scriptures this idea of being in a courtroom and god is the judge and what uh what it does i think in your heart when you begin to see this in all of its uh spiritual ramifications is that it grants you this incredible assurance and assurance and assurance and assurance that you're not have any fear about meeting your maker but look forward to it with a great anticipation and delight so your day in court is not a thing to be be feared it's the day that you are ultimately and finally declared before all the heavens that he's not guilty it's a day in which your inheritance that you've already received but it's all consummated and fully released to you yes the the last will and testament of jesus christ is validated in probate court and it's yours you're a co-heir with christ so what we're going to find out when we have our day in court is we're going to find out how blameless we have been reckoned to be how righteous we are through the imputed righteousness of christ and just how spiritually rich we are forevermore what a day that will be today's good news 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