My night studying that night time was Romans 1–8. As the final page fell, sleep seized me, and I drifted right into a dream.
I stood outdoors of a courtroom referred to as Judgment Seat. August and austere, that courthouse appeared to me because the one nice vacation spot of all of the earth. I entered willingly, although I later questioned if I had any selection.
Inside, demons and angels swarmed. “Judgment,” I overheard one angel say to a different, “should start on the home of God.” I took my seat within the courtroom, though some eyes rested upon me as if I didn’t really belong.
Earlier than I might spare the matter one other thought, the doorways flung open, and silence grabbed every creature by the tongue. Even the malevolent ones, these gods of the nations, have been decreased to muffled sneers. The person entered enchained, head fallen, Amartōlos1 his title — although he shuddered to personal it. He moved, so it appeared, like a person to his execution. He sat down in his seat — referred to as Disgrace — with unusual willingness, judging by the shock of 1 angel behind me, who claimed that almost all sat down solely after an awesome battle.
“Holy, holy, holy” shook the courtroom because the Decide took his seat, a sight that I can solely now liken to the solar ascending his throne at excessive midday. The continuing commenced, and the prosecution started their case by calling one Spirit of the Age to bear his testimony on behalf of his enterprise associate, World.
First Witness: Spirit of the Age
“Decide and jury and good spirits amongst us,” the spirit started, “I ponder in case you have not realized already one who has no true place among the many congregation of the righteous.”
At this, I swallowed so laborious I believed I heard it echo.
“This man” — pointing on the man they nicknamed Tolos — “oh, how reluctantly do I bear my witness to his shame earlier than you, Nice and Holy One! I ponder, did you not say in your nice e-book of regulation that this man ought to not love the world or the issues on the planet? Certainly, you probably did. I’ve it right here: ‘Don’t love the world or the issues on the planet. If anybody loves the world’ — and observe this subsequent half, good Decide and jury — ‘the love of the Father isn’t in him.’2 Or, in case you’d quite, ‘You adulterous folks! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Due to this fact whoever needs to be a good friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.’3
“The principle is unmistakable, however did this poor villain transgress it? I submit as proof the primary 20 years of his life — for the tree should be recognized by its fruit. Look with the attention of justice, not mercy — ‘Your eye shall not pity him’4 — and you will note ample proof in each phrase and deed. His complete life flows from one foul supply. Unmistakably, he has served a prepared slave to the lust of his eyes, the lust of his flesh, and the delight of life.5
“Think about what number of sorts of sin lie earlier than you now, sins cataloged by the apostle beneath divine inspiration: gossip, slander, hating of God, insolence, haughtiness, boasting, disobedience to folks, and even new innovations of evil.6 Have a look at the felony — faithless, silly, heartless, ruthless!7 What might be recognized concerning the Most Excessive was plain to him — he knew effectively sufficient his invisible attributes, particularly, his everlasting energy and divine nature — however the man neither honored God nor gave him any thanks.8 As an alternative, he exchanged the glory of the Most Excessive for created issues and went into partnership with me and my esteemed colleague right here.9 He knew the reality however suppressed it in unrighteousness. Does the defendant deny any of those costs? Ought to he be true and God a liar?10 Is he not left ‘with out excuse’?”11
The eyes of that different world targeted on the person, who to them was no older than a boy. With out lifting his head, he stammered, “I’ve no protection, your Honor. Towards you, you solely, have I sinned and executed what’s evil in your sight, so that you could be be justified in your phrases and innocent in your judgment.”12
Second: Accuser of the Brethren
At this, the proceedings might need ended, however the examination continued with a most adept prosecutor given the title Accuser of the Brethren.
“Wonderful begin, nice Spirit. Now, I have to state my relations to the defendant from the onset in order to not indulge unjust scales. The person earlier than you is my son; from start he has been mine, and I most fraternally his. We’ve got the case clearly given within the everlasting decrees: ‘Whoever makes a follow of sinning is of the satan, for the satan has been sinning from the start.’13 Or, a number of verses additional, the dividing line is drawn even plainer, the chasm extra manifest — phanera, if I’ll quote the unique. ‘By this it’s evident who’re the youngsters of God, and who’re the youngsters of the satan: whoever doesn’t follow righteousness isn’t of God, neither is the one who doesn’t love his brother.’14
“Now, although I don’t imply to inconvenience the cosmos with household issues, observe that he’s not merely responsible, however in reality he’s my son and no son of the Most Excessive. He’s mine and shall share in my inheritance, come what might. Didn’t the Most Excessive swear that the lady’s offspring and mine shall have ‘enmity’?15 And whereas I can’t dispute the very fact right here, let or not it’s recognized that in figuring out with me, in following my course and my approach, in producing my works, he can not however share my destiny — as the nice legal guidelines clearly educate. If some type of justice ought to prosecute me, then justice, by that very same precept, should prosecute mine. Equal scales, I now ask of the court docket.
“If the useless canine wishes to refute my declare over him or deny his service to me, then I shall forgo my gracious method on this meeting and hail accusations violent — and most true — upon him, my very own son. Jealousy for his soul, you see, would drive me to it. He already admitted to sinning not simply in opposition to regulation, however in opposition to you, the Most Excessive — and the villain now makes an attempt, I concern, to do the identical to me. If I be his father, the place, expensive meeting, is my honor?”16
At this the person stirred not. Solely a groan was heard: “Oh, wretched man that I’m! Who will ship me from this physique of demise?”17
Third: Conscience
Lastly — and this witness was, for my part, as damning because the final — the person’s conscience spoke forth a fiery testimony in opposition to him, as if he had solely this chance to talk after a few years. Oh, how prolonged and eloquent and actual this witness! He learn aloud numberless trespasses, lots of which he had been current for, giving his most ardent protest, solely to be harshly disbursed with, laughed at, mocked, and eventually silenced. These deep secrets and techniques of the soul have been stripped naked for the remainder of us to see — of such an exhaustive nature that the Nice Accuser himself recorded new proof with smiling satisfaction. Reasonably would I dwell in a sewer, with most loathsome rats chewing my flesh and illness gnawing at my bones, than ever topic myself to such a exact and detailed report of my sins.
Tolos’s Plea
Lastly, the person himself responded.
“I by no means knew to hate myself as I do at this second,” Tolos replied, scanning the proof. “What a villain I’ve been. My nice pleasures have however saved up wrath for myself.18 My throat is an open grave, stuffed with curses and bitterness.19 I’ve chosen spoil and distress and lived with out the concern of God, not deeming it worthwhile to acknowledge him in my ideas. My mouth is stopped. I’m accountable to God. I stand condemned — and this by my very own testimony.20 I plead responsible, responsible, responsible on all counts. When you have solely justice to present, my due is wrath and fury endless.21
“However this is the reason I’ve come.” He lastly lifted his head. “I’ve come to be tried earlier than my time as a result of I’ve learn extra in your E-book than of regulation and my sin. ‘Righteousness aside from regulation’ — ‘the righteousness of God via religion in Jesus Christ for all who imagine.’22 All appears a large phrase to awaken my hope.
“I could be declared not responsible, legally harmless, and even positively righteous ‘by his grace as a present, via the redemption that’s in Christ Jesus.’23 After I, who am evil, give my youngsters items, I don’t count on them to pay me for it. An open hand is all I require. So, right here is my hand — empty of its personal deserves, stained, tinctured with sin, perpetrator to numerous crimes — but open to obtain mercy from nail-pierced palms. For as plainly as I’ve learn the report of my crimes, I’ve learn the report of my Savior’s deserves. How he fulfilled each jot and tittle of the regulation. How he was despatched ‘for sin’ to ‘condemn sin within the flesh’24 — condemning what stood to sentence me. Wretched man that I’m, however wretched man was he made for me, ‘whom God put ahead as a propitiation by his blood, to be acquired by religion.’25 I do obtain him!
“The e-book says — and I faint to imagine it — that to all who imagine, the decision upon a complete lifetime of carnal wickedness has been punished on the tree. There you proved that God is ‘simply and the justifier of the one who has religion in Jesus.’26 My plea is similar as Abraham’s, who ‘believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.’27 That is the religion to justify and bequeath ‘peace with God.’28
“So, I bear witness in opposition to myself, sure, and plead most definitely and horribly responsible. However subsequent, I draw the court docket’s full consideration to the completed work of Jesus Christ on my behalf. By his blood, I’m justified — and far more, he saves me from the wrath of God.29 I imagine with my coronary heart and am made righteous; I confess him and am promised salvation.30 I attraction to not the regulation of works — ‘for by works of the regulation no human being will likely be justified in his sight.’31 I attraction to the regulation of religion, the regulation of the Spirit of life that units me free from the regulation of sin and demise.32 I maintain, I can solely maintain, that one is justified by religion aside from works of the regulation.33 I draw your consideration to the gospel decree:
To the one who doesn’t work however believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his religion is counted as righteousness, simply as David additionally speaks of the blessing [my blessing!] of the one to whom God counts righteousness aside from works:
‘Blessed are these whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are lined;
blessed is the person in opposition to whom the Lord is not going to depend his sin.’34
“So, I’ve come of my very own accord earlier than being summoned by demise, believing, merely believing. I’ve pled responsible; I’m worthy of everlasting demise. However you, O Decide, have promised life to those that come, and also you promise them a spotless righteousness, my Savior’s righteousness. He shall ship me from this seat of disgrace, for I’m promised, ‘Whoever believes in him is not going to be put to disgrace.’35 He bore my sin, wore my wrath, ‘was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.’36 He’s all my plea. If I be damned, come pry my arms from his toes, for there alone I cling.”
Verdict
A silence, a second when even the gods are stilled, stuffed the courthouse. Then, a voice just like the roar of many waters spoke from the throne phrases that shall be etched into my thoughts without end:
“There may be subsequently now no condemnation for many who are in Christ Jesus.”37
At this, the foundations of the courtroom rocked, shaken by howls shortly drowned in tune. The small host of hellish spirits shrieked and shrank in fury whereas the mighty host burst into a brand new tune to the Decide:
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you have been slain, and by your blood you ransomed folks for God
from each tribe and language and folks and nation,
and you’ve got made them a kingdom and clergymen to our God,
they usually shall reign on the earth.”38
And the Decide, wanting quite aggravated by the blasphemous rage, lower quick the cries of the fiends, exclaiming,
“Who shall deliver any cost in opposition to God’s elect? I’m he who justifies. Who’s to sentence? I’m the one who died — greater than that, who was raised — who sits on the proper hand of energy, who certainly is interceding for my folks.”39
Because the Decide closed the E-book, I believed I glimpsed scars upon his palms and a reputation graven upon his palms: Amartōlos.
