MEDITATIONS ON JUSTIFICATION #6

Acquitted from all Guilt

May 24, 2010                           Reading:  Jude 24-25

"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy" Jude 24

"What that is upon the account whereof God pardons all their sins, receives them into his favour, declares or pronounces them righteous and acquitted from all guilt, removes the curse, and turns away all his wrath from them, giving them right and title unto a blessed, immortality or life eternal?" John Owen.

Imagine standing in heaven's court of Justice awaiting the decision of the jury on the charges made against you. You know you are guilty and no defense has been offered on your behalf. You stand there fully convinced you will be found guilty. You can tell by the look in their eyes. They want to say otherwise but they are the jury in the court of the Judge of all the earth and are bound to consider the evidence.

The box is passed around the jurors and each one drops in a stone, for that is the way it was done during the time when the Judge walked the earth. Each juror holds two stones, a white one and a black one. If, in his opinion, the accused is innocent he will place the white stone in the box, if guilty he places in the black one.

When each juror has placed his stone in the box the court administrator carries it to the bench and hands it to the Judge who empties it on his desk. Your heart is beating wildly as He counts the stones. His face does not reveal the decision. The court room is silent as He takes one stone and stands up.

"The decision of the jury is evenly divided," He said. "I counted six black stones and six white ones. Therefore it falls upon me to cast the deciding stone."

The Judge, known for His fairness and absolute compliance with the law, walks toward you with His hand outreached. You open your hand to receive His verdict. He places His stone in your hand and you dare not look down for His decision will seal your fate for eternity.

"You must look at the stone," He said calmly.

You do so, fully convinced it will be black. But no, it is white. The Judge who has never made a mistake has given you His white stone. Your knees weaken and the Judge reaches out and holds you up.

"Thank you," you whisper, "but why?"

"The day when My Holy Spirit convicted you of your sin and you repented and believed on Me to forgive you, that is the day when your eternal future was sealed. It was then that I did several things for you. I forgave your sins and presented you to My Father who adopted you into His family. You became a son of God and I became your Brother. The Holy Spirit entered your heart and you and I became one. The reason I have given you My white stone is because at that very moment a great transaction took place-I  imputed my Son's righteousness to you and your sin and guilt was imputed to Him. When He died on the cross He died because He accepted your sins and guilt as His own and therefore He had to be punished. The punishment you deserved He suffered instead. The law says that the same crime cannot be punished twice and, seeing as He was punished for your crimes, you cannot be also. In My eyes you are therefore innocent-hence I gave you My white stone."

The Judge smiled, took you by the hand and walked you out of the courtroom to freedom. You are a free man; enter into the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

"To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it' Revelation 2:17.

Yes, I have taken some liberties with this description of Justification and I, along with you can pull it apart. It is, however, how I feel about this wonderful act of God to this undeserving sinner. The great thing is that I do not have to wait until I stand before the Bar of God to know my status before the Almighty Judge. Because of His grace I know the color of the stone in His hand.

Justification is so much more than pardon-it is the removal of all guilt. I can understand pardon but how can guilt be removed? If I commit a crime I am for ever guilty of it even if I am pardoned. The removal of guilt is something only God can accomplish and He does so for every one of His born again adopted children.

Father God, Judge of all the earth, thank You for Your white stone. To many it is just a white stone, but to me it is Your way of reminding me I am innocent of all guilt in Your eyes. When You search my heart You see Jesus, not my sin; instead of guilt You see innocence; instead of black You see white. My soul cannot praise You enough for this incomprehensible act of Your love and grace. Keep me always conscious of Your sacrifice that was required for me to stand guiltless before You and thereby acceptable in Your sight. Because of this I am Your child and fully justified in Your sight, because of this I will spend eternity with You. Thank You. Thank You.

Puritan quote:

"There is no difference amongst believers as to their justification; one is no more justified than another, for every justified person hath a plenary forgiveness of his sins, and the same imputation of Christ's righteousness" Thomas Brooks - 1608-1680.