Your Lord Will Be Your Lawyer "Get a good lawyer" is advice you often hear in today's culture where lawsuits, counter-suits and legal entanglements flourish like land mines in a no-man's zone. Anybody who has to appear in court wants a lawyer who will win, but there are never any guarantees on the outcome of a trial. The best lawyers in the world can't promise to win every case they handle. Yet there is a lawyer who makes those kinds of promises. He has never lost a case and He never will. If you had to go to court, wouldn't you want a lawyer like that?
JESUS AS A LAWYER The Bible says that your Lord and Saviour is also your lawyer. What is he called? 1 John 2:1 According to the dictionary, an advocate is "a person who pleads the cause of another, as before a court." In other words, an advocate is a defence attorney. What is Jesus, your advocate or lawyer, doing right now in heaven? Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:24 Intercession means "to make a petition or entreaty on behalf of another person." Why is it necessary to have Jesus interceding for you, working as your lawyer? 2 Corinthians 5:10
A COURT TRIAL IN HEAVEN The Bible says there is a judgement going on. How is it described? Daniel 7:9-10
WHEN DOES THE JUDGEMENT TAKE PLACE? These verses talk about an "hour" of God's judgement and links it with three angels preaching the gospel while the earth is inhabited with people prior to Christ's second coming. This chapter of the Bible is Daniel's vision about world history portrayed in animal symbols. It talks about four kingdoms (beasts) splintering into ten governments with one of them gaining great power and persecuting God's people. This is followed by a judgement scene ("the court was seated") which is followed by God setting up His kingdom for His people. From these verses we get this chronology:
Comparing Daniel's version with world history, Bible scholars placed the beginning of the judgment in the early 1800's. There is not space in this lesson to consider all the evidence for this conclusion. (For further information, see God Cares, Vol. 1, pp 195-249, by C Mervyn Maxwell; Pacific Press Publishing Assoc, 1981)
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE EARLY 1800's? There was a general religious awakening all over the world based on the message "Christ is coming in 1844." Of course, we know Jesus didn't come then. People had made a mistake on what was to take place, but they were correct on when it would take place. The event was not Christ's second coming. It was the beginning of the judgment which takes places before Christ's coming as the chronology of Daniel 7 tells us. The judgment is going on in heaven at this time. Yet, in the lesson on the thousand years, you learned about a judgment going on after Christ's second coming during the first thousand years of eternity. Does the Bible contradict itself? No; it simply sees the judgment in three phases, much like we do in our judicial system today. It's like this:
Note: The rest of this lesson will deal only with the first phase of the judgment. During the preliminary hearing, (the judgment going on in heaven now) the "books were opened." What is written in these books? Luke 10:20; Revelation 21:27 Only names are written in the book of life. If our names are found in the book of life, there is no case. How else does God judge people? Ecclesiastes 12:14; James 2:14 The Bible makes it clear that God keeps a record of our thoughts, words, motives and actions and that the standard for behaviour is His law. What is law-breaking or lawlessness called? 1 John 3:4 What happens to people who sin? Exodus 32:33; Romans 6:23 Sound's pretty hopeless, doesn't it? The people who get to heaven are the ones whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. Yet, if you sin, your name is blotted out. And the Bible says "all have sinned." (Romans 3:23) How can anyone make it through the judgment? Acts 3:19; Isaiah 43:25 You can choose to have your sins blotted out rather than having your name blotted out! How does Zechariah describe the time of judgment? Zechariah 3:1-5 In this story, you see Satan, the accuser. You see Joshua, the accused. But you see the Lord, working as Joshua's Saviour and lawyer. Because Joshua allowed the Lord to take away his filthy clothes (sins) and cover him with clean clothes (Christ's sinless life), Satan could no longer accuse Joshua of being a sinner. Robed in Christ's sinlessness, there was no case against Joshua! There'll be no case against you, either, if you let Jesus cleanse you. What does He promise to do? 1 John 1:9
ASK YOURSELF Have I accepted Christ as my Saviour so that I can ask Him to be my lawyer in the judgment? Isn't it thrilling to know you don't need to worry about the judgment because you have a lawyer who has never lost a case? Why not take a minute to write down your thanks to Him? |
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Stay Alive Bible Studies Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3 Lesson 4 Lesson 5 Lesson 6 Lesson 7 Lesson 8 Lesson 9 Lesson 10 Lesson 11 Lesson 12 Lesson 13 Lesson 14 Lesson 15 |
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