"This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil" (John 3:19, NIV).
"They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do" (1 Pet. 2:9, NIV).
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess. 5:9, NIV).
The verdict is that man is guilty as sin (AS CHARGED!) but doesn't even acknowledge his own sin--he's not aware of his predicament and dilemma before an angry God, who cannot tolerate any sin in His presence and is only postponing judgment--for justice delayed isn't judgment denied. Men love darkness rather than light and therefore won't come to the light, lest their misdemeanors are exposed. The final verdict has already been rendered in God's court and cannot be reversed. "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (cf. Gen. 18:25)..
We all stand condemned apart from the mercy of God. This is God's estimation of man, not our own. We are all guilty as charged and need to see how bad we are to recognize our need for salvation, and we cannot realize our depravity till we've attempted good or repentance--it's a catch-22. Only the grace of God opens our eyes to our plight, and we are as bad off as possibly could be, though not as bad as can be--God restrains some evil in the world out of mercy (cf. Psalm 76:10).
Now, a jury doesn't need all the evidence to render a verdict, but only needs to go in the direction of the evidence, i.e., the preponderance of the evidence. Likewise, we don't need all the answers to believe and repent or to have believing penitence or penitent faith. But here's the rub: you must want to believe and be willing to do God's will and repent before you are rendered capable of faith as God kindles or awakens faith in you. In a court of law, the evidence isn't always conclusive or final, but only an argument for or against a case. In other words, there is evidence pro and con! One must weigh the evidence and decide according to one's conscience and convictions. There's no such thing as perfect objectivity, and so the court system must err on the side of innocence, not guilt out of mercy. But God is objective and knows all the evidence!
They say that if the evidence is against a case (and it's stacked against us), plead the law; if the law is against the case, plead the evidence! Sometimes you have to plead the case for a change of venue if all else fails, plead guilty and work out a plea bargain! In our case, there are no pleas bargains possible except as charged. Christians believe that God is a God of justice and that no one will escape it in the end--in eternity if not in this world. There is such a thing as justice and just law because God is a God of justice and cares a lot about right and wrong.
We must never lose faith in the system and realize that God is always in control and that criminals and outlaws will someday meet their comeuppance. Our system of justice depends upon jurors taking their oath seriously and being fair and unbiased, hearing both sides without turning a deaf ear. We all will either face the Bema of Christ (Judgment Seat) or the Great White Throne Judgment of condemnation. Our justification isn't legal fiction but forensic and just in God's eyes.
God is able to save the worst of sinners and we can escape judgment by believing in His Son as Lord and Savior (cf. John 5:24). God is unjust to no one! He chooses to save some by having mercy and to bypass others who receive judgment and justice by virtue of His holiness demanding retribution. Mercy and grace are not forms of injustice, but forms of nonjustice. God reserves the right to have mercy on whomever He wills (cf. Rom. 9:15). God is under no obligation to save anyone at all! If He were obliged to save us for any reason, it would be justice, not mercy!
"They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do" (1 Pet. 2:9, NIV).
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess. 5:9, NIV).
The verdict is that man is guilty as sin (AS CHARGED!) but doesn't even acknowledge his own sin--he's not aware of his predicament and dilemma before an angry God, who cannot tolerate any sin in His presence and is only postponing judgment--for justice delayed isn't judgment denied. Men love darkness rather than light and therefore won't come to the light, lest their misdemeanors are exposed. The final verdict has already been rendered in God's court and cannot be reversed. "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (cf. Gen. 18:25)..
We all stand condemned apart from the mercy of God. This is God's estimation of man, not our own. We are all guilty as charged and need to see how bad we are to recognize our need for salvation, and we cannot realize our depravity till we've attempted good or repentance--it's a catch-22. Only the grace of God opens our eyes to our plight, and we are as bad off as possibly could be, though not as bad as can be--God restrains some evil in the world out of mercy (cf. Psalm 76:10).
Now, a jury doesn't need all the evidence to render a verdict, but only needs to go in the direction of the evidence, i.e., the preponderance of the evidence. Likewise, we don't need all the answers to believe and repent or to have believing penitence or penitent faith. But here's the rub: you must want to believe and be willing to do God's will and repent before you are rendered capable of faith as God kindles or awakens faith in you. In a court of law, the evidence isn't always conclusive or final, but only an argument for or against a case. In other words, there is evidence pro and con! One must weigh the evidence and decide according to one's conscience and convictions. There's no such thing as perfect objectivity, and so the court system must err on the side of innocence, not guilt out of mercy. But God is objective and knows all the evidence!
They say that if the evidence is against a case (and it's stacked against us), plead the law; if the law is against the case, plead the evidence! Sometimes you have to plead the case for a change of venue if all else fails, plead guilty and work out a plea bargain! In our case, there are no pleas bargains possible except as charged. Christians believe that God is a God of justice and that no one will escape it in the end--in eternity if not in this world. There is such a thing as justice and just law because God is a God of justice and cares a lot about right and wrong.
We must never lose faith in the system and realize that God is always in control and that criminals and outlaws will someday meet their comeuppance. Our system of justice depends upon jurors taking their oath seriously and being fair and unbiased, hearing both sides without turning a deaf ear. We all will either face the Bema of Christ (Judgment Seat) or the Great White Throne Judgment of condemnation. Our justification isn't legal fiction but forensic and just in God's eyes.
God is able to save the worst of sinners and we can escape judgment by believing in His Son as Lord and Savior (cf. John 5:24). God is unjust to no one! He chooses to save some by having mercy and to bypass others who receive judgment and justice by virtue of His holiness demanding retribution. Mercy and grace are not forms of injustice, but forms of nonjustice. God reserves the right to have mercy on whomever He wills (cf. Rom. 9:15). God is under no obligation to save anyone at all! If He were obliged to save us for any reason, it would be justice, not mercy!
To be saved, no one is entreated to believe despite the evidence nor to commit intellectual suicide--there are ample and sound reasons to believe based on reasonable circumstantial and historical evidence--but it takes a leap of faith. There is never enough evidence for the skeptic who doesn't want to believe and no one can disbelieve out of lack of evidence. There is just enough light to see for the willing and enough darkness to keep the unwilling from believing. Jesus said that if a person is willing to do His will he shall know whether it's of God.
Finally, if the skeptic asks the person of faith to come up with evidence, he should be asked what evidence he sees that there isn't a God. God's existence is self-attested and He doesn't need to prove Himself. There's more evidence in the affirmative than the negative for you cannot prove a universal negative according to the laws of logic; in other words, both believer and skeptic are people of faith, it just depends upon what the presupposition is.
Finally, if the skeptic asks the person of faith to come up with evidence, he should be asked what evidence he sees that there isn't a God. God's existence is self-attested and He doesn't need to prove Himself. There's more evidence in the affirmative than the negative for you cannot prove a universal negative according to the laws of logic; in other words, both believer and skeptic are people of faith, it just depends upon what the presupposition is.
If the believer must come up with proof, then the infidel must too. There's no smoking-gun evidence either way that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt--one must exercise faith on both sides. God doesn't need to give more evidence to convince the hardened heart but says that no one has an excuse for not believing the self-evident. There's plenty of proof, one must have his heart in the right place and not have moral issues--for intellectual issues are a sham and masquerade and cover-up for moral rebellion and an unrepentant heart.
CAVEAT: GOD'S VERDICT IS FINAL AND PERMANENT WITH NO APPEAL POSSIBLE, WHAT YOUR FATE IS DEPENDS UPON YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST. Soli Deo Gloria!
CAVEAT: GOD'S VERDICT IS FINAL AND PERMANENT WITH NO APPEAL POSSIBLE, WHAT YOUR FATE IS DEPENDS UPON YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST. Soli Deo Gloria!
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