The Justice System of God

Pastor Jeff Dutra

Family Life Center Foursquare Church

            Unless you have been living in a cave somewhere, I’m sure you’re aware of the Casey Anthony trial that concluded on July 5^th.  No matter what your opinion of the verdict may be, this story is an incredibly sad one where a mother (Casey Anthony) was accused of murdering her two year old daughter (Caylee Anthony), and it’s one that has literally captivated the attention of our nation. If you’re anything like me, you may have found yourself becoming emotionally engaged in the story, and ultimately forming your own opinion as to the guilt or innocence of Casey Anthony. Since my purpose in writing this is not to express an opinion one way or the other, I’ll keep my opinion to myself.

            The verdict delivered by the jury found that Casey Anthony was guilty of perjury, in that she lied about various details related to the case, but she was ultimately found innocent of murder. While there are many who agree with this verdict, stating that there is a lack of evidence to convict Casey Anthony of murder, there are many others who are appalled and/or outraged by it.  It has also left many wondering if our justice system in America is flawed to the point where someone can literally “get away with murder”.

I feel that our justice system here in America is probably one of the strongest in the world, but it’s definitely not perfect.  However, there is a justice system that we often don’t think about, and it’s one that is absolutely perfect.  This justice system isn’t flawed in any way because there is no human element involved; no jury, no witnesses, no lawyers, and thankfully, no media coverage! It’s a justice system that overrides every other justice system that exists. It’s one where if you’re truly guilty, you’re found guilty, and if you’re truly innocent, you’re found innocent. Good luck there! What justice system am I referring to?  I’m referring to the justice system of God, where God Himself is the Judge. In fact, He’s the Judge of all judges, and the one that each of us must answer to when we die.  

In Psalm 9:7-8 the Bible says, “⁷But the LORD sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice, ⁸and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness.” So, God’s judgment is both just and right 100% of the time. The Bible also says in 2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” This tells us that there’s really no such thing as getting away with murder or anything else for that matter, because we will all face the One who knows all things; the good, the bad, and the ugly of our lives. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s a pretty sobering thought.  This should cause each of us to seriously consider how we are living our lives, and who we are living our lives for.

Now, are you ready for some good news? Get ready, because this is really good!  While you and I are both guilty of breaking God’s Law, and we deserve eternal judgment, which by the way, is much worse than the death penalty (bad news), there is a way to be found “not guilty”! In Isaiah 53:5-6 the Bible says, “⁵But he (Jesus Christ) was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. ⁶All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.” Is that good news or what?! This means that Jesus took the penalty for our sin upon Himself and made it possible for us to be found “NOT GUILTY”.  However, there’s one last clincher. The “Not Guilty” verdict isn’t automatically given to us. We must receive Jesus as our Savior and commit our lives to follow Him in order to receive the “Not Guilty” verdict. Neglecting or refusing to do that means that we are choosing to receive God’s judgment for our sin. What’s the penalty? Well, have you ever heard of H E double toothpicks? That’s right, I said it…hell. Jesus warned us of it, I believe Him, and that’s all I’ll say about it because I don’t have room to explain it further. So, what’s the bottom line? If you want to be found “Not Guilty” when you stand before God, you need to receive Jesus as your Savior. You can do that right now. Just pray a simple prayer like this, “Dear God, thank you for sending your son Jesus to be my Savior. I receive Him now, and I commit to follow Him from this moment on. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen”. If you prayed that, welcome to the family of God! Your eternal Judge has now become your Heavenly Father. YAY!