The Verdict is Victory!

This week we're going to take a tour of the local Heavenly Judicial System. We're going observe four high profile cases that were decided using precedents that set two thousand years ago. As we enter into the vestibule or lobby of the main courthouse, I want you to see this ongoing theme that continues throughout the courthouse, it's these two scriptures:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16 NIV

"...for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith." - 1 John 4:5 (NIV)

These scriptures are made plain for all to see (the Advocate, the accuser and the brethren). This way everyone is clear on the number one thing that determines salvation - faith.

Today, I want to put you in the seat of the accused, having many charges brought against you. The prosecution is about to cross-examine you, however the Judge asks this question: Have they been read their rights? The prosecutor reluctantly says "No." So the bailiff comes over with an old and says these words to you:

"If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved." Romans 10:9-10 NIV

Satan doesn't want you to know this, but you have a right to salvation. And there's only one thing required to receive it and that's your faith. If you accept Jesus as your savior and believe God raised Him from the dead, you are saved.

“When you were stuck in your old sin-dead life, you were incapable of responding to God. God brought you alive—right along with Christ! Think of it! All sins forgiven, the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant canceled and nailed to Christ’s cross. He stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe of their sham authority at the Cross and marched them naked through the streets.” - ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭2:13-15‬ ‭MSG
Today we're going to review the case against the sin of man. This is an age old case that began shortly after the beginning of time – after the creation of man. God planted the first outpost of heaven called the Garden of Eden and placed inside of it man to til it so that it would grow. The Garden was an extension of God's Kingdom and operated under His law. The historical record of Genesis says that God blessed them, issued their assignment and then gave them a single command. This command was given by first showing them what's available to them for eating and then the one thing that's not – the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Doing so would result in a sure death.

Adam and Eve continued to live freely and peacefully until one day a serpent came to Eve while she was apart from Adam and began to question her about the command of God. This led to the deception of both Adam and Eve and they ate of the forbidden fruit, breaking the command of Heaven's law. This one act changed everything. Immediately, shame flooded their hearts as they realized they were naked. They went and created clothes out of fig leaves to cover their shame. When they heard God coming through the Garden, the two of them hid themselves. Upon discovery, God recognized that the creation that He made limitless and become limited by sin through the deception of Satan who posed as a serpent.

God issued out judgements on the three of them, Adam, Eve and the Serpent. Because sin cannot exist in the Kingdom of Heaven, Adam and Eve had to leave. From this time, rather than the expansion of God's Kingdom, the expansion of sin spread throughout the world like a virus, causing the first worldwide pandemic. You should know that from this point, Satan had cases against every human being from birth through death because of one man's act of Sin.

The good news is that this isn't where the story ends!  Paul describes in Romans 5:19 "19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous." Jesus reversed the curse of sin, rescuing man from death and giving access to life everlasting by simply believing in Him. Therefore, when it comes to the case of sin, the verdict is victory!

Death is something that so many of us have feared throughout life. It’s something that has the power to alter lives, break hearts and disrupt plans to say the least. When looking at death, we must consider it in relation to the resurrection. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Apostle Paul spends time discussing both death and the resurrection throughout chapter 15. The key difference in the two is that death is an event on a timeline, whereas the resurrection is not simply an event but the person of Jesus Christ (John 11:25). Because the personhood of Resurrection is eternal by nature, this means that He stands above a singular event because He stands on the other side of death. Therefore, because of Jesus’s death, burial and resurrection, we who are in Christ have victory over death because it has been overcome by Jesus. So, when it comes to the case of Death, the verdict is victory!

There are two types of sickness: the physical kind that's tied to something going wrong in the body, and the mental kind that's tied to some sort of chemical or emotional issue. No matter the type of sickness it's resolved by the same cure: the blood of Jesus. As the prophet, Isaiah, looks through the lens of eternity, he captures a glimpse of the Savior taking a beating for the sins and sickness of the world. Yet as brutal as the scene was, Isaiah recognized that by His stripes – by each wound, it was the key to our eternal healing. Therefore, in the case of sickness, the verdict is victory!

"Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." (Isaiah 53:4-5)

Jesus told his disciples that He has already overcome the world. James encouraged us to consider it pure joy when we face trials! Therefore, when you walk through a stormy season knowing that you’ve already won you begin to look at things differently. You will talk differently, walk differently, think differently.

In the face of trials:

1. Don’t defend yourself. Defense is only necessary when there’s chance of losing.
2. Celebrate the goodness of God
3. Look for the opportunity to grow

Did you know that Thryve Church prays together 365 days a year? Join us Monday-Friday at 6:30am & Saturdays at 8am for "Prayer at the Altar" by dialing 339- 207-7471 and then join us Sundays at 11am for Worship Service! Learn more here!