Accused But Not Convicted

16Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone sis in Christ, he is a new creation;old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
2 Corinthians 5: 16 - 17 NKJV

I recently had the opportunity to do my service on county jury duty.  While I wouldn't like to make it a regular habit, I think I learned more than a few valuable lessons from my time on the panel.  One of the most important things I learned came from the judge for the case.  For in her opening instructions to her jurors, she instructed us that as we contemplated the sentence for the accused, we were not to take into consideration her possible sentence on the accused in our deliberations.  Sounds simple enough huh?  I'm guessing that this is a common practice for jurors.  Stick to the evidence at hand.  However, as I soon found out, our own prejudices were more difficult to put aside than we thought.  What I learned is that these very same prejudices could very well influence us away from the courtroom as well.  What does all of this have to do with the christian life, of living a life as Christ? {Galations 2:20}  Well, I'm sure I don't need to remind many a believer just who their true adversary is.  Listen to more than a few sunday sermons and his name will pop up all too often in our conversations of sin, judgement and temptation.  He is the same accuser who perpetrated the lie upon Eve in the garden {Genesis 3:4}.  It is this lie that far too many christians continue to adhere to as the basis of their own view of themselves.  We're sinners, God cannot stand sin, did God really say?  Yeah, we all know who he is.  Well, how about if we take a few words of advice from the judge when we deal with satan?  How about this, suppose when we look upon ourselves that we don't allow what we feel as Gods possible judgement upon us to influence how we see ourselves?  For as that accused man sat at the defense table he was just that, accused yet not convicted.  So it is with us.  Each and every day in our christ walk we stand accused.  Accused by those around us.  Accused by our own thoughts.  More importantly, accused by the accuser.  Make no mistake about it, christian, whenever these thoughts of accusation enter our hearts, our accuser is well kmown by all.  It's not the guy next door or the "man" who is keeping us down, far from it.  It is satan who wanders Gods creation seeking whom to devour {1 Peter 5:8}.  The problem is, whenever we forget who it is we truly are we are falling into his trap.

1There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2For the law of cthe Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8: 1 - 2 NKJV

There have been many times I have thought of saying to those around me, just what don't you understand about no condemnation?  That's right, NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  If you are living as Christ Jesus who dwells in you, then there are no accusations the accuser can convict you of.  We stand before him accused...yet never convicted!  What a difference that can make in the life of a believer.  It did for me.  Once I realized that I was no longer under the sentence of sins punishment I felt a enormous sense of freedom {Romans 6:6-11}.  I'm not special in any way, I simply realized the man I truly was.  In one of the most iconic verses in scripture, we're told that Jesus seeks to save and not condemn {John 3:16-17}.  Notice verse 17...THAT ALL MIGHT BE SAVED.  Does that sound like Jesus had His own prejudices against us?  No, He came to abolish those.  Believe me, with our history Jesus had every right to pass judgement, but that wasn't what His own heart desired.  No, His desire was that He would return all of us to the Father.  Any thoughts contrary to that are from our accuser.  How many times have you sat in church all the while feeling as if you could never measure up?  Yeah, me too.  I don't blame the pastor, the accuser can work through him as well.  My point is that God never intended for us to live a life of fear.  The life we live we live in celebration IN HIM.  Anything less and we are following the lessons of the accuser.  However, we must remember that all satan can do is accuse.  He can NEVER convict us!  We do a good enough job of that ourselves.  Some time ago I received some good advice from a dear friend.  He told me that whenever satan reminds you of your past...remind him of his own future.  Sounds fair.

~Scott~