Wisdom's Corner
Be an Innocent Defendant

Have you ever been in a courtroom? Have you ever seen a movie or television show that had a scene in a courtroom?

When someone is accused of doing something terribly wrong they are tried in a court. The person accused is called the defendant. The people responsible for showing that the defendant is guilty of doing wrong are the prosecution. If the prosecution is able to present enough facts to show the defendant is guilty, then the judge will sentence the defendant as guilty. But if there is not enough evidence, the defendant is found innocent.

In New Testament times, the defendant was brought before the judge. The judge sat in a chair that was on a raised platform. Sometimes someone would grab the hair on the back of the defendant's head and pull his head back. This was so that the judge could see the defendant's full face during the court case and during the sentencing.

In Hebrews 4:13 we read, "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." The word for "opened" in Greek was sometimes used for the defendant having his head pulled back to face the judge.

God is our Judge. He will eventually give us our final judgment. But He also judges us every day. He knows everything that we do. He knows everything that we say. He knows everything that we think. He knows when we do good. And He knows when we do wrong. He takes the facts and decides if we are guilty or innocent.

When we are young and small and do not know right from wrong, He allows us time to mature. But when we are old enough to know right from wrong and we are old enough to make the right choice, He holds us guilty if we do something wrong.

That is why we must make sure that we know what to do to avoid making wrong choices. The only way to do that is to study God's word, the Bible. And if we do make a wrong choice, we need to know what to do so that Jesus' blood will wash away that sin. Only in these ways will we be found innocent.

So until next time, keep studying your Bible. Get God's wisdom. Make sure that you will always be an innocent defendant in God's courtroom. And if any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.

Mark McWhorter

Copyright 1999

Published by The Old Paths Bible School
(http://www.oldpaths.org)