Who Is To Condemn?

O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger, or discipline me in your wrath. Psalm 6:1
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Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Romans 8:34
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It's good to know the judge.
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It's even better when the judge knows you.
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I learned this from a friend I met in college who was from a small town in Arizona. She told me about a time that she got a speeding ticket she thought was unwarranted, and wanted to contest. She took her ticket, set a court date, and appeared before the judge (her uncle) to explain how the speed zones had just been changed, and the sign was blocked by a tree.
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Her uncle let her off the hook.
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Now, in the American court system, this isn't how it is supposed to work. Judges are supposed to be impartial, not allowing outside factors (like family relation) to affect their rulings. But, it never hurts when the judge knows you. Even better if the judge loves you.
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The passage from Romans above is a beautiful way to start today.
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I Imagine myself in a courtroom. The prosecution is laying out the worst of the worst.
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But then I look at the one who is seated on the throne. The hands that clasp the gavel bear the wounds from the cross.
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I am struck by the thought that the heavenly "justice system" works very differently from the American one. Forget impartiality. This judge is absolutely partial...to me...to you. The same fire of love that burned through every moment of Christ's life on earth burns up the list of charges against me.
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Today I begin in gratitude that the one who is seated on the throne is also the one who will walk alongside me every moment of today. He knows the best and worst of who I am...and still proclaims "not guilty."
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It's good when the judge knows you. Even better when the judge loves you.
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PRAYER:
O Christ our Intercessor, have mercy on us! You see beyond our selfish and childish ways. With all of our faults and imperfections, you still love us. May we be as forgiving and merciful to others as you are to us. Amen.*
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*Prayer taken from the Moravian Daily Texts