The Verdict: Not Guilty

It’s true that when we die, we will stand before God and give an account of our life. Hebrews 9:27 says “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.”

But this judgment doesn’t have to be bad. In fact, it can be wonderful. It depends on whether you’ve received Jesus as Savior.

That’s because of what Romans 8:1 says: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

If you have Christ on your side, you’re in. No punishment awaits you. You stand clean before God - forever.

The reason this is true is that Jesus has already taken your penalty for sins when He died on the cross. The punishment - also called “condemnation” - has already been handed out. It was inflicted upon Jesus.

And the Bible says that once you place your trust in Christ, you are given the very righteousness that He has.  

As a result, if you’ve received Christ as Savior, you won’t be charged for sins by God again.

That means that if we sin - and we surely will - God won’t hold it against us at judgment time. He’ll accept us as being sin-free. That’s because He’s already dealt with the sin, when He did so with Christ at the cross.

If you’ve trusted in Christ but think that God is always mad at you because you sin, meditate upon Romans 8:1. Its truth is something God wants you to know: You’re no longer guilty. Enjoy it. 

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“He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away, nailing it to the cross.”  (Colossians 2:13-14)