My Attorney1
After living a "decent" life, my time on earth came to an end. The first thing I remember is sitting on a bench in the waiting room of what looked like a court house. The doors opened and I was instructed to come in and have a seat at the defense table. As I looked around I saw the prosecutor - a villainous looking man who snarled as he stared at me. He definitely was the most evil person I had ever seen. I sat down and looked to my left, where, seated, was my lawyer - a kind and gentle looking man whose appearance seemed familiar to me. The corner door flew open and the judge appeared, dressed in full flowing robes. He commanded an awesome presence as he moved across the room. I couldn't take my eyes off of him. As he took his seat behind the bench, he said, "Let us begin."
The prosecutor rose and began his opening statement, "My name is Satan and I am here to show you why this man belongs in hell." He began by describing the lies I had told, things I had stole, and how I had cheated others in the past. Satan told of other horrible perversions that were once in my life and the more he spoke, the further down in my chair I sank. I was so embarrassed that I couldn't look at anyone, even my own lawyer, as the Devil told of sins that even I had completely forgotten. As upset as I was at Satan for revealing all those things about me, I was equally upset at my representative, who sat there silently - not offering any form of defense at all. I knew I was guilty of all those things, but I had done some good in my life - couldn't that at least cancel out part of the bad things I had done? Satan finished with a fury and closed by saying, "This man belongs to me in hell, since he is guilty of all these charges, and there is no person who can prove otherwise."
When it was his turn, my lawyer first asked if he might approach the bench. Satan yelled, "I object!," but the judge remarked, "Overruled," and beckoned my attorney to come forward. As he got up and started walking, I was able to see him in his full splendor and majesty. I realized why he seemed so familiar. My attorney was Jesus Christ, my Lord and my Savior. He stopped at the bench and softly said to the judge, "Hi Dad," and then he turned to address the court. "Satan was correct in saying that this man has sinned. I won't deny any of these allegations. And yes, the wages of sin is death, and this man deserves to be punished." Jesus took a deep breath and turned to his Father with outstretched arms and proclaimed, "However, I died on the cross so that every person might have eternal life. Since this man has accepted me as his Savior, he is mine." My Lord continued, "His name is written in the book of life, and no one can snatch him from me. Satan still does not understand that this man is not to be given justice, but rather mercy." As Jesus sat down, he quietly paused, looked at his Father and replied, "There is nothing else that needs to be done. I've done it all."
The judge lifted his mighty hand, slammed the gavel down, and bellowed from his lips, "This man is free. The penalty for him has already been paid in full. Case dismissed!"
As my Lord led me away, I could hear Satan ranting and raving, "I won't give up, I'll win the next one." I asked Jesus as he gave me my instructions where to go next, "Have you ever lost a case?" Christ lovingly smiled and said, "Everyone that has come to me and asked me to represent them has received the same verdict as you, Paid in Full."
- This is a slightly edited version of a popular e-mail sent the summer of 2001. The author is unknown.
Reflections
We are what we think.
- 02/09/2012 12:28 PM
Quote of the Week: Kenneth Samples, 4
You may have an: iPod, iPhone, iPad, iTunes, But only Jesus is the I Am (John 8:58). –Kenneth Samples, Sunday school class, Christ Reformed Church
() - 02/07/2012 10:11 AM
Blaise’s Best Bet, Part 2: Pioneering Physicist
Despite dying in 1662 at age 39, French philosopher Blaise Pascal left a mark on mathematics and science still present to this day. Part 2 of this series on Pascal’s intellectual legacy focuses not only on his practical contributions to … Continue reading
() - 02/02/2012 10:19 AM
Quote of the Week: T. V. Morris
Ockham on the razor – ‘I would much rather have had a good after-shave named for me.’ – T. V. Morris, The Bluffer’s Guide to Philosophy (South Bend, Indiana: Diamond Communications, 1989), 45.
() - 01/31/2012 12:47 AM
Blaise’s Best Bet, Part 1: an Introduction to Blaise Pascal
How many seventeenth-century Christians have modern-day computer languages named after them? Only one—Blaise Pascal (1623–1662).1 Inventor of the first digital calculator, Pascal is described by many historians as one of the founding fathers of modern science. He is widely known … Continue reading
() - 01/26/2012 12:24 PM
Quote of the Week: Robert M. Bowman Jr.
To say that the Trinity cannot be understood likewise is imprecise, or at least open to misinterpretation. Trinitarian theologians do not mean to imply that the Trinity is unintelligible nonsense. Rather, the point they are making is that the Trinity … Continue reading
() - 01/24/2012 12:09 AM
My Daughter’s Brain-Mind
When my oldest child, Sarah (now 24 years old), was a toddler she loved to push the buttons on the keyboard of my very first computer. While I was working on the computer, she would come up to me and … Continue reading
() - 01/19/2012 12:14 PM
Quote of the Week: Anthony A. Hoekema, 3
The Scriptures teach that God saves us not as puppets but as persons, and that we must therefore be active in our salvation. The Bible, in a way which is deeply mysterious, combines God’s sovereignty with our responsibility in the … Continue reading
() - 01/17/2012 12:25 AM
An Inconvenient Duty
Christmas is by far my favorite time of year. I never tire of hearing the incredible message that the Son of God took a human nature and became the God-man at his Incarnation (Philippians 2:5–11). But this past December, just … Continue reading
() - 01/12/2012 09:16 AM
Quote of the Week: Kenneth Samples, 3
Courage is forged only through facing one’s fears. Steel must be refined by fire. For faith to grow, it often has to be tested by trial. –Kenneth Samples, church lecture entitled “Facing Life’s Challenges and God’s Reasons for Suffering”
() - 01/10/2012 11:43 AM
Are You a Renaissance Christian? 12 Tips for Pursuing Knowledge and Wisdom in Daily Life
I first heard the expression “renaissance Christian” from apologist and attorney John Warwick Montgomery in the early 1980s. Montgomery gave a lecture at the former Simon Greenleaf School of Law on the importance of developing the Christian mind. The lecture … Continue reading
()
http://www.godandscience.org//doctrine/attorney.html
Last Modified December 24, 2005



