Guilty Before The Trial Starts

Passage: Proverbs 18:1-17

Key Verse: 

“The first to plead his case seems right, until another comes and examines him.” (Vs.17)

Just one week ago newspapers worldwide featured the story of Troy Davis, a man who was in the death row and seeking to delay his execution for the second time. After spending 22 years in jail and unable to prove his innocence, he was executed for the 1989 murder of a Georgia police officer. Davis died swearing he was innocent and initiated a debate across the borders which included several dignitaries who believed his innocence. The controversy surrounding his case was not a matter of pro- or anti- death penalty, but rather whether the justice system sentenced the wrong man to death. Although I frankly have not followed the case close enough to form an opinion one way or the other, this story reminded me of the importance of unbiased judgment to obtain a fair verdict. 

Proverbs 18 is filled with words of wisdom regarding the disgrace and grief that a hasty judgment can bring to one’s life. This somber proverb of Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, is a reminder on how slow we should be to talk and how careful we should be to listen before we ever repeat anything we hear.

The Bible is clear in regards to the danger of forming an opinion when you hear only one side of the story: “The first to plead his case seems right, until another comes and examines him.” (Vs.17 - NASB). In other words – there are always two sides to the same story.  I was only twelve years old when I learned the pain of being unfairly judged.

My friends and I were sitting during recess and some of the girls started speculating about the private lives of the nuns who ran and lived in the school I attended. I don’t remember much of what was being discussed, but I do remember a very serious accusation that one of the girls made in regards to the relationship between two of the nuns in the school. I remember being shocked at the accusation. I did not say a thing. So, you can imagine my dismay when I was called into the Principal’s office, accused to have initiated the terrible gossip that the girl sitting across from me started. Someone had blown the whistle about our little recess talk and she quickly blamed me for something I never said. Let me put it this way: I don’t remember much about middle school, but I will never forget that situation. 

“Equal Justice Under the Law”

The symbol for the judiciary in the western world is “Lady Justice.” Blind Justice is the theory that law should be viewed objectively with the determination of innocence or guilt made without bias or prejudice and it is the idea behind the United States Supreme Court motto “Equal Justice Under Law.”

During a court hearing, the attorney who pleads his case first before the judge and the jury seems for a moment to have justice on his side. However, it is not until the second attorney takes the stand, sifts and scrutinizes the statements that were already given, argues them to be wrong or weakens the evidences that seemed to support the first attorney’s case, it’s not until then, that the judge and the jury has fair and balanced material to reach a verdict.

Judgment of anyone’s actions without the presence of evidence is a dangerous thing. Many people suffer terrible consequences every day for being judged incorrectly. As children of God, we must realize the danger of spreading gossip and judging people without hearing both sides of a story. What may seem to be a truthful story to you may be totally different from the facts. These are some of the reasons we must hear the entire story before issuing our opinion:

1)      We cannot expect absolute accuracy when someone states his own case!

“Every man’s way is right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the hearts.” Proverbs 21:2

Just because someone tells you something it does not mean that it is the absolute truth. Sometimes people will intentionally misrepresent their case; however sometimes it is not intentional. We are always biased when we represent ourselves, therefore no wise man or woman should expect his neighbor to state their case without adding, omitting or enhancing parts of the story to his/her own benefit. Hence the importance of being discerning and careful as you hear one side of a story.

2)      Some are better attorneys than others!

My dad is an attorney and I have always loved to watch the deliberations in courts of justice. Some of my favorite movies were based on novels written by a retired criminal attorney, Mr. John Grisham. I have always been fascinated to watch attorneys plead their case before the jury and their eloquence (or lack of) during deliberations.

The same set of skills may make or break a person’s defense when accused. Some people can make a very lame cause sound like a good one; but some on the other hand, cannot give to a good cause the justice that it is due. Unfortunately, more often than not, truth yields to eloquence.

3)      Always hear the other side.

“Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.”  John 7:24 (NLT)

If we are to be just and fair, we must seek to hear both sides of the story. More importantly, we must never repeat a story until we hear both sides. If we do, we may commit the injustice of giving a person credibility to which he is not morally entitled to and at the same time accuse an innocent person without hearing all the facts.

Slow to Speak

“But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger” James 1:19 (NASB)

I often cringe at some stories I hear repeated. I do even more so when it comes from people within the church. Not long ago I lost sleep over something that I heard about someone I know.  I could not believe how carelessly the words were spoken as a very serious accusation that could cost someone great loss. That stirred up in my heart the desire to write about the dangers of repeating accusations.  I believe we must search our hearts and ask ourselves what our real motives are when we repeat a story that we heard. Why do we do it? Does it profit the person we are talking to or talking about? Or are we repeating just to have something to say? Have we verified the facts? Or could it be that within our hearts we have feelings such as pride and envy that are only satisfied when we slander someone. If our facts are verified and our purpose is to warn someone of a danger they may face, we absolutely must do so, however we must know for a fact that what we are saying is the truth. In the first chapter of James, the apostle cautions God’s people that we must be quick to hear, but slow to speak. I hear many things but don’t need to repeat them. I may go to my husband or a trusted friend for advice, but I will not spread a rumor that could irreparably cost someone his or her reputation.

“Those who plant injustice will harvest disaster, and their reign of terror will come to an end.” Proverbs 22:8 (NLT)

May we be careful with our words! May we remember that we are all WIP (works in progress,) imperfect children of the Almighty and none of us is above the other: “As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one.” Romans 3:10 (NASB.) We must offer people around us the mercy and grace that we have been given at the foot of the cross, where we all meet under the same condition. May we offer people around us the respect to hear their side of the story, lest we hurt innocent people and harvest disaster (Proverbs 22:8.)

Things that God Hates

Finally, this book full of wisdom from God is one of the places in the Bible where you can find a list of things that God HATES. These verses are known to most believers, but really! They should be engraved in our minds so we don’t live lives that look good on the outside, but are despised by our Maker:

“There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil,  A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.” (Proverbs 6:16-19 – NASB – emphasis added)

Over half of the things God absolutely hates have to do with gossip and slander! I believe we must indeed memorize these verses. Don’t shoot the messenger. To repeat my Pastor Dr. Charles Stanley: “I did not say it. God did.”

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

Lord, I praise You for although we often fail in our walk, your Word is a lamp always ready to shed light into our darkness. I pray that You will search our hearts and show us the true motives behind our words, that we may repent and conduct lives that honor You. Help us to be careful not to judge and condemn innocent people and help us always be slow to speak and quick to hear. May you guide Your people to walk in righteousness, that we may live separated indeed to be salt and light in a dark world. Give us a burning desire to despise the things that You hate. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The Trap of Deception

Passage: James 1:19-26

Key Verses:
“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.” James 22-25 (NLT)

Labor day 2011 – a much welcome day of rest for our household. We decided we would do nothing but rest and enjoy each other last Monday. Our children were playing, so I decided to turn on the television. “The View” was coming on with a very special guest – Lady Gaga! I saw it as an opportunity to, for the first time hear this very controversial character; the “Madonna of Generation Z.” So, as the liberal hosts in the show asked this New Yorker about her reaction to the passing of the law allowing same-sex marriage, the star had to gather herself. Emotions ran through her face as she talked about how proud and excited she was to be a New Yorker. No surprise there. But then… the camera focused on the live audience. People were beaming, clapping their hands and shouting in approval. In that split-second, the Lord spoke in my heart: “How many of these people do you think were sitting at church yesterday?” The answer came immediately: “More than you would think.”

There is a fast-growing movement in the Christian world that scares me. It compels me to pray for mercy, conviction and guidance for all Christians I know - friends, family, leaders, including myself. It is designed by the father of lies and deception and it is unfortunately sweeping over our churches, Christian organizations and families. The underlying objective is to defeat the effectiveness of the church, to make us lose the “salt and light” quality that we should live out in society and ultimately to make us become stumbling blocks for the lost. This movement, certainly led by satan himself and his army, uses very effective weapons, such as compromise and pride.

Compromise – The Blunt Deception

There are numerous issues that have become acceptable and even fashionable in the last decades. These would send our founding fathers into a permanent state of shock. I will take just the homosexuality issue as an example, but there are many others.

Do you think our grand-parents would imagine that one day a man would be able to actually marry a man? Or that some states would embrace a curriculum that teaches kindergartners that such diverse families are acceptable and appropriate? Do you think that they would ever imagine that a sector of a certain Christian denomination would actually embrace that lifestyle as normal and acceptable, when the Word of God is so clear regarding this issue. I’m confused as to which part of the verses below is not clear for some people:

“So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved. Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done." Romans 1:24-28 (NLT emphasis added)

But wait, NO!! You cannot say that without being labeled as “homophobic”, “hateful” and “judgmental.” And there, my sisters and brothers, is where our real problem lies. As this movement grows faster than kudzu under the Georgia sun, we, the church, for the most part, remain silent. We do talk about it amongst ourselves, but when one of our pastors or leaders dares to stand up for what is actually God’s Word, not their opinion, the world cries “Crucify him (or her!)” No surprise there either - the same cry was heard over 2,000 years ago.

So - Where is the church? How brave are we when the world claps their hands in approval of iniquity and unrighteousness? Are we showing the love of Christ by compromising? Absolutely not! God loves all sinners, but hates sin! We are absolutely not to ever hate the people who commit such sins – we must love them. After all, we are under the same condition, apart from Christ’s saving grace – we are all equally sinners. The only difference is the acceptance or rebuttal of God’s grace and forgiveness through Christ who cleans all iniquity. But we must, we absolutely must speak the truth in love and guide the lost into the truth. Only then we may say we are indeed Christ-like. Just think about it - we don’t find any passage in the Gospels where Jesus’ message to the sinners is “I understand your predicament, my dear. It must be hard for you. Just go and perform some good deeds and you will be fine. You don’t need to change a thing.” His message was clear – like in the passage of the adulterous woman after she tells Him that her accusers had left. He said: “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.” (John 8:11 NASB – emphasis added.) In other words: “I love you my dear, so much so that I am actually going to die for your sins that you may be accepted by the Father. But you must stop living in sin.” Period.

The issue of condoning sins such as abortion and homosexuality is such a clear erroneous behavior for the church of Christ that I must believe that most of the people who are reading this message probably don’t have any problems standing up against them. But there is an even greater danger that lurks in our churches today. It’s greater because many times it is invisible… it start in one’s heart and its manifestations may be confined to the secret of their home, when no one is watching. This issue is found in common folks who fill the pews every Sunday, as well as in the lives of men who preach the gospel, Christian music performers and Sunday school leaders.

Internal Religion – The Subtle Deception

“For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by God’s Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people”. Romans 2:28-29 – NLT

Outward Expressions of Faith

There is nothing wrong with outward expressions of faith. A person who is right with God praises Him and naturally seeks to serve His kingdom with the gifts God gave him or her. However, outward expressions of faith should be the RESULT of a changed heart, much like the circumcision became the sign that God gave Abraham and his descendants BECAUSE he believed. The truth is that outward expressions of faith such as good deeds, church attendance, baptism, etc, should be a CONSEQUENCE of the condition of our hearts. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Many people go to church and serve for personal gain, to be seen, to be accepted or to impress someone. This is what Jesus says about it:

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 6:1 (NASB)

In other words, “I hope you enjoyed the applause. That’s all you get.”

Really – who do we think we fool? Almighty God, the heart-reader, the One who knows exactly what our reasons are for doing what we do? If it is not to glorify Him and attract people to HIM, you might as well retire your gifts. They are useless in God’s eyes.

Twelve inches

“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you;
DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’” Matthew 7:20-23 (NLT)

What a sobering thought! “I never knew you”, He said. This passage shows us that some of us will be surprised before God. I know Jesus is talking about people who never had a true change of heart; however I believe God will also judge the true motives of Christians who perform many good things for God but whose hearts are full of pride and remain unchanged. God knows the truth behind our “religious deeds.” It does not matter that we are at church every time the door is open, if at home we disrespect our spouse or neglect our children. It does not matter that we serve in Sunday school or do anything “for God,” if we go home and turn our computers to view pornographic websites. It does not matter if we sing praises to the Lord with the same lips that curse our neighbor or “spread strife amongst the brethren.”

God HATES these things (Proverbs 6:16-19). That is when our “religion” becomes an abomination to the Lord: “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit.” Matt 12:33 (NASB)

If only the church were busier seeking to LIVE the Word, not just preach it! The world would be a much better place. We would have stronger churches, better marriages, and more God-honoring children. We would have a lost world that would look at us for direction, not judgment.

At the end of the day, the twelve inches that separate our heads (what we know) from our hearts (what we do with what we know) is what defines TRUE RELIGION. God is not impressed with how many verses of the Bible I memorize or how much I do in church. He’s not even impressed by what I say when I pray. He wants my heart. He wants to look into my life and see someone who bears much fruit BECAUSE she honors and loves Him … The consequence of such love and devotion will be a life that shines brightly for Christ – one whose testimony will attract the lost to the life-changing power of the cross.


Dearest Father! That we may learn that it is our heart, not our service that You want. Convict us, oh Lord. Give us courage to lovingly stand up for what is right, even if everyone else turns against us. Teach us to serve You with the only intent to help Your kingdom grow on earth, not for personal gain. Teach us to love and honor You when no one else is watching. In Jesus’ Name I Pray, Amen!