The Jury Is Still Out

The phrase “the jury is still out” means that a final decision or judgment has not yet been reached on a specific matter—in this case, sin in the lives of sinners.

I have been fortunate not to have served on a jury over the years.  Trials can last for weeks, and in some cases, jurors are sequestered and not permitted to go home during the proceedings.  That would be difficult for me.  I enjoy sleeping in my own bed and being with the companion God has given me, who loves to cuddle.  I would certainly miss that.

I believe the jury is still out for those who are walking the thin line between sin and forgiveness—straddling the fence, as it were.  Figuratively speaking, they are treading on thin ice regarding their sinful lifestyle.  No doubt, they hope their sins are not grievous enough to result in a guilty verdict at the end of life’s journey.  I am sure they are thankful they have not yet crossed the other line—the line of demarcation called death.  Judgment will be pronounced at that time.

Sadly, a guilty verdict will be the final decree for those who have not changed whom they serve and honor.  But wait!  There is Someone who believes a verdict of not guilty is possible if the accused pleads for mercy and confesses their wrongdoing before God.  Their defense attorney, Jesus Christ—the one and only Advocate to whom God listens—is even now making intercession for sinners through the Holy Spirit, pleading their case with compassion and love.

He was so determined to secure mercy and grace for humanity that He took upon Himself the blame for our sin debt.  His love for us was so great that He died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins.  Every person on earth would have been found guilty had it not been for the intervention and sacrificial love of Jesus Christ.

A not guilty verdict was His desire for you, for me, and for all humanity—people who were indeed guilty and without hope of redemption because of their rebellion against God, called sin.  We all deserved the death penalty.  Yet for those who have been redeemed through Jesus Christ and the blood He shed on the cross, the jury is no longer out.  Victory is ours.

The dreadful consequences of sin no longer hang over our heads because our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life—not guilty by reason of grace.  The death sentence has been removed.  We are no longer condemned under the law when we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  We have been set free from the chains of sin that once held us captive.

Believers are now free to worship God in spirit and in truth.  We need not fear the verdict that once awaited us.  The jury has been dismissed into the sea of God’s mercy.  The prosecutor, Satan, has lost yet another case when God declares, “Case closed!”

Mercy was granted the moment we repented of our sins.  Grace—the unmerited favor of God bestowed upon undeserving sinners—prevailed.  Life was pronounced and freely given in place of death.  We are spared eternal separation from God and the penalty that sin demands because of our wonderful Advocate, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God.

Written by,

Papa Boyd