“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12:35-37 NIV
Over the years I’ve provided expert testimony for many intellectual property and product liability litigations. It’s stressful to be questioned extensively by attorneys who attempt to make white look like black and black look like white.
One particular occasion registers high in my memory. For two grueling days I gave a deposition for a case going to the United States Supreme Court. I was the chief witness, and many dollars and livelihoods were on the line. Interestingly, I wasn’t a party to the litigation. I had been subpoenaed by the Defendant and years earlier I had been employed by the Plaintiff.
Attorneys–I think 18 of them–filled the large deposition room. I had to take off from work with no compensation from either side, and I had to hire my own attorney to protect my interests.
For two solid days the attorneys played tag team and asked me countless questions about every thought, word, and deed of mine relative to the litigation over the past twenty years. They even delved into personal stuff that had no bearing on the case, which I still had to answer over many objections. My memory was challenged on every single point. When in a deposition, be mindful that the deponent is only person in the room who is under oath to tell the truth. If everyone else had started growing a Pinocchio nose for every lie they had stated, before lunch on the first day they would not have been able to fit in the room.
Do you get the picture? Do you understand how stressful and challenging this event was?
Guess what? Every single one of us will be accountable to Jesus Christ as the final judge. We will be responsible for every thought, word, and deed of our entire lifetimes. By comparison, my two days testifying for the Supreme Court amounts to child’s play.
Do not despair! As a true Christ-follower–one who acknowledges Him as the Messiah and believes in His sacrifice for our sins on the cross and resurrection from the dead, and who makes Him the Lord of his life–we will have a blank slate with no sins recorded or remembered. It’s a marvelous reality promised to us by Jesus Himself. Unfortunately, non-believers have the bitter reality of being judged for their sins–not a pleasant thought when considering that perfection is the high bar for one to attain enough holiness to enter Heaven.
Are you a Christ-follower? If not, what’s holding you back? Today is the day to change the trajectory of your life.
Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for paying the price on our behalf and serving as the judge who wipes away our sins. Grace is the sweetest word, and we worship You for it. Amen.