In common law, generally a defendant is innocent before proven guilty. In our case, the verdict has come in, we are ALL deemed sinners, guilty of breaking God’s laws. There is no more innocence. Remember, God judges to perfection in thoughts, words, deeds, actions, and even inaction. He doesn’t excuse little indiscretions, ask Adam and Eve. Their verdict fell on them like a hammer. And the same verdict was passed down to all their descendents because all were born fallen, defective, in rebellion to God.

No one needed to teach us to sin, we naturally broke God’s laws with ease. And sin is lawlessness, breaking God’s laws. Some by their fallen worldview look at sin breaking with a different standard. God must excuse the little indiscretions and just focus on the major ones. If that were the case, Adam and Eve would still be in Garden. Just view a two year old when for example they broke something in the house, caught red handed. They were told not to touch a certain thing, and they went ahead and did so. When confronted, their natural response will be “I didn’t do it” or they will like Adam, blame it on someone else. No one needed to teach them to lie, they do so naturally.

Some world religions attempt to pay as you go. They cast God’s justice system into some convoluted confusing mess. Look no further than Roman Catholicism for this. The Catholic will be forced to confess every sin they committed to a priest, in a secret form, a confessional box. The priest then hands them some prayers or works to do as to pay for those crimes. When and if the Catholic commits the same sin again, they are once again guilty, and the cycle continues. They then hope by the end of their life, they can keep pace with this fictional justice system so as to be forgiven and then gain entrance to the Kingdom. This is totally unbiblical! God’s justice and mercy doesn’t work this way.

Catholics for example are taught to believe they are still innocent in theory, that judgment comes upon death and then they will account. Again, if this were the case, Adam and Eve could have remained in the Garden. Also if this were the case, the great Flood could not have taken place, because God would have had to allow the sinner to somehow work off their sins by the time they passed away. Watch the reaction on Catholic’s face or someone caught up into a similar false legal system when you pronounce God judgment on them as GUILTY. The pronouncement of the verdict will be met with disdain, “how dare you judge me!” And your response can be “you have already been judged, so have I”.

Some believe that God uses a weight system. That committing lesser sins and being a “good person” in society, doing many good deeds even in Jesus’ name will then tip the scales of justice in their favor. They will be sorely mistaken! Don’t believe me? Just read Matthew 7:21-23 and see for yourself. Jesus declares the verdict, “GUILTY”.

So the bad news is the verdict has come in, you are GUILTY. The punishment for this guilty verdict is God’s wrath, and an eternal judgment of hell. So what now?

Well because there is bad news, logically there must be good news, right? Or it would be just news. The Gospel, which is Good News, declares that Jesus saves guilty sinners by His perfect work. God demands justice on your sins, Jesus paid for this justice with His life so God can grant you mercy. You did nothing, Jesus paid it all, what BETTER NEWS can there be?

So by this Gospel (Good News), the sinner places their trust/faith in one person, His name is Jesus Christ. By this faith, God declares you PARDONED, FORGIVEN. He can’t send you to hell now because the punishment for your sins has been completely paid for by Jesus. It is not because you were or are innocent, it is because you were granted a gift from God by Jesus Christ and granted FULL forgiveness of each and every sin.

By this FULL pardon, there is more Good News, God has adopted you into His family. The mafia would call you “untouchable” by the enemy so to speak, but God has deemed you saved to the uttermost. It is at this point you are deemed a child of God, not beforehand. God doesn’t place unforgiven rebels in His family, because they are still in their sins and working for the enemy. God cannot dwell in sin, so His merciful plan from the beginning was to send a Redeemer, Jesus Christ to pay the punishment in your place!

I ask you not to take my word on this, but discern what I taught here by Scripture. The evidence is all there, and hopefully you will come to same conclusion. If you were misled by the enemy, namely a world religion, abandon them! And then speak this Good News to everyone and anyone!