A friend of mine once said, "George, do you know why so many lawsuits get settled on the steps of the courthouse? Because no one wants to appear before the judge!"
There is a righteous judge we will all stand before on the Last Day. The Bible teaches that every person who has ever lived will have to give an account of their life. Is there much of a case that we could present before Almighty God? Not really. This is how the apostle Paul puts it in Romans 3:10 - "There is no one righteous, no, not one."
Discouraged? Keep reading Romans 3. Think of Paul as your defense attorney. Look at the case he presents on your behalf in Romans 3:21-26. Paul presents the great doctrine of "Justification by Faith." Paul teaches that a person is declared just or right in God's sight (justification) on the basis of God's grace. This is through faith alone in Jesus Christ, apart from our good works or our trying to keep the Law perfectly. Having been declared righteous by God, He hands down His verdict on you and me - Not Guilty!
Left to our own devices, none of us could ever satisfy God's demands for perfect holiness. But what God demands, He also provides for us through the suffering, death and resurrection of our Savior. Through faith in Christ alone, we are declared righteous in God's sight and we live in peace with our Heavenly Father. Like the hymnwriter, we say: "Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling."
