You Have a Court Date Coming ~ Marion Droullard

You’ve got a court date coming up.

You should probably get a lawyer.

“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:”

In 2023 I started proofreading for court reporters, and in the process I’ve learned a lot about our justice system. The things I’ve learned have given me a much greater respect for our courts and laws, but even more I appreciate the parallels I see in Scripture.

1. The Record

A court reporter is a stenographer that makes a verbatim record of various legal proceedings, from hearings to sentencings and everything in between. The transcript they produce is the official record, the definitive proof of what was said. The reporters are called “guardians of the record,” and the transcripts they produce are certified to be true. There are laws that govern how long these records must be kept, and they are often produced to be used in future related trials or on appeals and so forth.

Does that remind you of anything? Psalm 119:89 says, “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.” There is a record in Heaven that is perfect and pure! “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.” (Psalm 12:6-7) Someday each of us will stand before the Judge of all the earth. I don’t know about you, but I want to be familiar with the recorded testimony and laws of that Judge so I’m not surprised on that day. The Apostle John talks quite a bit about the record. In 1 John 5:11 it says, “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.”

2. Our Advocate

Why do you need a lawyer?

I’ve read testimony of defendants and others in court who decided they don’t need a lawyer; they choose to represent themselves. Usually this doesn’t go very well. This person often ends up, at best, making a fool of themselves, and at worst, shooting themselves in the foot when it comes to the case. They will speak out of turn, misinterpret the law, incriminate themselves, make objections that are invalid or irrelevant, and the list goes on. (There is a reason it’s good advice to remain silent!)

Your prosecutor isn’t asleep on the job. Revelation 12:10 says that the accuser of the brethren is accusing before God’s throne day and night! None of us is a match for that prosecutor, but there is One who is! You have the option to choose the greatest Advocate of all eternity to defend you! "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." (Hebrews 7:25) His blood even testifies on our behalf! (Hebrews 12:24)

3. Rules of Evidence

I’ve really been fascinated to learn how a trial works, how evidence is admitted or excluded, what kind of testimony is allowed. For example, a witness can only give testimony as to what they personally have seen or heard. They can’t testify as to “hearsay.”

“Somebody told me -- ”

“Objection! Hearsay.”

“Sustained.”

Each piece of evidence has to be supported by witnesses to track the source and chain of custody, for example, of a photo that was taken at a crime scene; the person who took the photo should be sworn as a witness and testify as to the veracity of the evidence, as well as its chain of custody each step of the way, to prevent evidence being tampered with.

The Righteous Judge has some pretty strict rules of evidence as well. If you’ve accepted the deal offered by your Advocate, the only record allowed in court will be the record of His righteousness. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me.

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

“…thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.” Isaiah 38:17b

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18

If you’ve already signed a deal with your court-appointed Attorney, remember that your record is clear and you are free from guilt before God. If you have never accepted the deal, you need to get it settled before your day in court arrives. It’s already been paid for by the blood of Jesus; you just need to trust in Him alone. He alone has the power to save.

Romans 10:9,10,13 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”