If you are an attorney for a defendant, you call character witnesses.
Why?
Because you want to parade as many witnesses in front of the jury as possible to testify to the good character of your client. Who knows, perhaps they can convince the jury that the accused is not such a bad guy (and maybe even an angel in disguise). J
Now , let’s just say that your client is not really an angel, but actually a pretty nasty piece of work. However, you are really good at influencing the jurors, and your client gets off scot-free. Was justice served? Nope! You averted justice because the jury didn’t really know what your client is like. The accused paid no penalty for their wrongdoing.
The truth is, It is hard to tell what someone is really like. We all can do a pretty good job of getting people to see the “me” we want them to see.
God is not fooled by such antics. Where is my proof? It is in Psalm 139. Just consider the first six verses (italics mine):
You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
So, what do you think? Does anyone stand a chance of duping God about their character? I don’t think so.
Psalm 119 makes us aware of God’s intimate knowledge of us. It also helps us to understand how it is that He administers perfect justice. You see, only He truly knows our hearts. He is never deceived. He knows our motives and intentions. He knows our secrets and “the things done in the dark”. He knows our hearts from afar. He also knows whether we have believed upon Jesus Christ. If we have, then He administers perfect justice by laying the penalty for our sins on Him. If we haven’t, He administers perfect justice by condemning them, for HisWword says 18 Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” – John 3:18. This is how God alone will know how to separate the good fish from the bad, as referenced in Matthew 13:47-50.
We can rest in knowing that God will not make any mistakes when it comes to determining who is His and who is not. This is why, when it comes to the matter of salvation, you will sometimes hear a believer say, “God knows their heart. He will know if they accepted Christ as their Savior”.
I know that sometimes we can fret over whether our loved one is saved, and understandably so. Yet, may I also say that even when someone is condemned, God’s justice has still been perfectly administered, for Paul tells us so:
21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in[h] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,[i] through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” – Romans 3:21-26
Yes, even in the condemnation of the lost, God is glorified. His justice is perfect. Christ’s reward will be in His hand when He comes, and He will administer this too …perfectly.
For Jesus,
Rob