Witness for the Defense
According to Revelation 12:10, the devil represents the Prosecution against Christians, who “accuses them before our God day and night.” At Job 1:11, the devil testified against Job, “But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.” According to Luke 22:31, the devil had “demanded permission to sift [Peter] like wheat.” According to John 8:5, the Jewish scribes and Pharisees approached Jesus with a woman whom they had caught in the act of adultery, and “persisted” in inquiring as to whether He agreed to have her prosecuted and stoned to death, according to the Mosaic Law. However, after being put to shame, all of the Prosecution’s witnesses had fled (vv.7-9)so that there were no other witnesses left, as required by the Law.
These two witnesses for the Defense did not wait to be asked for forgiveness, or wait to first hear that these others were sorry. They had already made up their minds to forgive, and added to that, the remarkable fact of intercession, by actually working against the Prosecution’s otherwise rock-solid case.
Jesus states: “‘Pray, then, in this way: “Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]” For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.’” (Matthew 6:9-15)
Sowing forgiveness, rather than unforgiveness, is directly linked to your own forgiveness, demonstrated in the parable at Matthew 18:21-35: “Then Peter came and said to Him, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, “Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.” And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, “Pay back what you owe.” So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, “Have patience with me and I will repay you.” But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. Then summoning him, his lord said to him, “You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?” And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.’” (Matthew 18:21-35)
It’s amazing how people can sometimes claim to be super-spiritual, but while having accusing fingers pointed in virtually every direction. If someone really wants to be super-spiritual, then they should follow the example that Jesus gave at Luke 23:34, and the example that Stephen gave at Acts 7:60. Before you tell me about your “Crazy Love” and how you are “Radical” and that you are “Not a Fan, but a true Follower,” tell me that you’re not also simultaneously the Chief Witness for the Prosecution, because there is nothing super-spiritual in being the devil’s prime witness. Forgiveness and intercession: that is the hallmark of being super-spiritual, and is also the disposition of Jesus. So we don’t need to beg God for forgiveness. He is already determined in His heart to be forgiving, and to generously forgive, seventy times seven, and we merely need to claim it, and act upon it, rather than leaving our forgiveness unclaimed, in the “lost and found section” of Heaven’s grace.
Question: Are you a witness for the Prosecution or a witness for the Defense?
Deuteronomy 17:6: “On the evidence of two witnesses or three witnesses, he who is to die shall be put to death; he shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness.” So are you a witness for the Prosecution, or a witness for the Defense?
