You have pleaded not guilty. Please be sure you understand what that means.

Pleading not guilty is not just saying, "I am not a bad person." It is telling the Judge, "I have kept your law perfectly, and I need no one to take my place."

God's standard is not "better than most people." It is perfection. Matthew, chapter five, verse forty-eight: "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." And breaking that standard at even one point makes a person guilty of breaking all of it. James, chapter two, verse ten: "For whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it." That includes the things done without knowing they were wrong.

So test your plea honestly.

Have you ever told a lie, even a small one?

Have you ever taken something that was not yours?

Have you ever used God's name carelessly, or put something else ahead of him: money, a person, yourself?

Have you ever hated someone in your heart, or looked at someone with lust? Jesus said those count too. Matthew, chapter five.

If the answer to any of those is yes, then by God's own standard, the plea does not hold. First John, chapter one, verse eight: "If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us."

And here is what a not guilty plea costs. It means standing before the Judge on your own record, with no Substitute. The sentence for sin stands. Romans, chapter six, verse twenty-three. But that is not what God wants for you. He says he takes no pleasure in anyone's death. Ezekiel, chapter thirty-three, verse eleven. And the offer of pardon is open right now. Second Corinthians, chapter six, verse two: "Now is the day of salvation."

If you are not sure, that is okay. Questions and doubts are fine. Asking honestly is not the same as refusing.

If you would like to change your plea, press the button below that says, Change my plea to guilty. You can also read the record of what Jesus did for you, or ask us a question. Whatever you decide, thank you for listening honestly. The offer of the pardon is still open.
