DOUBLE JEOPARDY

It is a universal principle of law that no man can be tried and/or punished twice for the same offence. Once a person has been tried and the trial has ended, whether in a conviction [guilty] or an acquittal [not guilty], he simply cannot be tried again on the same facts for the same offence! This is called the Rule against Double Jeopardy.

Once upon a time, you were guilty of something – pride, maybe? Fornication? Slandering, drug abuse, masturbation, bitterness, greed, anger, licentiousness, adultery, idolatry, witchcraft, all sorts of perversions. You should have been sentenced at your trial upon your death. For it is appointed unto man once to die, and after death, judgment – Hebrews 9:27. The penalty for anything that fell short of God’s standard was an execution, and you should have died for every item you stole, every lie you told, every pornographic material you consumed, every act of touching yourself, every act of lust…we could keep going.

Somewhere along the line, the Judge decided you could be substituted by another person at your trial. So Jesus pleaded guilty to your masturbation and dark lies and anger, and theeennn became the embodiment of those things, so that He could put to death their power over you once and for all. For God made He who knew no sin to become sin [2 Corinthians 5:21a, ISV]. God punished Christ as if like us, He was wrong. [Actually, in that moment He was wrong, because of you]. God punished Him on our behalf. So then, as a result, we become right with God when we are united with Christ [2 Corinthians 5:21b, EasyEnglish].

He was executed and ‘offered His own blood after He died. He made you free from everything you had done wrong. He made you free always.’ – [Hebrews 9:12, EasyEnglish]. He has ‘appeared once and for all, to remove sin through the sacrifice of Himself’ – [Hebrews 9:26, GNT].

Notice the words ‘always’ and ‘once and for all’? That’s precisely the aim of the principle of double jeopardy. You cannot be punished twice for the same offence. No accusation, no finger-pointing, no demon from the depths of hell, no wicked darkness from the pit of hell can destroy the work Christ has done for you. It was perfect and complete and sufficient for the cost of your sin! Imagine going to the market and having to slit your wrist to give blood every time you had to make a purchase. It’s what He’s done for you. You didn’t come for free. You were bought! You were bought with His own blood! [Acts 20:28] 1 Peter 1:18 – 20 [NLT] says ‘You know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was paid not with mere gold or silver [see why you can’t live solely for money as a believer? 😂 It is mere!] which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God [sheeesshhh!!! 😩] So Jesus says in John 10:27 & 28: ‘my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand! My Father who gave them to me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.’ He has a receipt for your life!

John attempts to explain this as simply as he can in 1 John 5:10-11:

 Those who believe in the Son of God have this testimony in their own heart…and this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life has its source in His Son. Whoever has the Son has this life, whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

So guess what? ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus’–  Romans 8:1. As you live in the consciousness of this mind-blowing truth, let me remind you of one last thing:

Ye were bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. – 1 Corinthians 6:20.

Love,

Rad 😉

PS: Assurance of salvation is beautifully explained by my friend and fellow blogger here. Check it out!! You’ll be blessed by it!