It had been a long day, and the judge was looking forward to being at home with his family. With grocery bags in hand, he headed down the walk leading to the kitchen door.
Without warning, he was suddenly confronted with the barrel of a shotgun aimed between his eyes, and a vicious-looking man motioning for him to move on into the house.
Once inside, the intruder said, "Call the family together." The assailant then abused the wife and children in front of the judge and, after gathering up everything of value he could find, struck the judge on the side of the head with the stock of the gun and left him bleeding on the floor.
As he fled, the robber said to the judge's wife, "If you make a telephone call within an hour I'll come back and kill all your children!"
I doubt that anyone reading this account has ever done anything as openly wicked as this man did, but did you know that when God looks down at each one of us, He says, "There is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Rom. 3:22, 2322Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:22‑23).
In the eyes of God, we are all guilty and in need of His forgiveness. He warns us that "the wages of sin is death," but He goes on to promise us that "the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23).
As soon as the intruder left the house, the judge's wife reached for the phone and called for the police and an ambulance. The police responded immediately, and soon the judge's house was surrounded and a manhunt was in progress.
Within a very short time, the suspect was apprehended, identified, and taken into custody.
The following morning the prisoner, handcuffed to two policemen, was led into the courtroom for arraignment on the charges placed against him. As he entered the courtroom he stared at the floor, avoiding the cameras of the newsmen. Flanked by his two guards, he approached the judge and raised his head to face him. Suddenly his legs buckled and he would have fallen to the floor had not the two policemen held him upright. There in front of him, with his head swathed in bandages, stood the man he had robbed and injured and whose family he had abused.
For a time the judge stared at his attacker in total silence. Finally, he spoke: "I must disqualify myself from this case. Your case will be set for another time before another judge. Then, with much feeling, he said, "May justice be done!"
Friend, today God is offering you salvation for your sins. "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Corinthians 6:22(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) (2 Corinthians 6:2). But soon that offer will no longer be valid. If you die with your sins unforgiven, you will one day stand face to face with the very One against whom you have sinned.
Won't you accept the Lord Jesus as your Savior now? If you do, you will never need to face Him as your Judge.