The Courtroom
Imagine with me an ornate Middle Eastern courtroom - on one side stands the accused, a young man maybe 19yrs old and on the other side stands a sinister older man glaring at the accused. He claims that the young man has stolen his sheep and is calling for justice which under Sharia law means only one thing - off with the hand! In the center sits an ancient man draped in a thick black robe with gold embroidery. He waves his hand and beckons for the witnesses to step forward. First comes a neighbor of the young man dressed in the traditional white robes. Then up steps an old shepherd who has been out in the fields for as long as anyone can remember. Both of them declare that the accusation is false but in order for the young man to be cleared, by law there must be one more person. All eyes turn as a black shrouded figure starts to approach the front. This is Fatima, the accused man’s cousin and she is coming to attest to his innocence. As she approaches, the judge asks: “Is there someone else with you?” She shakes her head. He calls out to the crowd: “Is there any other witness to stand up from among you?” There is silence. Fatima’s heart beats wildly - she’s stuck! By law, the judge will not listen to one woman’s voice - she must be accompanied by at least one other woman for them to trust what she has to say. If no one else stands up, then Fatima’s voice is considered as worthless and her cousin will go to the “chop-chop” square.
This is the story my language tutor told me the other day with some elaboration of my own. The reality of a woman’s plight under the rule of Sharia law hit me like a ton of bricks. My tutor explained that women aren’t trusted to think straight as they are such emotional creatures. If they testify they must come in twos but the men can testify on their own because they will not lie.
Now I want you to take a step back and imagine a different courtroom that many of the locals believe exist. This time we’re standing before the judgment throne on the last day and in front of the judge is a large scale. As each person comes before the throne, the judge places all their good deeds on one side and all their bad deeds on the other side to see which outweighs the other. Some of the good deeds are what the people expect others are appalled at how much their bad deeds have weighed up.Yet the judge has no standard for weighing. Some of them He waves on, others He sends to the fire and none of them know what His decision will be there.
This is the uncertainty that men and women alike live under across this nation. They have a phrase they use a lot which translates to, “If God wills…” They’ll say this before doing anything, in regards to any plans in the future, and regarding anything that they decide to do. The entire culture is based on the idea of fatalism - if it’s God’s will, it will happen. If not, then what can I do to stop it or make it happen? Yet, they firmly believe that mankind cannot know the ultimate, sovereign will of God. Therefore, we have a predicament - how can one achieve the will of God in order to stand on the last day, when one cannot know what this will of God is?
As I understood the gravity of this spiritual stronghold I turned my thoughts to Scripture wondering what it has to say on knowing God’s will. Romans 12:2 says:
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - His good pleasing and perfect will.”
That sounds encouraging! As we allow God to transform our minds, He promises that we will be able to test and approve what His will is! Later on Paul says it even more clearly in 1 Thess. 4:3:
“It IS God’s will that you should be sanctified.”
Pretty straight forward! I have also learned in my Christian walk that when God gives a command He also equips us with the ability to walk it out. So, this next verse in Heb. 10:6 jumped out at me:
“You need to persevere so that when you’ve done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.”
As I continued reading verse after verse about knowing and discerning the will of God, I grew more and more confident that this is a foundational principle of the Christain faith. Then, I hit James 4:14-15:
“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it’s the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’ As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil.”
Hmmm… Maybe the locals here do have it right… After all, James is right, we are like a mist. However, he goes on to say something quite profound:
“Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do [today] and doesn’t do it, sins.”
Once again hidden in the context of the passage is the promise I had seen all throughout Scripture - as we seek the Lord, He reveals His will to us. The warning then from James is not regarding whether or not we can know God’s will. Rather, he is saying, since we know God’s will for today, if we refrain from it because we plan on doing it tomorrow or in the future, this is sin.
“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, he hears us. And if we know that He hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of Him.” (1 Jn. 5:13-15)
In Christ I can step into the courtroom of heaven fully confident that even as a woman I will be heard and my voice matters. I can approach the judgment seat with full confidence that the blood of Jesus cleanses me from all unrighteousness. It’s not a guessing game. It’s not up to fate. It’s not dependent on what I do or don’t do. It is only by His grace that I can have this confidence. Thanks be to God!! Please pray with me for the people of this land to know this same Truth for themselves.
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