Sin's Self-Incrimination

Introduction

Self-incrimination is exposing oneself to an accusation or charge of crime by making a statement. An indictment is a formal accusation in a criminal case against someone suspected of committing a serious criminal offense.

‌We, as a people, stand in God’s courtroom. We stand accused of violating God’s holiness. The issue is this. We have self-incriminated ourselves before Him. Thus, when God says we are condemned already, He states that we have exposed ourselves to His accusation.

‌This entire dialogue with these religious leaders stands as God’s argument against us. It was not just these men who stood on trial that day. Every person born into this world since the time of Adam and Eve is on trial. These men, religious they may be, were just as guilty as the rest of us.

‌One of the great realities revealed in Scripture is the reality of our sinful nature. All of which begins with Adam, the father of us all. Note these verses as an introduction to today’s text.

Romans 5:19 KJV 1900

19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Ephesians 2:3 KJV 1900

3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Now, think back to that infamous day in the Garden of Eden at the beginning of time as we know it. God created this wonderful place for Adam and Even to dwell here on Earth. In the middle of that beautiful garden was a tree that stood among all the other trees. The tree was called the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. It was a tree that God forbid man to eat. Yet, as we know, Adam and Eve disobeyed God. In doing so, their initial sin caused them to fall. At that moment, both Adam and Eve became entirely different beings. Before their disobedience, they were perfect and enjoyed sweet fellowship with God. However, after their fall, they became depraved, degenerate, and focused on themselves. Now, they were only capable of begetting posterity like their fallen self. Thus, their disobedience resulted in many becoming sinners just as Romans 5:19 noted. Since that day, every child of Adam is born with Adam’s sinful nature. We are born already prone to sin.

During Christ’s earthly ministry, people were no different. In fact, Christ’s coming exposed just how sinful men truly are. The great news is that Christ came not just to expose our sins but to judge our sinful nature.

Romans 6:10 KJV 1900

10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

The fact that we are born sinners is the heart of today’s message. Earlier, we read Ephesians 2:3. In that verse, the Holy Spirit stated that all men “were by nature the children of wrath.” Thus, our whole nature is depraved. Christ’s message to these religious Jewish leaders stands as an indictment against us. They were proof that we are born already in enmity with God.

‌What does it mean that man is depraved? The concept of total depravity is not that every man is as evil as possible. We see this with the Jewish religious leaders. By man’s standards, these men were good men, not evil. Morally, they did good things. They lived good lives. They were upstanding men within their communities. However, they were corrupted by sin, just as we all are. Man’s will, conscience, and intellect are completely corrupted and degraded by the sin that indwells them.

Romans 1:28 KJV 1900

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

1 Timothy 4:2 KJV 1900

2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

2 Corinthians 4:4 KJV 1900

4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

As a result of man’s sin nature, we all are born with a heart and understanding that is blinded to the truth of who Christ is.

Ephesians 4:18 KJV 1900

18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

No single person, outside of Christ, is born in this world free from his sinful nature. We sin because we are born with a nature to sin. The only remedy for our sin is redemption through Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.

‌Why this long discussion about our sinful nature as we open the message this morning? Our sinful nature is our self-indictment. That is the essence of our text today. Christ sums up this entire dialogue with the Jews by pointing to this very fact. He does not need to accuse us before the Father because we already do an excellent job of accusing ourselves.

Note our text.

John 5:40–47 KJV 1900

40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. 41 I receive not honour from men. 42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. 43 I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. 44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. 46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. 47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

Christ offers...

Our Heart Accuses Us

John 5:40–42 KJV 1900

40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. 41 I receive not honour from men. 42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.

Note verse 42. Christ said, “I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.” Here is the nucleus of our entire problem. As sinful men, we are born with no love for God at all.

‌By the way, God knows our hearts way better than we do. He sees the hearts of all men. Christ’s statement once again affirms His deity. He is the omniscient God who knows everything, and nothing is hidden from Him.

Psalm 139:1–4 KJV 1900

1 O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. 2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thought afar off. 3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, And art acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word in my tongue, But, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.

These men, the religious leaders, pretended to be worshippers of the true and living God. However, Christ was not deceived by their vain repetitions and false worship. He went straight to the heart of who they were. They did not have any love for God. If they did, they would have received and worshipped Him. Thus, it was no surprise that they did not come to Him to receive life. Their very actions revealed their heart, which is always the case.

Matthew 15:16–19 KJV 1900

16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? 17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? 18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

But let us not condemn these men, for we are cut from the cloth. Every person born into this world is not born with love for God. The opposite is quite true. We are born with an inclination to oppose and reject Him. Scripture speaks plainly about this.

Romans 8:6–7 KJV 1900

6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

We are, by nature, the children of wrath. Therefore, it should not surprise us how people are opposed to things of God. We should not be surprised when people reject Christ as God. Before we met Christ, we, too, opposed and rejected Him. We did not love Him. However, the great news is this.

Romans 5:8 KJV 1900

8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

You see, it has never been about our love for God. It has always been about His love for us—a love that transcends our sin. As believers, we live for Him because He first loved us. Yet, the very thing that stands in the way of knowing and experiencing His love is our sinful nature.

There is one more truth we must not overlook in verse 40.

John 5:40 KJV 1900

40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

Christ came so that He might offer each of us a once-in-a-lifetime offer. What is His offer? It is eternal life.

John 3:16 KJV 1900

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Romans 6:23 KJV 1900

23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Christ did all that was needed. He died and rose again acheiving victory over sin. The only thing He asks of us is to “come” to Him. We must make the move. We must embrace Him as Savior. I would implore you this morning that I have not made the move towards Christ do so this morning. This once-in-a-lifetime offer is truly such an offer. You only have this lifetime to accept it. If you reject it, you may not have the chance again. The moment you walk away from Christ could be when you enter eternity. We have no guarantee of tomorrow or even the next hour.

‌Here is the subsequent evidence that stands as our self-indictment before the righteous Judge of the Universe.

Our Actions Accuse Us

John 5:43–44 KJV 1900

43 I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. 44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?

One of the main things Christ did in His first coming was to offer Himself as Israel’s Messiah, Savior. However, as we know, Israel, as a nation, rejected Christ. In doing so, there is coming soon a day when they will embrace a false Messiah. Their rejection of Christ opened the door for that coming acceptance. Just as Eve’s rejection of God’s truth in the Garden opened the door for sin, Israel’s rejection of the true Messiah prepares them to receive the coming false Messiah. However, in addition to this, their rejection of Christ and willingness to receive another serves as another indictment of humanity.

‌It is amazing how many times in God’s Word people willingly accepted anything other than God. People willingly exchange self-pleasures for eternal life. Adam chose a piece of fruit over obedience to God. Lot chose Sodom and Gomorrah over a life of service to God. Sampson chose the love of women over a love for God. King Saul chose to please people instead of pleasing the Lord. Demas forsook God to pursue his interests, and on the list goes. These are just a few examples of the many who have chosen others, self-pleasure, or the love of possessions over Christ.

I am reminded of this one story the Holy Spirit related about Christ.

Matthew 19:16–22 KJV 1900

16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? 17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. 18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? 21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.

Here is a young man unwilling to give up his possessions for Christ. He was religious. He did all the right things. Yet, when the rubber met the road, he resisted exchanging the things of this world, for those things were eternal.

‌I wonder how many are doing the same today. You see, we are sinful people. Our actions stand as indictments against us. Many claim to be followers of Christ. However, their actions testify differently. The religious Jews spoke of worshipping God, but they rejected the notion that Christ was God. Do we not do the same when we refuse to give Christ first place in our lives? It is then that we truly make known our true feelings. How often do we refuse to obey Christ when we know we must give up something? How frequently do we change our actions or speak because we are in the presence of those we love more than we love Christ? You see, it is not only our hearts that betray us. Our actions betray us as well. Anytime we put someone or something before our love for Christ, we once again prove what God already knows and has stated.

As we see, our heart and our actions are self-incriminating which brings us to our last point from the text.

Our Savior Does Not Accuse Us

Look again at our text.

John 5:45–47 KJV 1900

45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. 46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. 47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

Christ encourages us here. We should never think that He will accuse us before the Father. In fact, it goes against His nature. There is much Scripture which testifies to the fact that Christ, the Son of God, did not come to condemn us or even accuse us. Instead, He came as He stated to seek and save that which is lost. Christ did come on a mission of judgment. No, He came on a rescue mission. His mission was a mission of love, compassion, and mercy.

One of the great passages that explains Christ’s mission is found in 1 Timothy 2.

1 Timothy 2:4–6 KJV 1900

4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

Here the Holy Spirit testifies that Christ desires “all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” Had Christ truly wanted to accuse us He would not have left Heaven! Instead, He had compassion on us. He saw us as we are. We are already condemned. Our heart and actions testify against us. All Christ had to do was nothing. We were bound for an eternity of hell filled with fire and brimstone. But, no, the love of Christ compelled Him to give His place in heaven. He the God of the Universe humbled himself. He took the form of man. He walked among us. He ministered to us. He died for us even when were yet sinners. That is not picture of one who accuses. It is the picture of one who came not to accuse but to absolve us of our sin.

However, His love for us doesn’t stop at the cross or the resurrection. Even now, as He sits on the throne of Heaven and at the right hand of the Father, He stands as our mediator. He is our advocate. He advocates on our behalf. There are no accusations. In fact, we get a glimpse of this in His prayer for us in the garden of Gethsemane. Listen as the One Who loves us and gave Himself for us prays for us to the Father.

John 17:20–26 KJV 1900

20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. 24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. 26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

Does that sound like someone who is accusing others? No. There is no reason for Him to accuse us. Why? We already have incriminated ourselves by our own actions which come from our evil hearts. Christ did not come to accuse. He came to save.

By the way, we have enough accusers already. We accuse ourselves which is the essence of this message. However, Scripture also accuses us. God’s Word reveals who were are and indicts us of our sin against God.

Hebrews 4:12 KJV 1900

12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Additionally, we have God’s adversary, Satan, constantly accusing us.

Revelation 12:10 KJV 1900

10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

Let me finish by reminding what Christ said to these religious Jews. He spoke once again of Moses. This times He makes the claim that even Moses indicted them. He accused them. What was Moses’ indictment? His accusation came through their unbelief. Had they truly believed Moses they would have believed Christ! That is the simple truth. However, they didn’t even fully believe Moses, thus they did not believe Christ. Their own unbelief in the very one upon whom they had staked their entire lives upon accused them of their sin.

Now comes the greater question.

John 5:47 KJV 1900

47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

Conclusion

This last question brings us to our conclusion. Last week, we ended with this verse.

John 5:39 KJV 1900

39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

Now, Christ gives this challenge. If you search the Scriptures which testify of Him and believe not the written Word of God, how will you believe Him? You see it comes down to faith (belief).

Romans 10:8–9 KJV 1900

8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Right here and now the Word of God is nigh. All Christ is asking is that you believe. Yes, we stand incriminated before God. We are already condemned. Our hearts and actions along with Scripture testifies of this reality. Yet, there is hope. Christ is our hope.

1 Peter 1:3–5 KJV 1900

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Christ is not our accuser. He is our salvation. He is our champion of love.

Isaiah 55:6–7 KJV 1900

6 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, Call ye upon him while he is near: 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts: And let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; And to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.