Dr. Tony Evans discusses the concept of a spiritual courtroom and the importance of having Jesus as our defense attorney. He emphasizes the significance of the verdict rendered by the cross and how it cancels out the legal accusations against believers, freeing them from the devil’s control and allowing them to live in the new kingdom of God. SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/user/drtonyev… If you would like to download two encouraging, FREE full-length MP3s of Tony’s popular sermons: “The Sovereignty of God” and “How to Handle a Crisis,” you can do so by clicking on this link: https://share.hsforms.com/1atT9MJvXQN…
If you would like to sign up for our daily devotional bringing you hope and inspiration, please go to this link: https://share.hsforms.com/1CkOLA910Sm…
▶ Do you know Jesus as your Savior? https://tonyevans.org/know-jesus-christ/
▶ Stream Sermons: https://tonyevans.org/podcast/
▶▶ Free Sermon App: https://subsplash.com/tonyevans/app/
▶▶ DONATE: https://give.tonyevans.org/the-altern…
▶ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drtonyevans/
▶ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drtonyevans/
▶ Are you a preacher? Free sermon outlines: https://go.tonyevans.org/dr-tony-evan…
Dr. Tony Evans is the founder and senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, founder and president of The Urban Alternative and author of over 100 books, booklets and Bible studies. The first African American to earn a doctorate of theology from Dallas Theological Seminary, he has been named one of the 12 Most Effective Preachers in the English-Speaking World by Baylor University. Dr. Evans holds the honor of writing and publishing the first full-Bible commentary and study Bible by an African American. His radio broadcast, The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, can be heard on over 1,400 radio outlets daily and in more than 130 countries. Dr. Evans’ sermons are also streamed and downloaded over 20,000,000 times annually. #tonyevans #tonyevanssermon #Freedom
on the cross of Christ the perfect Son
of God became sin for us that we might
become the righteousness of God in him
while you and I had a debt we could not
pay we had somebody with enough cred who
said well I’ll pick up that Tab and I
will pay it with my own blood
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
many of us need a verdict
for us
to relieve us
from the guilt
of the accusations against us
many of you know what it is to neither
not guilty verdict
to need Mercy in the court
to release you because what happens with
the verdict affects your destiny
what happens with the verdict in the
courtroom is not just for that moment
it’s for your future
as we have seen and as we will see I
believe once more next week there is a
there is a verdict that Satan has placed
against you
with cause
but Jesus Christ stands as your defense
attorney
if you know Jesus Christ as your savior
in order to represent you in the
courtroom of Heaven
we have tried to explain that
you must look
at your life on Earth
as being lived out predicated on the
legislation in heaven
I have shown you throughout the Bible
where the Bible renders our lives
commensurate with a court scene
where there is legislation occurring
that’s why the Bible is full of laws and
statutes and judges and judgments and
all of the legalese
that has been adopted in human existence
because it was drawn from Heavenly
reality
when a football team fumbles the
football and the other team recovers
a major shift has occurred
major shift has occurred because the
team that was on offense is now on
defense the team that was on defense is
now on offense because there has been a
fumbling of the ball
God put Adam in the offensive position
to rule the Earth but he fumbled the
ball
Satan and the Demonic realm picked up
the fumble
and change the trajectory of History
first John 5 19 says
the whole world lies in the hands of the
evil one
so while God is the creator of the world
man has handed it over to the Demonic
Realm because man has fumbled the ball
and the reality is most of us fumble it
again and again and again and again
which gives the devil legal rights to
your life
he has legislative rights to your life
because of our sinfulness
but we still desperately want a verdict
on our behalf
in spite of what
has happened
in our spiritual reality of sinfulness
so I want to help you me us
get a favorable verdict
in the courtroom of heaven so we can be
set free
in the realities of Earth
in Colossians chapter 1 verse 13 for he
rescued us
referring to believers
from the domain of Darkness
and transferred us to the kingdom of his
beloved Son
there has been a spiritual transfer
to another Realm
when you accepted Christ
and I trust you all have accepted Christ
when you’ve accepted Christ you were
transferred to another Realm
another kingdom that’s why you hear the
word Kingdom so much around here the
rule of God
you are now existing while on Earth in a
new spiritual reality
the kingdom of his dear son
Kingdom means rule Kingdom means
Authority Kingdom means you’re under the
rulership and authority of his dear son
of Jesus Christ you’ll see why that’s
important in a moment
now in order for Satan to rule you
since you don’t live with him anymore
because you’ve been transferred out of
the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom
of his dear son
he’s got to get you out of that house
cause he has no Authority in that house
so he’s gotta even though you’re a
Christian
get you to move out
back to his kingdom of darkness
so he says in verse 8 of chapter 2 see
to it
okay see to it is strong
make sure
that no one takes you captive through
philosophy empty deception according to
the tradition of men according to the
elementary principles of the world
rather than according to Christ
he says stop being duped
tricked
because the reason Satan wants to dupe
you is to remove you from the new
kingdom in which you have been placed so
he can control the agenda of your life
he says stop being due because once once
Satan dupes you you’re on his Turf now
you plan on his field
and he controls the agenda he says see
to it that you stop being tricked
with deception that has no juice in it
yes that’s empty
and how do you know
because it’s man’s thinking that
disagrees with Christ
that’s what he says the tradition of men
and it calls this Elementary principles
he says don’t be taken captive
don’t be tricked
by A system that is against God
and now it is publicly against God
and people are being duped day in and
day out
because they fail to judge things what
he says in verse 8 according to Christ
having established that the world system
the world’s thinking the world’s
philosophy the world’s education the
world’s media the world’s Politics the
world social structure all of that is to
be made subject to this new kingdom the
kingdom of his dear son which is
controlled and ruled by Jesus Christ
he says
for in him
all the fullness of deity dwells in
bodily form
did you see that
in him in Christ
everything that makes God God is in
Jesus
because he’s the son of God he Bears all
the attributes of deity in fact back
over to chapter one and he tells you a
little bit more Jesus about Jesus he
says in verse 15 he is the image of the
invisible God
the firstborn of all creation by him all
things were created both the heavens and
in the earth visible and invisible
Thrones dominions rulers authorities all
things have been created through him and
for him
he is the head of the body of the church
the beginning the firstborn of the dead
so that he himself will come to have
first place in everything
for it was the father’s good pleasure
for all fullness to dwell in him
the reason why you listen to Jesus is
because he knows more than everybody
else because he made everything
when the Bible says in the beginning God
created and then it says and God said
God created but Jesus taught
because he’s the word of God
all the fullness of deity all that makes
God God is resident in Jesus Christ so
he says Jesus is to have first place in
everything there is no subject there is
no system there is no circumstance where
Jesus is not to be the decision maker
in fact your first question on every
subject should be what does Jesus think
about this
that should be your perspective on every
subject matter
according to Hebrews chapter 2 verses 7
and 8
everything has been placed under Jesus’s
feet
what he is telling you now is you are to
be identified
in and with him as your new point of
reference for life
your new point of reference is in him
and with him you are to be connected
in every area of life with him
let me show you something from that
before beloved okay Christians
do not believe every spirit
okay don’t don’t just believe it because
sound good it feels good they talking
right
don’t believe every spirit
but test the spirits
say okay you gotta you gotta give you
you got to give the information you’re
getting a test
all right and see whether they are from
God oh okay did this come from God did
this come from the devil because the
devil can sometimes sound like God
by this you know the spirit of God and
ain’t gonna tell you how to test it
every spirit that confesses that Jesus
Christ has come in the flesh is from God
every spirit that does not confess Jesus
is not from God this is the spirit of
the Antichrist of which you have heard
that it is coming and now is already in
the world you are from God little
children and have overcome them because
greater is he who is in you than he that
is in the world they are from the world
therefore they speak from the oh oh
they are from the world
so they speak from the world
and the world listens to them we are
from God he who knows God listens to us
he who is not from God does not listen
to us by this we know the spirit of
truth and the spirit of error
thank you
Dr Evans will be right back after this
important announcement
[Applause]
[Music]
foreign
[Music]
you don’t know it’s legit cause it sound
good
you could be listening and saying Amen
to the Antichrist
he says the way you know it’s legit is
that it confesses watch this now stay
with me that Jesus has come in the flesh
watch this now
to believe that Jesus
spiritually came is one thing
but to believe in their Humanity in the
flesh of Jesus is another thing why
because to believe that Jesus has also
come in the flesh means that he has
something to say about my human
existence
because he’s not only God up there he’s
man down here
either they are Antichrist or carnal
Christians because he says if you know
Christ
you confess Christ and the people you
talking to will accept what you’re
saying but if they reject it it’s
because they’re Antichrist
notice notice he uses the word confess
Christ
confess Christ see to confess is to
publicly acknowledge
see publicly acknowledge
if Jesus is not on your lips if Jesus is
perspective it’s not what you’re
communicating if Jesus’s worldview is
not what you’re talking about you are
hanging out with the Antichrist
all the fullness dwells in Jesus Christ
so don’t you be ashamed to confess
Christ so now we’re in court we’re in
court beginning in verse 14. we’re in
court
verse 14.
having canceled
out the certificate of debt
consisting of decrees
against us
all of this is legal language
the decrees are legal accusations that’s
what the letter that’s what the word
means it means legal accusations Satan
has legal accusations against you
you thought this you did that you acted
this way you you you talked like that he
can legally say he can’t he can’t take
you out of Heaven if you’re a Christian
but he will say you can’t you can’t
deliver him out of that you can’t help
her through that you can’t provide for
them in this you can’t do that for them
because look at what they did
and you’re a perfect God you can’t have
fellowship with that and since I know
that you can’t have fellowship with that
you can’t answer their prayers you can’t
give them a breakthrough you can’t give
them peace you can’t provide joy and
sometimes we wonder why the world does
not work because of the decrees against
us
so the court the court has heard the
decrees
but the first verse says
having canceled
having canceled
the certificate
of debt
okay the certificate is an official
record okay it’s been recorded it’s it’s
been certified as valid
let me ask you if anybody in here have
debts you can’t pay
everybody okay he says there is a debt
that sinful men oh a perfect God
but he goes on to say
that the debt
was canceled
how was it canceled
which was hostile to us
it was against us because God can’t
change his standards he either has to
condemn us compromise his character or
come up with a plan to make us righteous
it says which
were hostile they were against us God
you can’t do that for Evans you can’t do
that for John and Jill and Butch and
Betty you can’t because your standards
won’t allow it and God will never dumb
down and stand
he has taken it out of the way yes
having nailed it to the cross
he has taken it out of the way
having nailed it to the cross
in John Chapter 19 Verse 30 you have the
greatest
legal transaction in history when Jesus
on the cross utters the Greek word
the Greek word tetelestai is translated
in your English Bible it is finished
it is finished
paid in full
on the cross
your sins my sins was paid for by a
substitute
it was paid for by the perfect Son of
God
Who provided substitutionary atonement
for our sins to pay the penalty that we
owe to a holy God who cannot dumb down
his standard
it was a price we could not pay
so we needed a substitute who had a
perfect credit score
on the cross of Christ
the perfect Son of God who knew no sin
second Corinthians 5 21
became sin for us that we might become
the righteousness of God in him it’s
called the substitutionary atonement
where he took what you owe God picked up
the tab himself but that’s only half the
story the other half of the story is he
gave you his credit score
and we become the righteousness of God
in him so the great legal transaction
with God is that while you and I had a
debt we could not pay we had somebody
with enough cred
who said well I’ll pick up that Tab and
I will pay it for them with my own blood
on the cross of Jesus Christ when Jesus
said my God my God why is Thou forsaken
me he endured
Eternal judgment on your behalf and my
behalf and you tell me you’re ashamed to
confess Jesus and you tell me you’re
ashamed to bring Jesus’s perspective
into the conversation
One Day in heaven you’re going to see
nail print hands you’re going to see
nail print feet you’re going to see a
scar in the side and you’re going to
praise him that he covered you from the
wrath of God but don’t wait till you get
to heaven to praise him praise him now
now watch this watch this I ain’t
finished
took them out of the way
okay
he did something else
when he had this arm the rulers verse 15
and authorities
oh okay
he paid for your sins in verse 14.
but he did something else he disarmed
the rulers and authorities and made a
public display of them
having triumphed over them through him
what he did in forgiving your sins is he
rose from the dead stepped on a cloud
went through the spiritual realm to be
seated on the right hand of the father
so that that satanic realm no longer has
the last word over your life
now
picture it
you in the courtroom of Heaven
and Satan is your prosecuting attorney
and he says
your honor
this is what I know
this is what they did
and this is what your judgment
ought to be
and you’re sitting on the stand
and the judge says
who you think you’re talking to
who you who you talking to you
you can’t bring that up in here because
you see that defense attorney over there
he’s already taken care of what you’re
talking about so what you told me you
ain’t you ain’t doing that in my court
not against him him him and her because
that’s already been covered by the
defense attorney what else you got yeah
that’s coming to what else you got yeah
that’s coming too how long you want to
go go through this because all of the
deaths were covered by my son
all of them
so you can Trump the devil on every
subject
that he raises against you as long as he
does not get you on his field
ah see that’s the deal if he can pull
you with philosophy worldly thinking
secularism political uh ideologies if he
can if he can trip you and trap you and
get you feeling some kind of way and
think in some kind of way then he has
now got you on his turf
here it is
what God made
legal in the death of Christ you must
make literal with your confession of
Christ you say that again
the legal has been achieved
the literal must be accessed
God has done it up there
but only your confession of Christ
brings it down here
so if you are ashamed of Christ if
philosophy of this world can overrule
Christ then you do not help help in
Heaven’s courtroom because you’ve joined
the prosecution
you’ve joined their worldview
and their perspective
so there’s a verdict on your behalf that
can be rendered by the cross
and God wants to render it in closing as
a
in the Civil War
there was a guy named Pratt true story
and in the Civil War
in the Union Army
you could pay somebody
to go to war for you and be your
substitute
so Mr Pratt
found a man named Mr White
and Pratt paid White
to go to war for him
Pratt now had a substitute
for him in the union war in the Civil
War because white agreed to be his
substitute
white was killed in the war
the draft board redrafted Pratt
because Pratt you’re still alive
Pratt took the draft board to Coyle
and Pratt said you can’t draft me
because I died in white
[Applause]
you can’t redraft me because my
substitute has paid the price so even
though I’m still alive I am also dead
because I’m dead in white
and the Court ruled that you can’t read
draft Pratt because Pratt is already
dead when it’s substitute died for him I
think you called something like that in
courtroom Double Jeopardy you can’t try
me for the same thing once I’ve been
found innocent and now that Jesus Christ
has declared you innocent the devil
can’t do double jeopardy on you you have
been covered by the cross of Jesus
Christ just don’t buy the philosophy of
this world order so that he who the son
sets free as free and lies and you can
hear the verdict of Calvary not guilty
not guilty
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]