Has anyone ever imagined what Investigative Judgment is or what it means?
I will use the criminal justice system or procedure in the common law jurisdictions.
An accused person is brought to court upon suspicion that he has committed a crime. At this stage, he is not a criminal but a suspect.
Charges are read to him. He can plead:
- Guilty
- Not guilty
- Choose to keep quiet
What happens next?
When he pleads guilty, there is no hearing of evidence but a sentence is passed.
When he pleads guilty or chooses to keep quiet, hearing of the case has to go on where evidence has to be led and a defence put forward.
For the prosecution to start giving evidence, investigations have to be concluded and it is sure with the evidence on file, it can prove its case beyond reasonable doubt with intentions of securing a conviction.
During this time the accused is on remand and or may be on bail upon conditions as court deems fit. He is not free.
If investigations are still ongoing, the trial will not commence but the file will be called for mention until prosecution has gathered enough evidence to support its charges.
There is a preliminary hearing in which court has to establish if there’s a case to answer or not. If a ruling of a case to answer is pronounced, hearing will begin.
The prosecution starts it’s case by examining its witnesses in chief who are then subjected to cross-examination by the accused /his counsel if their evidence in chief was made on oath. Cross-examination is intended to test the credibility of the witness and the evidence given. Then there is re-examination by prosecution counsel to make good the gaps created in their evidence. The Same procedure applies to the accused person.
After evidence is given, the prosecution makes submissions praying that according to the evidence given, the accused should be convicted and given a maximum sentence.
The accused’s counsel also makes submissions that his defence should be considered and that the prosecution did not prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. Prosecution makes a rejoinder to the accused’s submissions and court finally gives judgment.
Let me tackle the question of investigative judgment along those lines.
Investigating a case is intended to find evidence from credible witnesses such that a case is properly made against the accused.
What does this mean?
- That God suspects us to be criminals but he has no proof to convict us. Therefore he needs witnesses. This puts God away from being omniscient and all-knowing yet the Bible says so.
- When an accused puts up a defence and he succeeds (a probable case with this doctrine having dismissed God’s omniscience), he will be acquitted of that crime he was being accused of.
- When one pleads not guilty, he is denying to be a sinner contrary to scriptures which ably have informed us that “…all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”
- When one is acquitted, it means, Jesus died prematurely. He would have waited for the world to plead guilty or until the world was convicted upon failure to put up a defence successfully, then die for the guilty who pleaded so and for the convicts perhaps.
- It means God is not a just God. For Jesus died before there was a hearing. What if some people he died for were actually innocent bring accused unjustly? A hearing must have been made before a conviction.
That’s all I can think of right now.
For those who have accepted Christ, we took the plea of guilty when the charge sheet was first read to us. When you plead guilty, you save court’s time and court exercises leniency when giving a sentence.
When you plead guilty and come to Jesus the lamb that takes away the sin of the world, Jesus’ righteousness is imputed on you. That is grace at work. Through faith, we are made perfect before God.
The people who believe in Investigative Judgment I think, want to use this verse in Isaiah 1:18 thinking that when God calls them to reason with them, they can out-reason him.
Recommendation
Let them humble themselves, come before the throne of mercy, repent of their wretchedness, accept Christ – that he died for their sins and took away their guilt and washed them clean.
Let them read the word of God to cleanse them of indoctrination and build faith in them.
Let them allow the Holy Spirit to dwell in them and let them abandon their old ways and be born again in spirit.
Let them join iTiS Well of Worship where they will worship God in truth and spirit.
Good day friends, may the grace of God and the love of Jesus and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit abide with us still.
Evelyn Ssewaya.
iTiS Well of Worship Fellowship (John 4:24) 