This man is put under judgement. There was no possibility that he can defend himself; the records show exactly what he has done, and there is no denying it.
The first time we really understand God’s message, it pierces our hearts. We have been given tremendous privileges, power, gifts, and capacities, and we ignore God and live as if he was not there. We produce nothing for him from our lives. How sinful, how rebellious we are! God searches our hearts and makes us feel our wretched sinfulness. We begin to see something of the size of our debt to God, and the little bit we see, fills us with horror, because we know it is quite impossible to pay. But we realise that this debt must be settled, and that God cannot leave it outstanding. He is the God of holiness and the God of perfect justice, and when we first encounter God in our hearts it is this that we are chiefly aware of. Preachers preach the grace of God, but to prepare the heart to realistically grasp their need of grace, they must preach the law first. God says to us, ‘I will reduce you to the level of a menial slave. No sin will be overlooked.’ We must pay with all if we are not forgiven, and that payment will cost us our eternal souls.