The founders of the United States of America wrote the Constitution of our nation to protect citizens from government overreach. It defined individual rights as God-given, thus preventing future authorities from ignoring or abusing them.

After adopting the original constitution, it was realized that additional rights needed to be officially outlined and so the constitution was amended. To date, 27 amendments to the constitution have been made.

All of this effort was due initially because the founders knew that no man or body of men were omniscient and were therefore capable of miscarriages of justice. The amendments that touch on criminal justice are intended to prevent this from happening.

For example, the Fifth Amendment forbids, among other things, a citizen being compelled to act as a witness against himself. This is one of the reasons why anyone being arrested must be read what are called the “Miranda rights” which states that they may remain silent and warns that anything they say can be used against them, thus preventing self-incrimination. If an individual is to be convicted of a crime by a human court, it must be by evidence outside of their own testimony. You see, the fifth amendment protects even the guilty.

God, however, is not so limited as are human courts. He is perfectly aware of every dishonest word, every slight, every dishonor as well as every black abominable deed you, and I, or anyone else has ever done.

God will not need our testimony on the last great day. We need not testify against ourselves only because every dark word & deed of ours has been perfectly recorded and eventually will be perfectly answered for. You and I will pay.

That is, unless we come to trust the Christ. As his apostle wrote in brief:

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”, 1st John 1:9

So don’t “plead the fifth”. Don’t avoid the truth. Don’t hide your deeds. Instead, be “raised up with Christ” as were the saints in Colossae and let your life be hidden in him (Colossians 2:8-3:4).