When we think of words associated with the church, we think of positive words like faith, hope, and love.
We think of inspiring words like faith, grace, and community.
We think of words that put us on the side of the angels like mercy, justice, and peace.
But there is one word that is not a positive association with the church. It is one word that does not inspire us to want to associate with the church.
That word is the word “judgment”.
It is one of the strongest negatives we associate with the church.
And the reason for that is pretty simple.
We have a negative view of what it means to judge.
When the church says it is the last and final judge, we think, “You mean you’re going to decide who is going to heaven and who is going to hell?
Or when the church says it is righteous in judgment, it doesn’t really inspire us to think they are being merciful. We think they are being judgmental.
And when we think they are being judgmental, we think they are not showing mercy.
So the church has a problem. It is how it can say it is the righteous judge, merciful in its judgment, and also not be seen as being judgmental or unkind or harsh.
That’s a pretty tough balance.
What does judgment really mean?
In the Judeo Christian tradition, God judges everyone. And if we are not judged by God, we are judged by others.
God judges everyone at the end of their life, and if they do not want to be judged by God, they have to judge themselves before they die.
And that means they have to judge their actions.
In our modern American society, to judge is to condemn or to criticize.
But that is not what judgment is.
To judge is to make a decision about what to do in a particular situation.
As an example, if you need to decide whether to buy a house, you look at its price and its size and the distance from where you work.
The purpose of judging is to decide if the house is right for you.
Another example is deciding whether to buy a car. You weigh the pros and cons, and if the pros outweigh the cons, you buy that car.
And you do this with most of the things you do in your life.
So judgment is an everyday occurrence.
But the question is whether the church is being righteous in its judgment.
If it is, its judgment will be seen as good, not bad.
If it is not, its judgment will be seen as bad, not good.
What does the Church say about Judgment?
The Church has a lot of different statements about judgment.
Judgment Day
The most obvious one is Judgment Day.
The Church believes that there will be a day when God will judge everyone who has lived on earth, past, present, and future, including everyone who is still living today.
Second Coming
The Church also believes that at the end of time, Jesus will come back to earth and judge everyone who is living at that time.
The Church is very clear about what it means to be a Christian, and that is to be a follower of Jesus.
And the Church is equally clear that Jesus is the only way to heaven.
Forgiveness of Sins
One of the most well-known teachings of Jesus is that he wants everyone to be forgiven for their sins.
And if you have never sinned, you do not need to be forgiven.
But if you have, then you must. That is why Jesus came to earth.
Righteous
Jesus taught that if you follow him and believe in him, you will be righteous.
And righteous is the opposite of sinful.
And if you are righteous, you have no more need to repent and ask forgiveness from God.
Justification
And if you are righteous, you have the right to judgment.
This means that you have the right to be judged by God.
And God has the right to judge you.
But righteousness is not the same as being righteous.
The Bible is clear about this, Jesus is clear about this.
The difference is in the attitude of your heart.
If you are righteous, you are not self-righteous.
How are people losing their religion?
Religion is the belief that God exists and that God created the world.
Religion is the belief that God created the world and that God is interested in what happens in the world.
Religion is also the belief that God wants us to do certain things.
Religion is the belief that God wants us to have faith in God’s existence.
And religion is the belief that God wants us to live according to God’s ways.
But religion does not have to be religious.
People can be religious and not have religion.
They can be religious and not believe in God.
And they can be religious and believe in God but not have religion.
They can be religious and believe in God but do not have any religion.
They can be religious and believe in God but do not practice religion.
People can be religious and not be religious.
They can be religious and not believe in God.
And they can be religious and believe in God but not practice religion.
They can be religious and believe in God but do not have any religion.
People can be religious and believe in God but do not practice religion.
People can be religious and believe in God but do not have any religion.
People can be religious and believe in God but do not practice religion.
People can be religious and believe in God but do not practice religion.
People can be religious and believe in God but do not practice religion.
How can the Church respond?
In the United States, the Church is losing its numbers.
The Church has been losing its numbers for decades now.
In the 1960s, the Church was at 17%.
Then it dropped to 16% in the 1970s.
Then it went up to 17% in the 1980s.
Then it dropped again to 16% in the 1990s.
Then it went up again to 17% in the 2000s.
So over the past 25 years, the Church has been in decline.
But we’re not alone.
In the United Kingdom, the Church is also in decline.
In 1965, it was at 19%.
Then it went up to 20% in the 1970s.
Then it dropped to 16% in the 1980s.
Then it went up again to 20% in the 1990s.
Then it dropped again to 16% in the 2000s.
So over the past 25 years, the Church has been in decline.
Conclusion
People have a right to be angry at the Church.
But they can’t be angry at the Church without understanding why we exist.
They can be angry at what the Church teaches.
But they can’t be angry at the Church without understanding what we teach.
And they can be angry at the Church without understanding why we exist.