What about Those Who Say They Are Christian But...

I have heard many excuses for not attending church from those who confess their belief in Jesus Christ. The following is one of the most frequently heard excuses.

Excerpt from Lutheranism 101 pg 80


What about Those Who Say They Are Christian But...


Perhaps you have heard the excuse, "I'll come to church when they get rid of all the hypocrites." Isn't the church weakened by those who say they believe but really do not? shouldn't we institute some sort of program to root out all the false believers? Actually, such a program can only fail because there is no way for us to know and judge what a person really believes-oly God can do that. All we have is the outward confession a person makes.

Though both true believers and hypocrites are mixed together in the outward fellowship of the church, we trust God to sort them out when Christ returns at the Last Day. In the meantime, we continue bringing God's Word to all people. For God's Word alone (spoken written, given in Baptism and the Lord's Supper) leads us to repent of our hypocrisy, brings us to faith, and keeps us in the faith.

The definition of Hypocrite according to Websters Dictionary is as follows:

hyp·o·crite

 noun \ˈhi-pə-ˌkrit\

Definition of HYPOCRITE

1

: a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion

2

: a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings

— hypocrite adjective

Sing Praises to Your King!