There is an assumption about God that has become so deeply embedded in religious thought that many people no longer recognize it as an assumption. It is treated as self-evident that God is first and foremost a judge, that humanity stands before him as defendants, and that righteousness requires him to decide who deserves mercy and who deserves condemnation.

One week, people are told that salvation is not by works, that humanity is saved by grace, that sins have been forgiven, and that the work of Christ is finished. The next week, they are told that God will eventually evaluate them according to their works and determine their final outcome based on what they have done. The question is, what was Jesus saying?