Hell should be a motivation for Christians to witness and a motivation for the unsaved to get saved. Preaching about hell is not a new thing. Preachers during the great awakening preached about the fires of hell constantly...basically we're just telling people on the street "please turn away from your sin, if you do not hate your sin you do NOT love Jesus" Remember in Romans Paul said "I DO THAT WHICH I HATE". He hated his sin because he loved God. Preaching about hellfire and telling a professing Christian that they are not really saved is a message of love. If they want to recieve that message then they will, if they don't then they get chose it. C'mon professing Christians, if we really believe there's a hell, a place where it's just too late to repent...then we would talk about it to the unbeliever a lot more.With Love in ChristErin
Yeah, thanks for that reminder Erin, your right. Look at our Lord, He was always preaching about hell, its in pretty much every sermon he ever preached.I am also glad that when i read your post it was different to what i was expecting- when you saved 'love the message', i thought you meant you loved the message paraphrase by Eugine Peterson! Pheww!
_________________George Platt
Hell should be a motivation for Christians to witness and a motivation for the unsaved to get saved.
K_DAY said
We can't simply try to scare people into the gates of heaven
Incidentally, many atheists who convert to Christianity have a particular awareness of this matter of 'judgment' to come, and feel they are 'warning' people to turn to God, to escape from God's wrath. As Psalm 14:1 and 53:1 both quoteThe fool has said in his heart,"[i]There is[/i] no God." They are corrupt,They have done abominable works,There is none who does good. Likewise in Romans 1:18 - 25For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown [i]it[/i] to them.For since the creation of the world His invisible [i]attributes[/i] are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [i]even[/i] His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify [i]Him[/i] as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man -- and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. I don't think there's anything wrong with communicating these great truths as part of a gospel message. It is [i]more[/i] [u]un[/u]loving [i]not[/i] to do so.