The Fear of Hell

[Jonaitis]

I've noticed that some here think it is wrong to preach that unless people will repent they will end up in hell, saying we shouldn't scare people into the kingdom. I beg to differ. Hell is something to be feared and avoided at all costs, and it is one that should exhort and encourage sinners to get right with God.

Did Jesus ever preach hell to make sinners fear of entering it? Yes!

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." - Matthew 7:13-14

"And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched" - Mark 9:43

"But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him." - Luke 12:5

There are many other such passages. It would be wrong to leave that part out of our evangelism to the lost, for Jesus never was silent about it!

 

[brinny]

I've noticed that some here think it is wrong to preach that unless people will repent they will end up in hell, saying we shouldn't scare people into the kingdom. I beg to differ. Hell is something to be feared and avoided at all costs, and it is one that should exhort and encourage sinners to get right with God.

Did Jesus ever preach hell to make sinners fear of entering it? Yes!

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." - Matthew 7:13-14

"And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched" - Mark 9:43

"But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him." - Luke 12:5

There are many other such passages. It would be wrong to leave that part out of our evangelism to the lost, for Jesus never was silent about it!

Amen.

Hell IS to be feared. That is why God has given us an escape from it, through our repentance and turning to Jesus, the One and Only "Remedy" and escape route from hell and damnation.

 

[Noxot]

The fear of not being close to God and the lack of the Life Christ promised us are expressed in terms such as hell. To not have God is the real fear. But some are still immature and so they have a fear of hell which is symbolically expressed correctly but there is a lack of understanding of why hell is hell.

 

[BobRyan]

I've noticed that some here think it is wrong to preach that unless people will repent they will end up in hell, saying we shouldn't scare people into the kingdom. I beg to differ. Hell is something to be feared and avoided at all costs, and it is one that should exhort and encourage sinners to get right with God.

Did Jesus ever preach hell to make sinners fear of entering it? Yes!

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." - Matthew 7:13-14

"And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched" - Mark 9:43

"But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him." - Luke 12:5

There are many other such passages. It would be wrong to leave that part out of our evangelism to the lost, for Jesus never was silent about it!

Amen!

If there was no problem -- we would not need the Gospel solution and Christ died needlessly.

 

[BobRyan]

The fear of not being close to God and the lack of the Life Christ promised us are expressed in terms such as hell. To not have God is the real fear. But some are still immature and so they have a fear of hell which is symbolically expressed correctly but there is a lack of understanding of why hell is hell.

or else the Bible means exactly what it says -- and given such a fact, it explains why Christ had to die to pay our debt ... a debt so horrific we could not pay it ourselves - and survive it.

so then hell is real - and the fear of such a great punishment is "legit".

Many a soul has lived out their life as an atheist or an otherwise godless person and died "without Christ". We have seen that... but the Bible adds a much more severe and solemn warning far beyond simply living your life as an atheist and dying without God.

 

[Noxot]

or else the Bible means exactly what it says -- and given such a fact, it explains why Christ had to die to pay our debt ... a debt so horrific we could not pay it ourselves - and survive it.

so then hell is real - and the fear of such a great punishment is "legit".

Many a soul has lived out their life as an atheist or an otherwise godless person and died "without Christ". We have seen that... but the Bible adds a much more severe and solemn warning far beyond simply living your life as an atheist and dying without God.

I fear hell because I don't want to exist around evil people. That also happens to be the reason that I hate this world.

 

[joshua 1 9]

I've noticed that some here think it is wrong to preach that unless people will repent they will end up in hell

Repent means to burn or destroy the house. You can not go back to a house if you burn it to the ground. So we are saying if we do not destroy the house of sin then God will destroy us in hell.

 

[ViaCrucis]

Curious: How does preaching that one is going to hell unless they do X, Y, and/or Z bring life-saving faith to sinners?

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Tigger45]

I wasn’t preached into the Kingdom of God by using the fear of hell but I was drawn into the Kingdom by the love of the Father.

 

[BobRyan]

I fear hell because I don't want to exist around evil people. That also happens to be the reason that I hate this world.

interesting -- but my question was about the option that the Bible is telling the truth

 

[BobRyan]

Curious: How does preaching that one is going to hell unless they do X, Y, and/or Z bring life-saving faith to sinners?

-CryptoLutheran

hmm lets ask Christ about the threat of hell

Matt 25
31 “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38 And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’
41 “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ 44 Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”


Let's ask Paul
2 Thess 1
6 For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, 8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was believed.

And again.. Paul
1 Cor 6
7 Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? 8 On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. You do this even to your brethren.
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

 

[Not David]

I've noticed that some here think it is wrong to preach that unless people will repent they will end up in hell, saying we shouldn't scare people into the kingdom. I beg to differ. Hell is something to be feared and avoided at all costs, and it is one that should exhort and encourage sinners to get right with God.

Did Jesus ever preach hell to make sinners fear of entering it? Yes!

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." - Matthew 7:13-14

"And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched" - Mark 9:43

"But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him." - Luke 12:5

There are many other such passages. It would be wrong to leave that part out of our evangelism to the lost, for Jesus never was silent about it!

If the purpose is to scare people, it would be futile because they don't believe in it.

 

[JIMINZ]

I've noticed that some here think it is wrong to preach that unless people will repent they will end up in hell, saying we shouldn't scare people into the kingdom.

Is that the Gospel Jesus spoke about?

Mark 16:15
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Mat. 24:14
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

 

[brinny]

Jonaitis said: ↑
I've noticed that some here think it is wrong to preach that unless people will repent they will end up in hell, saying we shouldn't scare people into the kingdom. I beg to differ. Hell is something to be feared and avoided at all costs, and it is one that should exhort and encourage sinners to get right with God.

Did Jesus ever preach hell to make sinners fear of entering it? Yes!

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." - Matthew 7:13-14

"And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched" - Mark 9:43

"But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him." - Luke 12:5

There are many other such passages. It would be wrong to leave that part out of our evangelism to the lost, for Jesus never was silent about it!

If the purpose is to scare people, it would be futile because they don't believe in it.

Jesus believes in hell.

He warned about it.

Hell SHOULD be terrifying.

All the more reason to turn to Christ, the ONLY "Remedy" to avoid hell.

'Tis best to heed His warning.

 

[BobRyan]

Repent means to burn or destroy the house.

Repent means to "turn" .. turn away from something

 

[Jonaitis]

Curious: How does preaching that one is going to hell unless they do X, Y, and/or Z bring life-saving faith to sinners?

-CryptoLutheran

Rather, God operates in the heart of a sinner through the preaching of the word to tremble at the warnings and to seek salvation in Christ.

 

[JIMINZ]

Repent means to burn or destroy the house. You can not go back to a house if you burn it to the ground. So we are saying if we do not destroy the house of sin then God will destroy us in hell.

Do you mean when I got saved I was supposed to burn my house too?
Man, I hate it when I'm left out of the loop.

 

[Jonaitis]

If the purpose is to scare people, it would be futile because they don't believe in it.

It is to warn people to wake up to the eternal danger of their soul, and God works in such people to listen.

 

[Jonaitis]

I wasn’t preached into the Kingdom of God by using the fear of hell but I was drawn into the Kingdom by the love of the Father.

I was taught the love of God through the fear of hell. How? Jesus displayed that love to destroy that fear. So I was brought to the kingdom through both.

 

[brinny]

It is to warn people to wake up to the eternal danger of their soul, and God works in such people to listen.

Amen.

God may it be so, in Jesus name, amen.