Fear Of Hell

AnglicanPeace · Nov 10, 2023

Is fear of Hell a good reason to continue being Christian?

rebornfree · Nov 10, 2023

Well it's better than turning away from Christianity, but better still to continue in the faith out of love for Jesus and a desire to serve Him and see others come to faith in Him.

HTacianas · Nov 10, 2023

It's one reason.

d taylor · Nov 11, 2023

-

No, if you are a believer "a person who has believed in Jesus for God's free gift of Eternal Life" and you have a fear of hell. That would be insulting to God, in the sense that having a fear of hell. Means you are really doubting God's promise, that all who believe in Jesus cross over from death to life and become a permanent born again child of God.

What is healthy in a believer, is to have a fear of God and discipline that He God, will bring to the believer who gets off track and becomes worldly in their lives.

Maria Billingsley · Nov 11, 2023

It may mean He never knew you. Go back to your first love Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Blessings

John 4:18

18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

Dan2255 · Nov 11, 2023

No. A good reason is your Love that the Father has placed in your heart that you would walk in his ways. We love God because he first loved us and has made us a temple in which he dwells through his Holy Spirit. It’s the condemnation of hell that showed you that you needed a savior. God chose the preaching of the gospel to lead you to Him and our need for Him. This is why it is so important for there to be laborers of the gospel.
A lot of people don’t understand the fear of the Lord. The early children of God during the Apostle’s time were said to walk in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. The fear of the Lord has many definitions but scriptures are clear the fear of the Lord is to hate evil.
Proverbs 8
13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil:
pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way,
and the froward mouth, do I hate.
They walked in the comfort of the Holy Spirit which are the fruits we recieve from the Holy Spirit.

ViaCrucis · Nov 11, 2023

No one should fear hell, for Christ has defeated hell.

-CryptoLutheran

Laodicean60 · Nov 11, 2023

No! I had miracles come into my life years ago and God and Hell (satan) became more real to me. I approached my kids with a turn-or-burn attitude. I studied the bible and learned that God is love. If we put our focus on the great commandment the world will be a better place. Jesus never came at a person with a turn-or-burn attitude. He didn't say, sin no more or else.... Hell was created for the devil and demons. Peace

eleos1954 · Nov 11, 2023

Hell is the grave ... a dormant sleep ... nothing to fear about it.

There is no eternal burning place (as some teach) ... this makes out God to be a tortuous monster ... no

Dan2255 · Nov 11, 2023

I believe it was the lake of Fire that was created for Satan and his angels. We see He’ll cast into the Lake of Fire at the great white throne judgment.

The Righterzpen · Nov 11, 2023

You'd have to be a little more specific about this. Why would fear of hell be a reason to turn from God? (And turn to what? The sin that is condemning you anyways?) The question doesn't really make any logical sense to the person who genuinely fears God's wrath.

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."

Dan2255 · Nov 12, 2023

If you believe ther is no lake of Fire then what do you do with the following scripture.
Revelation 20
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Or
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
What do we do? Say God is a Liar. God forbid. Do we just rip these scriptures out and through them away? God forbid.
Do you remember what the curse was that was told to us in Revelation?
Revelation 22
For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
We see now those who add or take away from revelation this is the curse. Those that don’t believe or say ther is no Lake of Fire are in dangerous ground.

Dan2255 · Nov 12, 2023

The fear of the lord has many meanings To the lost it is the fear of condemnation who after death go to hell. But to the children of God it is the beginning of wisdom. Some of that wisdom is to recognize evil and hate it.
Until the Lord reveals to the Lost that they will go to Hell they will never see their need to salvation. This is what the gospel we preach that there is no condemnation to the children of God.

The Righterzpen · Nov 12, 2023

You are correct that "the fear of the Lord" does have layers of meaning. The eternally lost don't really fear condemnation though; for if they did, it would only make logical sense to seek a remedy. Now you could say the remedy the lost seek is works religion. That would be true too.

And the base of the recognition and hate of evil isn't "wisdom" per se; as much as I think it's a consequence of man created in God's image. We have a conscience because God as a moral entity created us to have one. Now people violate their conscience all the time and there are those whose conscience is "seared". But none can claim they "have no conscience"; as in they can't claim they are unaware of what God morally expects of human behavior. Thus the "...they are without excuse..." phrase in Romans.

And I do agree that it's a supernatural revelation of the deserved wrath of God that causes lost people who genuinely do become saved; to see their need for redemption. For too many though, the concept of the deserved wrath of God is flippantly "accepted" in the context of their own denial of the reality of God's wrath.

If that statement makes sense. I know it's kind of... wordy.

2PhiloVoid · Nov 12, 2023

Fear of Hell is "a" good reason to be a Christian "if" Hell is indeed a part of Reality.

But of course, it's not the only nor the primary reason any one person could be or should be a Christian.

zippy2006 · Nov 12, 2023

Yes.

Laodicean60 · Nov 12, 2023

I see you are an Anglican and I've never heard that term before. I had to look that up but I do live in a small community. Man, you learn something new every day.lol Do have the same practices as Catholics?

Dan2255 · Nov 13, 2023

You said two things I’d like to address. You said: The eternally lost don't really fear condemnation though; for if they did, it would only make logical sense to seek a remedy.

Now you could say the remedy the lost seek is works religion. That would be true too.
If a person is lost it is through ignorance which means they have never heard the gospel which God has foreordained us who are his to tell the lost of the consequences of not coming to Christ. On the other hand those that are told of the saving grace in Christ turn from it after hearing it made a decision to do so.

Then you wrote to hate evil isn’t wisdom. But yet the Lord says it is.
Proverbs 8:13
13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil:
pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way,
and the froward mouth, do I hate.
And the base of the recognition and hate of evil isn't "wisdom" per se; as much as I think it's a consequence of man created in God's image.
Let god be true.

The Righterzpen · Nov 13, 2023

You do bring up a good point with Proverbs 8:13. Those who fear the Lord do hate evil; but not all who hate evil fear God. You can have one without the other; but the fear of God will always lead to hating evil.

But those who hate evil out of moralistic pride don't necessarily hate evil because they fear God. Because the "fear of the Lord" also creates the hate of pride and arrogance, the evil way, the froward mouth etc. Whereas the moralistically proud (legalists) don't hate their pride. Matter of fact they may not hate pride at all. Legalists tend to look up to people who are powerful and pride plays a role in the desire for power "for power's sake". The moralistically proud don't fear God because they believe they are His moral equal. What's to fear when one believes they are equal?

And that's why I say the hate of evil isn't necessarily "wisdom" (or at least it's not wisdom in the redemptive sense) but it is certainly a consequence of man created in God's image. How many atheists are very moralistic. Yet are they moralistic because they fear God, when they claim He doesn't even exist? For to deny God's existence is certainly a product of pride. And Godly wisdom also hates pride.

Also, we could argue in a philosophical / psychological way as to whether atheists really do believe God doesn't exist. For pure atheism would logically lead to immorality. Thus there is something that's psychologically at play in the moral atheist. But that's a whole other subject.

So yes, we could say people who hate evil might bear some sort of secular "wisdom"; but also legalists tend to be very lacking in mercy. Thus their "wisdom" often turns out to be morally abhorrent. For example; beating a woman because she's not wearing a burka or beating a man because he shaved his face. Those are extreme examples of "moralistic" "hate of evil" that turns into its own form of evil which consequently is very immoral.

Now as for your example of the lost person who's ignorant; but eventually does come to genuinely believe. Obviously they would not be in the category of the "eternally lost". And the eternally lost don't ultimately fear condemnation. Again, the moralistically proud could fall down that trap too. They don't fear condemnation because they see themselves as God's moral equal.

Now those in false religions that appear to genuinely fear God's condemnation? Where do they fit into this? That, I don't know the answer to. For if they hear the truth and reject it; that's evidence that they don't have wisdom. Thus is their fear of condemnation genuine? I don't know the answer to that either; but it certainly isn't "Godly fear".

Is there a psychological category of human fear of condemnation? I assume the answer to that question is "yes". But there is a distinction between godly fear and ungodly fear. "Godly sorrow works repentance unto salvation but the sorrow of this world works death." 2 Corinthians 7:10. Now is there a form of fear in worldly sorrow. (Probably) More often than not though, the fear of the eternally lost is that they've been caught by men; not that they've sinned against God.

So back to the original question of the OP: Is the fear of hell a good reason to continue being a Christian?

Genuine fear of hell is redemptive. And the consequence of redemptive fear is to continue being a Christian. For as you mentioned too; those who are God's are foreordained to redemption. And the foreordained election being the consequence of the atonement is the real source and reason for the saving faith of any individual person.

Now can one be atoned for who's died in a place and era where they've never heard the proclamation of the written revelation of God? The answer to that I believe is "yes". For the sinner is not accountable for whether or not the gospel has "gotten to him" yet. He's only accountable for the revelation he knows. And he has a conscience and he has the witness of creation. So yes, I do believe there are people Christ atoned for who've never heard of him. The gentile who's without the law, yet obeys the law, is a law unto himself. That's Romans 2;14.

eleos1954 · Nov 13, 2023

The bibles overwhelming teaching is about life or death ...... not torture. Death is death (cease to exist) the first death is temporary because one day ALL will be resurrected ... brought back to life (from the grave) .... those in the 1st resurrection will not suffer the 2nd death and will receive eternal life ... those in the second resurrection will suffer the second death (destroyed by fire and cease to exist for eternity) This happens sometime after their resurrection from the grave.

Resurrections are from the grave not a burning place. There is no scripture that states one is resurrected from a burning place. Both the wicked and the saved are resurrected from the grave (hell)

It is perfectly transparent above the “unjust” will be resurrected from the grave.

If one is to believe in a eternal torturing burning place ... then those there have eternal life (a tortuous life for eternity)

If one believes when they die they go to some burning place ... then they never really die (no resurrection needed)

We are mortal (subject to death). Made very clear here.

1st Timothy 6:15
16He (God) alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light. No one has ever seen Him, nor can anyone see Him. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.

What is the curse?

Adam's sin brought the curse of laborious work and death on the human race. When Adam sinned, God told him: "Cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return" (Genesis 3:17–19). (nothing about going to some burning place, nor heaven either) ALL return to dust.

David declares (Psalms. 37:20) --

"The wicked shall perish (not burn for eternity), and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away."

And Malachi 4:1 --

"For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch."

Psalm 145:20 --

"The Lord preserveth all them that love Him, but all the wicked will He destroy." (destroy ... not torture forever)

Matthew 10:28 New Living Translation (NLT)

“Don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

But the wicked will perish: The LORD's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish--vanish like smoke. those the LORD blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be cut off. though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

There is a lot more on this subject ... but will leave it here for now.

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