Is It Wrong To Come To Christ Out Fear Of Hell

[BluhdoftheLamb]

Well, imagine you have a bottle of poison in front of you that tastes like the most delicious chocolate you've ever had (you took a tiny sip out of curiosity). Can you acknowlege the poison is delicious while still also acknowledging that it will kill you if you drink it? I think so. The same goes for sin. THere is, as the Bible says, "pleasure in sin for a season," but acknowledging that this is so doesn't mean you don't understand that, for all its pleasure, sin will bring you ultimately to death.

Man that's good. I think it needs a little tweaking if there's a female in the audience though

 

[JCFantasy23]

People come to God through different means. If you come to Him from fear, but continue in your relationship with Him, you will find peace (not fear) and many other layers of emotion to experience with your walk.

 

[child630]

Well, let me ask you: Why does God give us the commands that He does? Does God need us to obey Him? Is His lessened when we don't obey Him? The Bible says that God is perfect, which means that He needs nothing. He certainly doesn't need us to obey Him. So, why the commands, then? The Bible tells us that God's commands are for our benefit, they protect us, and open the way for God's blessings to flow into our lives. The alternative to not obeying God is to sin. Sin has dire consequences. Hell being chief among them.

Let me offer you an analogy that might help to clarify things a bit: Imagine that I am a mountain guide and I tell you that path A is the best way to journey to the top of the mountain. It follows the safest route, and is the easiest to travel, and has the best view. Path B, on the other hand, is, I warn you, just the opposite. If you follow path B, you will die. Now, am I guilty of scaring you into using path A? If everything I have told you is true, am I wrong in telling you so? It seems to me I would be showing you that I had your best interests in mind by warning you of the danger and death of path B and urging you toward the pleasures of path A. This is essentially what God does when He tells us to walk in love with Him (path A) or risk the danger and death of a life of sin (path B). He isn't manipulating us into a relationship with Him by fear, but showing us His love for us by telling us the best way to live, which is in fellowship with Him.
But God doesn't punish us for obeying Him out of fear. It simply doesn't benefit us to do so.

I'm not too sure about loving people when you dislike them...

No, your analogies are not lame. I appreciate you using them in an effort to clarify your view. I think we can hate sin while still acknowledging that it is attractive and pleasurable. In fact, these very things make sin all the more foul. It is bad enough that sin causes so much pain and destruction; it is much worse that it often does so initially with such delicious pleasure. I do not mean, then, to tell you that you should pretend sin does not have its gratifying qualities. But you can acknowledge this and still hate sin.

Welcome to the club!

Well, imagine you have a bottle of poison in front of you that tastes like the most delicious chocolate you've ever had (you took a tiny sip out of curiosity). Can you acknowlege the poison is delicious while still also acknowledging that it will kill you if you drink it? I think so. The same goes for sin. THere is, as the Bible says, "pleasure in sin for a season," but acknowledging that this is so doesn't mean you don't understand that, for all its pleasure, sin will bring you ultimately to death. Does this make sense?

Hmmm... when you sin, who do you love more at that moment, which is more attractive to you, God or your sin?

I think it would be much better for you to ask God to give you a love for Him. You see, the more you love Him, the greater your hatred of sin will be.

Nah. Self-discipline will only take you so far. And usually not far enough. God wants you to tap into the enabling power of His Spirit in order to live the way He says to live. He is the One who changes you. You cannot change yourself. You will only produce more of you; only God can produce more of Himself in you. Your job is to humble yourself before Him and yield your life to Him to do with as He pleases. So long as you remain submitted to Him, His life-giving and transforming power flows into you and changes you.

Selah.

I understand now. Yes, you are right. When I sin, I do love my sin more then God. But I understand now why God gives us his commandments. God has no desire to throw anyone into hell. That's why he gave us his son.

 

[child630]

First off you belong to the LORD, and HE loves you so much!
And you are under the law (see Romans 7 and 8)...and read Galatians too.

Your prayers, are great but GOD hears everything, and heard you the first time. And you are forgiven at the cross 2000 years ago, you are not forgiven because you asked, you are forgiven because of what JESUS has already done!

You are putting all the emphasis on yourself and not on JESUS.
The life of JESUS is rest - resting from they own effort or labours see Hebrews 4:10

So all you have to do, is start believing the GOOD NEWS, you are forgiven already and loved un-conditionally and all you have to do is believe it.

IN Adam all sin and die - that is you and me, and everyone for that matter.
But in CHRIST all shall be made alive - that is you and me and everyone for that matter too. 1 Corinthians 15:22

You understand that since Adam came in the world, all the sin and death came - right?
But JESUS also came and because of HIM all the life and righteousness comes to all too!
You didn't do anything to be born in sin and receive death - for that is the lot of this world...but in the kingdom (which is NOW and in you) that gives us righteousness and LIFE ...starting now and good forever because again its JESUS.

GOD already took pity on all of us, as we all deserve punishment and death by sending JESUS in the likeness of human flesh, taking the death, punishment and curse for us - so we can receive HIS righteousness by faith! (by simply taking it as ours!).

The only think haunting you is NOT GOD - but your own tormented ideas and thoughts that are nothing to do with the GRACE and un-conditional LOVE that GOD has for you.

Once you experience this real LOVE, sins will start to fall off you, and you will see it! its amazing! as you can't free yourself, but you are set free by the Kindness of the LORD which leads us to repentance. Romans 2:4

Rest in LOVE and know your sins are all forgiven!

-eric

Thank you and God bless

 

[child630]

People come to God through different means. If you come to Him from fear, but continue in your relationship with Him, you will find peace (not fear) and many other layers of emotion to experience with your walk.

Thank you. I will continue to seek him.

 

[tbogunro]

lol even if you don't come, He's there with you. God literally is LOVE so you should come to Him regardless of how you feel, sin, or whatever. Come to Him ALL the time

 

[child630]

lol even if you don't come, He's there with you. God literally is LOVE so you should come to Him regardless of how you feel, sin, or whatever. Come to Him ALL the time

Yes, you are right.

 

[Emmy]

Dear child630. In Matthew 22: 35-40: Jesus tells a Lawyer: " The first and great Commandment is: Love God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. The second is like it: Love thy neighbour as thyself." Then Jesus points out: " On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." God wants our Love, freely given and NO conditions tagged on.
Christ wants our Love, NOT our Fear. Start treating all you know and all you meet, friends and not friends, treat all with kindness/love, and friendly words always: be a good neighbour to all around you. God will notice and Bless you.
Jesus will give you His Love and Joy, and the Holy Spirit will empower you with His Love, also. Jesus told us: " ask and ye shall receive." Then thank God and keep sharing all Love and Joy with your neighbour. Love covers a multitude of Sins, and love is very catching. Keep Loving and Caring, and follow God`s Commandments to Love God and Love your neighbour. Jesus will help you to overcome all shortcomings, and God will know that you Love God, Because you are following God`s Commandments to love and care.
Love is a Christian`s great weapon, and Love will help you to overcome all Fear. You might stumble and forget at times, but then ask God to forgive you, and carry on using Christ`s Love to overcome all Fear.
I say this with love, child630. Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.

 

[thesunisout]

I understand now. Yes, you are right. When I sin, I do my sin more then God. But I understand now why God gives us his commandments. God has no desire to throw anyone into hell. That's why he gave us his son.

Praise God! You are beginning to understand the meaning of the cross, and the mercy and grace God gives all of us through His Son. He does not want to condemn you, He wants to restore you..He may bring discipline but it is for training you in righteousness.

There is another aspect of the cross, which is dying to self. Jesus, when He went to the cross, gave up all His rights and desires to serve the Father will and give His life for all of us. Jesus called us to do the same, to take up our cross and follow Him. This is what Paul said about it:

Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

So likewise, we should follow Jesus like Paul did. We need take up our cross daily and give up our rights and desires, giving our lives to serve God and other people.

When we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live within our bodies and transforms us into a new person. We die to the old man and his fleshly and corrupt desires, and to live to the new man, made in the likeness of Christ. Here is a good teaching on what this is all about:

Old Man and New Man - Bible Study and Christian Teaching on Why Christians Sin - Biblical Teachings

 

[child630]

Praise God! You are beginning to understand the meaning of the cross, and the mercy and grace God gives all of us through His Son. He does not want to condemn you, He wants to restore you..He may bring discipline but it is for training you in righteousness.

There is another aspect of the cross, which is dying to self. Jesus, when He went to the cross, gave up all His rights and desires to serve the Father will and give His life for all of us. Jesus called us to do the same, to take up our cross and follow Him. This is what Paul said about it:

Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

So likewise, we should follow Jesus like Paul did. We need take up our cross daily and give up our rights and desires, giving our lives to serve God and other people.

When we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live within our bodies and transforms us into a new person. We die to the old man and his fleshly and corrupt desires, and to live to the new man, made in the likeness of Christ. Here is a good teaching on what this is all about:

Old Man and New Man - Bible Study and Christian Teaching on Why Christians Sin - Biblical Teachings

Thank you and God bless you

 

[child630]

Dear child630. In Matthew 22: 35-40: Jesus tells a Lawyer: " The first and great Commandment is: Love God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. The second is like it: Love thy neighbour as thyself." Then Jesus points out: " On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." God wants our Love, freely given and NO conditions tagged on.
Christ wants our Love, NOT our Fear. Start treating all you know and all you meet, friends and not friends, treat all with kindness/love, and friendly words always: be a good neighbour to all around you. God will notice and Bless you.
Jesus will give you His Love and Joy, and the Holy Spirit will empower you with His Love, also. Jesus told us: " ask and ye shall receive." Then thank God and keep sharing all Love and Joy with your neighbour. Love covers a multitude of Sins, and love is very catching. Keep Loving and Caring, and follow God`s Commandments to Love God and Love your neighbour. Jesus will help you to overcome all shortcomings, and God will know that you Love God, Because you are following God`s Commandments to love and care.
Love is a Christian`s great weapon, and Love will help you to overcome all Fear. You might stumble and forget at times, but then ask God to forgive you, and carry on using Christ`s Love to overcome all Fear.
I say this with love, child630. Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.

The more and more I spend with him, the more I love him.

 

[LoricaLady]

Messiah spoke of hell in a way to help people avoid it and get to Heaven! If you come to YHWH, aka God, Who can throw you into hell, to avoid hell, you are showing wisdom: "The fear of YHWH is the beginning of wisdom." You know how He loves for us to be wise!

There are many steps in our growth toward perfection in Messiah. If fear of avoiding hell is the first one for you, hey, it's a step! It's a step in the right direction.

I think probably most all, if not all, believers at one time in their lives, - maybe quite a few times - cease from doing this or that which tempts them because....they don't want to go to hell!

Praying you will take all the steps that lead you to Heaven.

 

[child630]

Messiah spoke of hell in a way to help people avoid it and get to Heaven! If you come to YHWH, aka God, Who can throw you into hell, to avoid hell, you are showing wisdom: "The fear of YHWH is the beginning of wisdom." You know how He loves for us to be wise!

There are many steps in our growth toward perfection in Messiah. If fear of avoiding hell is the first one for you, hey, it's a step! It's a step in the right direction.

I think probably most all, if not all, believers at one time in their lives, - maybe quite a few times - cease from doing this or that which tempts them because....they don't want to go to hell!

Praying you will take all the steps that lead you to Heaven.

Thank you