So then yes, Hell mentioned in the Bible IS to put the Fear of God into man.
FEAR since all men fall short in sin...even though many atheists can do the social end of the Ten. This leaves the Shema, which normally CANNOT be done by men, and NEVER done by Atheists. To love God with ALL your heart soul and might THROUGHOUT your life is a NOTHING Command to an Atheist or Agnostic who does not RECOGNIZE God.
And so too the First Command of the Ten. To have no other elohim (gods) to the face of YHWH. However both JisG AND trins reject this one too.
So then FEAR oh men AND Jerry Lucas, Comedian to the Stars.
nothead,
1. Let me say this in a more understandable way.
I said the goodness of God leads man to repentance and this is the opposite of fear.
Putting the fear of God is what legalism tries to do with rules of do's and don'ts and not being who they are in Christ. This is why people growing up in legalistic churches do not follow God and leave church and God behind.
The gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 and this is the goodness of God because it is the message of salvation for the soul to be saved and live our purpose and destiny on this earth for the eternal after this life. Only one life twill' soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last.
2. Being a witness for God is not about browbeating people over the head and scaring them into heaven. God is not responsible for the fall of man for Satan is the Father of lies and sin. People who blame God make him unjust and a cruel ogre and impeaches his character.
3. God is orchestrating the redemption plan to save man and Calvary is the focal point of love when the Father sent his Son to die for the sins of the whole world who didn't deserve grace, but God is a God of Grace.
Saul was going around killing christians and thought he was pleasing God to the law of Moses but God got his attention by the power of the light from heaven and he felt that power and knew he was doing wrong and was told what to do and God even gave him a messenger of Satan to buffet him which was through his sufferings for Christ and he did everything and gloried only in the cross. He made no excuse to fail God or that God was wrong in bringing fear into the picture because I am sure he had a little fear in him when he was struck down.
4. Jesus was going about doing good and said he came to seek and save that which was lost he wasn't preaching fire and brimstone all the time. It was mainly to the leaders of the jews who were really enemies of God and hypocrites and who were always trying to trap him and make him out like he was a servant of the devil such as accusing him of casting out devils by Beelzebub. He also said in the same passage that the blasphemy of the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven, neither in this world, neither in the world to come Matthew 12:24-32.
5. I said that there are times that are appropriate for a message on hell in the correct way. It is not the overall theme to bring people to repentance. On the other hand some use the old testament law of the knowledge of sin and what people are without God to witness to people who are sinners especially atheists and agnostics etc.
The bible says the fool has said in their hearts there is no God. This means that atheists are usually trying to prove there is no God except maybe themselves.
6. People can be good moral people and do the social commandments as in not killing, stealing, coveting their neighbor etc. This will not save them and so they cannot truly love God.
Christians can be moral to the commandments but living by the ethic of the Mosaic law can cause christians to try and do the commandment in their own strength and not in the power of God and cause one to have condemnation by missing the mark when this happens. This is why Israel was in sin more than overcoming, cursed more than being blessed etc. This is not the best way to overcome because we have a covenant with better promises to overcome. It doesn't mean that it cannot come into play at sometime in one's christian life for Paul did all he could to mortify the members of his body so he wouldn't sin.
God's way is always better and this is why we have the new covenant because God had to complete the plan of redemption so all could be saved to the uttermost.
7. The Shema cannot be done by anyone but those who truly love Christ. The Shema is a nothing command to a sinner for they are not saved. It is a call to those who serve God and to the jews of that day as well because they were in a complete theocracy with rule by God only and not the heathen nations or governments.
All men have to be convicted of God by the Holy Spirit in order to come to him and God works through men but they need to act within the anointing in ministering to anyone. The anointing is what breaks the yoke.
8. Trinitarians do not have other God before the one true God. God wasn't talking about the Godhead but the false Gods of the heathens. I have already shown why this is but you don't want to believe and that is your choice.
9. People shouldn't fear the man who serves God like they should fear God even though many people can usually tell the difference between those who are really powerful in God more than others because they allow the anointing to flow through them.
10. Fear is not the vehicle to witness for God but at the same time people need to know the consequences and there is a time and place and a proper way to teach hell. For those who truly get saved understand how big and great God is and what he has saved them from and how much they need him and how God is loving in saving them from hell.
So you have to put into proper perspective of fear and hell and the difference between true holiness preaching and legalism and what the christian life is really about and the difference between law of Moses and the new testament of Christ in his blood of the new covenant and why it is important to understand the overall difference and why the new had to replace the old.
11. The preaching of hell in general is a vehicle to scare people so they will choose God and go to heaven and miss the bad place of everlasting fire but shouldn't be. Most people are never saved by these messages for they are not the true gospel even though it is a statement of fact for those who die without God. Preaching fear just to try and scare people into serving God is for the most part legalism and will not work and has been shown not to work.
Some go to the other extreme and never mention hell and that can be harmful as well in a different manner.
12. You don't need to be a nothead but you do need the mind of Christ for a better understanding and a sweeter attitude. Jerry Kelso