tragic_pizza
New Member
The word for "fear" in that first Scripture means to use caution on our won part, not that we should, in and of ourselves, strike the fear of God into people's hearts. The Holy Spirit is quite able to do that Himself.Originally posted by Claudia_T:
Tragic Pizza,
You said to the other guy that we should save people by love and not fear of hell. I agree to a certain extent, after all, the Bible does say, Rom:2:4: "knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?"
But the Bible ALSO says this:
Jude 1:
22: And of some have compassion, making a difference:
23: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
so I would say we must do BOTH THINGS... love and fear, for didnt Jesus use fear at times? its just a reality check, of sorts:
Jn:15:6: If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
Mt:3:10: And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Mt:13:40: As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
You can go read Revelation 14:6-12 about the Mark of the Beast and you know... that is using fear in a big way, dont you agree?
But I do think many churches use the fear factor too much sometimes...
Please understand that I do not advocate a one-sided message of tulips and puppies. Rather, I recoil from this lust so many Christians have for the "Don't you know you're going to Hell" opening line for "evangelism." Eternal judgement is a reality (and one can only interpret the "Lake of Fire" in Revelation in terms of an eternal punishment), and thus cannot be ignored.
It's likely a problem that we Evangelicals are far too interested in fast-tracking the Gospel message into a five-minute Romans Road or Four Spiritual Laws presentation, with little interest in befriending or even getting to know lost people.
Yet this is exactly why we must approach evangelism fearfully and carefully: Christ's ultimate example was that, in order to save you and I, He became like us. This isn't to say, for example, I'm going to go get my earlobes gauged and begin wearing black lipstick in order to evangelize Goths (others have done that with success); yet I am going to spend time with kids who are Goth in order to better relate the life-changing message of the Gospel. I'm going to spend time with athiests, agnostics, Pagans and Wiccans, not to "be cool" or adopt their beliefs, but that, through my patient friendship, these sad and hardened people might see Christ and respond.
Trust me: evey one of these people has heard about Hell. Every one of them is convinced that every Christian on earth has condemned them to Hell. What they don't hear enough of is the voice of hope: that while eternal punishment is a reality, Jesus came to offer us a path away from Hell, and into eternal, joyful, abundant life.