Honest about hell

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May 26, 2017
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#1
How do you Christians choose to believe in God without the concept of hell altering your decision making.

If it is a factor when deciding where to put your faith, doesn't this mean your only choosing God to save your own neck's.

If not, how?
 

graceNpeace

Senior Member
Aug 12, 2016
2,180
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#2
Although my own sinfulness and non-perfection was definitely a factor in coming to Christ - I could definitely see how biblical anthropology mirrored my own state, the issue of hell never really came into it.
 
Dec 12, 2013
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#3
If I remember right...one of the most evangelistic books (JOHN) does not even mention hell.....how about a flip side question.....

When you were a kid did you get threatened with a good butt whipping to keep you in line? Did it work if so?

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

As we grow and mature....fear is supplanted with love as we mature in Christ...........

God turns men to destruction and expects them to turn to him in obedience....just as a loving FATHER uses discipline to keep his kids in line.....nothing wrong with that!
 

Adstar

Senior Member
Jul 24, 2016
7,417
3,468
113
#4
How do you Christians choose to believe in God without the concept of hell altering your decision making.

If it is a factor when deciding where to put your faith, doesn't this mean your only choosing God to save your own neck's.

If not, how?
If a person lived next to a mountain.. And a geologist visited them and told them that the mountain was actually a Volcano that was becoming active and the geologist gave them warning to evacuate.. Would the person be right to reject the geologists warning if they where offended at the concept of a mountain exploding and devastating large areas around it with pyroclastic flows and lahar floods??? No of course not.. Believing that something exists should not be linked to weather one likes it existing or not.. If God and Hell exist then it is best to believe it and respond to the serious information appropriately not jam ones head in the sand because the information is not all about sunshine and lolly pops....

The factor that should determine ones response if the Truth of the situation.. Not ones personal feeling good or feeling bad about the information.
 
G

Galatea

Guest
#5
Absolutely! I make no bones about it. I wanted to escape Hell. It was very much on my mind when I got saved. After all, even the word "salvation" connotes being saved FROM something.

"How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation...?" Hebrews 2:3
 

Desertsrose

Senior Member
Oct 24, 2016
2,824
207
63
#6
How do you Christians choose to believe in God without the concept of hell altering your decision making.

If it is a factor when deciding where to put your faith, doesn't this mean your only choosing God to save your own neck's.

If not, how?

Hi Mrmoo,

Each one of us is drawn by God, but we all have our own testimony which will vary from person to person. So it might be true for some, I don't really know.

I can't think of anyone I know that's a believer that says they were drawn to God because they were afraid of going to hell. It's a good question and now I'm curious. :)
 

Adstar

Senior Member
Jul 24, 2016
7,417
3,468
113
#7
How do you Christians choose to believe in God without the concept of hell altering your decision making.

If it is a factor when deciding where to put your faith, doesn't this mean your only choosing God to save your own neck's.

If not, how?
From a personal experience it was never talk of heaven and hell that moved me to believe God.. It was the moral teachings of the Bible and the Love of the Way God secured eternal Life in His perfect existence for us humans.. Morality and Love are what keep Christians in a relationship with God.. Not heaven and hell...

If heaven and hell kept people glued into a religion then no one would ever fall away and leave a religion.. But we see millions of people born into Christian families who have fallen away and become agnostics and atheists so the belief that Hell somehow forces people to believe in God has been proven wrong in a very dramatic and very real way..
 
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May 26, 2017
56
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#8
If I remember right...one of the most evangelistic books (JOHN) does not even mention hell.....how about a flip side question.....

When you were a kid did you get threatened with a good butt whipping to keep you in line? Did it work if so?

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

As we grow and mature....fear is supplanted with love as we mature in Christ...........

God turns men to destruction and expects them to turn to him in obedience....just as a loving FATHER uses discipline to keep his kids in line.....nothing wrong with that!
Why is it in your mind that causing pain on someone to correct a incorrect action sensible.
 
May 26, 2017
56
0
0
#9
If a person lived next to a mountain.. And a geologist visited them and told them that the mountain was actually a Volcano that was becoming active and the geologist gave them warning to evacuate.. Would the person be right to reject the geologists warning if they where offended at the concept of a mountain exploding and devastating large areas around it with pyroclastic flows and lahar floods??? No of course not.. Believing that something exists should not be linked to weather one likes it existing or not.. If God and Hell exist then it is best to believe it and respond to the serious information appropriately not jam ones head in the sand because the information is not all about sunshine and lolly pops....

The factor that should determine ones response if the Truth of the situation.. Not ones personal feeling good or feeling bad about the information.
I don't think that analogy is right, first of all a mountain volcano doesn't erupted to punish you (It just is) Secondly if someone was to warn you of your impending doom, should they beat you up if you don't leave with them immediately?
 
May 26, 2017
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#10
Absolutely! I make no bones about it. I wanted to escape Hell. It was very much on my mind when I got saved. After all, even the word "salvation" connotes being saved FROM something.

"How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation...?" Hebrews 2:3
Here is the strange thing, Christians say God is saving them from sin. But no, God is saving them from his wrath against sin.

So, you know what I mean.
 
Jun 1, 2016
5,032
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#11
How do you Christians choose to believe in God without the concept of hell altering your decision making.

If it is a factor when deciding where to put your faith, doesn't this mean your only choosing God to save your own neck's.

If not, how?
proverbs 9:10 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding."

if we accept this

ecclesiastes 12:13-14 "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."

and then believe this

john 5:24 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word ( the gospel), and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."

1 john 2:3-6 "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked."

the result is

1 john 4:18 "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."


 

Ahwatukee

Senior Member
Mar 12, 2015
11,162
2,380
113
#12
From a personal experience it was never talk of heaven and hell that moved me to believe God.. It was the moral teachings of the Bible and the Love of the Way God secured eternal Life in His perfect existence for us humans.. Morality and Love are what keep Christians in a relationship with God.. Not heaven and hell...

If heaven and hell kept people glued into a religion then no one would ever fall away and leave a religion.. But we see millions of people born into Christian families who have fallen away and become agnostics and atheists so the belief that Hell somehow forces people to believe in God has been proven wrong in a very dramatic and very real way..
So, that whole thing about Jesus shedding His blood in order to pay the penalties for your sins, which without would send you straight to condemning judgment and the lake of fire, has no bearing on you faith? It is impossible to separate the Lord's sacrifice without recognizing what He saved you from. Regarding this, when speaking to the disciples the Lord said the following:

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell."


​The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom
 
May 26, 2017
56
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#13

Hi Mrmoo,

Each one of us is drawn by God, but we all have our own testimony which will vary from person to person. So it might be true for some, I don't really know.

I can't think of anyone I know that's a believer that says they were drawn to God because they were afraid of going to hell. It's a good question and now I'm curious. :)
You see, I had to be honest to God when I was a believer of sorts. I thought to myself.

"God knows I'm afraid if hell, and I can't love him while I am afraid of this place"

Because he knows I'm being dishonest, and not loving him for him.
 

trofimus

Senior Member
Aug 17, 2015
10,684
794
113
#14
I actually do not remember hell playing any role in my faith... It seems to me that when God calls you and gives you a new heart, your motivation are absolutely different than the fear from hell.
 
May 26, 2017
56
0
0
#15
From a personal experience it was never talk of heaven and hell that moved me to believe God.. It was the moral teachings of the Bible and the Love of the Way God secured eternal Life in His perfect existence for us humans.. Morality and Love are what keep Christians in a relationship with God.. Not heaven and hell...

If heaven and hell kept people glued into a religion then no one would ever fall away and leave a religion.. But we see millions of people born into Christian families who have fallen away and become agnostics and atheists so the belief that Hell somehow forces people to believe in God has been proven wrong in a very dramatic and very real way..
Well hell does glue people, until they disprove the concept and unglue themselves.

It's only belief those people are combating, not proven concepts.
 
Dec 12, 2013
46,515
20,395
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#16
Why is it in your mind that causing pain on someone to correct a incorrect action sensible.
Oh lets see....human history, discipline as a kid, jail for criminals, death penalties for killers, and the word of God......

Now another question....Did you read my first line......Hell is not even mentioned in John....so.....

Why is it so hard for you to understand that when a child gets out of line and then gets disciplined it yields the peaceable fruits of righteousness.....
 

wolfwint

Senior Member
Feb 15, 2014
3,589
873
113
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#17
How do you Christians choose to believe in God without the concept of hell altering your decision making.

If it is a factor when deciding where to put your faith, doesn't this mean your only choosing God to save your own neck's.

If not, how?
Its makes no sense to tell somebody you must be saved. If He dont know/understand from what he should be saved.
So the hell is the consequence of our sinful life. Why somebody should turn to God, if he feels he has a good life without him? He must understand where his life ends without God and Jesus!
 

Ahwatukee

Senior Member
Mar 12, 2015
11,162
2,380
113
#18
Its makes no sense to tell somebody you must be saved. If He dont know/understand from what he should be saved.

So hell is the consequence of our sinful life. Why should somebody turn to God, if he feels he has a good life without him? He must understand where his life ends without God and Jesus!
Very true Wolfint! An unbeliever needs to understand that in their current state that they are separated from God and are on their way to condemning judgment in the lake of fire. And that through faith in Christ's sacrifice they can be saved from that condemning judgment.

All sin must be accounted for. For those who are in Christ, He was held accountable for all believers sins. For those who reject Christ, they will be held accountable for their own sins.
 

Chris1975

Senior Member
Apr 27, 2017
2,492
517
113
#19
How do you Christians choose to believe in God without the concept of hell altering your decision making.

If it is a factor when deciding where to put your faith, doesn't this mean your only choosing God to save your own neck's.

If not, how?
You are starting from the wrong foundation.

Subconsciously you are starting from the foundation that we are all essentially good people, and have to remain good to avoid going to hell. And if we sin then God sends us to hell. And that's why we need a saviour to pay the penalty. Many Christians still will think in this way.

The truth of the matter is this. When you are born, you are born into corruption already through the fallen nature of Adam. Nobody deserves to go to heaven. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Then God, because He loves you, came to Earth, born of a virgin (not into the corruption of Adam), and went to the cross without sin. He paid the price of a sinner, yet was totally innocent. He loved you so much that He paid the penalty so that you would not have to.

Hell exists (and has to exist) because God is a righteous judge. Every transgression will be settled in the great accounting of mankind. God is perfect. He is also fair. Nobody ends up in hell who doesn't deserve to be there. But God made a way though His Son, that if you are willing to receive Him, believe Him, call upon His Name, repent of your sins and follow Him - then you have a narrow gate through which you can avoid this place called Hell.

Unfortunately people think the gate is wide. It's not. It's narrow. There is only one door. And He is Jesus Christ.

Do not be arrogant to think there are many doors, many ways --- for this is how the world thinks.
 

Ahwatukee

Senior Member
Mar 12, 2015
11,162
2,380
113
#20
I actually do not remember hell playing any role in my faith... It seems to me that when God calls you and gives you a new heart, your motivation are absolutely different than the fear from hell.
Which would get rid of the whole idea of the meaning of salvation. It is important for a person to understand that without Christ, and to put it bluntly, they will not pass go and will not collect $200, but are on their way to condemning judgment! No ifs, and's or buts. That is the status of everyone who comes into the world and the consequences of leaving it without Christ.

If one presents Christ as though they were joining a social club and the person says, "sorry not interested." Do you say, "ok then, have a good life. No harm, no foul. And as that person walks off, they remain in the same condemned state. As those in Christ, it is our responsibility to tell explain to the unbeliever what their current status is and where it leads, as well as the promise of the forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life that comes through faith in the shed blood of Christ.

We love God because He provided salvation for us through the shed blood of His Son. And we also fear God because he has the power over how we will spend our eternity. Remember, no man can come to the Son except the Father draws him.