Fear of the reality of a burning hell

[Classik]

Hell fire, hellfire, hades, bottomless pit etc and whatever you may call it, even hell, I think the scriptures demonstrated this clearly about a burning place. Why do some disagree with this believing the place would be like a much Difficult-to-live-on earth instead?

How about the account of Noah and the flood (Genesis 6 and 7), Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19)...are they all false? Did God really allow those to happen?

I think the problem with the issue is on the fact that the punishment in the fire is for eternity, and how can a loving GOD do that!!!

 

[Classik]

At least let the fear and horror of such a place keep us from doing evil.

 

[KevinK]

Well, it's our choice to go there or not. No, no-one deserves an eternity of torment, but neither does anyone deserve an eternity of heavenly bliss. No-one is that evil, but by the same token, no-one is that good. Man is given free will to choose option A or B; there are no other choices.

Fear is not the best reason to avoid hell, but it is a reason. If it helps keep me on the right course, I'll take it.

 

[Obadiah]

It is God who decides who is good enough for eternal life and who is evil enough for eternal hell, not us. No matter how unfair we think it is, God's word tells us that those who are not perfect and who have not accepted the gift of forgiveness will spend eternity in hell. We can smile and say "God is love" all we want, but just because some of us ignore the fact that justice is another attribute of God doesn't make it untrue. God is not only love. He is also just and powerful. He decides what the qualifications of evil enough for hell are, not us. And he's stated those clearly in scripture. We do not control Him or order Him around, telling Him what's right or wrong, loving or unloving. He is the almighty God, creator and ruler of heaven and earth, and He makes the decisions.

So does that mean he's unloving? Of course not. He was loving enough to pay for our sins with his Son's life so that we can be forgiven and therefore not have to go to hell. Spending eternity in hell is the fault of the person who rejects this free forgiveness, not the fault of our God not being fair or not being loving enough.

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

I don't give it much thought.
I think about being with Jesus forever.

 

[JLB]

The fear of the Lord is a fountain of Life... to turn one away from the snares of death. Proverbs 14:27

A fountain of Life: Refreshing and life giving.



JLB

 

[grams]

I have heard some atheist say some nasty things about my GOD !

And it seems like they just do not care, period. And would say even more!
Very hateful......
And to realize that they are adult and been doing this for years ..............
Only thing is , I pray they will be told by some one before it is to late.
If given a choice a few times , I would believe they are going to burn for eternity............................

 

[Willie T]

At least let the fear and horror of such a place keep us from doing evil.

Why not let the love for God do it?

 

[JLB]

Why not let the love for God do it?

That's the best way.

However, some need a little more "encouragement".


JLB

 

[Willie T]

The fear of the Lord is a fountain of Life... to turn one away from the snares of death. Proverbs 14:27

A fountain of Life: Refreshing and life giving.



JLB

I'll go with Romans 2:4 and 2 Corinthians 5:14...

 

[JLB]

I'll go with Romans 2:4 and 2 Corinthians 5:14...

Amen. Great scriptures.


JLB

 

[Willie T]

I understand the "fear" thing. I was baptized because of fear. But, Jesus kept saying, more than anything He said.... "Fear not"... "don't worry".... "don't be anxious"..... "rest in My peace".... "lean on Me"..... "Lie down in green pastures"..... and on and on.

 

[Willie T]

I am convinced I never really knew Jesus until I got past "fearing" God.

 

[JLB]

I understand the "fear" thing. I was baptized because of fear. But, Jesus kept saying, more than anything He said.... "Fear not"... "don't worry".... "don't be anxious"..... "rest in My peace".... "lean on Me"..... "Lie down in green pastures"..... and on and on.

Amen.

You were on one side of the road, near the ditch, and got pulled into the middle of the road [Balance] with what you needed to hear.

That's awesome.

However, there are those who are on the other side of the road, and all they have ever heard is about how much God loves them, and will never leave them or forsake them, [Milk] without ever hearing things pertaining to His justice and judgement, [Meat] in which they have become entangled in a sinful lifestyle, thinking that all is well and they can never lose their salvation no matter what they do or no matter what lifestyle they live.


These folks are on the left and side of the road near the ditch [lawlessness].

You were on the right hand side of the road [legalism].

Jesus is in the center of the path of life, and we are called to walk with Him in that balance of grace and truth.

And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 2 Kings 2:22


Walking close to Him, within the reach of His Rod and His Staff, so that they may bring comfort to us, knowing He is there to gently pull us from the right hand ditch, or the left hand ditch with His rod and staff.


JLB

 

[smaller]

It's an unfortunate mindset for believers to think that their/our Savior "might" actually turn out not to be for themselves.

None of us are called to sit in the eternal damnation seat for anyone for obvious reasons, that being we probably don't see as well as God in Christ does.

Better to believe the best for everyone, inclusive particularly for ourselves, because of Christ's sacrifice. If "Divine Justice" is that just, none of us stand a chance anyway, hence Christ's expressions of Forgiveness, Eternal Mercy and Love.

That doesn't mean justice is off the table. But it may not be as many propose or speculate on.

Fact is threats of hell to the flock is a great fear/business tactic of the pulpit. It's a tactic I happen to think is wrong and false.

If we desire forgiveness, we should be mindful to "do the same." If we desire Mercy, we should be mindful to "do the same." This is the fulcrum of the Gospel. "Do unto others---"

So, think about what "you do" in this regards. Not that I expect that to happen, but I have thought about these matters a lot, in relationship to what I expect to receive from Christ. And that answer from the scriptures IS, what you do and measure to OTHERS is what you'll in fact GET.

So, again, think before you leap. The "other" head you seek to hang may be your own, as Haman unfortunately learned.

 

[turnorburn]

“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” by Jonathan Edwards

That is probably the most well-known sermon preached in the history of the United States – but have you ever actually read it?

The sermon is known for its part in The Great Awakening. Because of its “hellfire and brimstone-y” tone, many think Jonathan Edwards was a screamer in the pulpit. He was not. His Puritanism wanted to eliminate any show of emotion in the speaker in order for the words of the sermon alone to do the speaking, applied to the listener by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, he delivered the sermon in a monotone. This was also not the first time he had delivered this sermon. The date everyone remembers, though, is July 8, 1741 in Enfield, Connecticut. He used a phrase from Deuteronomy 32:35 as his text: “their foot shall slide in due time:” The entire verse is: “To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.”

http://edwards.yale.edu/archive?pat...uZXdwaGlsby9nZXRvYmplY3QucGw/Yy4yMTo0Ny53amVv

tob

 

[reba]

Fear has it's place person story:
Being the classic preachers kids of the 50-60s i was a stinker... stole from mom ...lied for no good reason.. stole 50 cents from the offering plate... 2 every time i see a liberty bell i am reminded ... .got in fights... not bad by todays standards but not good... not near as good as my sister...
Back a million years ago a lot of small towns in California had burning pits for dumps.. Going with mom to the dump was an adventure...
we got to throw stuff in the fire... ... I no longer remember what triggered it .. something was kinda rolling down the pit you could see it would not be fast to get out if ya fell in... the sides would sorta crumble... mom say Reba you dont want to go to hell do ya?

The picture of that fire pit kept me though my teen years from many many things/sins that could/would have had long reaching consequences.

some of us need a to get our attention some a

 

[JLB]

Fear has it's place person story:
Being the classic preachers kids of the 50-60s i was a stinker... stole from mom ...lied for no good reason.. stole 50 cents from the offering plate... 2 every time i see a liberty bell i am reminded ... .got in fights... not bad by todays standards but not good... not near as good as my sister...
Back a million years ago a lot of small towns in California had burning pits for dumps.. Going with mom to the dump was an adventure...
we got to throw stuff in the fire... ... I no longer remember what triggered it .. something was kinda rolling down the pit you could see it would not be fast to get out if ya fell in... the sides would sorta crumble... mom say Reba you dont want to go to hell do ya?

The picture of that fire pit kept me though my teen years from many many things/sins that could/would have had long reaching consequences.

some of us need a to get our attention some a

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

One wondering is about hell being eternal verses a person's stay being eternal. It seems like I read in revelations somewhere after a thousand year of heaven on earth the gates of hell eould be opened back up again, and satan given another try against all who are in that time, along with all other that were in hell. And after that they would be defeated, and go back for eternity. I'll look for the verse, but what is there's another chance way down the road for those in hell to choose another way.

Edit: it's Revelation 20:1-10. All that's mentioned is Satan being freed, not everyone. But it's after those verses that all the dead are judged and those not in the book of life are sent to the fiery hell.

 

[smaller]

One wondering is about hell being eternal verses a person's stay being eternal. It seems like I read in revelations somewhere after a thousand year of heaven on earth the gates of hell eould be opened back up again, and satan given another try against all who are in that time, along with all other that were in hell. And after that they would be defeated, and go back for eternity. I'll look for the verse, but what is there's another chance way down the road for those in hell to choose another way.

Probably not. The only parties I can conclusively "rule" into hell are the devil and his messengers. And yes, it's eternal.

But beyond this we are not led to tread, other than by our own blinded sights. Traditional orthodoxy recognized this "factoid" long ago, and made room for what they might term "Overwhelming Grace" at least as a potential and possibility. Some, not many, but some of the "better minds" of christian theology recognize this wildcard factor DOES exist within The Power of God in Christ.

Anyone who thinks that the possibility of Overwhelming Grace isn't a possibility is just guessing that it doesn't exist. I prefer to say that, yes, it is definitely a possibility, but that possibility doesn't extend to the devil and his messengers who were made to be ultimately destroyed by God in the Lake of Fire.