Replies

What is “punishment”, and what is the purpose of punishment?

Regarding your parents, if they are unconcerned about salvation, are they repentant? The beauty of the “lost are annihilated” message is that those that choose Christ choos freely, not because they are afraid of the alternative.

If someone chooses Christ simply because they don’t want to be tortured, have they really chosen Christ, or are they hedging their bets? And where does the concept of the “cheerful giver” fall into this?

My personal belief is that a person who goes to church solely because he is afraid of hell is not a Christian. And if he IS a Christian, he’s not concerned about hell.

Human motivation comes from two things:
1. fear of a bad thing happening.
2. Desire for a good thing to happen.

Christians, when they are being Christian, are in number 2 mode. Number one is fear, and fear is the lack of faith. And the fearful will experience the second death (Revelation 21:8)

And number one is from the pit of hell. And the “turn or burn” message is number one, if you get my drift. ;-)

And number one is from the pit of hell.

Actually, that is only partly true. Looking both ways before you cross the street could be considered a good thing to do because you “fear” getting hit by a car. But you could also see it as a thing to do to ensure the success of your desire to cross the street for that excellent steak.