If you don’t stop doing that, you’re going to hell!
Does that make you want to repent of your sin and believe in, love, and follow Jesus?
No, of course not…and it shouldn’t.
If you did, your love and belief in Jesus wouldn’t be genuine because it would be based off of fear and obtained through compulsion.
God doesn’t manipulate our free will in order for us to believe in Him, love Him, and follow Him.
He gives us the gift of free will and honors it–allowing us to choose Him and His way or not.
God is the God of love, hope, and all comfort (See 1 John 4:8; Romans 15:13; 2 Corinthians 1:3-5).
He doesn’t need to use fear to draw men and women unto Himself. He simply reveals the truth of who He is and what He has done for mankind. Once we have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to discern these truths, it is irresistible to our human soul.
God reveals Himself through creation. We see evidence of His existence–His eternal power and divinity–in the world around us that He created (Romans 1:20). He reveals His love for us through His Son Jesus Christ.
The Holy Spirit works in our hearts and enables us to see the truth about God: (1) He is our loving God and Creator, (2) We have sinned against Him. In His righteousness, He must judge our sin and it is worthy of death and condemnation, (3) In His great love for us, while we were still sinners and His enemies, He sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins.
The judgement and wrath of God that we deserved, because of our sin, was poured out on Jesus. Jesus was delivered up because of our sin and was raised up because of our justification (Romans 4:25).
As Christians, this is why we believe. This is why we love God. This is why we follow Him.
He is love. He is good and does good. He is righteous in all of His ways and gracious in all of His works. He is merciful, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy (Psalm 103:8).
God saved us from the eternal death and condemnation that we deserved. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins. Jesus laid down His life so all who believe in Him would pass from death to life, be reconciled to God, and become His children.
Do you see the riches of God’s goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering? Do you see that it is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance, not fear (Romans 2:4).
And a word for my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, if God does not lead with condemnation, neither should we:
“And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will (2 Timothy 2:24-26).
Be encouraged! You are loved! ❤️
True Love's Revelation 