Fear of Hell ≠ Love for God

I hate horror movies!! I’ve never been into being scared or having nightmares for days afterwards. I hate being jumpy for a while, feeling like things are in the corner or in the dark side of the house, even against my better judgment.  I don’t ever watch scary movies…ever!! But when I do the reality is that after a couple of days after watching one I get over it, I either forget about it, don’t remember the villain and realize that I was acting a fool and the better judgment I was talking about comes back. However I love love love romantic movies!  I can watch them all day. I can probably quote some of my favorites ones, call me a lost romantic but there’s something so beautiful when two souls meet and give themselves up to each other.  I can watch them and not get tired of them, even if I know the ending.

I don't understand why people like scary movies...I like romantic ones better. I guess it has to do with the feelings behind them, and I'm just not a fan of fear. Fear is very strong however the only feeling stronger than fear is love. Love over comes all evil. Love also last longer than fear. Fear is something that you fight to get over, you want to overcome it, beat it, destroy it….then my question is why are Christians using it to spread the gospel?

I’ve always been against what I call the Gospel of Hell, when people preach to people about becoming a Christian so that they won’t go to hell. I feel like that was what I heard for a while. Hell this and hell that and the devil and eternal hellfire!! It’s a shock people don’t go completely mad when they hear these things. Now I am not saying these things aren’t part of the picture but the reality is that it’s not the whole picture, and definitely not the focus.  I feel  they are scaring people into following Christ, when we should be inviting them to a completely different story. Fear is what drives their decision…it is fear of hell not love for Christ that would get them into church. Have you ever witness an unhealthy relationship? A relationship based on fear. The person might be there physically but in their heart and mind that's not were they want to be, it is forced, unnatural and well...unhealthy. Nobody ever wants to be in that type of relationship. And God doesn't want us to be in that type of relationship with him, if he did he wouldn't have giving us free will. There is freedom in love, that's why its a choice, that's why salvation is a choice, its a great romance.

The amazing thing about the gospel is that it's a love story. There once was a boy who loved a girl. But the girl didn't love him. He offered her peace, joy, happiness, protection and most importantly love, but she didn't take it. One day the girl broke a law and was sentence to death. The boy suffered greatly for his greatest love was about to die, although she didn't feel the same love for him. In a desperate act of love he went to the court and declared himself guilty for her crime. Ultimately the girl was set free and the boy died in her place. He was innocent but the idea of  loosing her was worst than death itself. He died for love. But the greatest thing about the Gospel is that's not where the story ends. His love for her was so strong that it freed her from her death sentence but also brought him back to life.

That's the story we should be telling people, that's the story we should be inviting them into. Love conquers all fears, in 1 John 4:18 says:

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."

The thing is that telling people to come to God OR ELSE YOUR GOING TO HELL (Thunder, lightning, scary music) its just like telling people give me a hug or I'm going to punch you. Stop showing them the boogie monster, instead show them P.S I love you :)
So today I tell you share this love story and reveal to people that they are that girl that boy loved. And to let his love and death for them enrobed them.