LittleOrphanAndy
29th January 2008, 03:56 PM
Im not arguing that fear is not a valid reason to come to Jesus but many evangelists give their audiences mixed messages . You may come to Jesus out of fear but if you come to Jesus out of fear it will not be genuine .. Well which is it ?
Conversions based on fear have in fact been very genuine . My great uncle told me when i asked why did you accept Christ he answered because i didnt want to go to torment ..
Well good enough reason . But some will say if it is based on fear then it isnt sincire ...
Tell me what you think ..
Andy
BigNorsk
29th January 2008, 05:04 PM
The law and the gospel get confused by people. Contrition, the sorrow for being a sinner, and the fear that brings comes from the law. But, the law does not save you. You can be very fearful of your sins but if you are not a believer in Jesus and his promises, you aren't saved. So if all you have is fear, then you do not have the forgiveness that the gospel brings, and so it is not genuine.
The law, that fear, prepares a person for the gospel. But it doesn't actually save you.
Some people confuse the gospel with the law, they might think the fear comes from the gospel. Or they may simply be refering to the whole Bible as the gospel. But we should remember that gospel means good news. And it's a bit confusing to tell someone the good news is he is a sinnner condemned to eternity in a lake of fire.
Let's use an example to illustrate. Let's say you are swimming and I have am standing there with a life ring. If you are swimming and don't consider yourself to be drowning, you would see no need for me to throw you the ring. You don't believe you need saving. But if you are drowning and fear for your life, you will want that ring and if I throw it you will grab on for all you are worth.
The ring doesn't make you think you need saving, it is the fear of drowning that does that. But the fear of drowning doesn't actually save you, no that is the work of the ring.
Hope that helps show the functions of the two.
And the concern that without the fear of your sinfulness and it's effects that one cannot be genuine is a simple arguement. The faith that a Christian has is faith in the forgiveness of our sins for Christ's sake. Forgiveness of what? Our sins. If there is no recognition of your sin by you what do you actually have faith in? Maybe you are just a universalist, or something else, but how can one have faith in the forgiveness of one's sins if one doesn't recognize that he is a sinner?
The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector illustrates that. The Pharisee stood at the temple and thanked God he wasn't like those other people which he recognized as sinners, but he was not justified himself because he did not recognize his sinfulness or need of forgiveness.
So sin is shown to be a fundamental doctrine to be saved.
Does that explain it?
Marv