Fear of Hell

Jeremiah 20:9 But if I say, “I will not remember Him Or speak anymore in His name,” Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; And I am weary of holding it in, And I cannot endure it.

Why is it these days that most pastors shy away from preaching and teaching on Hell? You can almost go as far as to say they don’t preach on sin. The messages have become concentrated on just warm and fuzzy good news that tells the people what they want to hear, but never the real Good News that comes with a life convicted and rescued from sin. There is equal power of God in both the good news of Jesus Christ, and the conviction of sin which points us to our need for him. He is not only our Shepard that keeps us from trouble, but our righteous judge who will call us to account for our lives. The political correctness has slipped into our pulpits; we are afraid to offend for fear it will effect the financial state of our church. So many mega churches and even our small town churches, have forgotten how to preach about sin, repentance, and Hell.

Jeremiah had a tough calling of God placed on him. He was to call his people to repentance, to turn from their grave sins of idol worship and back to the one true God. His prophetic book is full of him being open with God; of him lamenting over the struggles of his life, of his struggles with the tough ministry; but he simply could not contain what God laid on his heart. Notes in my my Bible put it this way. “The thread that wove together Jeremiah’s knowledge of God was his understanding of the word of God.” When you spend time in God’s Word, meditating on the truths found there, he places them on your heart and mind. An understanding, that is heavenly sent through the Holy Spirit, is a gift from God. There is power, and their is conviction found when these truths are revealed and comprehended to you. Sin will bring on a new sting, both self and what you see around you.

In the gospel of Matthew, we are called to lay down our cross, our sin, our struggles, our focus on all worldly things, and to follow Jesus. Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? The more time you spend in God’s Word, the more you understand sin, the consequences of it, and the promise of heaven’s rescue from it. When I fail daily, I repent of the sin daily, and I am constantly reminded of the presence of God’s mercy and grace. Holy, reverent fear of God is a good thing; Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Fear of Hell is a good thing too.