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From: adb1@mtuxo.UUCP (a.benson)
Newsgroups: net.religion.christian
Subject: Re: A primary reason for belief in Christ
Message-ID: <909@mtuxo.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 28-Aug-85 02:59:15 EDT
Article-I.D.: mtuxo.909
Posted: Wed Aug 28 02:59:15 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 24-Aug-85 14:55:49 EDT
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The article that I am commenting on concluded that some churches and some
people use fear in an attempt to get people to walk in the truth of God.
Though certainly this could be true in isolated cases, it does not negate
the truth of the scriptures.  Here are my comments:

I would not say that anyone is capitalizing on the death issue.  Basically,
I it is an attempt to portray the complete picture of God. Sure God loves 
each of us and desires that we have fellowship with Him .  But God is also
a God of standards and His standards will not be comprimised and a part
of that is that the result of sin(falling short of God's standard) is
death and eternal damnation.  The eternal damnation and death part of it do
no negate the love of God neither do they contradict it.  To me it makes
the love of God perfect because we we get a glimpse of a love that is without
condition that expects an uncodnditional love in return.  

The scriptures say that "While we were yet siners, Christ died for us"/
It goes further to say that "God demonstrated His love to us by sending
His Son Jesus to die for our sins'

When the scripture talks of our love for God things like the following come
up:
"If you love me, keep my commandments"
"I want obedience and not sacrifice"

The scripture is also clear on man's
status before God  "For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God
is eternal life"


I wrote all this to say that God's love for mankind is evident.  The scriptures
even say that "His goodness is to bring us to repentnce".  Sure God love people.
But as people God gives us the will to make decisions. We either choose
to follow Him or we choose to follow Satan.  We make that choice.  To choose
God is to choose life.  To choose SAtan is to choose death.  This is no
threat and no fear tactic just a statement of truth.

What do you think?
Angela