Afraid to submit to God

[marie glen]

It’s not hard to see how the ET message affects the world.. (sublimely) encouraging doubt and even scoffing and ridicule, but how does it affect the believer? Who believes that message, that all who do not repent and thus are not reconciled to God before their death, will live in a state of afterlife never ending physical torment.

It seems to me this might make believers fear God more than love Him or be in awe of Him. And so does that make (eternal torment) believers afraid to yield and submit their self to their Father.. And also fear to do so fully?

I never realized how ET might affect people. As I never took it seriously myself, and I pretty much figured surely no one really believes it..? Or they’d be preaching from every street and corner, etc. There’d be a lot of wear and tear operating in disaster mode all the time. :faint: And sometimes, the belief seems to result in confrontational, obnoxious attitude and behavior/words.

Does it matter? If they submit to Jesus, does it matter if they also love and cleave to the Father? Or does the ET gospel even affect their relationship with the Father?

[MusicLover123]

You know, I hear someone named Ray Comfort say that not enough people fear God. It is quite the opposite actually, that too much people fear God! Viewed less as a loving parent and more of this far away King that is obsessed with every one of your actions, and waits for the moment you mess up, then punishes you for it.

Love of God is rarely talked of too. Either is too worldly, and too powerless, or powerful enough, yet somehow fails.

[CST]

We're all afraid to 'submit' to God. We suspect it means giving up on everything we like in place of all this dull, drudgery stuff that'll drive us nuts.

[jugghead]

Or does the ET gospel even affect their relationship with the Father?

As one who fully believed in the ET gospel, yes, it affects their relationship with the Father, but not in how God sees us, but in how we see God.

Do we see Him as a God of law; a judge of people? resulting in "living in fear" and do we obey because we fear God?
OR
do we see Him as a God of grace; a Father of children? resulting in "living in Love" and do we obey because we love God?

Fear separates ---- Love unites

and if we believe He is both, then we ourselves separate mankind into two catagories of who will be saved and who will not, resulting in the ET gospel, which is exactly what I did when I believed it.

I myself only now know, that when I believed in ET, I convinced myself of the lie that I was obeying God because I loved Him when in reality I was obeying because I feared Him ----- the fear was just hidden and it would always come back every time I thought I did something wrong

I no longer live in fear of doing something wrong, because when it is shown to me that it is, I then wait for Him in anticipation of knowing He will correct me in the understanding of why it was wrong, and that process does not always happen instantanously.

My  :2c:

[marie glen]

Amen to the above posts, guys! Humans are so given to extremes.. so some fear God.. and in New Testament days there were those (pagan?) 'christians' who thought grace meant anything goes, which of course, also is highly illogical.. and ridiculous. But I think by far the image put forth of an angry vengeful 'God' is the more harmful. :doh: Because love draws and love convinces.

And amen, JH.. to know the truth / the real Father, who is love (character) and who never fails (attribute). His character and attributes should shed light.. :faint: My first exposure to ET belief and attitude was almost 40 years ago when I first had come to the Lord. I didn't find Him in church but in the Rocky mts.. But I followed up and went to church and a bible study. But I felt the attitude I was picking up on from them was at odds with the Spirit I was perceiving as from the Lord, which was love and outgoing love at that.. to accept, to encourage, etc (Which does not mean as the world thinks that all things must be (verbally?) approved of, an extreme) - But the attitude was more like be sort of stand off-ish from non-Christians so they know they are sinners. So I prayed about it like you do also, and He has taught me to mix His Word and logic. And of course it's His Spirit which reveals both.
:gimmefive: