John 3:16 says that "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son..." We are to be like Christ, as the name "Christian" means. You will not find a sermon Jesus preached that said "You are all awful and hell bound!" While we are awful and headed for hell as sinners, that is not the approach we are to take. We are to share the Good News. The Gospel is not that we are awful, but that God is wonderful. We all know we are awful, that doesn't need to be preached to any wise person.
Another reason not to preach that way is because the focus is on us, and not God. "YOU are a dirty rotten sinner!" has the wrong focus. We are to be God focused, not us focused.
This isn't to say that Jesus never spoke of our wickedness, nor never spoke of hell(Example Matt5:22); but it is that Salvation was never preached with fear tactics.
It wasn't said "Follow me or burn forever."
It was said "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."
John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
John 15:1-16 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Jesus presented a choice. And a hard choice it was with His honest warnings.
John 15:18-21"If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me."
People are more likely to make a profession when they are in fear of pain. People are more likely to actually follow Christ with love knowing the grace of God.
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