Be forewarned that some of my responses are a bit on the sarcastic side, but I mean it to be humorous and serious simultaneously. I feel like a lot of the struggle against talking about Hell is ridiculous. We’ve all heard that Christ spoke more on Hell than on Heaven, and I strongly feel that avoiding the issue will worsen matters. (Example: avoiding the issue of sex in church has led to young church-goers remaining abstinent from sex until marriage, but not counting oral and anal sex as actual “sex”)So I approach this somewhat lightly, but seriously at the same time. Don’t take offense…it’s supposed to make you smile and think, not hurt anyone who these quotes may have originated from.01 – “Why showing the negative side?”So that they can’t say we didn’t warn them.02- "Doesn't God want to be as a Father to them?"Well, he sure does try during the course of their entire life. If they don’t want Him to be their father, He’s enough of a gentleman not to force Himself on them. Hell isn’t a place God sends people…it’s a place they choose to go.03- "talking about Hell is negative!"No, it’s realistic.04- "where is the love?"With God, and if a person chooses to do without it, then their choice is honored in Hell.05- "you offend them, and they will never ever want to hear it again"They didn’t want to hear it in the first place. You’re there with good intentions, with the same warning God gives. You’re God’s messenger, not God. Christ said that whoever turns you away turns Him away (Luke 10:16). Don’t get offended, just do what you were commanded (Matthew 28:19).06- "you must not scare them"How else is the fear of the Lord going to be instilled within them? Do we save it for Halloween?07- "God has beautiful promises for them"You bet He does! Praise Him for that! Now set them on the right track!08- "you'll condemn them"It’s not our place to judge, but to warn of God’s judgment.09- "you give the devil too much glory when talking about hell or sin"You give the devil too much glory by avoiding it for fear his mention’s impact on them.10- "too much the focus on sin"Yes, that IS what the average unsaved individual is guilty of.11- "God has laid promises in men, they are not saved yet, but He will, and if you just tell them about those things (promises)"He does have promises for them, but most of His promises are conditional. Do this, and this will happen. Get Saved, you’ll go to Heaven.12- "does not The Holy Spirit convicts of sin?"He does. But unbelievers are not filled with the Holy Spirit, and that quote alone implies that technically we don’t need to go out there and witness at all.13- "sinners are like unborn babies, waiting to be born"Welcome back to the touchy-feely love era of 70s Christianity. I’m sorry, but that sounds like the sugar-coated sweet talk of Satan. I don’t know who said that, but you might want to talk to someone about that. Sinners are sinners, and we’re covered with the filth of our actions and the wretch of this world before we’re washed clean by His blood. We’re not cute as babies, we’re as grotesque as monsters. We’re menstrual rags (Isaiah 64:6).14- "why see everyone who is not in Christ as a sinner, and not as a person that God has a purpose with"Because they are sinners, and that’s just a fact of life. They’re both sinners and people God has a plan for, but they’re sinners first, because until they’re redeemed, they’re not in God’s will and won’t be able to enjoy any of God’s better plans and purposes for their life.15- "men will not be open anymore to The Gospel, when they hear about Hell"Then they weren’t open to it to begin with.After all that, I feel the need to say that witnessing is not all fire and brimstone. You don’t point someone out in a crowd and scream, “SINNER! THOU ART DAMNED TO HELL! BURN, ENEMY OF GOD, BURN!!!” Jesus ate with sinners, something that appalled the religious leaders of His day. If a friend of yours wanted to bungie jump and you saw that their was a rip in their bungie cord, would you keep it to yourself, for fear that they’d be insulted because they were the ones that chose the bungie cord? Well, if your neighbor is going to Hell because of their sinful choices, it’s probably not a good idea to keep it to yourself either.
