By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times
When I was a young man, there was a church near my house that had a sign up in front of it that said, “What if the Bible’s right and there really is a Hell?”
This sign always bothered me. Not because I was worried about going to Hell or otherwise offended by it. No, it bothered me because I felt like it missed the entire point of the gospels.
I always wanted to go back there and put up my own little sign next to it. A little sign that said, “Fear of damnation is not the same as salvation.”
Because we talk about salvation, and we talk about repentance, but the important part of repentance is being penitent. It’s feeling bad for those immoral things you’ve done. It’s understanding how your actions hurt others, and never wanting to do that again.
It’s learning to be something other than selfish.
So, I’ve always felt like if the only reason you’re standing in a church house is because you’re afraid of going to Hell, and not because you’re trying to be a better man or woman, then you’re probably going to end up in Hell. If you’re there for more selfish reasons – and not because you’re trying to change the stamp you’ve made on this world, and to be and to set a better example, to be a better witness – then you might not be there for the right reasons.
If your only reason for being in that church house is your fear of hellfire and brimstone, I’m pretty sure that’s where you’re going to end up. Your heart isn’t in the right place. Your heart’s still in the selfish place.
And, yes, we all want to save our loved ones from that eternal damnation. But that’s not the only thing salvation is about.
Salvation is about representing the Kingdom of Heaven here on Earth. Salvation is about living the example that Christ set forth. Salvation is about being a better person. Salvation is about leaving a better mark on this world. It’s about being a living witness.
Repentance is an important part of Christianity.
Pleading the blood of Christ and asking for forgiveness is an important part of Christianity.
Humbling yourself before the Lord God is an important part of Christianity.
And hellfire and brimstone, it’s a part of it. But if you think the point is following the rules and earning a prize, I’m afraid you’ve missed it.
Yes, you should be afraid of some things.
You should be afraid and aware of the impact you and your words can make in this world.
You should be afraid of the negative things that can flow from you out into your community, or to your children – the generational trauma that you can pass on if you don’t let it go. If you don’t repent. If you don’t try to be a better person.
You should worry, about the Hell you can create in your children’s and grandchildren’s lives if you don’t break these cycles.
And yes, you should be worried about what comes after we’ve shuffled off this mortal coil.
But if you only worry about avoiding the bitter end, you miss the sweet fruits of salvation. And you fail to be a good witness. You fail to be the lamp unto the world Christ called us to be.
I’m not a preacher, or a theologian. I don’t even feel like a particularly good Christian sometimes.
But one other thing I’m not is afraid of whatever comes next. Because what I’m seeking isn’t a way to avoid damnation. What I’m seeking is salvation – salvation from the bad man I’ve been, and the bad man I could still be.
Rewards? Streets of gold? That’s just gravy. The true reward, for me, is knowing I’ve done everything I can to be the servant I was called to be.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
