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This is the thirteenth part of a series I\u2019m calling Blogmatics. It\u2019s an attempt on my part to lay out as best I can in as brief a manner as I can all the theological assumptions behind my blog posts. This post is adopted for two previous posts I have written on hell<\/em><\/p>\n The story of Abraham is a curious one.<\/p>\n Though he was called out by God to enter into a special covenant that would lead to him becoming the father of the world\u2019s three major faiths, he was a deeply flawed man who was constantly screwing things up.<\/p>\n However, what I find particularly curious about Abraham is not what we read in his story, but what\u2019s missing.<\/p>\n There is no mention of hell anywhere in the story of Abraham and his famous covenantal relationship with God.<\/p>\n Now, you might be thinking to yourself, \u201cthere are plenty of stories in the Bible that don\u2019t mention hell.\u201d That is true. But as Evangelical Christians this should be a bit of a problem, for we lean heavily on the fear of hell in our salvation pitch, every bit as much or more than we do the everlasting arms of Jesus.<\/p>\n So much so, that I often wonder if we\u2019re more not afraid of hell than we are in love with Jesus.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The gospel pitch that we give and have been giving for generations is that sinners should \u201ccome to Jesus\u201d or \u201cbelieve in God\u201d so that they won\u2019t burn in hell. It\u2019s that fear of eternal torment that pushes people into what the Bible would call a new covenant relationship with God.<\/p>\n Yet, hell plays no role whatsoever in the story of Abraham \u201cbelieving in God\u201d and then entering into a covenantal relationship with that God. It is because God first chose him, blessed him, and took care of him that Abraham chose to follow God, not because he feared that God would torment him in hell for all eternity if he didn\u2019t accept God\u2019s offer.<\/p>\n In fact, such fear of eternity in hell has no role whatsoever in any of the Old Testament characters and their relationship with God. Instead, it is their love for God, never their fear of hell, that drives them to worship, devotion, and faithfulness.<\/p>\n Such timing, though, is out of sequence for the modern Evangelical gospel. According to the Evangelical gospel the foremost reason to \u201ccome to Jesus\u201d is not because Jesus first loved us, but so that God won\u2019t send us to hell. We may tell people they should love God because Jesus saved them from hell, but it is that fear of hell that is supposed to spur our love. We can \u201clove\u201d God only because we have \u201cfaith\u201d that God won\u2019t be sending us to hell.<\/p>\n It\u2019s this gospel that gives rise to the fiery church services and turn or burn preaching that so many of us are so used to. It\u2019s this gospel that leads us down to the altar, over and over again, to \u201cgive our hearts to Jesus\u201d in order to ensure our eternal destination. It\u2019s this gospel that rips the church apart at her theological seams out of fear that believing the wrong doctrines will anger God and sentence us to an eternity in hell.<\/p>\n But is this gospel of fear really \u201cgood news\u201d?<\/p>\n Or perhaps, in light of the story of Abraham, the real question is \u201cIs this gospel of fear even necessary?\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019m not sure that it is.<\/p>\n In fact, I\u2019m pretty sure that it\u2019s not.<\/p>\n Fear of hell is certainly a powerful weapon to wield in the crusade to \u201cwin\u201d converts. It\u2019s brutally efficient in its ability to slash deep down into our innermost fears. But if that is what spurs us to \u201cfaith,\u201d then our faith isn\u2019t really faith at all.<\/p>\n It\u2019s fear.<\/p>\n Abraham didn\u2019t come to faith in God because God showed up one day and told Abraham he was going to hell if he didn\u2019t enter into a covenant with God. Abraham came to faith in God because God first loved Abraham. It wasn\u2019t fear of hell that drove Abraham to the sacrificial altar. It was love for a God who didn\u2019t have any reason to love and bless Abraham, but chose to do so anyway.<\/p>\n To me this is a God truly worth worshiping. To me this is a God to enter into covenant with because this God stands ready to bless, not to damn. To me this is the God who \u201cdemonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us.\u201d<\/p>\n But what about if choose to not enter into that covenant? What if we choose not to worship that God?<\/p>\n What happens then?<\/p>\n Do we burn in eternal torment for all eternity?<\/p>\n To answer that, I think we need to look at another Old Testament character \u2013 Adam.<\/p>\n