Is loving God motivated by fear of hell?

[Austere]

Is our love for God motivated more by our apprehension and fear of eternal damnation than a genuine love for the Lord? I can very well imagine this being the case for a lot of people, as I myself am feeling this way, since I do not have much of a personal relationship with Christ. I know that this weekend is hardly the time for such a question, but it is one on my mind. I hope you all enjoy this Easter weekend, that the Resurrection of Our Lord may enkindle you to renew yourselves as Catholics and to serve Him to our greatest possible extent!

God bless you and hail to the Cross, our only hope!

 

[total_Catholic]

Is our love for God motivated more by our apprehension and fear of eternal damnation than a genuine love for the Lord? I can very well imagine this being the case for a lot of people, as I myself am feeling this way, since I do not have much of a personal relationship with Christ. I know that this weekend is hardly the time for such a question, but it is one on my mind. I hope you all enjoy this Easter weekend, that the Resurrection of Our Lord may enkindle you to renew yourselves as Catholics and to serve Him to our greatest possible extent!

God bless you and hail to the Cross, our only hope!

The love of God motivated by Hell is called imperfect contrition and while noble, it still falls short of PERFECT contrition which is hatred of sin due to it’s offended of God moved by the love of God. I am certainly not bragging, but my hatred of my sins and my motivation for confession within the last few months has taken on more of a perfect contrition mode and I am ever thankful because for YEARS my confessions were more of imperfect contrition.

I’m still a work in progress but all of our hatred of sin should be first and foremost because it offends our loving God. Be blessed!

 

[Austere]

The love of God motivated by Hell is called imperfect contrition and while noble, it still falls short of PERFECT contrition which is hatred of sin due to it’s offended of God moved by the love of God. I am certainly not bragging, but my hatred of my sins and my motivation for confession within the last few months has taken on more of a perfect contrition mode and I am ever thankful because for YEARS my confessions were more of imperfect contrition.

I’m still a work in progress but all of our hatred of sin should be first and foremost because it offends our loving God. Be blessed!

I wish I could, as I haven’t gone to Mass in a few months, I feel no desire to go to Confession, I constantly fall to temptation. I feel like I’m drifting from the faith and I’d say if it wasn’t for fear of hell, I might have already abandoned the faith.

 

[meltzerboy]

I wish I could, as I haven’t gone to Mass in a few months, I feel no desire to go to Confession, I constantly fall to temptation. I feel like I’m drifting from the faith and I’d say if it wasn’t for fear of hell, I might have already abandoned the faith.

Fear of hell can be an important first step but it should not be the main or only reason why we love G-d. For many Jews, it is not so much fear of hell as fear of oblivion; but this is based on a similar idea. We can eventually learn to love G-d for His blessings, as well as to love and care for others because it is the right thing to do, and not for fear that G-d will punish us if we do not obey his commands. But this takes time, study, practice, and prayer. It is a lifetime’s work in progress for most people.

 

[jilly4ski]

Is our love for God motivated more by our apprehension and fear of eternal damnation than a genuine love for the Lord? I can very well imagine this being the case for a lot of people, as I myself am feeling this way, since I do not have much of a personal relationship with Christ. I know that this weekend is hardly the time for such a question, but it is one on my mind. I hope you all enjoy this Easter weekend, that the Resurrection of Our Lord may enkindle you to renew yourselves as Catholics and to serve Him to our greatest possible extent!

God bless you and hail to the Cross, our only hope!

It probably depends on the person. For many people hell is a concept not easily grasped so they don’t. For me the act of contrition says it best.

“Oh my God, I am heartily sorry of having offended you. I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all, because they offend you O Lord who are all good and deserving of all my love.”

It is like a child obeying their parent, they do indeed fear a punishment, but they also love their parent and don’t want to disappoint them.

 

[meltzerboy]

It probably depends on the person. For many people hell is a concept not easily grasped so they don’t. For me the act of contrition says it best.

“Oh my God, I am heartily sorry of having offended you. I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all, because they offend you O Lord who are all good and deserving of all my love.”

It is like a child obeying their parent, they do indeed fear a punishment, but they also love their parent and don’t want to disappoint them.

Later on, when the child grows up, they realize their parent was right after all and concerned only with their welfare.

 

[Rbaker]

I think the two can go hand in hand. Hell wouldn’t be brought up so much in the bible if it wasn’t something to be feared. I think it is fine to look at it as a source of motivation. If you do what you can to avoid it, you are also doing things that please God, which in turn get you closer to Him.

What helps me avoid using hell as the only motivation is this analogy: You see a load of dirty laundry. You have 2 options.

1. You can wait around until your parents tell you to do it and do the laundry because your parents will ground you if you don’t.
2. You can do the laundry without asking because you know how much it will mean to your parents and it will show them show much you love them.

 

[Lily_Bernans]

I have never been very afraid of hell, though I certainly would not like to end up there. I suppose this lack of fear came about because I grew up in a Carmelite cloister. I’ve learned to nurture an intimately personal relationship with Christ since I was four or five years old. Like Saint Therese of Lisieux, I trust in the mercy of God so completely that were my life filled with sin, I would still run to Jesus and trust he would receive me with open arms.

Sometimes we behave in school and study and do our homework because we fear the punishment if we do not. That’s certainly better than refusing to behave and study and do our homework, but it’s not the best reason. The best reason is because we want to be a good person and we truly want to learn.

God desires that all humans come to him out of love, but I don’t think this is possible unless one has a personal relationship with Christ. If you want to advance to doing good out of love for God, nurture your personal relationship with Christ in any way that resonates with you - formal prayer, contemplation, lectio divina, Bible study, etc.

The fear of hell is a start, but true love for God is motivated by a desire to spend eternity with him.

God bless.

 

[anon67074017]

I love God because He created me and gave me life, not because I fear hell. God is kind and merciful.

 

[Le_Cracquere]

Well, I certainly don’t cotton to the idea of Hell and would rather avoid it by any means necessary. On the other hand, if there is such a being as God, He’s worth knowing and worth loving. I don’t claim to understand Him fully, but desperately wish to. More often than not, I feel as if I’ve been left to my own imperfect devices to figure Him out and how He ought to be approached/worshipped … which is a recipe for Hell if anything is.

To the extent I have any hope, it’s that I recognize God as something worth knowing, understanding, and loving. I can’t claim that my blurred perceptions are likely to be much help, but I hope that He’ll one day vouchsafe me the grace needed to bridge that particular gap. I don’t know that He will, but there’s no harm in hoping or wishing. I don’t know whether I love Him for all the right reasons, but I acknowledge that one ought to love Him for what & who He is. God send us all grace to do so.

 

[Austere]

I have never been very afraid of hell, though I certainly would not like to end up there. I suppose this lack of fear came about because I grew up in a Carmelite cloister. I’ve learned to nurture an intimately personal relationship with Christ since I was four or five years old. Like Saint Therese of Lisieux, I trust in the mercy of God so completely that were my life filled with sin, I would still run to Jesus and trust he would receive me with open arms.

Sometimes we behave in school and study and do our homework because we fear the punishment if we do not. That’s certainly better than refusing to behave and study and do our homework, but it’s not the best reason. The best reason is because we want to be a good person and we truly want to learn.

God desires that all humans come to him out of love, but I don’t think this is possible unless one has a personal relationship with Christ. If you want to advance to doing good out of love for God, nurture your personal relationship with Christ in any way that resonates with you - formal prayer, contemplation, lectio divina, Bible study, etc.

The fear of hell is a start, but true love for God is motivated by a desire to spend eternity with him.

God bless.

I can’t say I’ve ever had the personal relationship you have with Christ because if I did, I wouldn’t know what it felt like. So when someone explains that I need a personal relationship with Christ, I find it hard to imagine what that would be like. I’ve only considered God as very distant, not someone I should have a relationship with; the Islamic concept of a distant God is more relatable in my own instance.

 

[phil_at_dayboro]

I’m not sure if its a fear etc , might be for some ,
But I personally feel a strong attraction to God and my faith ,
And I can assure you I’m not a worthy soul …
But I still have a strong yearning to be close to God ,
That why I try to Pray as much as I can ,
I still fail even on that

 

[Austere]

I’m not sure if its a fear etc , might be for some ,
But I personally feel a strong attraction to God and my faith ,
And I can assure you I’m not a worthy soul …
But I still have a strong yearning to be close to God ,
That why I try to Pray as much as I can ,
I still fail even on that

I commend you for the fact that you have a yearning for God and do so earnestly in your prayer. Unfortunately, reflecting on my own faith, I’m beginning to wonder whether or not I had genuine faith at all. I can’t honestly say I ever had the yearning people have for God and if I did, it was done so out of fear of hell and not out of love for Christ. I’m losing the battle for my faith at the moment, if I haven’t lost it already or whether I ever had it all.

 

[josh987654321]

Sacred Heart of Jesus - (St Margaret-Mary Alacoque)

http://s15.postimg.org/uc0cy5a0r/st_margaretmary2.jpg

Jesus to St Margaret-Mary Alacoque -

**"Behold this Heart which has loved men so much that it has spared nothing, even to exhausting **(Crucifixion) and consuming itself (Last Supper, Eucharist) in order to testify to them it’s love."
Jesus to Catalina:

I Have Given My Life for You - loveandmercy.org/Eng-IHG-Reg.pdf
(Roman Catholic Imprimatur)

**4) I wish to speak to you again about My Passion because when I do so, I want to spread in your hearts feelings of union with Me, of compassion… to show you My Love…

1. How I wish that mankind would cultivate greater devotion to My Passion!..
2. My Passion is a compendium of Holy Love and supernatural Wisdom itself. Everything can be found during My hours of the Passion: every evil in the world transformed into good for eternity, and all the supernatural goodness of present mankind, united to the promise of the good that they may attain if they die protected by My Passion.
3. I assure you that those who meditate on My sorrowful Passion will derive many Graces, because it is a treasure chest of infinitely enormous benefits. By the same token, those who have paid no attention or have forgotten My sufferings will always find emptiness and spiritual poverty.
4. My sufferings will always be the Glory of My Father and My Glory, as well as the greatest demonstration of the Spirit of Love for you on earth…
5. My Passion contains everything that you need today and tomorrow and it works marvellous miracles on all those who forget the world and themselves, in order to think of Me.**

Jesus to Catalina:

The Passion - loveandmercy.org/Eng-TP-Reg.pdf
(Roman Catholic Imprimatur)

**"Contemplate My wounds and see if there is anyone who has suffered as much as I, to show their love…

"Contemplate for a moment these bloodstained hands and feet… This naked body, covered with wounds, with urine, and blood. Dirty… This head punctured by sharp thorns, soaked in sweat, full of dust, and covered in Blood…

"Contemplate your Jesus, hanging on the Cross, without being able to make the slightest movement… naked, without fame, without honor, without liberty…

"Contemplate Me in the image of the Christ that weeps and bleeds. There and in this way the world has Me**

http://s24.postimg.org/s91lh9u91/Crucifixion.jpg
Jesus to Catalina:

The Passion - loveandmercy.org/Eng-TP-Reg.pdf
(Roman Catholic Imprimatur)

**1) …Look at Me, My beloved ones. Letting Myself be led with the meekness of a lamb to the terrible torture of the scourging. On My Body, already covered with blows and overwhelmed with fatigue, the executioners cruelly discharge terrible lashes with braided rope, with rods. They punish Me so violently that there was no part of Me which was not prey to the most terrible pain… The blows and the kicks caused Me countless wounds… The rods tore away pieces of My skin and flesh. Blood flowed from all My limbs. Time after time I fell because of the pain caused by the blows to My manliness. My Body was in such a state that I resembled a monster more than a man. The features of My face had lost their shape; it was all swollen.

1. The thought of so many souls, who would later be inspired to follow My footsteps, consumed Me with Love.**

Jesus to Catalina:

The Passion - loveandmercy.org/Eng-TP-Reg.pdf
(Roman Catholic Imprimatur)

**5) The fatigue that I feel is so great and the Cross so heavy that halfway along the path, I fall from weakness. See how those inhuman men lift Me up in the most brutal manner. One grabs My arm, another pulls My clothes that are stuck to My wounds, tearing them open again… This one grabs Me by the neck, another by the hair; others discharge dreadful blows to My whole Body, with their fists, and even with their feet. The Cross falls upon Me and with its weight causes new wounds. My face is scraped by the stones in the road and the blood which runs down My face sticks to My eyes that are almost closed because of the blows they have received. The dust and the mud mingle with the blood and I am turned into the most repugnant of objects.

1. My Father sends Angels to help support Me so that My Body does not lose consciousness when it falls, so that the battle may not be won before its time and all My souls are lost.
2. I walk over the stones that destroy My feet. I stumble and fall time and time again. I look at both sides of the road, searching for the slightest look of love, of surrender, of union with My pain, but… I do not see anyone.
3. My children, you who follow in My footsteps, do not let go of your cross no matter how heavy it seems to you. Do it for Me because by carrying your cross, you will help Me carry Mine, and on the difficult path, you will find My Mother and the holy souls who will give you encouragement and comfort.**

Jesus to Catalina:

I Have Given My Life for You - loveandmercy.org/Eng-IHG-Reg.pdf
(Roman Catholic Imprimatur)

**To redeem all of mankind, a child’s cry, a moan, a single tear of Mine would have been enough… Would you have understood My Love in the same way? If with so many great proofs you still take so long to accept it, what would have caused you to believe in My Love, if I had limited Myself to what seemed paltry? …

It is because of all this that you must believe in Love, principally, in My Love …

Only by going beyond the limit of “what is necessary” would many eyes be opened to My Love.**

Please continue to next post -

 

[josh987654321]

Jesus to St. Faustina -
Remember My Passion, and if you do not believe My words, at least believe My wounds. (Diray, 379)
Jesus to Catalina:

The Holy Mass - loveandmercy.org/Eng-HM-Reg.pdf
(Roman Catholic Imprimatur)

The Last Supper was the moment of the greatest intimacy with My own. During that hour of love I instituted what in the eyes of mankind might be the greatest madness, to make Myself a prisoner of Love. I instituted the Eucharist. I wanted to remain with you until the end of time because My Love could not bear that you, whom I loved more than My Life, be left orphans…

Jesus to Catalina:

The Passion - loveandmercy.org/Eng-TP-Reg.pdf
(Roman Catholic Imprimatur)

**11) For love of souls, I remain a prisoner in the Holy Eucharist, so that in their sorrow and grief they are being consoled by the most tender of Hearts, by the best of Fathers, by the most loyal friend. But that Love, which is consumed for the good of mankind, is not going to be returned.

1. I live amongst sinners to be their salvation and their life, their doctor and medicine; yet they, in return, in spite of their sick nature, distance themselves from Me. They offend Me and scorn Me.
2. My children, poor sinners! Do not distance yourselves from Me. I wait for you night and day at the Tabernacle. I will not reproach you for your crimes; I will not throw your sins in your face. What I will do is to wash you with the Blood of My wounds. Do not be afraid; come to Me. You do not know how much I love you.
3. And you, dear souls, why are you cold and indifferent to My love? I know you have to attend to the needs of your family, your home, and of the world that constantly demands of you. But, can it be that you do not have a moment to come and give Me proof of your love and gratitude? Do not allow yourselves to be carried away by so many useless worries; reserve a moment of your time to visit the Prisoner of Love. If your body is sick, can you not find a few minutes to seek the Doctor who must cure you? Come to He who can restore strength and health of the soul. Give alms of love to this Divine Beggar, who calls you, wants you, and waits for you.**

Jesus to Catalina:

The Passion - loveandmercy.org/Eng-TP-Reg.pdf
(Roman Catholic Imprimatur)

**6) …there are souls, and not few, who, moved by their desire for salvation but above all, by the love inspired in them by the vision of what I have suffered for them, decide to follow Me on the path to Calvary. They embrace the perfect life and give themselves to My service, not to help Me carry just a part of the Cross but all of it. Their only desire is to give Me rest and to console Me. For that purpose, they volunteer for everything that My Will asks of them, searching for how they can please Me. They do not think about the merits or the reward that awaits them, or the tiredness or the suffering that will result for them. The only thing that they have in mind is the love that they can show Me, and the comfort they give Me…

1. If My Cross is presented as an illness, if it is hidden under a job contrary to their inclinations and of little agreement with their abilities, if it comes accompanied by the thoughtlessness of people surround them, they accept it with total submission.
2. Oh! These are the souls that truly carry My Cross; they adore it. They make use of it for obtaining My Glory with no interest or payment other than My love. They are the ones that consider Me and glorify Me.
3. If you do not see the result of your sufferings, of your self-denial, or if you see it later, be certain that they have not been in vain and fruitless but, on the contrary, the fruit will be abundant.
4. The soul who truly loves, does not keep count of how much it has suffered or labored, nor does it expect this or that reward, but it seeks only that which it believes glorifies its God… For Him it spares neither labors nor weariness. It does not become agitated or restless, far from it, for it does not lose its peace if it finds itself thwarted or humiliated, because the only motive for its actions is love, and love abandons the consequences and the results. Therein lies the purpose of souls who do not seek rewards. The only thing that they hope for is My Glory, My comfort, My rest, and, for that reason they have taken My Cross and all the weight that My Will desires to place upon them.
5. My children, call Me by My name, for Jesus means everything. I will wash your feet, those feet that have trodden a slippery path and are now wounded by the blows against the rocks. I will wipe away your tears, cure you, kiss you, and you will remain healthy and know no other path but the one that leads you to Me.
6. We are now at Calvary! The mob is excited because the dreadful moment is near… Exhausted by fatigue, I can hardly walk. My feet bleed because of the stones on the way… Three times I have fallen along the way: once to give sinners used to sinning the strength to convert; another to give encouragement to souls who fall because of being frail and to souls who are blinded by sadness and restlessness, encouraging them to rise and embark with courage upon the path of virtue; and the third time, to help souls depart from sin at the hour of their death.**

Please continue to next post -

 

[josh987654321]

http://s28.postimg.org/6bvy5pai5/Prodigal_Son.jpg
Jesus to Catalina:

The Great Crusade of Love - loveandmercy.org/Eng-CL-Reg.pdf
(Roman Catholic Imprimatur)

I would like to be presented like the prodigal son’s father who, aged by the pain of his son’s absence, keeps watch from a window with a small light of hope for the return of his beloved son. I live among all of you in the air you breathe, the water you drink, and the bread you eat, with all the grandiose work of creation that never ceases. In this manner I am among you all, alive, real, with the perpetual sacrifice of the Cross and the glory of the resurrection in each Eucharist.

Jesus to Catalina:

The Passion - loveandmercy.org/Eng-TP-Reg.pdf
(Roman Catholic Imprimatur)

I want to teach sinners that because they have sinned, they should not distance themselves from Me thinking that they no longer have recourse and that they will never be loved as before they sinned. Poor souls! These are not the feelings of a God who has shed all His Blood for you. Come to Me all of you and fear not, because I love you. I will cleanse you with My Blood and you will be as white as snow. I will drown your sins in the water of My Mercy and nothing will be able to snatch from My Heart the Love that I have for you.

Divine Mercy Image - St. Faustina

http://s28.postimg.org/746uzccbx/Divine_Mercy.jpg

Jesus to St. Faustina -

"My Heart is full of love and mercy. In order that you may know at least some of My pain, imagine the most tender of mothers who has great love for her children, while those children spurn her love. Consider her pain. No one is in a position to console her. This is but a feeble image and likeness of My love." (Diary, 1447)

"My daughter, know that My Heart is mercy itself. From this sea of mercy, graces flow out upon the whole world. No soul that has approached Me has ever gone away unconsoled. All misery gets buried in the depths of My mercy, and every saving and sanctifying grace flows from this fountain…" (Diary, 1777).

"My Heart overflows with great mercy for souls, and especially for poor sinners. If only they could understand that I am the best of Fathers to them and that it is for them that the Blood and Water flowed from My Heart as from a fount overflowing with mercy. For them I dwell in the tabernacle as King of Mercy. I desire to bestow My graces upon souls, but they do not want to accept them. You, at least, come to Me as often as possible and take these graces they do not want to accept. In this way you will console My Heart. Oh, how indifferent are souls to so much goodness, to so many proofs of love! My heart drinks only of the ingratitude and forgetfulness of souls living in the world. They have time for everything, but they have no time to come to Me for graces." (Diary, 367).

"My mercy is greater than your sins and those of the entire world. Who can measure the extent of my goodness? For you I descended from heaven to earth; for you I allowed myself to be nailed to the cross; for you I let my Sacred Heart be pierced with a lance, thus opening wide the source of mercy for you. Come, then, with trust to draw graces from this fountain. I never reject a contrite heart." (Diary, 1485).

"Tell sinful souls not to be afraid to approach Me; speak to them of My great mercy" (Diary, 1396).

"Come and confide in your God, who is love and mercy…My child, listen to the voice of your merciful Father" (Diary, 1486).

How to Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy - thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/praythechaplet.php

"…when you go to confession, to this fountain of My mercy, the Blood and Water which came forth from My Heart always flows down upon your soul and ennobles it. Every time you go to confession, immerse yourself entirely in My mercy, with great trust, so that I may pour the bounty of My grace upon your soul. When you approach the confessional, know this, that I myself am waiting there for you. I am only hidden by the priest, but I myself act in your soul. Here the misery of the soul meets the God of mercy. Souls draw graces solely with the vessel of trust. If their trust is great, there is no limit to My generosity. The torrents of grace inundate humble souls." (Diary, 1603).

I hope this has helped

May God Bless You

Thank you for reading
Josh

 

[phil_at_dayboro]

I know the feeling you have ,
I’v had that at times, it’s all part of it ,
But I feel I have a genuine yearning …
Like a magnetic force ,
Praying alone doesn’t help everyone ,
I’d like to Recommend a book for you ,
Google this book " Sergie "
A Russian Cristian story , if you can’t find it then P M me ,
And I’ll find it for you …
I will be away for this next week , no internet ,

 

[total_Catholic]

I wish I could, as I haven’t gone to Mass in a few months, I feel no desire to go to Confession, I constantly fall to temptation. I feel like I’m drifting from the faith and I’d say if it wasn’t for fear of hell, I might have already abandoned the faith.

You need to speak to a priest ASAP. Christ still loves you and is waiting for you with open arms. Happy Easter!

 

[Austere]

You need to speak to a priest ASAP. Christ still loves you and is waiting for you with open arms. Happy Easter!

You might be right, but I felt very little during the Easter Sunday Mass this morning and what one member previously posted on this thread. I have grown far too pessimistic I believe, maybe I was deluding myself to believe that I was believing at all. Who knows, but the faith is definitely swaying.

 

[Wesrock]

You might be right, but I felt very little during the Easter Sunday Mass this morning and what one member previously posted on this thread. I have grown far too pessimistic I believe, maybe I was deluding myself to believe that I was believing at all. Who knows, but the faith is definitely swaying.

Many great saints also felt such distance from God and in their worship. You are not alone.