Is Fear Enough?

How many of us have heard the smoldering sermons on hell. In an old country song Dolly Parton sang that her daddy was an old time preacher man who could preach hell so hot you could feel the flames (he wasn't, but it made for a good song). Have you ever had the nightmares of the leaping flames, screaming torment, and eternal darkness? (Or were you wondering how there would be flames and darkness?) Maybe in the beginning steps of our journey we were held in place by the fear of going to hell because of that little insignificant sin that just never did quite get forgiven. But when's the last time you restrained yourself because you didn't want to go to hell? If anything all the talk about grace today has virtually eliminated hell from the vocabulary of Christians. I'm not sure that anyone knows what they are saved from! So, we've gone from feeling the flames on Sundays, to feeling comfortably numb. Was fear ever enough to keep our sights in the right place? I don't think so - and I don't think it was ever meant to. Anyways ... just some thoughts after watching THE VILLAGE this afternoon.