Because of the limitations of the facebook format, I wanted to expand on the discussion but not take up my friend's entire page. Here is what I wanted to add.
The statement in a meme was, "If you need the threat of eternal torture to be a good person, you are not a good person."
This was not created by my friend but has been passed around. My problem with it is that it pre-supposes the wrong question on many levels. During our good discussion, it was revealed that many had experienced well-meaning church people who had boiled the entire Christian experience down to "Be Good or you'll go to Hell." This is still the wrong understanding. The part that is wrong is probably not the part you think I have a problem with. The part that is throwing us off here is the "Be Good" part.
I believe that if you asked Billy Graham if he considers himself a good person, he would say "NO." Billy Graham knows better than anyone else what goes on and has gone on in his mind and his life. Although Billy Graham strives to live a life that pleases God, he knows that the ability to live that way does not come from his efforts to "be good." It does not come from him changing his ways because he fears Hell. I believe he would tell you that "there is no one righteous (good), no not one." (Romans 3:10.) The "goodness" in his life comes from his reliance upon God to live through him. He has given up his own life in order to ask God to bring him a better one.
God is the only truly "good person." It cannot be coerced, at least not for very long, because we are imperfect. Without a reliance upon God, we eventually hurt others, and ourselves. Even our reliance upon God is imperfect and we do "bad things." God resets us when we realize our imperfectness and turn to him to find the source of goodness. When asked why I follow God, I don't begin with "because I fear Hell."
It's like asking someone why they are eating and they respond, "Because I have heard so many horror stories about people starving to death." I usually eat because of the wonderful, sweet, experience of eating and the fact that it fulfills a basic desire of my creation. Its the same reason I follow God. Sometimes I eat ice cream and sometimes I eat oatmeal, but I don't eat out of the fear of starvation.
I am glad someone taught me that the result of not eating is starvation. I am glad someone taught me that the result of not following God is to be separated from Him once this earthly life is over. In both situations, it is a truth I understand, but not a fearful, daily motivating factor in my life. I have experienced great food that sustains me and also brings me pleasure. I have experienced the great joys of living according to God's plans which also sustains me and brings me pleasure.
Finally, the biggest misunderstanding of the statement that started this discussion is that it pre-supposes that the goal of Christianity is to become a good person. There are plenty of people trying to be a good person. They are kind to others, they love and protect animals, they take care of the environment, and they try to give good and uplifting advice that they hope will keep others from making mistakes. I think Christians should do the same things. But God's priority for our lives is not to be a good person foremost. That is where the "love your neighbor" part come in. But first and foremost He has a different goal.
Jesus said, "I have come that you may have life and have it in abundance."
God gives us the opportunity to follow him not to be good, but to be alive. Our imperfection and failure to be good all the time has already negated our ability to survive spiritually in the presence of a perfect God.
God in his own goodness gave us the opportunity to give up our lives in exchange for the perfect life lived by Jesus. Then we can have life and survive in the presence of a perfect God.
Jesus did not come into the world to make bad people good. He came to make dead people live.
That is why I follow Him.
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