Did Jesus come mainly to keep us out of hell?
He rescues us from sin and death. His message was life, the Father, freedom, and the kingdom at hand — not death as the center of the faith.
Preaching can accidentally make death the whole story: you will die, believe, go to heaven. Jesus talked about something beginning now.
The kingdom has come near. Captives can be free. People can know the Father and receive the Spirit. Eternal life is knowing God.
The gospel should make a real difference between life with Christ today and life without Him.
Verses
- John 3:16-17 — Not to condemn the world, but to save it.
- John 10:10 — Abundant life.
- John 17:3 — Knowing God.
- Luke 4:18-19 — Liberty to the captives.
- Mark 1:14-15 — The kingdom has come near.
- Colossians 1:13-14 — Transferred into the kingdom of His Son.
A next step. Ask: does my gospel change today, or only a future destination?