The Narrow Path Ministries

Ran onto this comment regarding James Harding, prominent leader in Church of Christ, circa 1880:

Harding believed discipleship was the central dimension of practicing the kingdom of God. Consequently, one of the dangers of revivalism (“protracted meetings”) was the immediate interest in a larger number of conversions where the main concern was “escaping hell and getting into heaven” as opposed to discipling people to lead “lives of absolute consecration to the Lord.” As a result, these “converts are much more anxious to be saved than they are to follow Christ.”

In my opinion, Harding had it exactly right! That is, if by "saved" he meant "having escaped hell and qualified for heaven." Biblically, the word means "delivered from sin."

Mathew . 28Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

However, if escaping hell is a man's main reason for a change of heart, it would follow he is doing it out of fear not love, out of self interests and not selfless desire to please the Lord and glorify His kingdom. Though this can be a first step of sorts it is an unsteady one that needs to quickly grow in the understanding that you have died to the self and now live for God, trusting in your new master and knowing the Lord has his best interests in mind.

I fear the Lord so I need not fear, is a better way to begin.