Last week in attempting to present the gospel of Jesus to a gentleman, I came to the hard part—judgment. The Gospel is such good news, but the good news is inseparably attached to the bad news—our sins. The gentlemen accused Christianity of fearmongering. My response wasn’t near what I would have liked it to have been. The “I should have said” showed up not too much later on the drive home.

After reflection, here is a response to equip us for the next time.

Fearmongering is likely defined in people’s minds as unnecessary use of fear to inappropriately move people to a specific action. In other words, a manipulating scare tactic. A person might say, “If you don’t buy our earthquake insurance, you’re going to be sorry when your house comes tumbling down and you have no place to live.” This example uses fear in hopes the buyer will be moved to make a purchase to prevent something that may or may not happen. Christianity is far different, for we are warning not of a possibility, but of an actual future judgment people will undergo apart from faith in Jesus Christ.

Peter warns of actual judgment (2 Peter 2:9): “the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment.”

John warns of future judgment (John 5:29): “and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.”

Paul warns of coming judgment (Acts 24:25): “And…he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment.”

The author of Hebrews warns of judgment (Heb. 9:27): “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.”

Jesus solemnly speaks of judgment (Matt. 12:36): “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak.”

Even David speaks of judgment in the Psalms (92:7–9):

“⁷that though the wicked sprout like grass
and all evildoers flourish,
they are doomed to destruction forever;
⁸but you, O LORD, are on high forever.
⁹For behold, your enemies, O LORD,
for behold, your enemies shall perish;
all evildoers shall be scattered.

There is clearly a day when people—who don’t trust Jesus as Lord and Savior—will stand before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ and be judged for their sins. This is not fearmongering in the sense of the definition given above; rather, this is a loving warning about their future. If a person was driving one hundred miles an hour toward a cliff and about to fly off into sharp rocks, is it fearmongering to lovingly warn them of the impending disaster? If a person is about to drink poison, is it fearmongering to grab the drink and passionately warn them? The answer is of course not. Now yes, there is an element of fear in this Christian warning, for judgment is fearful; however, this is not fearmongering, fear-manipulation, or fear-management. Rather, sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a rescue mission from the fearful state God promises unbelieving sinners.

This is where people misunderstand Christianity and particularly their dire situation. Christianity is not about taking your money or forcing you into a court of rules; it is about rescuing people from their sins and bringing them into God’s kingdom where they can have true life. People may think of Christians as cutting into their peaceful life of bliss and bombarding them with scary images so they can control them. That is not the picture. Instead, God’s judgment is going to rain down and we are calling them to stand by faith under the saving umbrella of Jesus Christ.

When we share the bad news of sin and judgment, we are not fearmongering; we are stating a fact of their current direction, and sharing the good news that God has created a better path—forgiveness and life through faith in Jesus Christ. Just because true fear is involved in a truly fearful future judgment, doesn’t make warning of judgment a scare tactic. I’m reminded of Paul in Romans 2:4 where “God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.” The warning of judgement, the rescue of Jesus from judgment, is kindness meant to drive the sinner into the arms of the Savior.

Therefore, don’t be afraid to share the bad news of people’s situation—they need to hear it (Rom. 3:23). And don’t let accusations of fearmongering stop you from lovingly warning people of actual future judgment. Moreover, be excited to share the good news of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ—it’s what people need most.