I’ve heard it said that “As you mature in your Christian walk you will be less motivated by the fear of hell and more motivated by a desire to go to heaven.”
This is patently untrue.
And frankly, it is a ridiculous statement that has no foundation in the teachings of the Bible.
Let’s tear this idea to pieces.
The Core
To suggest that one form of motivation [heaven v. hell] is more righteous than another is pharisaical – it is something self-righteous individuals try to bind on others as a religious requirement.
Old Pharisees told the common man that he had to perform specific rituals to be righteous. And those rituals were not found in the Law of God.
Modern Pharisees say you have to be motivated specifically like them if you want to be righteous. You have to feel specific feelings [including the feeling of motivation] to be righteous.
And as we start dissecting this theory, it falls apart immediately.
Motivations differ wildly between people.
What motivates you will not motivate me. and that is perfectly fine. There is nothing wrong with this.
First, the claim that as you mature you will be more motivated by heaven than by hell is unfounded because there is no biblical backing for this idea.
And that really should be the end of the discussion. If there is no biblical backing for an idea, it is just speculation and personal perspective.
And that is all this idea is: speculation and perspective.
Not fact.
Not reality.
Not Bible-based teaching.
Just the whimsical idea of some college-aged Bible major who doesn’t want to be afraid of hell because “it doesn’t feel good”.
If God wanted us to be less motivated by fear of hell over time, He would have stated it.
Everything God wants us to do is clearly articulated in scripture. Everything we do in faith is articulated for us [Rom 10:17].
Second, if God was interested in us being unmotivated by hell and more motivated by heaven, then God the Son would not have spent far more time preaching about hell than heaven.
The New Testament teachings of Christ are riddled with warnings about hellfire. Over and over again Christ makes the reality of hell a regular part of His teachings.
Why do you think He does that?
Because hell is MOTIVATING!
Who wants to go to this place called hell as described in the Bible literature? Not a single soul would choose to go there.
The descriptions of hell are vivid. They do generate fear.
But they push the Christians to remain obedient to the commands of God and faithful to the system God has set up.
Hell is operations just as it should have – as a motivator for everyone who is still alive.
Third, hell and heaven are simple motivators operating on the basic human drives – the desire to avoid pain and seek pleasure.
We want to avoid the pain of hell and seek the pain of heaven.
Just like in regular life, either pleasure or pain will motivate us more than the other.
The ratio of motivation will shift day to day, week to week, and year to year. With different seasons of life come different motivating factors. What motivates the young man may not motivate the old man as much.
But the old man should never be so arrogant to think that his specific portfolio of motivation is the correct one.
Neither should the young man, for that matter.
Do not worry about how your motivations portfolio looks right now. It will change over time and will never be consistent.
All that matters is if you consistently obey the commands and teachings of God. What motivates you to obey is essentially irrelevant based on all available biblical metrics.
Fourth, heaven and hell are not zero-sum motivators – they complement one another.
The motivations to avoid hell and pursue heaven are not opposed. In fact, they are complimentary drives.
We do our best when we simultaneously run from pain and chase down pleasure.
The combination of the motivations leads to the best outcomes.
It does not matter if you are more motivated by heaven or hell or vice versa. All that matters is that you do what is right.
Anyone who suggests that being more motivated by heaven is more noble, righteous, or mature is simply making up nonsense that is not found in scripture.
“The fear of hell is the basis for the Christian faith.”