Fear vs. Love

          During the Great Awakening many preachers used different methods to captivate their audience and get their message across. Jonathon Edwards for example uses fear to enforce submission to God throughout the congregation. In his infamous sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", Edwards instills fear in his congregation by describing an angered God that looks upon us with contempt. He then says "The God that holds you over the pit of hell... abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked" (Edwards, 50-51). Edwards approach to the congregation does not capture the essence of who God really is. The word love alone is mentioned 551 times in the bible and the most used bible verse states that "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever shall believe in him shall not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). This loving fatherly image of God is not portrayed in Edwards sermon but rather an all-powerful master that looks upon us with disgust. Furthermore throughout the new testament Jesus teaches the masses that God is love and we should pursue a relationship with Him.    
        However Edwards rejects this idea and insists that God is spiteful towards us. This can cause the congregation to seek salvation just for the reason of avoiding hell rather than pursuing a relationship with God because of his love and mercy for us.  When children are taught under fear and abiding by strict rules (which was how most puritans lived in this time) they tend to be rebellious or find the closest they can get to breaking the rules without actually breaking them. When children are taught under love they genuinely want to obey and bring joy to their parents, and if they make a mistake they are more likely to repent and learn from it. This parallels the way people are taught about God, which is why knowing God as a loving father creates more genuine relationship with Him rather than living in fear that God will smite you any second.
         This all comes into play when we live out our lives. When we see God as the loving father He is , we are likely to follow his will for our lives. Instead of constantly needing a reminder to be kind to others and live a certain way, having a loving relationship with God will mold us in his image, which includes living justly and above all loving others. All in all, Edwards sermon serves as a reminder that fear can work in persuading people to act a certain way, but to truly change someone's heart, love triumphs over fear.