What it truly takes to be saved.. Not what tradition has conditioned your mind to believe.

To know what one is avoiding in HELL by choosing to follow JESUS ( not because you fear Hell, but because you LOVE GOD) is a blessing in the understanding of what it means to have grace extended to you. If you had died before you understood what grace is.. could you possibly have been on your way to hell? Was your heart truly changed? JESUS says there is no middle ground. Our outward actions of morality will not get us in to heaven. (read the sermon on the mound in Matthew 5:1-48) The only way we can be on that path is if our HEART is changed. That means you see yourself the way HE sees you and you are truly sorry for being a closet self righteous religious know it all (SINNER). When you see that then you will truly be born again. You will now see others the way GOD sees them. You have the blessing of having HIS eyes...which is the wisdom that comes along with understanding the meaning of having grace extended to you. GOD doesn't want a shotgun relationship with you.

In other words,  To fear HELL does not necessarily mean you fear GOD. Think about it. GOD does not want you to be scarred into worshipping HIM (would you want someone forced into loving you as a result of fear?). HE wants you to love HIM because HE is GOD! HE wants YOUR HEART!.