My comment on presenting the gospel thru the teaching of sin and hell is from my own testimony. I was exposed to the gospel of love many many times throughout my life and could never seem to grasp what it was. One Christmas a relative gave me one of the easy read bibles as a gift so as I had no clue as to where to begin reading I turned to the last chapters to see what the ending of this book was. Now I know there are many interpretations of what revelation is saying and that it can be very difficult to understand, but as someone who understood nothing of scripture I will tell you that I understood the message of hell, damnation, judgment, and eternal punishment. I was so afraid of my coming doom that I began to ask everyone I knew what they knew about this. Now the people I knew were as ignorant to biblical truths as I was so mostly they just thought I was nuts. My fear grew to the point where I would have nightmares of giant insects stinging and tormenting me ,about a lake of fire reserved for me and eternal punishment. I continued to ask how I could escape this judgment even going to church, but the sermons and people never had any impact. Until one day while in church during worship I was doing my usual standing there wondering what I was doing when I began to look at the people. As they sang many had eyes closed, with hands in the air some had tears rolling down there face completely lost in worship. It was then I decided just to close my eyes and listen, as I stood there waiting something incredible happened. It was as if the congregation had moved somewhere behind me I could still here them but it was as if they were far away. As i stood there it was as if two doors on the bottom of my feet opened up and all the fear, worry, and cares of life fell thru them. Behind them came a peace that I could never explain overtook me I remember hearing a voice saying This is what I have for you. The next thing I remember is I started weeping and this is when my brain kicked back into gear and not wanting anyone to see me crying I opened my eyes and everything was just as it had been, except Jesus had called my name.
Now you would think that this would be enough to turn anyone to God but I just went
on with life the same as I always had only there was one difference, Jesus continued to call even though I had not entered a church for about 2 years after this experience. I could be in a bar or at a party drunk and high on drugs having a good time when all of a sudden He would visit me with that same call he gave at the church that day. I continued like this until one morning I decided to go back to the church that I had the experience with Christ. The Pastor preached his sermon and I remember nothing of the content but he did give an alter call and even though I had no idea what or why I was doing I raised my hand and responded. Now I could write for ever on the change in my life from that day on for the last 18 years I have served in His Kingdom Knowing the absolute love and mercy and grace that God has to offer. My point in writing is that it was the fear of hell and judgment that caused me to search for a way out , even though I was asking all the wrong people and searching in places where there were no answers God heard me he saw that I was searching for Him and he sent his Son thru the Holy spirit to call me. You see my fear of death got me asking and searching for answers. It was thru fear that I found the everlasting love of My God and My Saviour and I now have no fear of death, or hell, or punishment but the beautiful expectation of an eternity with Him. God alone knows each persons heart whether saved or unsaved He knows how to turn our hearts to Him, and the good news is that he has given me His Spirit so I can know how to reach a heart. 1 Cor 1:22 and Isaiah 55:8-9 talks about how Gods ways and wisdom go far beyond our understanding I for one an extremely happy that God doesn't fit in the boxes we try to put Him in with all our wisdom because I probably would still be lost. The ways that God reaches people for salvation are countless and many times make no sense to us,but thru His Holy Spirit we can know what it takes to reach people because we know that God is the author of their lives and we only need to ask him and he will tell us Matthew 7:7.
It would be very easy for me to believed the only way to reach people for Christ is thru warnings of fear and judgment because of my experience of salvation The bible tells me that the letter of the law kills but it is the spirit gives life, without the Holy Spirit our doctrines bring death and destroy the unity of the believers which is the power of the Kingdom of God on earth. All of our wisdom and doctrinal stands must be sifted thru the life giving power of Gods Holy Spirit otherwise it is human wisdom and has no power to save.