Gratitude v. Guilt
One of the major implications of our mission statement is how we motivate people to do what the God expects and the Bible commands. Our desire is to motivate people to love and good works primarily through gratitude. We believe that if they are amazed by grace, they will be more in touch with their new heart – a heart that longs to see God’s Kingdom come and God’s will be done. The grace that they have received and their new heart will drive them to do what the Bible teaches from a standpoint of gratitude. The other option is guilt. I often heard it expressed this way, “Jesus died for you. The least you could do is live for him.” This is guilt-based motivation and an example of what we’re trying to avoid.
What do you think? Is there a place for guilt-based motivation?