"It might be desirable that the boy change his way of living, but boys will do these kinds of things! The first and most important consideration is that the boy not go to the place of torment. I must save him from that horrible fate!"

The emphasis here is not on the desire of the father to receive back his son or that the son change his way of living. The emphasis is on avoiding the prison from which there is no escape. The son's welfare is emphasized but the Father's welfare is not emphasized.

This is the way the Gospel is preached today. There is little stress on a change of behavior, on what God desires, on attaining eternal life. The main point is to save human beings from Hell.

We submit that the emphasis on saving souls from Hell, as being more important than making disciples and teaching them to obey the commandments of the Lord, is coming from Satan.

First because people who through Christ keep the commandments of God are a threat to Satan's kingdom while those who claim to be "saved from Hell by grace" are not.

Second because it is Satan himself who hopes to be saved from Hell. It is Satan's plan to arm humanity, particularly the Christians, against the idea that anyone should be put into Hell. The idea is that no individual, human or angelic, should be confined to a place of endless torment. All must be saved from Hell regardless of whether their behavior pleases God.

If Satan can keep the believers busy telling others how to escape Hell (not how to enter into life with the Father through Jesus but how to avoid punishment), there never will be a Church without spot or wrinkle that will threaten Satan's kingdom.

Also, one day (Satan hopes) the believers will find a way to deliver him from Hell.

This is the force behind the "save souls from Hell" emphasis. It is not scriptural. It is not scriptural because its source is not the Holy Spirit of God but Satan who is inspiring the adamic nature of man to attempt to shield people from the consequences of the sinful, fallen nature of man apart from any change in their behavior.

It is the same spirit that spoke through Peter, encouraging the Lord Jesus to turn away from the harsh judgment of God that had to be borne because of the sin of mankind.

From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. (Matthew 16:21-23)

To be continued.