Pastor Ibiyeomie: Preach God’s Love, Not Hell to Nigerians

Founder and Presiding Pastor of Salvation Ministries, David Ibiyeomie, has urged Christians to emphasise the love and compassion of Jesus Christ when evangelizing to Nigerians facing economic hardship.

Ibiyeomie said many Nigerians were already dealing with difficult economic conditions. He argued that focusing mainly on the consequences of hell may make it harder to reach people with the message of Christ.

He spoke on Sunday while preaching a sermon titled The Power of Compassion, monitored by Vanguard.

According to Ibiyeomie, Christians should demonstrate compassion by reassuring people going through difficult times that God loves them and can change their circumstances.

Imagine telling Nigerians about hell when many of them are already going through what feels like hell. There is no way you will preach hell to Nigerians and anybody will be born again.

“Just tell them God loves you; He can change your story. Come to Jesus. But if you say, ‘You’ll go to hell,’ the man will say, ‘The suffering Wey I dey suffer now, na wetin e be?’

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He argued that such an approach would not win people to Christ, saying a person struggling to afford food or fuel may feel that he is already living in hell.

The pastor said compassion should drive Christians to remind people that Jesus loves them despite the challenges they face. He added that God can extend His mercy to those who turn to Him.

He said compassion should lead Christians to remind people of Jesus’ love and assure them of His mercy despite their circumstances, describing compassion as a powerful way of drawing people to Christ.

Ibiyeomie described God as compassionate and called on Christians to reflect the same character in their dealings with others.

Referring to Psalm 103:8, Ibiyeomie highlighted God’s compassionate and gracious nature, noting that He is slow to anger and rich in love.

He added that God does not define people by their past mistakes or failures. According to him, Christians who have experienced God’s compassion should extend the same compassion to others.

Citing Ephesians 4:32, Ibiyeomie said, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

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The pastor described compassion as a powerful expression of God’s nature. He stressed that it involves more than feeling pity for someone facing hardship.

According to him, genuine compassion has three dimensions: recognizing a person’s situation, caring about what they are going through and taking action to help.

Ibiyeomie also said Christians should not limit acts of compassion to financial assistance. He noted that believers could rely on their faith and other practical means to support people in need.

Citing Acts 3:6, he said Christians can also exercise their faith on behalf of others. He acknowledged that financial support may sometimes be necessary but stressed that true compassion extends beyond money.

source: Vanguard News