Freedom From Fear, Part 7:
The Fear of Death ...
Last week, in FREEDOM FROM FEAR, Part 6, we learned
that freedom from fear not only requires faith, but it also that we stop
looking at the storm. If we keep our eyes on God, no matter what new thing
is thrown our way, we will prevail! But isn't this a bit simplistic of a
response for the fears of things that are inevitable? Things like - Death?
The longer I am in this ministry, the more I realize that there are
thousands of Christians out there who fear death.
Why?
I believe there are three primary reasons. First of all, many fear death
because they are unsure of their Salvation. They aren't certain they have
done enough for God, they have confessed enough sin, or they don't feel
worthy of Jesus' sacrifice.
It is an understandable fear. If you are not sure you're going to Heaven,
there's only one other destination and none of us want to go there!
But the Bible tells us that Jesus is "the Way" to Heaven: "Jesus answered,
'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me.'" (John 14:6-7 NIV)
It tells us that belief in Jesus saves: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you
will be saved…" (Acts 16:31 NIV)
The Bible is also clear that there is NOTHING we can do to save ourselves:
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from
yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast."
(Eph 2:8-10 NIV)
This means that keeping the law and doing good deeds won't save us. We can
only be saved by accepting Jesus' gift of Salvation. Therefore, if you have
made Jesus Lord and Savior of your life, there is no reason to fear! Jesus'
sacrifice is enough! You can trust it! When you die, you will go to be with
Him in Glory!
The second reason Christians fear death is that they don't feel their time
is up.
Once again, this type of a fear of death is rooted in lack of faith. The
Bible tells us: "your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for
me were written in your book before one of them came to be." (Ps 139:16 NIV)
God knew before He even created us how long our time would be on Earth!
The Bible also tells us: "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and
knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond
tracing out!" (Rom 11:33-35 NIV) God knows what is best for us, and when His
pre-described number of days is up, He knows that we will be much happier in
Heaven with Him than we could ever be for the rest of our days on Earth!
Remember Ecclesiastes 3:11? "He has made everything beautiful in its time.
He has also set eternity in the hearts of men …" (NIV) We were created for
eternity, friends, and no matter what happens, bad or good, God will make it
beautiful!
The third reason Christians fear death is that there is so much on this
Earth that they haven't yet done seen, or there's so much they feel they
could do for Christ if they were to live.
But is there? Really?
Remember, God knows what awaits you in Heaven, and He knows that what is
there is so far better than the best things we have on Earth, that it cannot
be described in words! All the beautiful things God has given us here on
Earth are but copies of the real. Maybe we will never experience all that
our hearts desire for us to experience on this Earth, but what awaits us in
Heaven is so much more real, so much more enjoyable, so much more
fulfilling!
Remember: Unlike God, we do not see the end from the beginning … "Now we see
but a poor reflection as in a mirror … Now I know in part …" (1 Cor 13:12a
NIV) … But one day we will: "then we shall see face to face ... then I shall
know fully, even as I am fully known." (1 Cor 13:12b NIV)
So the bottom line is this: we fear death because we don't have enough
faith! We doubt that God's ways are best, we doubt that what awaits us after
life is better than what we have here, and we don't truly believe in God's
ability to begin and end our lives at precisely the right moment!
Friends, let's not go through life drug down by the fear of death! This will
only darken our joy here on Earth! Instead, let's put our faith 100% in
Jesus, trusting Him with our Salvation, believing that He knows what is
best, and resting assured that what He has for us in Heaven will far
outshine our wildest imagination here on Earth. Let's embrace the truth that
God knows the precise moments to begin and end our lives, and let's have
100% Faith in His love for us, for "There is no fear in love. But perfect
love drives out fear …" (1 John 4:18a NIV)
In the last several devotionals, we have used the working definition that
fear is rooted in a lack of faith. But doesn't James tell us that faith
without works is dead? Therefore, when we take a stand in faith, shouldn't
we work in a little "insurance" somewhere? Join us next week for FREEDOM
FROM FEAR, Part 8: Insurance!
In His love,
Lyn
Lyn Chaffart, Mother of two teens, Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a
tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to
Christian devotionals and inspirational poems,
www.scripturalnuggets.org,
with Answers2Prayer Ministries,
www.Answers2Prayer.org.