Fear of death

 BY Argie Simonis

The fear of death is something that paralyzes many people, even christians . This happens for two main reasons:

1. Many believe that death is something final and the worst thing that can happen to a person, 

and

2. Many also believe that if they do not take care of themselves, there is no one else who will do it for them, and they act as if there is no God who promises justice and protection over us.

Let's see what Jesus said to His disciples:

"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"

Matthew 16:25‭-‬26

Are we willing to compromise our moral values and our faith to avoid the world's resentment and rejection?

Are we to sacrifice our souls on the altar of personal gain, even if it is to save our own lives?

Without the faith and self-sacrifice of our ancestors who gave their lives fignting for freedom, we would still be enslaved as a nation. Without the faith and self-sacrifice of all those who gave their lives in the 2 world wars, we would be under a fascist yoke. Without Jesus' obedience in the Father's will and His sacrifice on the cross, the whole world would still be enslaved to sin.

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge"

Hosea 4:6 

What the Lord is telling us here is that ignorance kills. God's word is a treasure of knowledge that opens our eyes and frees us from the bondage of fear:

"And we have known and believed the love that God has to us. God is love; and he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him.

Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear has torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love." 1John 4:16-18

When we see our earthly life from the perspective of eternity and realize the true meaning of eternal life as Jesus describes it (John 17:3), then it is not unlikely that we will have the same dilemma as the apostle Paul:

"... according to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith; that your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again."

Philippians 1:20‭-‬26 

The same Spirit with which Paul wrote us all these truths lives in us. We live in wicked times and we are already experiencing all these signs of the last days that John writes to us in the book of Revelation.

We are called every day to make decisions that chalenge our morality and our faith. 

Faith is not magically produced overnight. It is our daily decisions, small and big, that strengthen our faith and shape our character for the difficult years to come. On this will depend who submits to the antichrist when he comes as a world leader and forces the world to either take the mark and worship him to save his life or resist and suffer persecution, even unto death.

 

I hope all this is food for meditation and prayer and I pray the Lord to lead us in a way that our decisions and our lives will make us the light and the salt we are called to be in a world that is getting deeper and deeper into darkness.

Amen 🙏

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