Death is what most of us fear. In fact, humans as we are, try to avoid death as much as we can. For example, we avoid planning our death because the mere thought of it can ruin our state of mind.
In fact, the extension of human life is something that many are trying to achieve. One of the reasons we fear death is that we tend to worry about what will become of our families when we leave this world. Another reason is that we fear our destination after death.
The question of where we are going — heaven or hell — is one of the many reasons why death is something most of us never discuss and even fear.
However, death should not be a subject of fear for Christians. Christians living a Christ-centered life with a counter-cultural mindset should never fear death. In fact, death should be embraced, and even discussed by Christians for many reasons.
Why is this the case? There are three major reasons why Christians should never be scared to die. Let us discuss this in detail.
1. Jesus Left Heaven for Us
The first reason why we, as Christians, should never be scared to die is because of Jesus. Jesus became human for us so that we will have the hope of being in Paradise with Him forever.
In Hebrews 2:14, as written, “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death — that is, the devil.” This verse clearly states that Jesus became human to break the fear of death.
God mandated this to happen. He gave His only begotten Son to us so that we may never fear death anymore. It is the greatest gift one could ever have in any human life.
Unlike Jesus, we are born of flesh and blood. For this reason, we have a physical body that deteriorates as we age and as we experience the stresses of life. Jesus is not like this because He is God.
However, when He was incarnated, He became like us, flesh and blood, so that He could cancel out our fear of death despite our physical body’s deterioration. This means that even when we die, our spirits will live with Him as long as we accept His salvation.
2. Jesus Has Defeated the Devil
The second reason for not fearing death is the fact that upon incarnation and resurrection, Jesus defeated the devil. If we go further in Hebrews 2, we can read that [Jesus] “free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death” (Hebrews 2:15).
Jesus literally freed us from fear itself. We were once enslaved by fear but when Jesus came, He redeemed us from that slavery.
The devil is a cunning being that used death to enslave us. Before the coming of Jesus, the devil used death to create fear and havoc amongst humans about where they will go after death.
However, Jesus died and rose from the dead, canceling death as the end to life. Instead, Jesus showed to the world that salvation is a reality and attainable through Him.
Physical death is not the end, rather, the beginning of what will become of us if we follow Jesus, and that is eternal happiness with Him and our Father in Heaven.
As a result, Jesus defeated the devil’s ill intent of using death to enslave us because He showed us the possibilities of life after physical death, which is with Him.
3. Jesus Delivered Us from the Fear of Death
The third reason why we should never fear death is because Jesus literally takes a hold of our lives as long as we follow Him.
If we do not have Christ in our lives, we literally are afraid of death, but if we accept Jesus in our lives as our Lord and Savior, every fear of the outcome of our lives comes to pass.
In 1 Corinthians 15:54, we can read, “When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.'”
Literally, we are victorious when we have Jesus in our lives and that includes victory in death. Our worries about what we might become after death will come to pass because we have the knowledge that we will sit with Him in heaven as long as we receive and follow Him.
In Revelation 21:4, we can read that “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
In this verse, Jesus literally wipes our pain away. We will not mourn once we die because we know that there is eternal happiness in heaven with Him.
It is very comforting to know that we will be with Jesus after we depart from our physical body because we know that, in Jesus, we are free from all the worries of the next life, and instead, we have the serenity finally in our grasp.
Why Should We Not Fear?
Christians should never fear death because Jesus is with us. Jesus is the reason why death is canceled, and the defeat of the devil happened.
He is also the reason why our sins are redeemed and that we have come to know salvation. He is salvation from death itself.
For this reason, we have to have a positive mindset when it comes to discussing death and we have to prepare ourselves for that time by being spiritually ready by following Jesus. Our readiness will matter when we face life after death.
For further reading:
Why Did Jesus Leave Heaven for Us?
What Is the Significance of ‘Jesus Wept’ in the Face of Death?
Why Has God Not Given Us the Spirit of Fear?
What Does it Mean to be a Slave to Sin?
What Is More Important, the Death of Christ or His Resurrection?
What Is the Meaning of Gehenna in the Bible?
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/dragana991
Glory Dy has been a content creator for more than 10 years. She lives in a quiet suburb with her family and four cats.
