The fear of death is common, even among Christians. While many people think Christians are not afraid of death, it is not true. Even though Christians know we are going to be with the Lord when we pass away, we are still afraid of the process of dying. The pain and the sadness that come with death can be deeply frightening.
The Bible tells us death stings, “‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:55-57). As Paul tells us in this passage of Scripture, death stings, yet Jesus has defeated death.
Since we know Jesus has defeated death, it is understandable why many people believe Christians are not afraid to die. From a personal point of view, I am not afraid of going to be with Jesus, but I am afraid of the pain of dying. Dying is not natural, as God never intended for us to die.
It is because of the fall of mankind that we now have to face death. God intended for humans to live forever; however, from the moment Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit, sin, and death sprung into being (Genesis 3). Due to the original fall of mankind, we are now faced with the knowledge of death.
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1. It Is Okay to Be Afraid
1. It Is Okay to Be Afraid
If you are afraid of death, know that your fear is normal and valid. As stated, death is not natural. Because it is not natural, we are all often scared of it. Being scared of death does not constitute a lack of Christian growth, nor does it mean you don't have enough faith. Rather, it just means that you are a human with fears, just like everyone else.
Most people have been fearful of death at some point in their life and this includes Christians. Just because we are followers of Jesus does not mean we are immune to fear. The Lord wants to help us with this fear if we allow Him to. By turning to Him and relying on Him, the fear won't be as strong.
For the time being, don't allow your fears to cloud your view of Jesus. The Lord died in order for us to have life in Him (John 3:16-17). When we pass away, we do not enter eternal darkness, nor do we simply cease to exist. Instead, we go to be with Jesus in Paradise. The pain of death is temporary, yet Paradise with the Lord is for all eternity.
Whenever I get frightened by the idea of dying, I remind myself of this truth. Our citizenship is in Heaven, and we eagerly await our Savior (Philippians 3:30). We also need to rest in the promise of the rapture. If the rapture happens during our earthly life, we will not taste death. Instead, we will be transformed into our glorified bodies and taken to be with the Lord without ever dying (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17).
There is a chance the rapture could happen in our life, but if it doesn't, we can still find peace in knowing we will wake up to eternal life because of the Lord. The pain of death and saying goodbye to our loved ones will be hard, but we will see them again in Heaven if they also place faith in Jesus. Within the body of believers, it is never “goodbye.” It is “I'll see you later, friend.”
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2. Seeking Solace in Jesus
2. Seeking Solace in Jesus
When fear becomes unbearable, we need to turn to Jesus. Seek out solace in Jesus and rest in the promise that He will keep you safe. All of the comfort and safety you need is found in the Lord.
The Bible tells us, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). As God tells us in this passage, we do not need to fear. He is with us, and He will help us.
Throughout the Bible, God is constantly telling us to fear not. This is because He is in control, and He will keep us safe. Even when we pass from this life to the next, He will keep us safe. God knows the day when all of us will pass away, and He will rejoice when we are home. Away from the evil world and sin, we, too, will rejoice.
For the time being, we need to set our fears aside and find peace in Jesus. Whenever we feel fears rising in our hearts, we need to go to Jesus in prayer. Tell Him how you are feeling and the fear that is heavy upon your heart. Trust Him with your feelings, and, moreover, trust Him with your life.
When we place faith in Jesus, we are not doing so haphazardly. Instead, we are placing faith in the One who loves us and left Heaven in order to save us from our sins. The Lord has proven Himself faithful and we can trust Him. Death is scary to talk about, but the more we rely on Jesus and trust Him, the less scary it will be. In other words, the more we focus on Jesus, the less we will focus on the fear.
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3. Looking to Jesus Instead of the Pain
3. Looking to Jesus Instead of the Pain
As mentioned, when we pass away, we will face pain. This pain will be in the form of physical pain as well as emotional pain. Depending on the manner in which we pass away, one pain might be worse than the other. Nonetheless, when we pass away, we know there will be pain.
Instead of dwelling on this truth, we need to look to Jesus. In the final minutes of our lives, we need to remember that we are only minutes away from seeing Jesus. This world is temporary, yet God loves us so much that He has chosen us to partake in all of eternity. If God loves us this much, there is nothing He won't do.
Don't be afraid of death, friend. It is not the enemy. As Christians, we have the sure promise of spending eternity with the Lord. The pain that we feel at death will be short compared to all eternity. It can be hard to think in these terms, yet they are true. One day we will be with the Lord, and all of the pain of the past will be healed.
Look to the Lord with a heart of joy and hope. He loves you, and He will ensure you are safely brought home to Him. Whether we live long lives or short lives, we will still go to be with the Lord when we pass away because we have placed faith in Him. At the time of death, we will remember that we lived for Christ and we ran the good race (2 Timothy 4:6-8).
Until then, keep running the good race and following Jesus. Fears will still creep into your mind at times. Allow them to be felt, and then allow them to pass. Remind yourself God is in control and death is just a gateway to spending eternity with the Lord and with all of our fellow believers. Take heart and be strong in the Lord (Psalm 27:14).
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4. Looking Forward to the New Heaven and New Earth
4. Looking Forward to the New Heaven and New Earth
It is normal to be afraid of death, but try to remember that we are moving on from this world to the next. When we pass from this world to the next, we will be welcomed with open arms by the Lord. He will welcome us home and keep us forever safe in His arms. When we look at things from this perspective, death isn't as scary anymore. The pain of death will not last long, and then we will be before the Lord.
Moreover, we are also awaiting the New Heaven and the New Earth (Revelation 21). Within the New Heaven and New Earth, there will be no more pain, death, or tears (Revelation 21:4). There will only be eternal happiness, joy, and praise. All of the fears you are facing today will not exist in a hundred years from now. Even if we all live to be one hundred years old, it is nothing compared to eternity.
Look forward to eternity with the Lord and trust Him with the day of your death. All of us will die one day, yet we don't have to be afraid. The pain of death will come and then we will be in Heaven. Whenever I get afraid of dying, I start meditating on this truth. We will be with the Lord one day and all the pain we are experiencing now will be something of the past.
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5. Knowing That Things Truly Never End
5. Knowing That Things Truly Never End
Many of us are afraid of death because we think there is a chance that we could be wrong. We think, “Maybe we are wrong about eternal life? Maybe everything does end?” However, as Paul says, “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14).
We are not without hope because we will rise from the dead in the future. Until this time, we will be with the Lord in Heaven. Our life on this earth will end, yet eternity will last forever. No matter how big our fears may be on this earth, we know that they will not last for all eternity. Life will continue on after death and this is only because of the Lord.
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Originally published January 10, 2025.
