The gospel has the ability to provide freedom from the fear of death.
The last enemy God will destroy will be death.
Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 1 Corinthians 15:24-26 (ESV)
Death may also be the last fear we will face head on in this journey called life. Death lurks in the background of every moment, waiting for its time. The picture of the Grim Reaper knocking at our door tells the story. Adam and Eve opened the door to this enemy when they chose to disobey God, giving Satan permission to invade all our lives. The wages of sin is death, and God will not be mocked. We all will reap our wages because we all are sinners. Should we be afraid of death or should we regard it as a natural part of life, as unavoidable as taxes and as inconsequential as the sun coming up in the morning?
Death is unnatural, and God calls it an enemy. Our Lord never intended for us to experience death.
Mercifully, God did not walk away from us when we turned our backs on him. He determined from the outset to defeat Satan and death on our behalf.
He promised us that one of Eve’s children would crush the head of the serpent, but at great cost to himself. The serpent would bite his heel.
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:15 (ESV)
Overcoming this enemy came at a great price, the death of God’s only Son. Jesus defeated death by dying and rising again.
Death could not be avoided. Jesus faced, experienced, and conquered it through the cross and the resurrection.
Many people live as if they never expect to die, pushing out of their minds their inevitable demise, as if not thinking about it will make it go away. King Solomon warned us:
None of us can hold back our spirit from departing. None of us has the power to prevent the day of our death. There is no escaping that obligation, that dark battle. And in the face of death, wickedness will certainly not rescue the wicked. Ecclesiastes 8:8 (NLT)
Since we cannot avoid death, we should prepare for it.
That is why people make the effort to write wills and take other steps to make ready for the inevitable. It is more important that we prepare ourselves spiritually. Amos the prophet spoke this ancient warning to Israel, which applies to us today: “Prepare to meet your God in judgment.” (Amos 4:12)
Death is God’s judgment against sin, but there will follow another judgment on the other side of death.
Jesus warned us that we should fear that and prepare for it.
Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. 5 But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear. Luke 12:4–5 (NLT)
If we do not face the fear of death and conquer it, it will capture us.
Thankfully, Jesus has done all the heavy lifting on our behalf.
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. Hebrews 2:14-15 (ESV)
When Jesus died on our behalf, the Bible says that we were included in that death.
For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; 15 and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (NASB)
For all of this to make sense, we must realize that there are two deaths, a physical one and a spiritual one.
All must die physically because God’s beautiful creation is under judgment for Adam’s sin. In addition, those who do not put their faith and allegiance in Christ will experience what the Bible calls the “second death,” which is an eternal spiritual death apart from God’s presence, who is the source and sustainer of life.
Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:14-15 (ESV)
Jesus promised that all who put their faith and allegiance in him will never experience the second death.
Paul taught that God has removed us from the domain of darkness and death and transferred us into his kingdom of light and life. (Colossians 1:13) Jesus confirmed this truth, as recorded below.
I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. John 5:24 (NLT)
Later Jesus explained himself in more detail to one of his followers named Martha following his friend Lazarus’ death.
Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” John 11:25-26 (NLT)
Here Jesus promised that life continues after death, spiritually and eventually physically in the resurrection.
Our Lord made the glorious promise that believers will never experience the eternal second death. We who trust in him will never die, not really. We simply transition from earth to heaven when the body expires.
Those who put their faith and allegiance in Christ are united with him spiritually (1 Corinthians 6:17). Therefore, wherever Jesus is, so are we. Colossians tells us that Christ is seated on God’s throne in heaven, which is where we are likewise seated. (Colossians 3:1-3. See also Ephesians 2:6.) This means that, just as Christ told us in John 5:24, we have already passed from death to life. We are already in God’s presence in heaven in the Spirit.
When we believers die, we do not spiritually die or go anywhere. I believe that we simply “wake up” in heaven, where we have been spiritually all along.
Our bodies may die and decompose, but the spiritual part of us never dies. One day the body will be raised in a glorious new form that will no longer be subject to death.
For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.” John 6:40 (NLT)
In John 11:26, Jesus asked Martha if she believed his words. Now we must ask ourselves the same question. The gospel provides the antidote to the fear of death, but will we believe and receive it? Those who do are delivered from their slavery to the fear of death. Hallelujah!
