can live and not see death?
Can he
deliver his soul
from the power
of Sheol?
Selah. – Psalm 89:48
As a follower of Christ… I am not afraid of death. I am not afraid of dying. My faith is in Christ.
But the terrors of death are real (Psalm 23:4). Many folk have a very real phobia of death. (Who knows how we develop any phobia!?) An extreme, controlling fear of death is not a lack of faith, but rather – a phobia. Exactly as with other phobias which are inexplicable, some Christians may somehow develop a phobia of death.
In the midst of that phobia, however, the believer can find peace in his or her assurance of salvation in Christ. Our faith can stand strong even while experiencing great fear, because in that moment we place our faith in God.
Of course I don’t want the pain that might go with death. We all fear pain. But the dying is not a pain – it’s a gain. When I leave this body, this earth, this life — I do not lose. I gain:
When I die and they lay me to rest
Gonna go to the place that’s the best
When I lay me down to die
Goin’ up…
– Norman Greenbaum – Spirit In The Sky – YouTube
*I get to finally actually be physically present with the Lord. – 2 Corinthians 5:verse 8
*I finally get rid of this body. – 2 Corinthians 5:verse 8
*This body is a temporary tent – not my final building! – 2 Corinthians 5:verse 1
“a building from God,
a house not made with hands,
eternal in the heavens.”
*I will get a brand new heavenly type of body instead of this decrepit one. – 2 Corinthians 5:verse 1
*I get to go before God’s throne and start my life in heaven. – 2 Corinthians 5:verse 10
2 Corinthians 5:verses 1-10
5 For we know that if [a]the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, 3 inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. 4 For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a [b]pledge.
6 Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— 7 for we walk by faith, not by [c]sight— 8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. 9 Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for [d]his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
– 2 Corinthians 5:verses 1-10
*My courage against death is based on my faith. I walk in the promises of God found in the Bible. He will not fail to keep His promises. – 2 Corinthians 5:verses 7-8
*I am confident because I know I am born again – and thus will inherit the kingdom of God. – 1 Corinthians 15:50-57 -verse 50
*Because I am in Christ – I am confident that nothing can separate me from the love of God. Nothing. I know that I will go to be with Him when I die.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:38-39
*My faith is fixed on He who will not fail:
… I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. – 2 Timothy 1:12
*When I fear anything – I throw it to God in prayer. The sting of death is sin and it’s penalty, but, for me – all that is forgiven and is as far away from me “as the east is from the west”. So… no sting for me! No fear!
7 casting
all
your anxiety
on Him,
because He cares
for you.
– 1 Peter 5:verse 7
50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does [p]the perishable inherit [q]the imperishable. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep [meaning: die], but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised [r]imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this [s]perishable must put on [t]the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when this [u]perishable will have put on [v]the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Corinthians 15:50-57
FOR MORE:
Who_are_You_in_Christ? [This link opens a safe msExcel document: enable editing then type-in your name and click “Enter”]
Verses about Death: (also, see all references)
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