Truly Free - Part Four
Set Free From The Fear of Death
Hebrews 2:14 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— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
The fear of death can rule over a person and influence their decision-making.
Fear of dying can cause someone to do things they know they should not do just to avoid the threat of death.
But hallelujah! Praise You, Jesus! We no longer have to fear death, and we especially no longer have to be afraid of the devil who used to hold the power of death. Jesus took that power away from Him!
Paul as an apostle of Jesus, modeled this area of freedom to us.
Philippians 1:21 For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.
When you believe in the gospel of the New Covenant and all that Jesus did, you get set free from the fear of death!
Jesus is your freedom!
The idea of being with Him for all eternity is appealing to such a degree that the greater challenge is remaining here on this earth. This natural life pales compared to the life we have received in Christ.
Paul lived for the reward of glorification! He longed to be with Jesus before the throne. It was not heaven by and by for Paul. It was not streets of gold and mansions for Paul. It was Jesus for Paul. It was the idea of eternity in the presence of the One who had captured his heart and mind with awe.
Being in awe of Jesus to the point of being distracted by Him is what manifests this freedom from the fear of death. It also enables us to authentically celebrate those we know who belong to Jesus but are dearly loved by us and have passed on before us. The idea of their being present with the Lord in glory is not just a fantastical notion or made-up story to take part of the edge off our loss.
When the idea of who Christ is and how wonderful it would be to be with Him in glory is held in true faith, it takes the sting of death away. It equips us as believers to be not merely comforted but maybe even envious of what they have achieved ahead of us. I know that can sound odd or strange at first, but if you meditate upon the idea of what Christ has done, who He is, and how wonderful He is, it begins to make sense.
It also fuels our desire even more, to make sure those we love know Him and are prepared to meet Him when their time comes. I encourage you to get to know Him all the more.
