Continually Sharpening

A theological blog by Dr. Janelle Zeeb

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Christians Should Not Fear Death

If there's anything obvious about the world in 2020 and 2021, it's that fear of death is everywhere (especially in the media).

Incredible precautions are taken against an illness that kills only a very small percentage of people who get it, many of whom were already ill with other conditions. The true chance of dying from this illness is reduced even further once we consider that the official statistics do not include unreported cases which could be many times greater than the recorded ones.

To me, it seems the fear of death has increased almost to the point that it seems our society has become convinced that no one should die from anything, anywhere, for any reason. Leaders are willing to shut down economies, schools, and international travel, destroy individuals' social lives and finances, and even deny people their basic human rights, all to avoid the small chance of someone somewhere dying from a generally mild illness.

As a Christian, all of this makes no sense to me. Christians are not supposed to be afraid of death, and large percentages of people in many countries around the world identify as Christian.1 In Canada and the USA, about 65-70% of people are supposedly Christian. However, if you were go out and survey people in these countries to see if they're afraid of death, I'm sure almost everyone would say that they are.

The only answer I can think of to explain why this situation exists is that, apparently, many Christians have forgotten that we should not fear death.

So by way of reminder, I've written this post to encourage Christians that while we should not intentionally seek death, death is no longer to be feared because Christ has conquered death for us.

Additionally, Christians have many incredible promises from God to look forward to regarding resurrection and eternal life. These promises should give us confidence even if the worst comes and we have to face martyrdom for our faith.

Physical Death Is (Mostly) Unavoidable

Because our first parents Adam and Eve sinned, all humanity has become subject to physical death (Romans 5:12), because death is the penalty for sin (Romans 6:23, James 1:15) and all have sinned (Romans 3:23, Isaiah 53:6).

As a result, as I've written about here in more detail, God is just when he chooses to kill any person. Ultimately, eternal death is what individuals are destined for if they finally refuse to accept Jesus' death for their sins.

Unless Christians today are fortunate enough to be alive when Jesus returns at the Rapture, sooner or later, every one of us will die. Historically, there were only two people recorded in the Bible who did not die and were taken up directly to heaven: Enoch (Genesis 5:24) and Elijah (2 Kings 2:11).

Thus, except for the above exceptions, every single person will die sometime from something.

We might have the time to see death coming, get our affairs in order, and say our goodbyes to our loved ones, or it could happen with no warning at all. It's hard to say which option I'd pick, if I could choose. (Personally, though, I'm hoping for option 3: the Rapture).

But the reality is that, unless we receive personal direct revelation from God about how long we'll live—like Hezekiah and Simeon did (Isaiah 38:5, Luke 2:26)—we have no idea whether we'll even take our next breath or have another heartbeat (e.g. Luke 12:19-20). Just look at Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:5, 5:10), or Herod (Acts 12:23) as examples of people who had no idea that in the next instant they would be dead.

However the Christian hope has always been about bodily resurrection.

Thus, like Job, all Christians should be able to confidently say:

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. (Job 19:25-27)

This is because Jesus has already defeated death for us, and one day he will finally destroy death once and for all.

Jesus Has Defeated Death, and Will Destroy Death

The Bible tells us that Jesus has ultimately defeated death for us, to set us free from the power of death:

We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. (Romans 6:9-10)

In Christianity, the symbolic act of water baptism that is highly encouraged (but not required) for all Christians (Matthew 28:19) represents the spiritual death of the old person we were before and the spiritual birth of the new person we became the moment we believed in Jesus as our savior (2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 1:13-14). The first moment of belief is when the Holy Spirit came to indwell us (Acts 10:44-48, Matthew 3:11, Luke 3:16, Ephesians 1:13-14).

Through the spiritual union we now have with Jesus through the indwelling Holy Spirit, we share in Christ's death, and thus, because of his resurrection, our bodily resurrection is also guaranteed:

  • "If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you" (Romans 8:11).

  • "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his" (Romans 6:3-5).

  • "For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death" (1 Corinthians 15:22-26).

  • Jesus came so that "through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery" (Hebrews 2:14-15). Note here that fear of death leads to lifelong slavery, but Jesus has come to deliver us from it.

Death and hell will finally be destroyed after the final judgment of all people who have ever lived (Revelation 20:14). Then, everyone throughout history who is saved will have either been resurrected and/or changed from mortal to immortal in the twinkling of an eye:

For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 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." "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:53-56)

All that will be left for God's redeemed people is an eternity in the New Heaven and New Earth where God "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" (Revelation 21:4).

Therefore, death's days are numbered.

For Christians, Death is Far Better than Temporal Life

In addition to knowing that death is not the ultimate end for God's people, there are some surprising verses that talk about the benefits we get if we die.

The moment any Christian dies, even though our bodies stay here until being resurrected at the same time as the Rapture occurs (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17), at the moment of death our spirits go to be with Jesus in heaven:

So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:6-8)

Did you catch that? Paul says Christians should actually prefer to be away from our bodies and at home with the Lord!

This was not a one-time comment by Paul. When he was being held in prison and wasn't sure whether he would be released or would be executed, he wrote:

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. (Philippians 1:21-24)

So yes, dying and being with Christ is FAR BETTER than remaining in this world, at least, for the individual Christian who dies.

However, this certainly doesn't endorse suicide. Our death is not better for those we leave behind who will miss the contributions that we could make to the community of faith. Since Christians are called to love others, we should emulate Paul and remain here to serve others with the time we have, for which we'll be rewarded eternally (1 Corinthians 3:11-15).

But let's return to Paul's argument that for individual Christians, dying and being with Christ is far better than staying alive on earth. These are some pretty bold claims. What basis does Paul have for these statements?

In 2 Corinthians chapter 12, Paul says that fourteen years ago he knew a man who was caught up to the third heaven or paradise. Here, "he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter." Paul repeats that he's not sure whether this experience happened while the man was still in his body, or out of it. (2 Corinthians 12:1-4).

Yet we know this man was Paul, because only a few sentences later he says God gave him a "thorn in the flesh" after this experience in order to keep him humble, due to the "surpassing greatness of the revelations" he had during this time (2 Corinthians 12:7).

So it appears that Paul either had a near-death experience or else a vision where he saw things in heaven that were far too amazing for him to describe, which were so great that he felt he couldn't talk about them.

Because of the hope he gained from this vision, he wrote "For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities" (2 Corinthians 12:10). A similar statement is made when he writes "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Romans 8:18).

Elsewhere, Paul writes "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him," (1 Corinthians 2:9, NKJV). Yet "God has revealed them to us through His Spirit" (1 Corinthians 2:10, NKJV).

Here's just a few things God has promised to you if you have believed in Jesus as your savior:

  • A spiritual body that is imperishable/immortal, strong, glorious (1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 52-53), and similar to Jesus' glorified body (1 Corinthians 15:49) which we get a glimpse of in Revelation 1:14-16. Our glorified bodies will be so much better than our current bodies that Paul says our current bodies are like flimsy tents, while in comparison our eternal bodies will be like durable buildings (2 Corinthians 5:1-4).

  • A place/room/mansion (depending on the Bible translation you use) in the Father's house which is being prepared for us by Jesus (John 14:2-3). John later reveals that this will be somewhere in the New Jerusalem described in Revelation 21:10-27. This city is described as being made of clear gold and built on foundations of many precious jewels. God himself will live in the city with us, and thus the city will not need any sun or light because God will be its light. The footnote to Revelation 21:16 in the ESV says the length of one of the city's sides is about 1330 miles (2140 km) and the city will be the same height as it is wide. So there will be more than enough space for everyone to have their perfect eternal home that God has created for each of us who believe in Jesus.

  • Heavenly rewards for all the good things we've done in our lives or how we served Christ. These rewards will be as valuable as gold and precious jewels (1 Corinthians 3:11-14, Colossians 3:23-24) and are referred to as an inheritance that is "imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you" (1 Peter 1:3-5, see also Matthew 6:19-20, Romans 8:16-17, Ephesians 1:18). Even the smallest good work like giving a cup of water to someone in Jesus' name will be rewarded (Matthew 10:42).

  • Faithful Christians who have served God in this life will be rewarded by ruling with Christ over cities in the Millennium and/or eternity on the New Earth. We'll also have authority to judge the world and even judge angels (Luke 19:17-19, 2 Timothy 2:12, 1 Corinthians 6:2-3, Revelation 2:26-27, 5:10, 20:4).

  • The Church made up of all true Christians will be somehow even further united with Jesus, similar to how a man and woman are united in marriage (Ephesians 5:31-32, Revelation 19:6-10, 21:2). Jesus promises that everyone who is resurrected or raptured will be with Jesus forever (1 Thessalonians 4:17), and God will dwell with us in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:3).

One of my favourite books that I recommend if anyone wants to get excited about what our eternal life on the New Earth will be like is called Heaven by Randy Alcorn. It's easy to find and is still very popular.

While his book is occasionally a little speculative, on the whole I think it's useful to clear away any fears we might have that eternal life will be boring or bland, or at worst, so unimaginable and different that we would rather hang onto this life here at all costs. Probably heaven will be even better than what Alcorn pictures, but it's a good starting point for Christians to begin getting excited about what our eternity will be like.

Christians Can Face Martyrdom With Joy

Because of all these amazing promises that we have to look forward to, Christians in the past have been able to face death courageously and without fear. Jesus said:

I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! (Luke 12:4-5)

So basically, the thing that everyone (especially unsaved people) should really take seriously is the possibility of God's judgment, not physical death.

Christians in the early church had to start facing death for their beliefs on a regular basis. The first Christian martyr was Stephen, as recorded in Acts 7:54-60. The term "martyr" in Biblical Greek actually means witness,2 and was used to describe people who witnessed to Christ through being put to death for not giving up on their faith. Eventually, all of the Apostles except for John died martyrs deaths,3 although John was also tortured and exiled at various points in his life.

One of the early records of martyrdom faced by early church Christians is a document called "The Martyrdom of Perepetua." It tells about the last days of several young people in Carthage, North Africa who became Christians and were killed in 202 or 203 AD.4

They were arrested at a time when it was illegal to become Christian and were held in jail while they were put on trial. Yet they refused to renounce their faith, and so they were sentenced to death. Eventually they were taken to be executed in a Colosseum-like arena where they fought wild animals including a leopard and a mad cow, and were finally killed by gladiators.5

During their time in prison, the brand-new Christians were given several visions of heaven which gave them the courage to hold onto their faith, even though they knew it would lead to their deaths. However, they weren't afraid at all. In fact, when they were finally taken into the arena they were singing songs of victory.6

This is just one historical example of how Christians in the past were not afraid of facing even a violent and painful death. Other possibly historical examples of Christians who were tortured or killed for their faith in Christ can be found in Foxe's Book of Martyrs.

Can you believe that Christians in the past could have such courage, but many Christians alive today are afraid of dying from a bad cold? How embarrassing!

Where has our confidence in the truths of resurrection and eternal life gone? No wonder non-Christians today don't seem to think Christianity is something worth taking seriously, and Christians don't think the gospel is something worth sharing with everyone we know!

Ever since the early church, martyrdom of Christians has been ongoing and even increasing. Recently, a study revealed that Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the world, and estimated that in 2016 one Christian died for his or her faith every six minutes!7 This is especially true in Afghanistan today where Christians are facing strong persecution from the Taliban after the disorderly US military withdrawal.8

Yet the greatest number of Christian martyrs is still to come. After the Rapture happens, many people are going to change their minds about the truth of Christianity, but then it will be too late. These new Christians will unfortunately be left behind on earth to undergo the terrible seven-year Tribulation described in Revelation chapters 6 to 19.

Already by the fifth seal judgment, John describes the souls of martyrs arriving in heaven (Revelation 6:9-11).

More martyrs are described in Revelation 7, where John sees

a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" (Revelation 7:9-10)

We know this group are martyrs because John is told that "These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:14).

This mass slaughter of Christians only gets worse as the Tribulation goes on. The Antichrist makes war on the saints (Revelation 13:7) so that they are forced to choose whether to worship the image of the Antichrist and take the Mark of the Beast or be beheaded (Revelation 13:15-18, 20:4). Yet these martyrs will be resurrected at the end of the Tribulation and will rule with Jesus in his Millennial kingdom (Revelation 20:4).

If the Rapture hasn't happened yet and you want to escape having to make such a decision, it's super easy. All you need to do is believe in Jesus as your savior and you can have eternal life for free!

Conclusion

In the end, everyone will have to give an answer to Jesus, who said, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26).

If you have indeed believed in Jesus as your savior, then like Job and Paul, you should be able to confidently answer "YES" to Jesus' question above.

If so, then there is nothing you need to fear,

for I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

Not only that, but we have an incredible eternal future to look forward to which will be better than anything we can imagine now.

If you're a Christian, I would challenge you to think about these promises and absorb them deep into your heart, because this will give you the courage you need to overcome the fear of death that is paralyzing our world today, and will let you give answers to others about the reason for your hope (1 Peter 3:15).

If it becomes necessary, pray that God would give you the courage to stand firm in your faith even unto death, so that you can receive an eternal crown (Revelation 2:10). And if you're reading this after the Rapture has happened, then avoid taking the Mark of the Beast at all costs.

Footnotes:

Tags: eschatology, heavenly rewards, persecution, death
Older: Christians Must Evangelize Or Churches Will Die
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