Is it okay to be afraid to die? What happens to the Christian when he dies?
Many Christians, while not being afraid of being dead, have a fear of dying. Will it hurt? How long will I suffer? What will it feel like to go through the process of dying? Being afraid of something you have never experienced is natural, but believers are assured that when we pass away, we will be in the presence of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:8 says, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” Sometimes we use the expression, “Dying Grace.” This means that when the time comes for a believer to go home to be with the Lord, the Lord’s grace will come and give that person the peace and comfort that he needs to transition from earth to Heaven. My dear mother-in-law passed away nearly two years ago. She was a Godly woman who served the Lord for many years. As the day of her death approached, she not only spoke of having peace, but said several times that she was ready to go to be with the Lord. Psalms 116:15 says, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” To welcome one of his children home is a precious thing to the Lord…not a fearful thing. It’s interesting to find other things in the scriptures that the Lord considers precious and then realize that the death of a saved one is also precious to Him.
Is it okay to be afraid to die? Well, when we realize what the Word says about the believer’s passing, then we should be comforted. The Lord doesn’t want us to be afraid, so let’s take comfort in knowing that when we, as Christians, leave here, we will be in the presence of the Lord, where there is fullness of joy, according to Psalm 16:11.
I will say this, however, without reservation that, “If one is not saved, they should be very afraid to die.” Luke 12:4-5 says, “And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.” To the unbeliever, the Bible says in Hebrews 10:31 – “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” To one who has trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as his savior, to be with Him is will be glorious. To one who dies in his sins, it is a fearful thing. Hebrews 10:27 says that there is, “But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.” If today, you are yet in your sins, you need to know that the Lord Jesus loves you and desires to save you from the penalty of your sins. He says in Matthew 11:28 – “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Does the Lord love you? Certainly He does! John 3:16 assures us of that. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Did the Lord Jesus die for you? Yes he did. 1 John 2:2 says, “He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” 2 Cor. 5:15 tells us that the Lord Jesus, “died for all.” Will the Lord save you? Absolutely. The Lord says in John 6:37 that, “him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” Can you be saved right now? Yes you can. Acts 16:31 says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” If you would like to talk further about your need of salvation, just contact us at answersfromthebook@gmail.com. We will do whatever we can to help you. (2.3)