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Every 4th of July we celebrate our
freedom from tyranny and domination. But possessing freedom as a citizen
in our democratic society does not equate to freedom from the fear of
death. The Scriptures provide a permanent solution for the true freedom
from the fear of death.
For some of us, the
dread of death is caused by the certainty of it, together with the
uncertainty of what happens after we die. But for others who deny the
reality of an eternal life, the fear of death may seem foolish. Yet,
there are some who do believe in life after death but, because of their
view that God is all-compassionate and all-loving, they find no reason
to fear. On the contrary, Scriptures give us convincing reasons to be
afraid of death.
Fact Or Fiction
We need to be aware of all the facts.
For example, Daniel 12:2 warns, “Many who sleep in the dust of the
ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace
and everlasting contempt.”
Furthermore, similar warnings are
given in the New Covenant. Hebrews 10:31 reiterates, “It is a terrifying
thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Some may then think
that it is only Bible believers that hold to the certainty of life after
death, but traditional Judaism shares a similar concern for the
hereafter. In the Talmud we read about the desperation of a rabbi, who
realized that he was facing eternity unprepared: “When Rabban Johanan
ben Zakkai fell ill, his disciples said to him: Why do you weep? He
replied: I am being taken before the supreme King of Kings, the Holy
One, blessed be He, who lives and endures forever and ever, whose anger,
if He is angry with me, is an everlasting anger, if He imprisons me
imprisons me forever, if He puts me to death puts me to everlasting
death, when there are two ways before me, one leading to Paradise and
the other to Gehenna, and I do not know by which I shall be taken, shall
I not weep?” (Berachoth 28b)
But can any of us
be certain of our eternal destiny before we die? Scriptures give us
assurance. Because of God’s eternal love for us, He wants us to be
prepared for eternal life with Him. God also provided all that is
necessary for us to face death fearlessly. How can we be ready for such
an event? Hebrews 2:14-15 states, “Therefore, since the children share
in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that
through death He might nullify him who had the power of death, that is,
the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject
to slavery all their lives.”
Messiah Conquered
Death
In God’s sight, all
people, regardless of their ethnicity, are seen as one, as the phrase
“sharing flesh and blood” indicates. We all have the same human
limitations. All of us are perishable, frail, and fallible. Since
Messiah came in a human form as the Son of Man, He can understand our
problems, as a fellow sufferer. On the other hand, because He is the Son
of God, He is able to do something about our human frailty, as the
writer of Hebrews reassures us, “He Himself likewise also partook of the
same.” If He came only as the Son of God, he would not be able to die,
for God cannot die. However, because He shared in “flesh and blood,” He
could die. Through His death as the Passover Lamb, His sinless sacrifice
was sufficient to satisfy the wrath of God’s judgment upon the sins of
all people; He delivered us from bondage of the fear of death. We are
all sinners. And because of our sin, Satan, who is also called “the
accuser of the brethren” (Rev. 12:10) used God’s own absolute righteous
justice to accuse us. The best news of all is that our accuser’s legal
ground was nullified by Messiah’s death as the ultimate atonement for
our sins. Paul’s words from Romans give us assurance of God’s
justification as it’s written, “Who will bring a charge against God’s
elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns?
Messiah Yeshua is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, and who is at
the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us!” (Rom. 8:33 -34).
Satan can no longer legitimately accuse those who put their trust in the
Lord, and we can rejoice over the fact that “death is swallowed up in
victory (1 Cor. 15:54).”
Free At Last!
Furthermore, in
Hebrews 2:15 Messiah died that we might not only to be free from the
fear of death, but also that we might live as free men as it also
reiterated in John 8:36, “If the Son will make you free, you will be
free indeed.” However, it is not always easy to live out the new
reality of a fear-free lifestyle that Messiah provides. Just as a past
traumatic experience has a present reaction, so the “fear of death” is a
residual effect of sin. Sin enslaves you through bad habits, which in
turn results in a guilt-ridden conscience. As believers, even though we
are free from the chains of slavery to sin, the habits and the fears can
remain.
God’s Love Casts
Out All Our Fears
We can be compared to a baby elephant,
which is tied to a small post, and trained never to transgress the
distance of the rope. Even after the elephant grows into a mighty animal
that could effortlessly break free, he continues to be bound to the
limit set by the rope. Likewise, Satan’s threats can be compared to the
rope tied to a post. We have the power and the protection of our God
Almighty. Satan’s threats are empty and powerless. Let us not succumb to
his threats and not yield to the fears all over again. We need to live
in the truth of God’s unfailing love for us, because His love will cast
out all our fears.
Therefore, let us celebrate with
confidence our true freedom that we have been granted through faith in
Messiah and value the liberty that His love provides.
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