Why is death a feared thing?

[micah7:9]

The only thing I fear about death is leaving my daughter and wife behind and them having to hurt.  My aunt died right before christmas last year, I was a little jealous of her.  Don't worry I'm not suicidal, I just am tired of this world (and I'm only 33).  If my whole family were on a plane together and it went down, I would be happy, I just wouldn't want to leave anyone behind to mourn.

Wonderfully said. I think your reason is probably the real reason, I to fear more of the pain and hurt of a loved one that's left with the memories. I have a grandson who is 6 and when my passing comes its the hurt he will feel that troubles me the most.

[shawn]

I fear death for several reasons.  One is that I don't want my children to grow up without a dad.  I also don't want to leave my wife or experience any pain associated with death.

Also, if I look real hard and I'm really honest, I fear God's judgment.  And as much as I believe my sins have been bought and paid for by Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the Cross...I have a side of myself that fears God handing out justice rather than grace to me.  I fear disappointing God, and feeling His disappointment up close and personal.

So while I have some spiritual insights, there is a part of me that just doesn't get it.  There are still walls in my spirit that keep me from freedom and fully embracing God's love and grace.  And in the end, I think that is why I personally fear death more than anything else.

Have you been reading my personal notes?

To me, I think much of it has to do with personality, how we're raised and influenced as to how we think and view things.    Like Shawn said, I have different parts of me that see it different ways;  one part can think it through and see all the reasons it's good, the other can think it through and see "reasons" to be fearful.

Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will imagine confusing things. Proverbs 22:33

It's why we need to keep our focus on Him, His grace, His abilities, love, His promises, etc... renewing our minds in Him.  I know first-hand it's more of a challenge for some than for others.

I agree...it's very tough getting those early childhood thoughts out of our heads.

[happycheeks]

Why are men afraid of death?
Why do we who claim to love the Lord and all that He says is true, why do we fight the unexpected end called death?
Why is death a feared step in our walk?
Is death the end?
Does death mean its over when a soul quits breathing?

In my opinion.... People are scared of death because they don't know what's on the other side. Death isn't the end. It's a start of something great. I'm not scared of death myself.

[Cardinal]

Having looked "it" in the eye several times in my life, I don't fear it, and neither did I fear it before I knew the Lord. I asked Him specifically once, how the scripture "man is in bondage to the fear of death all of his days" applied to me, since I knew I wasn't.

The answer is: man is in bondage to the fear of DYING TO SELF all of his days (and I definitely was that). And we are told that man is appointed ONCE to die, and then the judgment. So it seems to me that if you die to self, that counts as ONCE.

So I maintain that if those that are called to overcome the last ENEMY, view it as anything less than what it is, ie. an enemy, then that is making a covenant with death. And since we know that our enemies are not flesh and blood, but principalities and powers of the air, ie. SPIRITS, then why would we want to allow another spirit to rule over us, literally, to death?

He wouldn't even let me take out life insurance, because He quickened to me it was making a covenant with death. And I know of one other person, He gave the same thing to. Going into the "promised land" means going in ALIVE, the ones that didn't make it in because of unbelief, DIED.

Further, He told the Israelites, that if they would obey His statutes and His commandments, He would put none of the curses of the Egyptians on them. Death of the firstborn = first born of the FLESH, then born of the Spirit. Death is a CURSE. Jesus came to reverse all the curses, including death, and I have to believe that if mortality is swallowed up of immortality, then some are not going to put off these garments but rather are to be METAMORPHOOED. The giants, they be bread for us. I'm encouraging myself in the Lord here. My two cents......blessings....

[jabcat]

Why are men afraid of death?
Why do we who claim to love the Lord and all that He says is true, why do we fight the unexpected end called death?
Why is death a feared step in our walk?
Is death the end?
Does death mean its over when a soul quits breathing?

In my opinion.... People are scared of death because they don't know what's on the other side. Death isn't the end. It's a start of something great. I'm not scared of death myself.

There certainly is an "unknown" factor HC, I agree.  Personally, I think it's better than most of us have been taught to fear. 

There are varying views/interpretations on it.  In the following scriptures, I personally see a main thread running - hope and trust, confidence that God is good and watches over His own.  That's the blessed hope, that through knowing Him we will stand in His presence ready, covered by His blood - therefor counted as righteous.  It's the blessed work of the cross in our lives, His grace applied, that nothing can separate us from Him; and though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we don't have to fear..He is with us.


But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don't know which is better. I'm torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me.   Philippians 1:22-23

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  [death is no longer the enemy of the believer, the spiritually reborn.  His death and resurrection, and His grace applied to our lives, gives us the victory!  It's to be in His presence!  The Apostle Paul longed for it.]

Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus said to her, "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. [our spirit will return to Him and live on] Do you believe this?"  John 11

he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.  I peter 1:4,5

we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.  I John 3:1,2

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.  Psalm 23:4  [He is with us, no matter what - whether we live or die, all is well]


Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.  Psalm 116:15  [we'll be home with Him, our good loving Father] 


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


For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.  Romans 14:8


Revelation 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Blessed indeed," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!"

Blessings and comfort.

[jabcat]

the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  Those that are alive and remain will rise to meet him in the clouds.  Then we will be with the Lord forever.  Comfort one another with these words.  I Thes. 4:16-18   Amen.

[jugghead]

For me it is not fearing death, it is my fear of pain. As for leaving others behind, yes, I do not like the idea of people mourning over my death, but if they understand death the way we ought to, which I view as truly being born again, we should have nothing to fear.

I do not believe it to be a coincidence that my 22 year old son brought up something tonight, he would have no problem with my death, sure he would miss me, but he also said he would envy me because I would have my questions answered and he would have to wait, and this comes from him knowing what and why I believe what I do and it makes perfect sense to him when I explain things to him.

I believe he will be a part of the next generation of UR believers and that he will come to more of an understanding than I ever could and that is because I believe the closer we get to the end of this tunnel we call life, the more light that God reveals.

[jabcat]

amen

[Deena]

I love and appreciate the honesty in these posts. Jab, i can relate to your sister, and Shawn seems to have climbed into my head. Micah, thanks for throwing the life preserver in your quote from Essex. Is that a book or article. I need to read it.

[WhiteWings]

Micah, thanks for throwing the life preserver in your quote from Essex. Is that a book or article. I need to read it.

http://www.tentmaker.org/articles/TheProblemofEvil.html

[Deena]

Tks WW. Is there nothing you don't know?

[WhiteWings]

Deena check out my profile.

Total Time Spent Online:: 237 days, 21 hours and 55 minutes.

nuff said :P

[ChuckK3]

If death is such a feared thing, then who do some people commit suicide, and thus knowingly and deliberately bring on the very effects most people are scared of?

[WhiteWings]

If death is such a feared thing, then who do some people commit suicide, and thus knowingly and deliberately bring on the very effects most people are scared of?

That's because life is even more scary... :-)

[Deena]

I believe Hamlet addressed this... to sleep, perchance to dream. Aye, there's the rub.  He was more afraid of what follows after death, the great unknown.

[jugghead]

IMO, the fear of death comes from the lack of understanding it. This is what God is doing in all of us, saving us from our own ignorance of not completely understanding death.

For me, if I do not completely understand death by God's definition, how can I even begin to comprehend how He defines life.

[Deena]

Jugg, you have an interesting point. I read so many theories on what death is that I am not clear.  If the dead know nothing, then what and where are we when we know nothing? Is it just the big sleep till Jesus comes? And what will this life mean from the rear view mirror? I often wonder what from this life will be taken to the next? Whatever it is it seems like that is really all that matters, but I don't know what that is exactly.

[Lazarus Short]

I never wanted to be here anyway...

[Deena]

I thing I know what you mean LS. I feel the same way much of the time, but we are here, so now what?

[lomarah]

Jugg, you have an interesting point. I read so many theories on what death is that I am not clear.  If the dead know nothing, then what and where are we when we know nothing? Is it just the big sleep till Jesus comes? And what will this life mean from the rear view mirror? I often wonder what from this life will be taken to the next? Whatever it is it seems like that is really all that matters, but I don't know what that is exactly.

Love!!! 

[Lazarus Short]

I thing I know what you mean LS. I feel the same way much of the time, but we are here, so now what?

We hang on to the end, for the end is followed by the Beginning...