"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Tim. 4:7).
The fear of death is the number one commonality of all human beings. That fear is perfectly natural because death, despite its effect on all men, is perfectly unnatural. It is a punishment for our sin; it is a curse visited on humanity because of our disobedience to God. Christians, however, do not need to be paralyzed by that fear, and Paul serves as a shining example of what it means to face death with confidence. The apostle could embrace death because he possessed the knowledge that his salvation rested on the abiding grace of his Savior Jesus Christ: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Tim. 4:7–8).
Most people do not face death with this kind of assurance because they do not have faith in Christ. The world does everything it can to run from death, to cheat, to pretend it is not there. Many people live as if they will never die, storing up treasures for themselves on earth where one day moth and rust will destroy every thread and fiber. They give no thought to how they will die because they give little thought to the inevitability of their death.
Christians, however, should not get caught in this vicious cycle. Instead of worrying about whether we will die, we should be concerned about how we will die. Will we die with the assurance of Paul, that we have eternal life in Christ Jesus, that we have treasures awaiting us in the heavenly realms, that we have reconciliation with God and will one day dwell in His glorious presence? If we cannot say “yes” to that question, we will become paralyzed with the fear of death and join the masses of hopeless souls who wander along the path of life giving little thought to where it is leading.
Let us not be like the world, lost in fear and despair, but let us walk in the light, with our heads held high because we love Christ and trust in Him to deliver us from the grave, give us new life, and clothe us in eternal glory.
If you know someone who has a great fear of dying, ask God to change that person’s heart, that he or she might come to faith in Christ and find peace. If you have no peace about dying, ask God to strengthen your faith. You might find that you have no faith. Turn to Christ today, repent of your sins, and put your faith in Him.
