Christians: Do you have a fear of death and how do you deal with it?

talquin said:

Christians: Do you have a fear of death? If so, how do you deal with it? If not, why do you suppose you don't?

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Fear isn't based on choice, I cannot tell you why it doesn't scare me I can only give examples of how it doesn't scare me. People don't choose to be or not be afraid.

I cannot change that I will die, I have accepted this. The hard part about dying is all the people and things I love that I will lose.

orangeness365 said:

yes.
I'm afraid I'm going to be one of the Christians that God says to, "I never knew you." I'm really afraid of going to hell. I know that we are supposed to believe that we are saved through grace, and that no one is perfect, and that it is through faith, not works, but what if I don't have enough faith? I sure as hell don't have enough good deeds to go to heaven. I used to believe I was going to heaven and everyone else had to walk on eggshells, but I was also very arrogant. I'm just not so sure I'm going to make it anymore. I don't deal with it. I either am petrified all of the time, or I try to forget about death altogether. Every time I drive a car (yes I FINALLY got a driver's license) I'm afraid I'm going to die and go to hell that day, therefore, I'm scared to even drive. I know I shouldn't be so scared to die, but I just can't shake the fear of hell. sometimes I try to convince myself that God will accept me despite everything I've done, and that I will see a bunch of Christians I met in this life again, but most of the time I'm just afraid I'm going to hell.

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Just don't do what the people that Jesus said "I never knew you" did. Now what exactly did they do?

1. They depended on their works to get them to heaven. They pleaded their deeds as the reason why they should be let into heaven. They said Lord look at all the wonderful works we did. This is the reason they were not saved. They were not saved because they trusted in their behavior to get them into heaven instead of trusting in the blood of Jesus alone to get them there. So they didn't have saving faith.

2. They didn't depend on Jesus as Savior....They depended on their commitment to Christ as Lord to save them. They even said it twice... "LORD, LORD have we not done many wonderful works...." Yes, we are to believe that Jesus is the Lord... but we are not to depend on our willingness to submit to His Lordship as our reason for forgiveness and salvation. That is really just depending on our moral works.

Now if they would have trusted in Christ as Savior their sins would have been covered by the blood of Christ and so He wouldn't have seen them as sinners (workers of iniquity).

I myself had years and years of worrying about hell. We get rid of this by faith in the gospel.

Faith means to believe that even though I am so sinful I cannot do a single thing to save myself or to help save myself, nevertheless, I am now saved and forgiven simply because the blood of Jesus has satisfied the wrath of God for me. It means to trust and believe that Jesus' death on the cross has paid the penalty for my sin and so I am now accepted by God.

It isn't presumptuous to believe such a thing because Revelation 22:17 invites us to do that very thing... "whoever desires let him take the water of life (salvation) freely"

This means that anyone and everyone who desires salvation by Christ is invited to simply take salvation freely by faith. We can take it freely. There is no cost. We just claim it by faith.

So just say this to Jesus... Lord I permanently abandon all efforts to save myself by being good enough for salvation. You invited me to simply take the water of life freely. So I, this very day, believe that I am now forgiven and accepted by God simply because you died on the cross for me and paid for my sins. I know that since you invited me to do this I am not being presumptuous. Thank you for the forgiveness of sins and for the trustworthy promise that whosoever believeth in You shall not perish but shall have everlasting life."

talquin said:

Christians: Do you have a fear of death? If so, how do you deal with it? If not, why do you suppose you don't?

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Nope. Not one bit. Why?

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 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. Do you believe this?” She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” - John 11:23-27

orangeness365 said:

yes.
I'm afraid I'm going to be one of the Christians that God says to, "I never knew you." I'm really afraid of going to hell. I know that we are supposed to believe that we are saved through grace, and that no one is perfect, and that it is through faith, not works, but what if I don't have enough faith? I sure as hell don't have enough good deeds to go to heaven. I used to believe I was going to heaven and everyone else had to walk on eggshells, but I was also very arrogant. I'm just not so sure I'm going to make it anymore. I don't deal with it. I either am petrified all of the time, or I try to forget about death altogether. Every time I drive a car (yes I FINALLY got a driver's license) I'm afraid I'm going to die and go to hell that day, therefore, I'm scared to even drive. I know I shouldn't be so scared to die, but I just can't shake the fear of hell. sometimes I try to convince myself that God will accept me despite everything I've done, and that I will see a bunch of Christians I met in this life again, but most of the time I'm just afraid I'm going to hell.

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Is there anything I could ever do to you that would compel you to set me on fire and burn me alive? Could you do that to me? Could you kill me for doubting or stealing or cussing? Could you throw gas on me and set me on fire because of something I shouldn't have done?

I really doubt it...

How do you think that Jesus Christ would ever do that to you? Jesus is portrayed as a lamb, how did you ever begin to imagine him as someone who burns people alive in ovens? My dear friend... that's horrible, please please stop. The only reason you try so hard to be good is because that's what you are, you are good.

In relation to this subject, Romans chapter 8 is a great tonic for the believer!

I remember I always had a greater fear of death when I WAS a Christian, then when I wasn't. When I was really into Zen practices my fear of death vanished. Now it doesn't seem to matter what 'belief' I am pursuing, the fear of death doesn't bother me much.

graceandpeace said:

Yes.

We are not in "shells" or "suits" - nor will we become disembodied beings. Rather, the whole being, body & soul, will be resurrected. The perishable will put on the imperishable, the whole being will be made new.

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So you believe once a person is born, they will never lose consciousness or awareness for eternity. Correct?

Do you believe before you were conceived that you had consciousness or awareness?

Kiritsugu Emiyah said:

Fear isn't based on choice, I cannot tell you why it doesn't scare me I can only give examples of how it doesn't scare me. People don't choose to be or not be afraid.

I cannot change that I will die, I have accepted this. The hard part about dying is all the people and things I love that I will lose.

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Do you believe that after you are dead that you will know you have lost all of those people and things?

WirSindBettler said:

Nope. Not one bit. Why?

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 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. Do you believe this?” She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” - John 11:23-27

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Do you believe you will have any consciousness or awareness after death?

talquin said:

Do you believe you will have any consciousness or awareness after death?

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Of course.

talquin said:

Do you believe that after you are dead that you will know you have lost all of those people and things?

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no. But this doesn't change that I am still sad

talquin said:

So you believe once a person is born, they will never lose consciousness or awareness for eternity. Correct?

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Maybe. I was referencing my belief regarding those resurrected to life with God. Regarding what will become of those who refuse God's love, I'm less sure of my viewpoint.

Do you believe before you were conceived that you had consciousness or awareness?

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No.

I am not afraid of dying. I am afraid of pain and suffering. For Christians: In dying, we live.

You keep asking this, so I will go ahead and answer it:

Do you believe you will have consciousness and/or a sense of awareness after you die? If so, why do you believe this when all available evidence says that consciousness and awareness are products of a functioning brain - and the brain ceases to function after death.

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I believe I will have consciousness and a greater sense of awareness than I do now, because I will no longer have the limitations that my unglorified body puts on me. It is impossible for doctors and scientists to know when someone is conscious and aware if the person is not communicating with anyone around his body.

WirSindBettler said:

Of course.

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Upon what basis do you believe there will be consciousness after death? Please provide the scientific studies which support this conclusion of yours.

graceandpeace said:

Maybe. I was referencing my belief regarding those resurrected to life with God. Regarding what will become of those who refuse God's love, I'm less sure of my viewpoint.



No.

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Please explain the basis for your belief that a human would retain consciousness and awareness after their death. Refer me to scientific studies please.

talquin said:

Upon what basis do you believe there will be consciousness after death? Please provide the scientific studies which support this conclusion of yours.

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If there were a scientific basis for the resurrection, we wouldn't say it was miraculous. We should expect science not to uncover the means of the resurrection.

am i afraid of death? no.
I can't complain. i've had a few good times, garnered some achievements, did some good things, etc. my life now is superfluous, so it's just a matter of time and nothing more.

the one worry that i would have would be if i will have the time to make arrangements for my cat before i die. But even then, the answer to that would be either 'yes i will' or 'no, i won't.

as things are now there's every chance that i could eventually starve to death, in which case i would have time to make the necessary arrangements for my cat.

Willtor said:

If there were a scientific basis for the resurrection, we wouldn't say it was miraculous. We should expect science not to uncover the means of the resurrection.

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Since there is no basis to believe there is consciousness after death, then why do you believe there is? Could it be that this is a placebo or rationalization used to help you deal with your fear of death?

talquin said:

Since there is no basis to believe there is consciousness after death...

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The evidence surrounding the truth of Christianity provides the basis to believe that there is consciousness after death, so your premise is faulty.

I'm not afraid of death, though I sometimes fear the dying process. I'm much more afraid of pain or conscious incapacitation than I am of saying goodbye to this world. I might be an exceptional case, though, because I have clinical depression. On a daily basis I think to myself how nice it would be to not have to deal with this illness any more. Actually, I'm really just going through the motions of life until that day comes.