Fear of Death

[OldWiseGuy]

Death and eternal death are two different things. We are all going to die physically. But it is the destiny of man to live forever as spirit beings with God and with Christ.

Many fear physical death more than eternal death. This is natural for younger people who want to experience a full physical life. As an older person I have seen and done all that I need to see and do and I don't fear physical death at all (I have been close already due to heart problems).

Eternal death doesn't mean roasting on spit in a fiery hell, conscious and in extreme pain. Eternal death isn't eternal life in torment. That's an invention of man, not God. Eternal death will be a merciful end to a miserable life apart from God. God will end your very existence, as if you were never born. This to save your friends and loved ones who are saved from grieving for you forever. God is very merciful, and there will very few who will face this fate. "God isn't willing that any should perish....." Ezekiel 37 sheds some light on this subject as well.

 

[Earatha]

Why do you fear death? Is it hell? is it something else?

The fear of death is one of the principal reasons that scripture gives for seeking god, and it's understandable. But I don't think it's healthy to live with a constant fear like that. Christian doctrine is that so long as you are a follower of Christ that you will be spared. But I think that there are better things to be gained than just that. Serenity, peace, fulfillment. These are better things you can get, and better reasons to seek.

 

[faroukfarouk]

So I've had this fear of death since I don't know when and the BIBLE describes Hell pretty vividly which is a bit of a scare/threat to turn people from their sinful lives I'm assuming. But I've read online that some people think this is a wrong reason for seeking Jesus and the right thing is to do things out of love for him. But is it possible to be for you to be led to Christianity due to the fear of death (or another fear) but love Jesus (& God) because he saved you from such a fate? It just seems that Christianity is based on fear and love: fear to deter us and love to encourage us.

Anyone got any opinions? I don't want Jesus to think I'm not a true follower or that I'm not following for the right reason or something.

The Lord Jesus came to earth as a man - and died for sin at the Cross - in order to "deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage". (Hebrews 2.15).

 

[PreviouslySeeking...]

I don't understand a fear of hell or eternal death. Going by your rules; God knows your heart and the names of all those who are saved.

Either you believe and are saved, or you don't and are not. If you are saved; you don't fear the destiny that isn't yours. If you don't believe; then it makes no sense to fear that which you don't believe and couldn't change anyways.

 

[Dave RP]

So I've had this fear of death since I don't know when and the BIBLE describes Hell pretty vividly which is a bit of a scare/threat to turn people from their sinful lives I'm assuming. But I've read online that some people think this is a wrong reason for seeking Jesus and the right thing is to do things out of love for him. But is it possible to be for you to be led to Christianity due to the fear of death (or another fear) but love Jesus (& God) because he saved you from such a fate? It just seems that Christianity is based on fear and love: fear to deter us and love to encourage us.

Anyone got any opinions? I don't want Jesus to think I'm not a true follower or that I'm not following for the right reason or something.

I personally don't believe in heaven or hell, but I do think that in the event there is a God there is one God for everyone, the same God whether your were born in Mecca, Tokyo, England or pre-Colombian America. If there is a God who cares for his creation I think he would care for all his creation, and if he were a loving God he would take the souls of the wicked and re-educate them to give them another chance, not put them to eternal damnation.

So in my opinion there is no need to worry, either there is no god or after life, or there is and I find it hard to think that an all powerful omnipotent loving caring god would condemn 80% of his creation to damnation, hell or whatever for ever.

 

[Noxot]

I think that sometimes love is the cause of some things that we would not normally think of love being such as sorrow, suffering, fear, hatred, ect. I guess it is good to try to know yourself and be as honest as you can be.

God has to meet us where we are at and sometimes the only kind of thing that gets our attention is the thought that we are gonna suffer if we do not comply. so God has many tricks to snare us out of the grave and his grace works with the conditions we are in and we are refined more and more towards God if we seek and consent to him.

in general some saints said that the fear we should have is that of losing God. that is what spiritual death is. fear that God will punish you seems irrational once you have a better understanding of God and how he acts and speaks.

I think that is a nice kind of love, to be saved from death by a hero. God gets to be a hero and we get to be saved and we live happily ever after. I guess it's more of a womanly way of seeing things. in the spirit we are each our very own unique love and self and so the more we become what we really are the more profound and actualized our love will become. as a high christian ideal we seek to not function within the struggle of sin and the restrictions of the law but to transcend such things and go on to more profound and better things, things that exist forever in the kingdom of heaven.

God does not want us to be compelled to love him because that is not the fullness of love and his kingdom. he wants love from us given freely. that will happen as we develop spiritually and get to know God better. he wants such because it is the best possible reality for all of us.

in the end God does not want society or anything at all to compel us to love him. he will set us free from every bondage because he wants us to be like he is because it's good to be that way.