FEAR OF DEATH
24th Jul 2024
Hebrews 2:14-15 says, “He too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil - and free those who all their lives were held in slavery be the fear of death.”
Fear of death is a very powerful force and holds most unbelievers is its grip, however, those of us who know Jesus should be free from this power.
During this year both Joyce and I have been reading books about Hudson Taylor, Isobel Kuhn and others, who were pioneers in the China Inland Mission, and we have been challenged by the way they handled death. Hudson Taylor lost his wife after only twelve years of marriage, but he declared that the Lord had “called her home”, obviously was sad and grieved, but continued his work in China, which had an amazing impact of that vast country.
I have strong memories of my father taking funerals of believers many years ago. He loved to read the words from 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 in the King James Version, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
He would then conclude with a strong and loud statement, “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” I have heard those words so many times they are etched on my memory, and I can quote them spontaneously!
The understanding that “eternal life” means a life that starts now and will never end, is vital for every believer. When we use phrases like “called home”, “promoted to glory”, “living in the presence of Jesus” - these are not euphemisms, but clear, strong and true declarations of what happens when a believer dies.
On my father’s gravestone are engraved the words, “Absent from the body, present with the Lord.” Another statement I remember from those life affirming funeral services.
I was reading Psalm 21:4 (CEV) this morning, David is writing, “He asked to live a long time, and you promised him life that never ends.”
by Charles Sibthorpe
