No Fear In Death

Heaven. Many may never see this holiest realm of God’s glory. But I’ll tell you something about this blog. Triple Vertex was founded partially to make sure you’re not one of those people. Death is the price everyone has to pay for sin ( John 3:16), because Eve and Adam ate the apple of the Tree of Life and sin was released into the world (see The Story of Sin).

When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”” 1 Corinthians 15:54

We are the perishable and the mortal, and when we die (or Jesus returns) we will be imperishable and immortal. Jesus conquered death and took the blame for our sins. He took the weight off our shoulders, so that we could have eternal life in him (yes, John 3:16 again). He paid the price of death so that we didn’t have to.

Death is difficult, nonetheless. Jesus made it possible for us to be comforted in death, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t hard. When someone dies, it seems that’s something we have to overcome all over again. But for those who die with their faith in Christ, there is no place for fear. We are sinners, but by the blood of Christ, by his death and resurrection, we are sanctified in our acceptance of him.

Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with mennor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

We must sanctified in order to be worthy and holy enough for passage to heaven. That is why we all must be redeemed by Christ, accepting the sacrifice he made in his death, so that we’re sure about ours. It involves only two steps:

If you [1] declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and [2] believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9

This verse makes it plain and clear. Believe that Jesus Christ is our Lord, and that he was resurrected for us, and we can be sure of our passage upstairs. This is why there is no fear in death for us–but hope. Death isn’t a pleasant thing, but in our deaths as Christians, we will be more alive than before when we are with the Lord.

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death — that is, the devil — and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” Hebrews 2:14-15

Jaws

We all know of the Steven Spielberg hit, Jaws, where a giant great white shark attacks a popular coast chocked full of tourists, and I’m pretty sure most of us are thankful that isn’t real, at least when we go to the beach. But there is something quite like it we face everyday. As we go through life, we all kind of wish things could be like a day at the beach. But our big white shark is sin, which it tears us to pieces, with its jaws, trying to separate us from God. Those who are controlled by sin are what sin uses, to get us to turn from God. As I talked about in my post last week, sin uses world pollution to control us and get us to turn away from God–hence, we suffer the ultimate punishment and go to hell. The believers throw out the sin where there is gnashing of teeth.

Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 22:13

The jaws of sin are impossible to break free of, unless you have asked Jesus into your heart, and you do what he asks you to. Sin can control us and when that happens, we can do some horrible stuff to ourselves and to others.

As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.” Romans 7:17

As Christians, we must learn to let Jesus forgive our sins, so that we can have a relationship with him. When we accept him and his Spirit, we gain power through him to combat sin. And, I think, once we have the power of God on our side, sin won’t be quite the big scary shark it once was.