Death Is What We Fear

If we ever stop to think about it "death is what we fear!" From the time that we become aware of what death is until we die, death is what we fear. Even for those who defile the toll of death's bell, it's still death that is feared, although those hearing the bell may be anxious to get it over with. As for myself, I don't fear death. I fear dying!

We start the journey to death even before we realize that our bags are packed! Because we don't understand death in our innocence doesn't mean that we're not already dying. Glance at the newborn baby. She is so sweet and robust! There is so much life in her... but she is dying!

It has been estimated that 300 million cells in our bodies die every minute. At most we have 100 trillion cells. Our national debt has more life in it than we do! Right now it's 18 trillion dollars. However, our debt gets bigger, but the number of living cells left in our bodies gets smaller!

In our pilgrim journey through the world we die in route. However, until we're about age 30 as we die, we also are renewed. Many cells replace the old. After our peak, then our collagen, of which our bodies are 30% of this protein, breaks down and  replaces youth. It's becomes the fibrous inert material which replaces the life that we lose. Dying collagen is the enemy of life and walks hand in hand to the death knoll. As we all will leap toward nothingness, collagen will leap with us to our death!  Those who desire to hang on to the jutting rock at the top of the knoll fight the elapsing of this collagen.

Why do we have to die? We were created immortal beings! Somehow mankind went from invulnerable to subject to the death toll. What happened? Mankind sinned! I won't go over the eating of "The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil" again, but that's when mankind, seeking to be as God, gave up immortality for a piece of the action. Mankind still prioritizes "the action" over life. Of course the action to which I am referring is iniquity. It's the sinful things we keep on doing in spite of divine justice.  Adam is responsible for my trip to death.

1 Corinthians 15:22 "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."

You see, Adam gets the blame! He would have lived forever, but... but...

 Genesis 5:5 "And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died."

Let's see, Adam would have lived forever. Call that  "infinity" (I). But he actually lived for 930 years and then he died. How much time living did he lose?

I - 930 = I, since infinity is, well infinite, then 920 years is insignificant. Adam lost an infinite number of years because he refused to listen to God! I'm going to die soon! I blame Adam. He should not have done that, but because he did, I'm just as bad! I don't have to sin like Adam, but I choose to sin quite often in fact. I have to sin! It's a genetic trait because I'm a descendant of Adam!

Because God is just, though, he left a way out! "Even so in Christ shall all be made alive"! I'm dying soon. You are too! Ain't that excitin'? We've never done that before. It will make the world's most terrific roller coaster pale in comparison. As we enter the dark tunnel to appear on the other side, there will be life for all. There will be Light for some and darkness for others. It depends on what we choose!  Yes, we all will be awarded or punished by eternal life, but for most, that "life" will be so horrific it's called "the second death":

Revelation 20:14 "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."

I don't think I want to go there! Like Adam I too like pleasant things.  It seems to me that a "lake of fire" FOREVER is not something that I would choose, but most men will! Because I'm wise I choose wisely! What do I have to do to live forever because I kinda like me! It's my desire that I be around for a long time, and I certainly don't want to be around burning propane and cooking with propane accessories... FOREVER, especially when the cooking is me!

Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: 9 it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

A wise man will do what? Believe in Jesus Christ to the extent that it's a trusting belief. Since Jesus died and was resurrected, and lives forever, so can I!  That sincere abiding belief is "faith". I don't even have to work for it because my faith is because God is graceful with me. He is merciful! I don't have to DO anything to get the gift of eternal life. The gift is there for the taking! Stupid men in their selfish pride think "I don't need God. I've got me!" or in their false knowledge "There is no God!". So you wanna place a bet on that one? If you reject his gift, you're a gambler for sure! You're saying "I'm more positive that there is no God than that there is one."  Well, you lose!

What happens if you are right; You have faith in God? If he's true then you are rewarded with eternal life. If God is a myth you live a safe happy hope-filled life.

But what happens with the unbeliever? If you're right you live a life of fun with its consequences for there are consequences to sin: guilt, disease, pain, dysfunction, misery, etc. But if you're wrong (and you are wrong), then you have to live with those who damned you forever in torment. Yes, you'll live forever, but it'll be so bad that every instant you'll wish that you could die! The inability to escape living forever in damnation is "the second death".

That's brutal! "How can a loving God send me to hell?" you ask. He doesn't send you anywhere. You chose eternal death and the monkey is on your back! That's mercy. God gives you what you desire. It's not his fault that your desire is to live life as if there is no tomorrow!

 2 Corinthians 4:18 "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."

What do you see right now? Pleasure, knowledge and wealth? Those things are temporal. What things are eternal? Things not seen!  Hope is the main thing not seen. It's there, but you must believe! The hope that we won't ever have to suffer the second death is enough for Christians. Why die when eternal life is the available?

Back to dying: We are all dying. All men will die. However, only part of us dies. God created man in "their own image". With that we are more than a mere body, but we have a soul too! The processor between the body and soul is the mind. It's the supercomputer which makes decisions for us.  However, God gave it more than a program. The mind, this vast computer, has
"free will"! It can do whatever it chooses to do! Most people's computers choose to die.  The machine self destructs because the processor likes bad things which are not good for the soul!

What is "seen" is what is input to this computer, the mind. "Seen" will include it's tactile, aromatic, visual, audible and even taste senses. These senses are all either focused on pleasure, knowledge or gain. The mind for most can't grasp "hope" for it's an invisible thing, not "seen" by the senses. However, really wise supercomputers know it's there, because we have another "sixth" sense. It's the sense that something is lacking! Wise people know that their soul must be filled. The wisest know that it can be filled!

Ephesians 5:18 "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit..."

Here is an example of temporal verses things eternal. Wine is for pleasure. Some seek knowledge through it and some gain wealth by it. However, wine is temporal. We can't rely on it. There is no "hope" there! With the "filling of the Spirit" is the emptiness all men seek to fill. Some know how to fill it, but most will never think on those things long enough to ever have spiritual needs met.

Crossing over into death is a dreaded experience, even for those "born again". We leave those we love behind. Some we know that we'll never see them again, or hope that we won't have to look down on them in hell. We dread the end of the journey. We think "What if we're wrong and there is no hereafter?" Satan plants those ideas. We just don't have to listen. I fear death, but look forward to eternal life!

Hebrews 10:22 "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."

The assurance of our faith is that we are delivered from evil. If we're still living for sin, then we have reason to doubt! Only by desiring to do good works (love God and others) can we know in full confidence that we're saved! People who dread being dead is because they are not assured of their salvation. They have few works which is evidence that they are "born again" into new persons!

Living Christlike is the assurance of salvation. If we want to quit fearing death, we must have hope. Hope is bona fide  if it's demonstrated.  Death is coming. We all fear it! Eternal life is there. Shall we have it? I thought early on "I think I'll take the gift!"