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In discussing the importance of the Sacrifice of Christ in his Epistle to the Hebrews, and how He became one of us, in order that one day we may become like Him, for the which He is not ashamed to call us His brethren, the Apostle Paul mentions these sad people who are in bondage all of their lives because of their fear of death. Paul wrote as follows:

"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."


To those of you who currently find yourselves trapped in such a miserable, hopeless condition, you need to realize that your fear of death is totally unnecessary. There is a wonderful deliverance to be had from death, and from the fear of death, for everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. As God's Word plainly informs us, Jesus already overcame death, and Satan, two thousand years ago when He freely gave His Life on the Cross for the sins of the world. As a result, we have already overcome by faith, because He has already overcome. The Apostle John tells us that this is our victory, even our faith. Please consider the following verses that are found in the New Testament:

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."


"Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world."


"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."


"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."


This victory can be yours as well. To grasp it, you need to begin by recognizing God's Love for you. Contrary to what is often promoted by hard-hearted unbelievers, God is not just some monster who is waiting to strike you down the minute that you cross Him. The truth is that He loves you very much; so much so that He was willing to sacrifice His own Son for your sake. Consider these sample verses:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."


"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."


"Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."


"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."


Furthermore, you need to place your faith in God's Word -- that is, in the Bible -- believe what it says, admit your sinful condition, repent of your sins, and receive God's Forgiveness through accepting the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ as the only valid Atonement for your sins. The Apostle Peter informs us that God patiently waits for each of us to take these necessary steps. If we do this, we will be granted the Gift of Eternal Life through Jesus Christ. Please consider the following verses which validate these points:

"Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me."


"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one . . . For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"


"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."


"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."


"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."


"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."


"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."


"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."


"These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him."


If you take the aforementioned steps in your life, not only will you receive God's free Gift of Eternal Life, but your current fears will simply dissipate. Why? Because the Love of God, and the intense Light of His Word, will simply melt away the dark clouds of fear which Satan has placed in your mind and heart. That is what you need to recognize. Your fears -- including the fear of death -- are not of God. They are born of Satan. Finally, upon recognizing how much God loves and cares for you, you will be filled with His Peace which passes all understanding. Please consider the following verses:

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."


"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."


"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."


"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."


Please notice that similar to the Apostle Paul, John states in the fourth chapter of his first Epistle that people whose lives are full of fear experience torment. More specifically, John says "fear hath torment". Because unbelievers don't know the Lord, and because they face an unknown future, they tend to suffer emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Their lives can be a living hell, because they have unwittingly allowed themselves to become the servants of him who watches over the gates of death and hell; that is, Satan himself. This is made clear in the following verses:

"While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage."


"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"


So if you wish to be freed from the bondage of Satan, sin and death; if you want the darkness in your life to be replaced by the Light and Love of God; if you desire the peace which passes all understanding, then please accept Jesus Christ in your life today. He alone can set you free from all of these things, because He alone possesses the keys of death and hell, the Key of David, and can unlock the prison doors which have kept you bound. As Jesus tells us, He is the only Way, the only Truth, and the only Life. He is in fact the Resurrection and the Life, and if you believe in Him, one of these days, even though your body may experience physical death, we have the promise of Eternal Life in new Resurrected Bodies which will never perish, and we will be just like Jesus, who is the Firstfruits of the Resurrection. Consider the following verses which verify all of these points:

"Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."


"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."


"If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming."


"Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature . . . And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence."


"And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood . . . I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death."


"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;"


"That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up."


"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord."


"I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star."


In conclusion, when the time eventually arrives that we are called to surrender this earthly tabernacle of the flesh, whether it be through accident, sickness or old age, let us all do it joyfully, and not with fear or with sad hearts; knowing that even if our life comes to an end, death cannot possibly hold us down. Why? Because the sting of death has already been destroyed by Him who holds the keys of death and hell, and the Key of David, as we see by these verses:

"But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death."


"So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."


"And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."


We shall indeed rise again; and not only shall we rise, but we shall rise in wonderful, glorified Resurrection Bodies, over which neither sickness nor death will ever have any hold or power again! We shall shed this body of corruption, and put on Eternal Bodies of incorruption; and we shall be exactly as Jesus now is, and we shall see Him as He truly is. Consider the following inspiring verses which describe our miraculous transformation and our Resurrection Bodies:

"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."


"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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."


"For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself."


"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."


"For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life."


With these thoughts, I will bring this article to a close. It is my hope that you have found it informative, enlightening, and I pray that it has been a blessing in your life as well. If you have an account with Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or with any other social network, I would really appreciate if you'd take the time to click or tap on the corresponding link that is found on this page. Thanks so much, and may God bless you abundantly!

For additional information and further study, you may want to refer to the list of reading resources below which were either mentioned in this article, or which contain topics which are related to this article. All of these articles are likewise located on the Bill's Bible Basics web server. To read these articles, simply click or tap on any link you see below.

A Treasure in Earthen Vessels: God's Promise of the Spirit
Are The Gifts of the Spirit for Today?
Assisted Suicide, Euthanasia, Terminal Sedation
Beholding the Evil and the Good
Divine Healing or Medical Healing?
Dracula, Nosferatu, Twilight: The Vampire Fad
Heavens Gate, Suicide and Other Death Cults
Nephilim: The Giants of Genesis
Organ Transplants and Blood Transfusions
Sex, a Bowl of Soup and the Nature of Angels
So You Really Think You Are So Humble?
The Book of Enoch: Truth or Heresy?
The Earth is Under 7,000 Years Old!
The Judgment of Angels, Demons and Men
The Lord Will Lift You Up!
The Only Credentials You Need
The Royal Law: Thou Shalt Love
The Two Sackcloth Witnesses of Revelation 11
The Wisdom of God Versus the Philosophy of Men
Why Doesn't God Heal Me?

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