If you’re in heaven, you are
in better place where there is “joy unspeakable and full of glory.” Tears and
suffering are over forever. But
according to Jesus, not everyone goes to heaven. Christ said, “You can enter God’s Kingdom
only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is
wide for the many who choose that
way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult,
and only a few ever find
it (Matthew 7:13-14, NLT, my emphasis).
If you end up in hell, the suffering is infinitely worse
than anything you might experience in this life. Christ described hell as a
place where their worm
does not die and the fire is not quenched (Mark 9:48).
In three previous posts I’ve talked about the reasons why
people may fear death. But this last one, fear
of divine judgment, is the most important one. People should fear being punished for their sins.
What if, when you died, you faced perfect justice. What if
an indelible record of your every sin was recorded somewhere, and played back
to you on that day? Every selfish thought, every shading of the truth, each
time you manipulated circumstances and other people to your advantage - all
stored up for judgment.
What if, when you thought no one could see you, when you
thought no one would ever find out, when you acted on your selfishness or lust
or greed - what if it would all be revealed in unflinching detail one day?
What if the Ten Commandments were actually the standard?
What if God had been watching all this time, and holding you accountable to
that standard, but not just in outward behavior. Jesus said it’s not just the physical acts that break those
commandments. He said we become guilty of murder when we’re angry enough to
kill, guilty of adultery when we lust in our hearts (see Matthew 5:21ff).
Some people, of course, don’t fear death at all, and
certainly do not fear judgment. They’re wrong. They should.
The only remedy for the justifiable fear of judgment is Jesus
Christ. Jesus came to earth precisely because sinners like you and me deserved only hell and had no hope of heaven. Christ's life, death and resurrection was a rescue mission. He gave His life “a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
So for the Christian, there is no need to fear death because our punishment has already fallen on Jesus. But if you do not believe
in Jesus, you should be afraid! Only Christ can save you, and He saves everyone
who comes to Him. (You could check out Two Ways to Live for a summary of what it means to believe in Christ.)
I have a thought for any Christ-follower who struggles with
this fear. Read Romans 8:31-39. And then write the verses out in your own words –
make them your own, because they are.
Here’s my own short paraphrase:
I no longer fear punishment for my sins because God Himself,
the Judge of all things, is on my side. And if that is so, who
could ever be against me? (Romans 8:31). If God has already extended His grace
to the extreme by sending Christ to die in my place, there is nothing He would
not do to bring me safely home to Him! (Romans 8:32)
And who is there, in the entire universe, who could bring a
guilty charge to me as one of God’s chosen ones? God has already declared me
right in His sight! (Romans 8:33). So who is there, in all of heaven or earth
or hell itself, that could possibly condemn me? The center point of history is
Jesus’ atoning death for sinners like me. And not only that – He beat death,
the devil, and hell itself, by being raised from the death! And not only that, but
He sits at God’s right hand and intercedes for His own. Jesus is praying for
me! (Romans 8:34)
So in the end, any fear of punishment comes down to this:
what could ever separate me from the love of Christ? Because that love has already braved and
conquered human frailty, a fallen world system, corrupt religion and
government, the devil’s attacks, and God’s just and terrible wrath against me
for my own personal record of sin, rebellion, pride, lust, and selfishness.
Nothing and no one, can ever separate me from that love. Not
life’s trials and heartaches, not persecutions or the evil that men might do to
me, not the supernatural world itself. And not
death! (Romans 8:35-39)
I will not fear death. Death will be my happy journey home
to Him who loved me from the beginning and never let me go.
