Is It Foolish to Believe that Death Leads to Life?
On April 01, Christians celebrated the resurrection of Jesus from the dead! However, many more people did not celebrate Easter. For many it was just another Sunday, nothing out of the ordinary…just another day.
For Christians, Easter also represents the hope of life. It demonstrates the belief that Christians do not, or at least should not, fear death. Let’s be honest, no one looks forward to the process of dying, but for the Christian, eternal life in heaven is the promise from God. In other words, the body dies, but the soul goes to heaven. Conversely, if you aren’t a Christian, when you die, your soul goes to hell, a place of eternal punish and separation from God.
Many people fear death, but what if you didn't have fear dearth? Let me introduce you to Freddie. Freddie is a great guy and he’s a member of Pleasant Valley Church. He’s faithful, he helps with our food distribution ministry, he visits the sick and much more. Freddie used to fear death, and he’s even experienced one of the saddest types of death, that of his wife. But, one of the beautiful realities about Freddie is that he doesn’t fear death, at least not anymore. Here is what he has to say:
When I was a very young boy, I didn’t have Jesus in my heart and never gave much thought about death or eternity. However, at the age of 14, the thought of death began to grip me. My friends and I would go swimming, but I began to worry about drowning, death, and the afterlife. These thoughts gripped me so much that that I stopped swimming and began to seek answers. I had noticed that my friends went to church, so I tried that, and soon, the fear of death subsided.
As I grew older, I became more focused on having fun and making money. The fear of death was almost absent from my mind and heart as the world occupied my life. This way of living continued until one day when thoughts about death and eternity weighted on my mind and heart very strongly. Once again, I started to go to church, but this time I listened and I started reading and studying my Bible. Through these things, I realized that Jesus is the Son of Man and Son of God and He conquered death and rose again. My Savior, Jesus Christ, who loves me has prepared a heavenly home for me to live in for eternity. The only thing that could finally alleviate my fear of death, was believing in Jesus! On July 11, 1971, I asked Jesus to come into my heart and life and be my Savior. I was baptized and became a member of that church. I had so much joy in my heart that I began to share it with others and I also began to lead Bible classes.
Life was good, and became even better when I met my wife, Kathy, she was also a Christian. However, one day we received the news that no one wants to hear – Kathy was diagnosed with cancer and her life would end shortly. The doctors did all that they could do, but they couldn’t do enough to prevent the inevitable. Kathy’s Christian faith sustained her through the painful journey. She rarely complained and she was an inspiration to so many people. Finally, the end of the fight came, she drew her last breath, and God called her to His heavenly home. She had died, but she was now alive with Jesus!
Yes, I feared death as a boy, and I was saddened by death as a husband, but my faith helps me understand death in a greater way. Because of Jesus, when I die, I will go to heaven to be with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In the meantime, we have verses like Psalm 23:4, “Yea, thought I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” It’s verses like this that bring us hope even in the face of death. Amen
What an amazing reality! We don’t have to fear death because of Jesus’ death and resurrection! However, unless you repent of your sins and believe in the resurrected Jesus, you can’t experience victory over death. In the Gospel of John, Jesus said, “Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die--ever. Do you believe this?” Freddie believes, and you can too, or is that too foolish to believe?