Most people live in almost constant fear of death. They do not like to think that manβs days are as grass and all his glory as the glory of a fading flower (Psa. 103:15,16). They do not wish to face up to the fact that βit is appointed unto men once to dieβ (Heb. 9:27).
This is natural, for Godβs Word declares that death is βthe wages of sinβ (Rom. 6:23) and βafter this the judgmentβ (Heb. 9:27) and the βsecond deathβ (Rev. 20:14). This is why I Cor. 15:56 says that βThe sting of death is sin.β
Yet the Psalmist David was not afraid of death. He said: βYea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evilβ β but note the reason: βfor Thou art with meβ (Psa. 23:4). David had come to know God and had been graciously delivered from the fear of death. But we, today, have an even greater reason to be free from the fear of death, for 1,000 years after David, Saul of Tarsus, the chief of sinners, was saved by grace and was sent forth to proclaim the βgospel [good news] of the grace of Godβ (Acts 20:24).
He went forth to tell men how βChrist died for our sinsβ (1 Cor. 15:3) and robbed Satan of all his claims against us:
βThat 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 bondageβ (Heb. 2: 14, 15).
When the Apostle himself neared death, he said: βTo die is gainβ (Phil. 1:21), βto depart, and to be with Christβ¦ is far betterβ (Phil. 1:23), and βthe time of my departure is at handβ¦ henceforth there is laid up for me a crownβ¦β (II Tim. 4:6-8). source
[β¦] For in His Son I am complete, And sealed unto redemption day. So if by death, or Iβm caught away. I shall not fear my future state, But, loving Christ, Iβll serve and wait. [β¦]
[β¦] They are intelligent enough to plan carefully for the future where temporal affairs are concerned, but foolish enough to neglect their eternal welfare. They make plans for themselvesΒ in caseΒ they become ill and need additional funds for surgery, medicine and hospital care. They even make plans for their loved ones in case of death and bereavement, but fail to ask themselves: βWhat will become ofΒ me after death?β [β¦]