For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 6:23
Nobody likes talking about death, despite it being inescapable.
Before we’re born, our time on this earth is pre-determined. There’s nothing we can do to change it. Eating healthy, exercise, not smoking or drinking…none of those things will lengthen or shorten our lives, but they DO dictate the quality of our life while we’re here. That’s all.
Regardless of our beliefs about death, I believe it’s important to understand what comes after so that we can prepare ourselves and not fear it. Many people don’t fear death as much as the manner in which they may die. There is a more important concern that gets lost in the whole “let’s not talk or think about death" mentality, but talking about this concern really helps ease any fears we may have.
The reality is, we should fear death if we’re not prepared for what comes after. Believing that {death is only the end of physical life} doesn’t make it true, no matter how much we try to convince ourselves or how many others share that belief. So let’s clarify what death really means.
Death refers to the period, after God’s judgment, when those whose names are not in the Book of Life, are thrown into the lake of fire for eternity. The Book of Life holds the names of all who believe and trust in Jesus Christ as their LORD and Savior.
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” - John 11:25-26
Physical death is an inevitable part of life, but spiritual death is a choice. Now is the time to prepare for what comes next. Our next minute, hour, day, week, month, year isn’t promised. Our physical lives will end by death or the rapture, and none of us know when those events will happen. Everyone who has ever existed - past, present, and future - will wind up in one of two places:
Heaven - eternal life, in the presence of Jesus Christ, unimaginable love, joy, beauty, music, with Biblical Saints, Angels, family, friends, pets, and devoid of sadness, anxiety, mourning, sin and evil.
hell - eternal death, in the presence of Satan, consumed by evil and hatred, unimaginable suffering, pain, misery, extreme darkness, terror; completely devoid of God’s presence, light, love, compassion, and kindness.
Ignoring or denying the reality of what’s to come is choosing death by default. The lack of belief in God or the afterlife does not exempt anyone from God’s judgment. When Jesus Christ died on the cross, He conquered and saved us from death. We must acknowledge that we are sinners, repent of our sins, show obedience, and believe in Him. Obedience to our LORD means turning away from sin and trusting in His Will, guided by the Holy Spirit. Cultivating a direct relationship with God - through daily prayer and reading the Bible - changes who we are in our hearts.
As a result, we no longer fear death, because of the anticipation of what comes next. I understand that I will be here until God decides His work {through me} is done, but I now view my physical death with a sense of peace; it’s not the end of my soul, but the beginning of wonderful, new, joyful life. I highly anticipate meeting Jesus and being in His presence forever. I look forward to seeing my loved ones who have passed {including the people I never got a chance to meet during my time on earth}, and my pets {since I won’t be allergic anymore}.
The most important thing we must do for our souls is to push past our unwillingness to think or talk about our physical death and focus on what WE must do to fully prepare for what comes next.
Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as He is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. - 1 John 4:15-18