Are pious Christians afraid of death?

[Scofield]

Do true Christians, who have lived their lives in accordance with the Bible, need to fear death? After all, if they were good, they can be certain of going to Heaven.

 

[Who Me]

Do true Christians, who have lived their lives in accordance with the Bible, need to fear death? After all, if they were good, they can be certain of going to Heaven.

I think we all fear a protracted painful and undignified death.

 

[for_his_glory]

I will not fear death, no matter how horrendous it could be, for as being a child of God I have the promise of eternal life with Him.

John 3:16 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.
John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

2Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

 

[Christ_empowered]

I think death is not the issue so much as becoming very sick and or a long slow decline. Maybe it’s different in countries with extensive health care systems and a more robust safety net?

 

[Blain DeCastro]

Some do but really what is death to a believer in Christ who overcame death?
Some would even argue that death is merely one transition to another from this life to the next nothing more nothing to fear just a passing through the door

I have personally been on deaths door several times your body knows when your dying and it is not a good feeling at all but I didn't fear it I even embraced it however God simply would not allow it

For anyone who has faced death before it is not simply a matter of discussion it is something you can only describe as falling asleep but like a sickly kind of falling asleep if that makes sense.

 

[WIP]

Do true Christians, who have lived their lives in accordance with the Bible, need to fear death?

It may not necessarily be so much a fear death, but they may have misgivings about leaving others behind and this can weigh on them.

After all, if they were good, they can be certain of going to Heaven.

Being good is not a certainty. None of us is capable of being good enough for we all have that fateful sin nature. Nowhere in the Scriptures will you find it said that we can get to heaven by being good. What is in there is that we must be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect and that is beyond our ability. It is for this reason that Jesus came and died in our place and redeem those who believe and trust in His righteousness.

Thank God for Jesus!

 

[Beetow]

.
● Rom 3:23 . . All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

Well; in my own experience, that statement has been 100% reliable because I have
yet to encounter even one person in all my 80+ years who I felt was successfully
duplicating God's sinless perfection. So then, I've concluded that God has set the
bar so high that nobody can reach it. His own goodness is the gold standard and,
speaking for myself, I can't even come close to equaling it let alone topping it.

When I was a young guy coming of age, it occurred to me that if I were as naturally
pleasing to God as His son Jesus always is, then it would be very easy to attain to
Heaven, and to stay in Heaven, without fear of being kicked out.

● John 8:29 . . He that sent me is with me: the Father has not left me alone; for I
do always those things that please Him.

That would be the cat's meow.

So; I was very surprised, and excited, upon discovering that something very similar
to the thing I wished for is contained in a promise that God made to Moses' people.

● Ezek 36:24-27 . . I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home
again to your land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean.
Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give
you a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will
take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new, obedient heart. And I will put
My spirit in you so you will obey My laws and do whatever I command.

That benefit will make it possible for Moses' people to live with God on earth, but it
isn't sufficient for making it possible for them to live with God in heaven. However,
there is a benefit available that makes it possible for them to live with God in
heaven as well as on earth. It goes like this:

● 2Pet 1:3-4 . . His divine power has given us everything we need for life and
godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and
goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so
that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the
corruption that's in the world.

I should think it goes without saying that the divine nature would be a whole lots
more successful at producing an acceptable level of piety than the human nature
could ever hope for because even at its best, the human nature is corrupt; which is
translated from a Greek word basically meaning decayed, i.e. spoiled, as in gone
bad like when raw meat is left out for too long. Decay can be stopped but it can't be
reversed, and therein is a serious problem with the human nature: it's too far gone.
Hence Jesus' instructions:

"Do not be surprised that I said you must be born again". (John 3:7)

Note that his instructions indicate that a do-over isn't optional; it's mandatory
_