An Antidote Against the Fear of Death

Q: What does the Bible say about fear of death?

The Bible teaches that Christ conquered death, offering comfort to believers who fear death. In Revelation 1:17-18, Jesus reassures John, saying, 'Fear not; I am the first and the last. I am he that liveth and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore.' This passage emphasizes that Christ identifies Himself as having the authority over death and hell, symbolized by His possession of the keys. The fear of death is natural, and even faithful servants of God like John experienced it. Nevertheless, believers find assurance in Christ's victory over death, knowing that through Him, they have eternal life and no longer need to fear judgment or separation from God.

Q: How do we know Christ's resurrection is true?

Christ's resurrection is affirmed by His actions and the witness of Scripture, demonstrating His power over death. The historical reality of Christ's resurrection is foundational to Christian faith. In Revelation 1:18, Jesus declares, 'I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive forevermore.' This statement affirms not only His victory over death but also His eternal existence. Scripture proclaims that Christ died for our sins and rose again, as seen in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. The resurrection is confirmed by multiple witnesses and serves as the cornerstone of the hope that believers have for eternal life. This assurance encourages believers to trust in Christ's power and to live without the fear of death.

Q: Why is the resurrection of Christ important for Christians?

The resurrection is crucial as it assures believers of eternal life and victory over sin and death. The resurrection of Christ is vital to Christian doctrine as it validates Jesus' claims about Himself and His work. In Revelation 1:18, Christ reminds us, 'I am alive forevermore,' illustrating His victory over death and the implications for His followers. Because He lives, believers can be assured of their resurrection. Romans 6:23 states, 'The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.' This promise grants believers confidence in facing physical death and the assurance of eternal fellowship with God. The resurrection transforms the believer's understanding of life and death, enabling them to endure trials with hope.

Q: What does it mean that Christ has the keys of hell and death?

Having the keys of hell and death signifies Christ's authority and power over eternal judgment and the afterlife. Christ's possession of the keys of hell and death, referenced in Revelation 1:18, symbolizes His ultimate authority over eternal judgment and the fate of souls. The keys are a metaphor for control and security; they indicate that Christ determines who enters eternal life and who does not. This affirmation reassures believers of their salvation through faith in Him. Because Christ conquered death, rejecting its power, He opens the way to eternal life for those who are united to Him. As such, believers can rest in the truth that their relationship with Christ grants them security against spiritual death and condemnation.

Well, the Lord helping me this morning, the scripture that I will direct you to is found in that chapter that we read, the book of Revelation, chapter 1, and verses 17 and 18. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not, I am the first and the last. I am he that liveth and was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore. Amen. And have the keys of hell and of death.

I'll remind you that the correct and the proper title of this book of the Revelation is that which we have at the opening verse of the book, the revelation of Jesus Christ. Now there is a three-fold sense in which this book is the revelation of Jesus Christ. Firstly, it is the revelation that belongs to him. It is the revelation that was given to him by God the Father. The Father gave the Son this revelation as the God-Man-Mediator, the Covenant Head of the Church. And so we read there in the opening verse the revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto Him to show unto His servants. And then secondly, we see that this is the revelation of Jesus Christ because it comes from Him. the revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John. And thirdly, it is the revelation of Jesus Christ because there is in this book such a disclosure and such a revealing of him throughout the book.

And that, of course, is the proper meaning of the word here translated Revelation. The Greek word is Apocalypse, from which we get our word Apocalypse. And you know that the book of the Revelation is often referred to as the Apocalypse. The word actually means an unveiling, a revealing, a disclosure.

In this book there is an amazing unveiling or disclosure of the person of Christ and of his covenant offices to his people as prophet, priest and king. And is there not here in this book a disclosure of the mind of Christ with regard to past, present and future events as he is the head over all things to the church?

Peter in his second epistle writes concerning Paul's epistles in which are some things hard to be understood. Well if that's true of Paul's epistles how much more is it true of this book of the Revelation in which are some things hard to be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable rest as they do the other scriptures unto their own destruction. We must be very careful then in approaching this book and in our handling of this book. However, although there are some things hard to be understood, we must not shy away from it.

We are not to neglect the reading and the study of this book. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, and the book of the Revelation is no exception. Indeed, is there not a blessing attended to the reading and the hearing of this book? Verse 3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein, for the time is at hand.

Now here in the first chapter We see how the Lord Jesus Christ revealed himself to the Apostle John in a very special manner. The aged Apostle had been banished to the isle that is called Patmos for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. He tells us how he was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day.

And he heard behind him a great voice as of a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last. And he turns. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks, he says. The seven golden candlesticks represent the seven churches of Asia Minor. John is clearly told this. And the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. The candlesticks represent New Testament churches then.

And the fact that they are golden, the fact that each of them is made out of gold, signifies the excellence of gospel churches. Even though they may appear to be so mean and they are so despised in the eyes of the world, And sometimes, perhaps we might say often, even in the eyes of the Lord's people, when faith is not in exercise, there is very little outward beauty in the gospel church, especially in a day of small things, when the church is in a low state, or in times of persecution. In this vision we are reminded of the excellence of the gospel church, and the fact that there are seven of them signifies the perfection of the Gospel Church. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty. God hath shined. We read in Psalm 50. The seven candlesticks are golden candlesticks.

The church under the Old Covenant was represented by a single candlestick. with seven lamps branching out of it, but under the new covenant, which is a better covenant, established upon better promises, the church is represented by seven golden candlesticks with Christ in the midst. This speaks of the superiority of the gospel dispensation over the legal dispensation.

Isaiah prophesied of the gospel day in chapter 30 verse 26 of his Prophecy. Moreover, the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people and healeth the stroke of their wound. That's the Gospel day. the seven golden candlesticks are New Testament churches Jesus said to his disciples and he still says to his church ye are the light of the world a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel but on a candlestick and he giveth light unto all that are in the house let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven and the Apostle reminds the church at Ephesus for ye were sometimes darkness at one time you were darkness you're not just in darkness you were darkness but now are ye light in the Lord walk as children of light and in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks John sees one like unto the Son of Man the Lord Jesus Christ And in the midst of the seven candlesticks, one like unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle, his head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were as a flame of fire, and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace, and his voice as the sound of many waters, and he had in his right hand seven stars, and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

Now I don't propose to go into the details of this vision, or of the description of the Lord Jesus Christ which we have in this vision, but I would just note with you what Christ says of himself there in verse 11. I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last. Now this is clearly a declaration of his deity. It is the same as is declared in Isaiah 41 verse 4. Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the Lord, now that's Jehovah, the first and with the last, I am He. The Lord Jesus clearly claims and proclaims himself to be God. contrary to the doctrine of the Mohammedans and the Jehovah's false witnesses.

From the words of our text this morning I would simply speak of two things for our encouragement. Firstly, the effect of this vision upon John and then secondly, the encouragement that was given to the Apostle. And of course we shall make, I trust, some application of these things to ourselves. So firstly then, let us consider the effect of this vision of Christ upon John. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. John was so overwhelmed with this sight of the Lord Jesus Christ that his strength was, as it were, drained from him. He falls down as one that is dead. The same had happened to Ezekiel when he saw Christ in the Old Testament. Ezekiel chapter 1 verse 26.

And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone, and upon and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it, and I saw the colour of amber As the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face. and I heard a voice of one that spake. Ezekiel sees a man on a throne and he says that this was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. It was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Jehovah. And so Paul in Hebrews speaks of Christ as being the brightness of his glory, that is God's glory, and the express image of his person. Now the effect of this vision of Christ upon Ezekiel was this, and when I saw him, I fell upon my face.

And so it was with John, and so it was with Daniel too, who also saw Christ in the Old Testament. See Daniel's vision of Christ in chapter 10 of the book of his prophecy. Daniel 10 verse 5, Then I lifted up mine eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man, now mark those words, a certain man, clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Ufaz, his body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude. And we note the similarity of Daniel's vision of Christ to that of John which we have here in the Revelation. And see the effect of this vision upon Daniel, verse 8 of that chapter.

Therefore I was left alone and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me, for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength. Yet heard I the voice of his words, and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground. Such was the effect of this vision of Christ upon Ezekiel, and such was the effect of this vision of Christ upon the Apostle John. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead."

Now this teaches us several things. Firstly, it teaches us the great distance that there is between us and an infinitely holy God. We cannot fully bear the sight of Him any more than our natural eyes can look directly at the sun. why even the holy angels must cover their faces before God behold even to the moon and it shineth not yea the stars are not pure in his sight how much less man that is a worm and the son of man which is a worm secondly it teaches us our weakness and when I saw him I fell at his feet as dead before him we are as weak as water No, actually we are weaker than water. Apart from him we have no life whatsoever, no natural life and no spiritual life. Apart from him we have no strength at all, no natural strength and no spiritual strength.

As King David said in his prayer to the Lord, both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all, and in thine hand is power and might, and in thine hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all. Job knew this, didn't he? Will he plead against me with his great power? No, but he would put strength in me. And so we read in the Psalms, the Lord will give strength unto His people, the Lord will bless His people with peace. We are taught our weakness and our utter dependence upon God for all things.

Apart from Christ we have no temporal or natural life. In Him was life and the life was the life of men. Apart from Christ we have no spiritual life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Jesus said, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. And so John says in his first epistle, and this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

Then thirdly, we are taught that before honour is humility. Those whom Christ will honour and bring to glory must first be humbled at his feet. James Durham, the 17th century Scottish preacher and covenanter, says, this is one of the fountain graces, humility and a holy awe of the majesty of God. Oh, do you have that holy awe of the majesty of God? Where there is not that humility, where there is not that bowing of the knee and falling down before Christ, where there is only pride and hardness of heart, it is evident that there is no grace and that there has never ever been a true sight of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. The more we see of the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, the more humbled our hearts will be. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. The more we see of the worth of Jesus Christ, the more we will see and feel our own unworthiness.

Think of Simon Peter and the miraculous draft of fishes. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord. And likewise Isaiah. how he was humbled with a sense of his unworthiness and sinfulness when he saw the glory of Christ. Then said I, Woe is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips, for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.

We are taught then that all those who truly know the grace of God, all those to whom the grace of faith is given, We will be humbled at Jesus' feet. I fell at his feet as dead. We will be, as it were, dead to any hope in self or our own works, killed, as it were, to any hope in our own strength. We are brought to the realization that we cannot save ourselves. For when we were yet without strength in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. And fourthly, we are taught that real fears may attend real faith.

The great apostle John was surely full of fear, wasn't he, when he fell down before the Lord Jesus? For we read that Jesus says to him, Fear not. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead, and he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not. We read of a fear that came upon Daniel when he saw the angel. So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was afraid. and fell upon my face. Daniel trembled and feared before Christ, though he was a man greatly beloved, we are told. There again in chapter 10 from verse 8, Therefore I was left alone and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me, for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.

Yet heard I the voice of his words, And when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep, on my face, and my face to all the ground. And behold, a hand touched me, which set me upon my knees, and upon the palms of my hands. And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright. For unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling. Then said he unto me, Fear not. Job said, Therefore am I troubled at his presence. We just read there of Daniel trembling before Christ. Job says, Therefore am I troubled at his presence, when I consider I am afraid of him. When Peter and James and John saw the glory of the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ shining through the veil of his sacred humanity in the Mount of Transfiguration, a great fear came upon them, we read.

Mark tells us, for they were sore afraid. And likewise, when they saw him calm the storm, and they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? The Apostle Paul was a man of great faith, wasn't he? But he spoke of fears. Yes, the Apostle Paul had fears. Many are the fears of the Lord's people.

And perhaps the greatest fear of all is the fear of death. Perhaps this was John's fear. And so the Lord says to John, Fear not, for I am the first and the last. I am he that liveth and was dead. And behold, I am alive for evermore. Amen. And have the keys of hell and of death. Many of the Lord's blood-bought and regenerated people have anxious thoughts regarding death. Think of Manoah, the father of Samson, when he saw the pre-incarnate appearance of Christ. And Manoah said unto his wife, we shall surely die because we have seen God.

Think of Hezekiah when Isaiah brought that word to him from the Lord. informing him that he should die and not live. Isaiah 38 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, came unto him and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order, for thou shalt die and not live. How Hezekiah prayed unto the LORD, We read and Hezekiah wept sore. The margin there in Isaiah 38 verse 3 tells us that in the original Hebrew it is and Hezekiah wept with great weeping.

Great Bible saints then, men of faith, were not immune from the fear of death. The godly reformer and martyr John Bradford, before he was burned alive at the stake, wrote a treatise entitled A Fruitful Treatise and Full of Heavenly Consolation Against the Fear of Death. Now why did he write such a treatise? Well surely it's because he knew that many of the Lord's faithful people have fearful apprehensions of death and perhaps he himself had a fearful apprehension of the death that he was about to die. He begins his treatise, being minded through the help of God for mine own comfort and encouraging of others to speak something of death.

The Lord's dear blood-bought people are not immune from the fear of death. Such a fear is expressed in some of the hymns we sing. I do love Gatsby's hymn book because it is so honest and it deals with real Christian experience as well as being doctrinally sound. For example, the hymn that we began the service with this morning, hymn number 938, When thou, my righteous Judge, shalt come, to take thy ransomed people home, shall I among them stand? Shall such a worthless worm as I, who sometimes am afraid to die, be found at thy right hand? The hymn we began the service with this morning was William Williams' great hymn, Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah, number 462 in Gatsby's. When I tread the verge of Jordan, bid my anxious fears subside. Death of deaths and hell's destruction, land me safe on Canaan's side. Songs of praises I will ever give to thee.

Paul in Hebrews speaks of the Lord's people who through fear of death were all their lifetimes subject to bondage. It's a strange thing, but those who have the least reason to fear death do often fear death, while those who really ought to fear death do not. As the psalmist says, for there are no bans in their death, but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men, neither are they plagued like other men. He's talking of the ungodly. who when they come to die seem to have no troubles and are at ease.

Dr. D.A. Dalton, he was a high Calvinist minister in the Church of England. He was greatly used of God in the 19th century. The former editor of the Gospel magazine. He lived for a while in Southsea and is now buried in Highland Road Cemetery.

In his little book, Walks and Talks with Jesus, Dr Dalny speaks of a doctor who said that, and I quote, "...throughout his practice he had never met with a case where the patient was afraid to die, and his father before him, who had been in practice for half a century, had only ever met with but one solitary instance, and that was the case of a butcher who was strongly suspected of having committed murder." Dalny also mentions another medical man. Again I quote, He plainly said that he could not understand how it was that whilst those whom he knew to have made a profession of religion were generally anxious during the first part of their illness about dying, but that their fears were removed before they came to die, and those who had made no such profession were quite careless and unconcerned about death. And currently of course there are those who are pushing for what they euphemistically call assisted dying or euthanasia which is not dissimilar to Hitler's Action T4 program which allowed doctors to grant quote mercy death to again quote incurable patients exactly the same policy that was the Action T4 program of the Nazis well the scripture says all they that hate me love death and there are those who seem to yearn for death They think that death will bring an end to all their sufferings.

The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God. God is not in all his thoughts. Or as that verse, Psalm 10, verse 4, might be rendered, as it is in the margin, all his thoughts are, there is no God. Or more literally, all his thoughts know God. All his thoughts know God.

The reprobates, you see, do not take account of the solemn realities of eternity. They do not realize the pollution of their nature by the fall. They do not fully realize or understand their defilement by sin. They know nothing of the spirituality of God's law, nor the absolute and infinite holiness of God himself. if there are any thoughts of God and the wicked may have thoughts of God for man is by nature a religious creature if they do have thoughts of God then he is as it were reduced to their level a God of their own imagination and so we read in the Psalms Psalm 50 verse 16 but unto the wicked God saith what hast thou to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldst take my covenant in thy mouth, seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee.

When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentest with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers. Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit. Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother, thou slanderest thine own mother's son. These things hast thou done, and I kept silence. Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself. But I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes. Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.

It is not so with the child of God. God is in all his thoughts. And he knows that God is not such a one as himself, but that the Lord is infinitely higher than he. He knows that God is holy, and that he himself is a sinner, and that every sin is deserving of God's wrath. It is from such thoughts as these that a fear and an apprehension of death arises in his soul. He knows that death is not the end, but that it is rather the beginning either of eternal torment or eternal bliss.

Paul says in Hebrews 9.27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. Oh, he knows and he feels the solemnity of the fact that he must give account of himself to God.

Have you been brought to think on these things, and to consider your latter end, and how it will be with you throughout eternity? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then, every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

John Bunyan in his Pilgrim's Progress writes of Christian as he enters the deep waters. And he had horror of mind and heart fears that he should die in that river and never obtain entrance in at the gate. Here also they that stood by perceived he was much in the troublesome thoughts of the sins which he had committed both since and before he began to be a pilgrim. Well, let us go on to consider then the encouragement that was given to the Apostle John. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not. I am the first and the last. I am he that liveth and was dead. And behold, I am alive for evermore. Amen. And have the keys of hell and of death.

Now see the compassion of the Lord Jesus towards his poor servant. He laid his hand upon him, not in anger, not to smite him, but to strengthen and to comfort him. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not. And so Christ acts towards all his poor trembling saints. He condescends to them, he strengthens them in their weakness. And this, of course, is what is signified by the right hand. It is the hand of strength, the hand of power. In the day when I cry, thou answer'st me and strengthen'st me with strength in my soul.

The Lord says in Deuteronomy, See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no God with me. I kill and I make alive. I wound and I heal, neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand. The Lord's people are slain under the law, killed to any hope in themselves, and Christ comes to them in his gospel with a fear not.

But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, fear not, for I have redeemed thee. I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine. In order to banish all their fears, he discloses more of himself to their poor and needy souls. There is the revelation of his person, I am the first and the last. and we've already proved from Isaiah that this one who strengthens and comforts his people is true almighty God there was none before him I am the first there should be none after him I am the last and so it is written again in the Psalms even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God there is the revelation of his person I am the first and the last and there is the revelation of his work I am he that liveth, and was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore.

Amen. He came as a real man, body and soul. He died a real human death, and he rose bodily from the dead. In the Lord Jesus Christ the prophetical promise to the elect was fulfilled. I will ransom them from the power of the grave. I will redeem them from death. O death, I will be thy plagues. O grave, I will be thy destruction. Repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.

And so we read in Hebrews chapter 2 verse 14 For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, that 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 bondage.

Matthew Henry says in his commentary, Let those who dread death and strive to get the better of their terrors no longer attempt to outbrave or stifle them, no longer grow careless or wicked through despair. Let them not expect help from the world or human devices, but let them seek pardon, peace, grace and a lively hope of heaven by faith in Him who died and rose again, and thus they may rise above the fear of death. If we are those who by the grace of God seek pardon, peace, grace and a lively hope of heaven by faith in Christ, looking to the Lord Jesus Christ alone to save and to deliver us, then the Psalmist experience will be our experience. I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears. Here is where we find relief from the fear of death, an experimental knowledge of him who died and rose again, and in the seeking of him who has the keys of hell and of death. Fear not, I am the first and the last, I am he that liveth and was dead, and behold I am alive forevermore, Amen, and have the keys of hell and of death. The Lord Jesus Christ has the keys of hell and of death. He has spoiled principalities and powers. He has bruised the serpent's head. He has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. That is the good news of the gospel. Death is abolished. John says in his first epistle, For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil.

And this Christ has achieved by his death and by his resurrection. This is what is meant by his having the keys of hell and of death. Isaiah prophesied of Christ. He will swallow up death in victory. Christ has gotten the victory over death itself. In fact Christ has attained the victory over all that was against God's people. The devil, that great tempter and the accuser of the brethren. The devil is a defeated foe. Now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this world be cast out, Jesus said, before he suffered.

Sin, what of sin? Our worst enemy. unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his blood we read here in Revelation 1 Christ has made complete atonement there is a complete satisfaction made to divine justice for he has borne the curse for his people he has suffered and died the death that they should have died He died the just for the unjust, we read. And what of the law, the law of God? The law which was written with the finger of God in tables of stone at Mount Sinai. That law was against us, and it was against us in that it condemns us. But we read in Colossians of Christ blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.

Death! What of death? the king of terrors. Yes, death itself has received its death blow in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because I live, ye shall live also, Jesus says to his dear trembling blood-bought people. He has the keys of hell and of death and that door is forever shut and locked against those for whom he died and rose again. and all those who are in Christ and who are united to Christ by a true and living faith can now say with Christ by virtue of their union with him I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive forevermore yes the believer can say that by virtue of his union with Christ and this we willingly profess in the holy ordinance of baptism Baptism is, as it were, our Amen. I am he that liveth and was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore.

Amen. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ. May we each know something of this great experience and this newness of life in and through our Lord Jesus Christ. And may we know something of the great encouragement, the sweet encouragement that is contained in these words.

And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead, and he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not. I am the first and the last. I am he that liveth and was dead. And behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And have the keys of hell and of death. Amen.

An Antidote Against the Fear of Death

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about fear of death?

How do we know Christ's resurrection is true?

Why is the resurrection of Christ important for Christians?

What does it mean that Christ has the keys of hell and death?

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An Antidote Against the Fear of Death

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about fear of death?

How do we know Christ's resurrection is true?

Why is the resurrection of Christ important for Christians?

What does it mean that Christ has the keys of hell and death?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

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