Answers

By   •   April 20, 2005   •   Topics:

Q:

I don't talk about it much, but I'm secretly very afraid of dying. I'm afraid that God will punish me after I die for all the sins I've committed. How can I get over this fear?


A:

The only way to get over this fear would be for you to know that God had forgiven every sin you had ever committed or ever will commit. If you knew God had completely forgiven you, then there wouldn’t be any reason for you to have fear of death any longer, would there?

But is this possible? Yes!—and the reason is because Jesus Christ has already taken upon Himself the punishment you and I deserve. You see, you are right about one thing: You and I deserve to be punished for our sins. God is holy and just, and even one sin would be enough to banish us from His presence forever. The Bible solemnly warns, “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).

But the Bible doesn’t stop there! It goes on to tell us that God loves us—and because He loves us, He sent His only Son into the world to die for our sins. We deserve to die and be separated from God forever—but Jesus Christ took our place. He was without sin, but when He died on the cross all our sins were placed on Him, and He took the punishment and hell we deserve.

And that is why you don’t have to fear God’s punishment any longer! What must you do? The Bible’s answer is simple: Believe Christ died for you, and then receive Him into your life. Trust Christ and invite Him into your life today—and when you do, God has promised to forgive you, completely and fully.