In a recent FB post, a dear friend of mine characterized faith as a “fear of death scam.” Like many who have yet to know Christ, he revels in his unbelief.

I, for one, certainly do not fear death. Nor do I long for it. I see my time in this world as an opportunity to glorify God and strive to bring others to Him.

It was not always so. My friend, who has been more like a brother for fifty years, has seen me at my absolute worst. It is not unreasonable to think that my rebirth in Christ strained the limits of my credibility with him.

Because I love him, I pray for his change of heart. And because many others have also borne witness to the depths of my sin, I author this blog, hoping that the radical transformation that has manifested in me may prompt some to revisit the inherent truth in scripture.

I have addressed my friend’s unbelief in a prior post. As noted therein, I believe professing and advocating atheism is in itself an expression of fear.

I have not been shy about sharing the reasons for my faith. Many of these reasons are shared in a series of blog posts under the heading “Why I Believe.” Absent in those posts is the reason “fear of death.”

I truly believe that anyone who studies scripture with an open mind and tender heart cannot do so without being transformed by the love, grace and, yes, the logic embedded therein. It is also evident, however, that those with hardened hearts – those seeking reasons to ridicule those of faith and continue to glory in their love of the world – will likewise be successful.

In this, I speak from experience. For so much of my life, my heart was diseased by pride – by the need to glorify myself. Without the Lord’s intervention, I would remain ignorant of His word and disobedient to it.

God, in His immense goodness, rescued me at a time of bitter anguish. He allowed me, in the poor exercise of my own free will, to fall into a state of utter despair, knowing that I could escape only by putting my trust in Him.

As beautifully described in this worship song from Elevation Worship:

I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered
That’s why I trust Him, that’s why I trust in God

It was not a fear of death that led me to Christ. It was the fear of living without Him. Please have a listen.