Words to the Wise: On the Fury of Your Love
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.
Hebrews 2:14-15
Sometimes, the Christian story seems fantastic. By the word "fantastic," I mean it seems fanciful, imaginative, too good to be true.
God the Father, who just is, creates a perfect world for the Son whom He loves (Colossians 1:16), with no need or obligation to do so but by necessity a desire.
At first, this world is perfect: Adam and Eve walk with God. They have the opportunity to live everlasting lives - to have a beginning, but no end. But of course, we know how the rest of the story reads. The devil, in the form of a snake, causes Adam and Eve to turn away from God, and the world as we know it - with death, pain and suffering - begins to exist.
But even in suffering, there remains hope. God promises one will come that will have his heel struck by the serpent, and he in turn will crush the serpent's head. That, of course, is Jesus, who came to destroy the works of the devil. The wonderful thing about this reality is that it truly is not fanciful. It is true.
We see Jesus destroying the works of the devil as the author of Hebrews describes how the Christ became like us so He could save us - not only from death, but from the fear of it also.
This is a valuable distinction to make because of the relationship love and fear have with one another. According to 1st John, there is no fear in love, because fear involves punishment. He who fears has not been perfected in love (4:18).
In a world where there were no problems, fear did not exist. There was no need. However, in a sin-scarred world such as our own, opportunities for fear abound. I know it, in my own life, and you likely do as well.
But Jesus came to take this most powerful fear away: the fear of death. The reasons we fear death are manifold: it is uncertain; it could be painful, and we may have a sense that to die is to be condemned.
Is it any wonder John says that fear involves punishment? But when we understand that Jesus was both the Son of God and the Son of Man, and that it was because of the latter that He could die for us, we realize we do not have to experience fear anymore.
First, Jesus experienced death just like all of humanity does, and will. If he could face death with determination, then so can we; we no longer need to fear because He knows what it is like - and to a greater degree because as the perfect Son of God, he didn't deserve it.
We, as descendants of Adam, do.
Secondly, Jesus didn't stay dead. As the Son of God, he rose from the dead and so it is true what He says: though you may die, so shall you live (John 11:25-26).
When the Christian faces death, she can do so knowing that God is on her her side, knowing God has prepared a home for her, and so be at peace and know hope. Moreover, in this life, we do not have to fear death because of these reasons: Jesus knows what it is like, and He has destroyed it.
Reader, I submit to you that if Jesus has delivered us from the fear of death, shall He not deliver us from our other fears that are much smaller by comparison?
In a fallen world, death defines our existence. It is possible to exercise to be healthy to avoid dying prematurely; the same holds when we wear makeup to look younger (and "prettier") than we are; aging is a reminder of our mortality. But if Christ has set us free from the fear of death, he has the power to set us free from all our other fears. In doing this, we are free to experience the intimate love God has for us.
Worried about your future? God has it, and you, in His hands. If His Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead, He also has the power to write a beautiful future that you cannot even imagine.
Fearful you'll never experience love? In Christ, you have a new, dual identity as a daughter of God and part of his perfectly beloved bride.
Fearful of being rejected? God has made you accepted in the Beloved, and He's never going to abandon you.
When we know the love of God that sets us free from the fear of death, we can live our lives ever deeper in that love, instead of living in fear. This echoes back to the world we were made for, where forever we were meant to walk with God, who is love.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ozi Ojukwu is a girl wildly in love with Jesus. A recent graduate of Cedarville University, she is a 2022 Colson Fellow, having learned about the fundamentals of a Christian worldview and how it connects to all of public life. She is a first-generation Nigerian-American and loves writing poetry and music, dabbles in photography, and is obssesed with popular culture. A bookworm to the core, she loves reading both historical fiction and memoirs. Her favorite verse is Romans 1:16.