The fear of death is the most common fear in all mankind. There is not a person that has not experienced a fear of death in some sort of way, whether it is a present situation or a future fear of death. Death is one of the certainties of life. We all will die at some point in time.
And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, Hebrews 9:27
The fear of death causes in a person to be subject to all kinds of slavery. A person may “feel” that such and such a thing may bring “bad luck” and therefore something bad will happen to him. There is no such a thing as “bad luck” or “good luck”. Luck is a superstition but often it can control a person. Anything that controls a person enslaves him. Also, a person will have a very unrealistic fear of germs, etc. and will subject themselves to all kinds of washings and purifying. There are many cleansing products or rituals of cleansing that people will go through believing that they will keep him from sickness, or even worse, keep him from death. Germs can not live on dry surfaces and skin is given to protect a person from most germs.
…those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. Hebrews 2:15b
A person can speed up the timing of their death but they can not add a single day to the days that were ordained for them. (This does not mean that a person should take their health for granted or neglect it, for a person’s health will often determine their ability to enjoy the days of their life, rather than be disabled by poor health.)
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them. Psalm 139:16
Fear is a tremendous motivational force and those who would oppress others will seek to use fear to control them in their oppression. It is not God’s design that a person be controlled by others. There is only One who should control a person and that is the One who made him and who loves him perfectly. God created us to be loved by Him. Fear came when man went his own way in the garden and did not want to listen to and obey God. Man brought about his own death and his fear of death. It was never God’s design for man. Yet, God came to set man free from the very fear that he brought on himself.
that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. Hebrews 2:14b,15
Jesus Christ came to set man free. He came to set man free from his guilt, his sin and his fears and especially the fear of death.
It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1
Faith is the opposite of fear. When a person comes to Jesus Christ through faith then all his sins are forgiven, his guilt is paid for and his fears are removed. God loves all of mankind and His love is perfect. When a person comes to Christ then they will experience His love for them and His perfect love will cast out the fear.
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, I John 4:18
God’s love is perfect and it was expressed through the life and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He has offered this gift of His Son to the world. He who believes in Jesus Christ receives this gift of His love and eternal life.
Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. I John 4:15-16
The person who has Jesus Christ has this life and freedom from the fear of death. He who does not have Jesus Christ does not have life but lives in a perpetual fear of death that will soon be realized in a final death to their body. Their soul will live on in torment for the soul never dies. Their soul is who they are, their personality, their emotions, mind and will. Their soul will be cast into hell with the devil and demons in total darkness after judgment has come. The Lord loves each person and desires life for them. God has come to each person within their heart. It is with the heart that man believes and with the mouth he confesses that Jesus is Lord. It is man who decides his own eternal destiny.
And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. I John 5:11,12
Instructions To A Young Life 