"I'm afraid of dying. What if I'm not ready? What if God finds something wrong?"
How it sounds in your head: Death is close now and fear grips you when you think about standing before God. What if there's some sin you forgot to confess? What if your faith wasn't strong enough? What if you didn't forgive someone completely? The enemy whispers that dying is the final test and you might fail.
"Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love."
-- 1 John 4:17-18Religion taught that you must have perfect spiritual accounts before death, making your deathbed a courtroom instead of a homecoming.
You can remember sins from decades ago and wonder if you confessed them all. Every preacher warning about judgment day echoes in your mind now that death is imminent.
Stephen was being murdered by stoning, and instead of fear, he saw heaven opened and Jesus STANDING at the right hand of God (normally seated, but standing to welcome him home). His last words were 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit' - peaceful, confident, seeing glory not judgment.
I REFUSE the lie that I'm not ready to die or that God is waiting to find something wrong with me. IT IS WRITTEN that I may have BOLDNESS in the day of judgment because as He is, so am I in this world. There is NO condemnation for those in Christ Jesus - not some condemnation, not conditional condemnation, but ZERO condemnation. IT IS WRITTEN in Philippians 1:21, 'For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is GAIN.' Death is not a test I can fail; it's the door to seeing Jesus face to face. Like Stephen, I will see heaven opened and my Savior standing to welcome me home. The blood of Jesus has already covered every sin - remembered and forgotten. I cross from death to life with boldness, covered by the BARAK blessing, welcomed by the Father who has prepared my place.
The Father isn't waiting at the gates with a ledger of your failures - He's waiting with open arms like He did for the prodigal. Jesus already took your judgment; death is just the doorway to seeing the One who has loved you with everlasting love.