The White Light. The Euphoric Love. No Fear, Worry, or Shame…just that Perfect Love encompassing, invading, inviting. The stories we’ve heard are all true. Those testimonies, where earthly cares are instantly swallowed up by a heavenly peace and confidence, where the air itself is drenched in a tangible Hope, are real. That’s exactly what happens. I know this because I’ve experienced it.
My death-to-life experience was a little different from the usual tragedy turned miraculous, where a person flatlines for several minutes and some unsung hero breathes life back into their lungs. But what I did experience was none the less impactful to me: in fact, it changed the way I lived and my perspective on every aspect of life. Dying can do that to a person.
Imagine one moment worrying about your job, or your health, your finances, how you look, or what that person you care way too much about thinks of you, and the very next all of that noise is completely obliterated. Gone. Forgotten even. You are so infused with the Love of God and how much the Master of this Universe believes in you that you cannot be bothered by that nonsense. Ain’t nobody got time for insecurity and crippling fear when God Himself approves of you!
If you are anything like me, just reading those words calls up a deep soul-ache. A distant memory of an identity where freedom reigned every minute of every day. Where fear was completely overshadowed by the Light. This reality is available for you. Right now.
All you have to do is die.
And the miraculous, magnificent truth is, you don’t have to actually kill yourself to die. Good news, huh? I’m not sure how popular this blog would be if I started promoting suicide as a viable option for fearlessness. While there are countless benefits for you and me that we will celebrate this Easter weekend, what I want to share with you today is a vital key to living free from fear of any kind, every single day.
Because think about it…can a dead person be afraid of anything? Unpaid bills? Being attacked? What it looks like? Even a spider crawling across its chest? No! Because, well, its dead. Not mostly dead, but ALL dead. As we remember the death of our Savior, let’s not forget that the very moment Jesus cried, “It is Finished!” and offered up His last breath, you and I and every other human on the planet who has ever, and will ever, believe in Him died that day, too.
It’s unfathomable, but THAT’s just how powerful Jesus’ death was. When you ARE God, the Word who was with God from the beginning of creation…when you ARE the force by which everything was made…when you ARE the very life that ignited the life of every human who has ever lived on the planet, you actually have the ability to accomplish this feat. When all of that Life Force and Eternal Power are squeezed into a flesh suit named “Jesus” and walks on the earth for 33 years, then dies a horrible, sacrificial death on a cross, you can, in fact, make the claim that since you created all of mankind, you can die for all mankind.
Buddha can’t do that. He was just a dude. When he died, he just was dead. Mohammad ain’t got nothin on Jesus, either. He was only a person, a prophet and a ferocious warrior. When he expired, he just became worm food. These guys didn’t MAKE mankind…they were not there in the beginning when all of creation was imagined. In point of fact, even they were created by the Word of God (Jesus). Boom. *drop mic*
As believing Christians, we have an unprecedented, unmatched, undeniable victory available to us because Romans 6 teaches us that not only have we all been crucified with Christ…but we also were raised up to life WITH Jesus when He rose Himself up from the dead. If you study this scripture, this is not talking about our actual death and acceptance into heaven, this is about a resurrected life that we can live here on this earth!
When we embrace the sacrifice Jesus offers, we are invited to die, SO THAT all our fear, anxiety, rejection, low-self esteem, and depression can cease to exist as well. All the effects of sin and disunity with God are completely disintegrated and a new, resurrected life of power, love, acceptance and unthinkable peace will fill our souls.
This is the ecstatic celebration of Easter. This is the utter dominance of Jesus’ death and the eternal authority of His resurrection.
The Fearless 365 Week Ten Challenge: Die. Surrender your life to the death and resurrection of Christ so that you can become who you truly were meant to be. Called by God to be accepted by Him and ridiculously loved by Him. Infused with His power to experience victory in every area of your life. Ignited by his grace to change and influence the world around you.
Die. And the next day, die again. And when fear tries to bully you, remember that you are dead to it. When sickness threatens you, remind it that Jesus already gave you authority over it. When stress, depression, or insecurity tries to come back to life, forcibly rebuke it because it does not have the resurrected power of Christ in it to do so. But you do. So live like it. Walk like it.
Take some time and read through Romans Chapter 6. Packed with revelation on how to walk this resurrected life, it will build your strength and resolve to be FEARLESS.
