The 911 Handbook
Study Guide Answers
Lesson 25/Chapter 23
When You Are Afraid of Dying: Scared to Death of Death
Answers are written in italics
Read the four stories about the unusual deaths. What was common in all four cases?
None of them were expecting to die in those ways. They wouldn't have thought their deaths would be described in newspaper stories.
List some reasons why people refuse to think about dying.
1. People don’t want to face the fact that they will die one day.
2. They are so preoccupied with the present that they ignore the future.
3. They are don't want to think about what lies beyond the grave.
Why People Fear Death
Why are people afraid of dying?
Some people don't know what lies beyond the grave. The fear of God's judgment is the primary reason why people fear death.
Read Hebrews 2:14-15. According to this passage, what two things did Jesus accomplish through His death on the cross?
1. He rendered Satan powerless.
2. He set us free from the fear of death.
What does God grant to His children to calm the fear of death? (Rom. 5:1)
God gives His children a supernatural peace and assurance that calms the fear of death.
What Happens When You Die
How can our bodies be compared to spacesuits like the astronauts wore when they walked on the moon?
The spacesuits enabled them to live exist while they were away from earth. Our bodies enable us to exist on earth for our mission here.
According to James 2:26, what happens at death?
When a person dies, the spirit departs from the body. The "spacesuit" isn't inhabited anymore.
Where does the spirit go? (Eccl. 12:7, Heb. 9:27)
The body goes to the grave and the spirit goes to stand before God for judgment to determine whether he or she will spend eternity in heaven or hell.
How can a person escape judgment for his or her sins? (John 5:22-24, 1 John 3:5)
When a person trusts in Jesus Christ, he or she receives eternal life and doesn't come into judgment. Jesus came to take away our sins so that we would escape God's judgment.
What Death is Like for the Christian
What did the resurrection of Jesus do to death? (1 Cor. 15:55)
The resurrection of Jesus took the sting out of death. Just like a bee loses its stinger when it stings, death lost its sting when it stung Jesus.
Why is death for the Christian compared to going to sleep? (1 Cor. 15:51)
It doesn't hurt to go to sleep. We go to sleep in one room (earth) and wake up in another (heaven).
Better on the Other Side
Why did Paul say it was better to depart this life? (Phil. 1:23)
He would be with Christ in heaven, which would be very much better than staying here.
Do you think God has things planned for us to do in heaven? (1 Cor. 3:9)
God has exciting things planned for us in heaven--beyond our wildest imaginations. This is why Paul says he preferred to be there.
How does a person's understanding of heaven influence his or her view of death?
Understanding the joy of heaven will shatter the fear of death. If God has joyous things planned for us and has assured us that He has taken the sting out of death, we should not be afraid of dying. Failing to trust Christ and what He has told us will result in unnecessary fear and torment.