9 Reasons Why People Die Before Their Time|The Only Way To Overcome The Fear Of Death

When my friend Kalenzi died in an accident, I asked myself three key questions about death as we looked at in the previous article.

But he wasn’t the first nor the last.

John the Baptist and Jesus died young before their 34^th birthday.

Even in our days, children, teenagers and young adults die. Why do some people die before their time?

Let’s look at nine reasons;

#1: Disobeying Parents 

Parents who raise their children well and give them counsel save them from early death. Wise children obey their parents and godly elders. 

“Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.” (Ephesians 6:2-3)

Children of prominent Bible characters like Eli, Samuel and David died before their time because of disobeying their parents.

#2: God Takes Them

Sometimes God calls the godly home, before their time, for reasons best known to Him.

^“1Good people pass away;
the godly often die before their time.
But no one seems to care or wonder why.
No one seems to understand
that God is protecting them from the evil to come.
² For those who follow godly paths
will rest in peace when they die.” (Isaiah 57:1-2)

Perhaps God calls home those who have accomplished His purpose for their lives like John the Baptist.

#3: Ignorance or Indiscipline

Each day, people die due to lifestyle diseases and reckless living because they’re ignorant.

“The person who strays from common sense
will end up in the company of the dead.” (Proverbs 21:16)

#4: Suicide

God is the giver of life and the only One who has the right to take it away. Our lives are not our own, they belong to God. And as Christians, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Christ bought them at a high price on the cross. (Jeremiah 10:23, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

#:5: Murder

People die in war, homicide and mass shootings before their time. Thousands die in accidents, too, sometimes due to someone’s negligence.

“You must not murder.” (Exodus 20:12)

The saddest of all is the millions of babies who are aborted every year. That’s murder! God will judge mothers who cut short the lives of innocent and helpless children.

#6: Being Too Evil or Wicked

Young people who participate in gangs, drugs, prostitution, stealing and other forms of wickedness die before their time.

“On the other hand, don’t be too wicked either.

Don’t be a fool! Why die before your time?” (Ecclesiastes 17:7)

“Walk with the wise and become wise;

Associate with fools and get in trouble.” (Proverbs 13:20)

#7: Being Too Righteous

Overrighteous Christians have died because of prolonged fasts, pastors who played with snakes or drank poison to prove a point and those who refuse to seek medical treatment because they have faith in supernatural healing.

“So don’t be too good or too wise! Why destroy yourself?” Ecclesiastes 17:6

#8: Satan/Covenants With Devil

Some people enter into satanic covenants that cut their lives short.

#9: Dishonouring the Holy Communion

Christians who partake of the Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion without examining themselves of sin against the body and the blood of Jesus. So they become sick and some die. 1 Corinthians 11:27-32.

The King Who Got an Extension of Life

God sent a prophet to tell King Hezekiah to put his house in order because he was about to die. He cried to God to keep him alive.

God added him fifteen years.

Sadly, in the extra fifteen years, Hezekiah brought judgement on his country by exposing its wealth to the envoys of Babylon and gave birth to Manasseh, a wicked king who ruled for fifty-five years and undid most of his achievements. (2 Kings 20)

What do you learn from this story?

Bible Characters Who Didn’t Fear Death

Some of the wonders of the Bible are told from stories of men and women who walked with God and stood courageously before death. Let’s point out a few who faced death without fear;

#1: David risked his life to fight the giant Goliath and God gave him victory.

#2: Daniel refused to stop praying knowing he would be fed to lions. God’s angel shut the mouth of the lions.

#3: Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow to the statue of the king and were ready to die in the fiery furnace. God rescued them.

#4: The twelve disciples of Jesus except John all died at the hands of evil men because they refused to stop preaching the Good News. They died violent deaths – beheaded, crucified, pierced with swords and beaten to death among others.

#5: Apostle Paul was always ready to die for the sake of Christ. He said, “…to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21. Also Acts 21:13) He too was killed.

#6: Many other followers of Christ gave up their lives for the sake of Christ. Read their stories in Foxe’s ‘Book of Martyrs’ available free online.

What made these men and women courageous in the face of death?

Would you die for the sake of Christ now?

Clearly, God can rescue us from death if He still has work for us to accomplish on earth. Satan did whatever he did to Job but God told him not to touch his life.

Nobody and no devil can kill the one God has chosen to keep alive. They will live to declare the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living until God calls them home. (Psalm 118:17)

How To Overcome The Fear Of Death

Though death entered into the world through the sin of Adam, life came into the world through the righteousness, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He conquered death and destroyed its power. (1 Corinthians 15:55)

To prove His power over death, He raised the dead during His ministry. Because He resurrected, those who are in Him will never die. They simply sleep until the day He will return to take them home.

Before Jesus left the world he said,

¹“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.

² There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?

³ When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” (John 14:1-3)

For Christians, death is the means through which they join Christ where He is in God’s presence.

Apostle Paul said, “Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:8)

Here is another scripture that puts it so clearly;

“¹⁴ Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death.

¹⁵ Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.” (Hebrews 2:14-15)

Christians are no longer slaves to the fear of death.

Why? Because Jesus Christ conquered death so that all who believe in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) And they know that getting out of the body is being present with their Lord and Saviour.

At death, they sleep. They’ll soon awake with glorified bodies and enjoy eternity with God.

Our third article discusses some ways to prepare for death. 8 Ways To Prepare For Death & Eternity|Not Everyone Rests In Peace

Thank you for reading this article. I welcome your comments and questions – as iron sharpens iron, let’s sharpen each other.

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.