My friend and mentor Sam Morris always reminds those of us that he teaches that the most dramatic effect of sin is death.  Everything in the Law comes back to atoning for death. Death the one great cloud that hangs over all of us, all of humanity.

We will all die.

And none of us look forward to it, desire it.  We are naturally afraid of it.  It’s something we avoid and how to wish away.  It is the stuff of our nightmares.

But it doesn’t have to be.  We don’t have to fear it, or anything.  Listen to what we are told today in Hebrews 2: 14-15:

14 Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death.

Jesus has come to set free those who’s lives are held in slavery by the fear of death.  In other words, through Jesus, we don’t have to be afraid.  We don’t have to fear.  Death, or anything else.  Jesus has come to set us free.

See, our sins, their wage is death. That’s what our sin “earns” us.  Judgement.  Death.  Condemnations. But the gift of God is grace.  Life.  Forgiveness.

You don’t have to be afraid anymore.  You don’t have to run anymore.  You don’t have to quake anymore.  Jesus has come to set you and I free.  We are free from fear, free from the fear of death, from the wages of sin, from all of this.

We are free.

We are forgiven.

We do not have live in fear of death, ever, ever again. Jesus has destroyed its power.

We have nothing to fear.

As we focus on our sin and our forgiveness during this season of Lent.  Do no grow weary.  Do not forget the cross and the grave.  Yes, we are in need of forgiveness.

But remember. We are forgiven.

You don’t have to be afraid, anymore.  Jesus has conquered death and our fear.

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