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    From Death to Life: We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul
    From Death to Life: We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul
    From Death to Life: We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul
    Ebook92 pages1 hour

    From Death to Life: We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul

    By Scott W. Block

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    About this ebook

    From Death to Life examines what happens when people die. Have you ever wondered or are you curious about end of life moments? Is there actually a splitting of the body and soul at the time of death, or is there something else? What happens to the survivors after their loved one dies, and how are they comforted in their time of sorrow and grief? In this book the words of the Holy Bible, and others like Martin Luther, will speak to you, tell you the truth, and give you words of comfort, so that you too can have the sure and steadfast anchor of the soul.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherResource Publications
    Release dateSep 3, 2009
    ISBN9781498273022
    From Death to Life: We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul
    Author

    Scott W. Block

    Scott W. Block received a Master's Degree in Divinity from Luther Seminary in St. Paul. He is an ordained ELCA Pastor currently serving a two-point parish in North Dakota.

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      Book preview

      From Death to Life - Scott W. Block

      9781606087060.kindle.jpg

      From Death to Life

      We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul

      Scott W. Block

      2008.Resource_logo.jpg

      From Death to Life

      We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul

      Copyright © 2009 Scott W. Block. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401.

      Resource Publications

      A Division of Wipf and Stock Publishers

      199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3

      Eugene, OR 97401

      www.wipfandstock.com

      ISBN 13: 978-1-60608-706-0

      EISBN 13: 978-1-4982-7302-2

      Manufactured in the U.S.A.

      The Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission.

      All rights reserved. This work, in any part, may be reproduced only by special permission of the author.

      Table of Contents

      Title Page

      Introduction

      Chapter 1: The Nature of Christ

      Chapter 2: The Nature of Humans

      Chapter 3: The Nature of Life

      Chapter 4: The Nature of Death

      Chapter 5: The Nature of Resurrection

      Chapter 6: The Conclusion

      Chapter 7: Preaching Christ as Comfort

      Bibliography

      To Cora: Who told me,

      Scott, you have to write a book.

      To Betty: Who dedicated me to God.

      To Pat: My dear wife,

      without whom none of this

      would have been possible.

      Introduction

      Present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life.

      Romans 6:13b

      There have been questions surrounding the topic of death and resurrection for as long as I can remember. Surely these questions have been around much longer than that, perhaps even from the beginning of human existence.

      Some curiosity and several different questions regarding this topic of death and resurrection surfaced during my studies in seminary. These issues and questions surfaced once again inside of me post-seminary, as pastor, because I felt challenged by what was happening in the congregation. It was difficult to understand what I was observing in the behaviors and beliefs of others. The challenge was not only in attempting to put words to what I was seeing and hearing but also in developing and working on the theological pieces of the things I was observing and dealing with. This small treatise is an attempt to put them all together. It is a way to help bring some clarity, in a form that makes sense, and to give a response not only to myself but to others to understand what God is doing in these specific times.

      Many of the questions come not only from my own inner fear, insecurity, and anxiety but also from a sense of wonderment and curiosity. These same fears and thoughts, by simple observation, are also present in others as I have served them in the office and capacity of pastor. Most of the questions, however, have generally been centered on the topic of what happens to a person when one dies.

      For example, some of the comments and questions that have been asked of me and, of course, God, are like these:

      Does the soul or spirit actually, in reality, ‘leave’ the body upon death, upon the cessation of breathing?

      Do we somehow separate or split apart thereby leaving our old body or ‘flesh’ in the grave while the soul goes to some geographical location called heaven or hell?

      When you die, do you wait in heaven while you are sleeping?

      I’m a little confused, until a short time ago I always thought you immediately went to heaven and that was such a comfort to know. I know you have to be a good Christian to get into heaven, but is there such a thing as good enough?

      To rephrase the last comment and question, perhaps it could be asked in this sense: Are the scales tipped 51 percent in my favor? But how will one know when those scales are tipped and then be comforted? When is good enough good enough to get into heaven? Is 51 percent my entrance fee, and how do I measure it, to know for sure? Is it simply living a Christian life, which includes attending church and asking for forgiveness for your sins? I can hardly believe that this is where deep and inner comfort lies. This is not comforting at all, rather this thinking actually increases the discomfort and becomes terrifying, not only in the mind but also in the heart.

      The personal question that loomed largest in my mind was if the soul leaves the body, why is there a resurrection? Furthermore, if I am already in heaven because my soul goes there when I die, why would I want this particular body back? Please, not this body, so, no thank you. These are the invasive questions and thoughts that compelled me to dig deeper and deeper into Scripture, the writings of Martin Luther, and the Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

      These questions, and others like them, have profound implications, not only in my life but in others’ as well. The theological implications include life, death, and eternity with the sociological (biological?) human desire of comfort.

      At times, there does seem to be a sense of fear blending many different pieces of theology together. Perhaps there is a mixing of the Lutheran concept of law and gospel with some circular reasoning attached to the mixing. For example, one thought is to be good enough, meaning to do enough good works in order to tip the scales in one’s favor, while the other thought is to be able to get to heaven immediately upon death, which one won’t be able to do because one wasn’t good enough. Therefore, there is a fear of not doing enough and a fear of not being good enough. This whole thing is perhaps a twofold fear (or more), one of not being good enough and not being able to leave one’s body. And then, of course, a deep fear that somehow the scales were not tipped enough in your favor as an entrance guarantee. As one can see, there is much wrapped up in this thought process. Here, though, only fear and terror are present, with absolutely no comfort at all in the person posing the question or to the one experiencing grief, sorrow, and tears.

      This treatise hopes to at least begin discussion and dialogue around fear and comfort about death and resurrection. The topics are varied somewhat as thoughts and ideas regarding comfort and some basic theology regarding the nature of Christ and humans, the nature of life, the nature of death, and, finally, the nature of resurrection are presented. It is my hope this will bring comfort and alleviate fear to those who are terrorized and languishing with anxiety over the death and resurrection not only of themselves but of their missed loved ones too. In this manner, being comforted, full of hope, and secure with certainty of what is to come, one is able to present oneself to God as having been brought from death to life because of the sure

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