The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1906, Page 83

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

The Lutheran Pioneer. 83

will “change our vile body, that it may be fashioned
like unto His glorious body,” Phil. 3, 21.

In view of these clear statements of Scripture,
how can we doubt the resurrection of the body?
Though our reason bring up objection after objec-
tion, we cannot otherwise than accept God’s Word
as final in this as in all other matters of faith.

Many are the objections our reason advances
against this doctrine of Holy Scripture. It tells
us that it is utterly impossible for the corrupt body
to be delivered from the silence and inactivity of
the grave, and urges us to consider the absolute
impossibility of bringing back to life the bodies
whose particles have been scattered to the winds
and have become united with other bodies. ‘Thus
the body of a dead man may be burned (as were
those of some martyrs by their enemies, in de-
rision of the resurrection), its ashes be scattered
to the winds; or, after it turned to earth, it may
be taken up by the vessels which supply the plants
with nourishment, and become a part of those
plants. “How,” says our reason, “can particles thus

scattered, or thus closely combined with other bodies; -

be brought together again and reunite so as. to form
one body? ‘Think of the men drowned in the sea,
whose bodies may be eaten by fishes, and these
again by other men; or, among cannibals, men feast
upon the flesh of men: in such cases, where one
man’s body may be converted into part of the sub-
stance of another man’s body, and so on, how shall
each at the resurrection recover his own peculiar
body ?”

In answer to all these objections we reply:
- “Why should it be thought a thing incredible with
you, that God, with whom nothing is impossible;
should raise the dead? He that made all things
out of nothing, should He not be able to bring back
our bodies to life, though their particles be scattered
over the whole carth? Is not the creation of the
body a greater work than its resurrection? Hush,
therefore, O reason, with all your objections! God
has said that “all that are in the graves shall hear
His voice, and shall come forth;” therefore I know
that “though after my skin worms destroy this
body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall
see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not
another.”

_ ‘This-resurrection of the body shall take place
on the last day, John 6, 40, on the day of Christ’s
return to judge the earth. There is in Scripture no
foundation for the belief that a large number of
dead will rise before the last day to rule with Christ

here upon earth in the so-called millennium. On
the last day, then, the graves will open, and all the
dead will come forth; some to everlasting life, and
some to shame and everlasting contempt. Of those
that will rise on that day there will be two divisions:
they that have done good, that is, the believers, who
ever proved their faith by their works, will come
forth unto the resurrection of life, but the unbe-
lievers, who ever proved their unbelief by doing
evil before God, will rise unto damnation, Dan.
12, 2; John 5, 28. 29.

Respecting the believers, it is said: “Christ shall
change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like
unto His glorious body,” Phil. 3, 21. Our bodies
will then be free from all sin, weakness, and cor-
ruption, free from the limitations of space and
time. The body sown in dishonor will be raised in
glory; the natural, physical body will be raised a
spiritual body. Also the bodies of those believers
who will be among the living on the great day will
undergo this wonderful change and in a moment,
in the twinkling of an eye, at the sound of the last
trumpet, will cast off everything connected with sin.

F. J. L.

God’s Blessing.

Speaking of the reasons we have for thanks-
giving since we owe everything to God’s blessing,
Dr. Luther says: “The animals do not work in
order to earn their food; yet each has its work.
The bird flies and sings and hatches its eggs; ihat
is its work. Horses carry men on the road and to
the battle; sheep give us wool, milk, and cheese;
that is their work; yet that feeds them not. The
earth freely brings forth grass and feeds them,
through God’s blessing. Thus Christ tells us to
behold the fowls of the air; they sow not, neither
do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet God
feeds them. That is, they do their appointed work,
but not thereby are they fed. So also must man’
work. But let him know, it is another that feeds
him; namely, God’s blessing: upon his work.”

Every Davie a Thanksgiving Day.

Every day should be a thanksgiving day. Every
morning brings its own blessing, and every: hour
proclaims some fresh mercy. “In everything give
thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus:
concerning you.” ‘This is the proclamation of our
King. “Offer unto God aera nes ae pay: thy:
yows unto the Most High.” © es oa

Ht Ta