O Love That Will Not Let Me Go: Facing Death with Courageous Confidence in God

by Nancy Guthrie (Editor), David Martyn Lloyd-Jones (Contributor), Richard Baxter (Contributor)

What does it look like for a believer to face the difficult reality of death through the ultimate reality of Christ? How do we live and die like we really believe the gospel is true? Readers at every stage of life will find comfort and hope as well as challenge in this collection of twenty-two short meditations drawn from the sermons and writings of classic and contemporary pastors and theologians ranging from Abraham Kuyper, Martin Luther, and Jonathan Edwards to Tim Keller, J. I. Packer, and John Piper.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Counselling, Christian Living, Christianity, Grief, Death

160 pages, Paperback

First published February 28, 2011

About the author

Nancy Guthrie teaches the Bible at her home church, Cornerstone Presbyterian Church in Franklin, Tennessee, as well as at conferences around the country and internationally, including through her Biblical Theology Workshops for Women. She is the author of numerous books and the host of the Help Me Teach the Bible podcast at The Gospel Coalition. She and her husband host Respite Retreats for couples who have faced the death of child and are co-hosts of the GriefShare video series.

Reviews

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Revisiting this book and it is one I highly recommend. There are 22 short chapters, all from different authors reflecting on the reality of death for the believer. That sounds like it'll be a depressing book, but it's actually very hope filled in the midst of sobering thoughts. I especially love the idea that we must spend time meditating on heaven and eternity with God if we expect to be anticipating and looking forward to it.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, it’s a book about death & the dying of the believer but it’s not morbid in the slightest. Mrs. Guthrie pulled a marvelous selection of writings together into a great format, manageable chapter lengths & saturated with content. The contributors are quite a spiritual cast of characters that will enrich your heart & nourish it on scriptural words of wisdom & personal life experiences. Pilrims like Luther, Calvin, Owen, Spurgeon, Packer & some lesser known saints like John Eaves, share such brave, Christ exalting counsel & personal journeys under the shadow of death. Whether one is fearful of death or already at peace with it, this marvelous little book will bolster your courage & begin to enlighten your heart to the joyous blessing that awaits us on our divinely appointed day of departure. This book would be an extra special blessing to those nearing their death but I highly recommend it to old & young, healthy & sick, or any believer in the process of identifying the reality of their own transience.

[Bethany Schultz · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful collection of brief essays on death by some of the most influential and solid Christian men of the (mostly) past. My mother gifted me this book following my grandpa’s death, so I found this volume profoundly timely for my processing and healing. I particularly relished and was challenged by the last essay, which is by Charles H. Spurgeon. Definitely a wonderful gift for someone grieving or facing death, and comforting even when considered not under those circumstances.

[Nathan Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been convicted from this book that as Christians we don’t face death in the way we ought to. We don’t live prepared for it nor do we keep eternity in mind as we ought to. This book really helped my awareness and understanding of living with the end at the front of my mind. I would encourage anyone to read this, but especially young people because we often neglect thinking about these things more than those closer to death or those sufferings deep hardships.

[Livia · Rating 5 out of 5]

O tema da morte sob o olhar de grandes autores como R.C.Sproul, Calvino,Spurgeon, Tim Keller, Jonh Owen, entre outros, um livro em artigos subdivididos sobre uma realidade inegável a morte; um objetivo que nos deve faxer persistir,uma esperança que nos salva do desespero e um futuro que não desampontará.Com certeza um livro que nos vai ensinar a importância de refletir sobre a morte, nos vai encorajar a nos prepararmos para a morte, ao longo da nossa vida, e que nos vai ensinar não só a não temê-la, mas até esperar por ela com confiança e fé inabalável de que o melhor da vida virá depois dela.Super indico.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many good chapters in this compilation.
Baxter (14), Tada (17), and Calvin’s (18) were among my favorites.
From Baxter: “Misunderstand, not sickness, as if it were a greater evil than it is; but observe how great and mercy it is, that death has so suitable a harbinger or forerunner: that God should do so much before he takes us hence, to wean us from the world, and make us willing to be gone that the unwilling flash has the help of pain”

[Unchong Berkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

My heart was lifted to Christ and heaven as I read this collection of excerpts from various theologians and writers.

“We are immortal till our work is done. Be, therefore, quiet in the day of evil; rest peaceful in the day of destruction-all things are ordered by wisdom, and precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. No forces yet in the world are outside his control,”

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! Every Christian should read and meditate on these chapters in preparation for death. Whether we are young or old we are all terminal.

[Erica Baldwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book because I was diagnosed with an incurable genetic disease. I knew it was going to be hard to read so it sat on the shelf for a couple of years. It was a wonderful collection of hope-filled essays that build up a believer in Christ, not in a fearful way, but in a way that offers expectation and peace. It is a topic not talked about enough in the church, not in a real tangible way. I appreciate this book and know I will look over my underlined sections and notes again and again.

[Barbara Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why would anyone read a book on dying if death is not imminent for oneself or loved ones?

Well, in my case, I saw a few quotes that I liked from O Love That Will not Let Me Go: Facing Death with Courageous Confidence, complied by Nancy Guthrie, in Aging with Grace. I’ve read and enjoyed some of Nancy’s other compilations (Come Thou Long Expected Jesus about Christmas and Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross about Good Friday and Easter). I had not known about this one, but when I did, I wanted to get it, too.

As with Nancy’s other compilations, this book is made up of excerpts from the writings or sermons of Christians as far back as the Puritans and as modern as Joni Eareckson Tada, John Piper, and Randy Alcorn.

The book is divided into four parts:

A Reality That Will Not Be Denied
An Aim That Keeps Me Pressing On
A Hope That Saves Me From Despair
A Future That Will Not Disappoint

Ecclesiastes reminds us, “It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. . . . The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth” (7:2, 4).

Several themes came up in many of the selections: Jesus has taken away the sting of death by His own death for us and His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:53-56). Death is “the last enemy” (1 Corinthians 15:26), but it is a defeated enemy. This world is our temporary home: we’re just strangers and pilgrims here (1 Peter 2:11). God is preparing us for “a better country, that is, a heavenly” (Hebrews 11:16). God will accompany us through the pangs of death and usher us into His presence. Keeping this end in mind should affect how we live here.

This book was a great blessing to me many mornings as I read it. I’m sure I’ll read it again in the future. I heartily recommend it.

[Sheri Ingersoll · Rating 5 out of 5]

The older you become, the more you begin to contemplate death. Really, though, it's something that we should be preparing for all of our lives. Quite often I remind my special needs son and myself that "today is one day closer to being with Jesus." This book, a compilation of many authors, is indeed an encouragement to thinking through to eternity.

"Therefore, if we desire to end our days in joy and comfort, let us now lay the foundation of a comfortable death. To die well is not a thing of that light moment as some imagine: it is no easy matter. But to die well is a matter of every day. Let us daily do some good that may help us at the time of our death. Every day by repentance pull out the sting of some sin, that so when death comes, we may have nothing to do but to die. To die well is the action of the whole life. He never dies well for the most part that dies not daily, as Paul said of himself, "I die daily" (1 Cor. 15:31); he labored to loose his heart from the world, and worldly things. If we loose our hearts from the world and die daily, how easy will it be to die at last! He that thinks of the vanity of the world, and of death, and of being with Christ forever, and is dying daily, it will be easy for him to end his days with comfort."
-Richard Sibbes

[Dogeared Wanderer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a compilation of various articles on death by various pastors, theologians, and Christians from a wide range of time periods. The book is from a Reformed perspective and includes paedo/credo contributors. It includes: J. I. Packer, Michael Horton, John Piper, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, B. B. Warfield, Joseph Bayley, Randy Alcorn, R. C. Sproul, Abraham Kuyper, John Eaves, Jeremy Taylor, Tim Keller, John Owen, Richard Baxter, Martin Luther, Thomas Boston, Joni Eareckson Tada, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, R. L. Dabney, C. H. Spurgeon, and Richard Sibbes.

The topic is Christian hope in death, and this would be a helpful book for someone who is afraid to die. The book was encouraging because it was very biblical, but it also had a few contributors who seemed to swing hard into the "ought to's" of the Christian life without also emphasizing the hope we have in Christ. The overall theme was hope in death.

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an incredible resource to grievers, whether the loss is fresh or far from mind. Through the words of historic and modern theologians, writers and sufferers, Guthrie gives us a window into how others have faithfully held onto God while sitting in the ash heap of their circumstances. Each chapter is written by a different author, making it an easy bedside table read to work your way through in the midst of grief. You will find the dear company of other souls, recounting God's faithfulness in the hardest places, in these pages.

[Debbie Brandenburg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing and powerful book - from a collection of trusted writers. Such glimpses into hope in the midst of suffering, loss, and eminate death. I purchased 3 additional copies to give out as the Lord directed. I have given them out as well as my own copy (must get some more). This is a treasured book...I want to have at least one copy when John or myself are in our last days on this earth.

[Dianne Danielson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recommend this book for any Christian at all. It’s meant to remind Christians to always be prepared for death, which it has helped me to do, but it was also a great comfort to me after my dad recently died. Thank you to a close friend who gave this to me. I will keep this as a sort of reference book; the short sermons are easy to pick up and read one at a time.

[Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the back of the book: “Death, for the believer, is no tragedy. And for the believer to die well - to live and die aiming to glorify God, confident that God will make good on all his promises - this is a thing of great beauty.”

Read and be encouraged by the words of pastors and theologians past and present.

[Shu Yi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Those who die daily die easily...

[Katrin V · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very mixed collection of essays on death and dying. Some with troubling images of God that would not encourage someone dealing with end of life issues. Other pieces superb.

[Rod · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am grateful I picked up this short and powerful little book. The wisdom drips from every page and is well worth contemplation. I plan to read this again and give it away as a birthday present.

[Jordan Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just immensely helpful.

[Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

From now on, this'll be a go-to recommendation for Christians nearing death.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

So grateful for this book and will certainly return to it often.

[Tanya Marlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of essays, sermons and extracts from a variety of (mainly male) Christian writers over the centuries about the subjects of grief and spiritually preparing for your death. Whenever I have told people that’s what I was reading, I always look interestedly for their response. Usually there’s a silence, and then a comment along the lines of ‘that’s a bit bleak/ what do you want to go thinking about that for? / but you’re not dying’ – all of which reveal, as J I Packer says in the first chapter, that we as a culture are in denial about our mortality, and even within the church, talking about death and preparing for it well is a total taboo.

I found it was good for me to read the words of those in previous ages: people like Richard Baxter who was a pastor in the seventeenth century. (I find myself thinking thoughts like, ‘oh, because in the seventeenth century lots of people died’, and then have to correct myself with ‘and of course 100% of people still die today!’) But there is definitely a degree to which the seventeenth century pastors had death and sickness in their faces in a way that we don’t today, and I appreciated learning from their wisdom. And the second chapter, by Michael Horton, on Jesus and Lazarus was astoundingly, beautifully brilliant. A book to dip into while you’re fit and well and not thinking about death.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book dealing with facing death as a Christian.

[Gwendolyn Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The very best book I've ever read on the subject...Highly recommend this to every soul who will one day face death, their own or the ones they love.