COMMUNICATIONS OF LOVE CONTINUE
C. Dolding
Philippians 1: 21–23; 2 Corinthians 12: 1–4
I am sure the Lord would answer the desire expressed in prayer that He might give us a touch of His present love. He would always do that, and in a very special way on such an occasion as this. It is like the Lord, is it not, to do so. We would look for this, and be encouraged by the way Paul speaks of being with Him. It was certainly Paul’s great desire to be with Christ, “having the desire for departure and being with Christ”. I suppose this should be true of all of us. It has been well said that individually we long to go to be with Christ and collectively we long for Him to come. This desire would be with us all.
“It is very much better”, Paul says. We often say that, and quote the scripture, and it is infinitely true. We thank the Lord for His loving consideration for our beloved sister in this, taking her into what is very much better. How merciful too, we may say, as we think of His love that took her and has given her the joy of being with Him. She has departed to be with Christ, which is “very much better”. Not ‘the best’; not yet. The best, I suppose, awaits our glorified bodies. Oh, that is the best! but meanwhile, dear brethren, how sweet it is that the Lord will grant to those He takes what is very much better. Our hearts rightly and soberly mourn; we would not be without these feelings—God-given feelings—but for her it is “very much better”. It seems as if Paul had the choice—a remarkable thing—but our sister has not had the choice. The Lord has taken her, and that is His matter.
The verses in 2 Corinthians 12 link on with Christ’s present love, and that He is occupied even now with those who are with Him, for Paul speaks of his body, and he does not know whether he was in it or out of it. He was unconscious of the body, for he was caught up into paradise—a wonderful experience and, I suppose, unique to the apostle. But nevertheless our sister and many others who are in the region of paradise are there with Christ. And moreover it seems to indicate in this passage that communications of love continue, because Paul says he heard things said. How wonderful that is! But there it is; things were said and heard. We might say it would be enough to be in His presence, and of course it is, but there seems to be something more meanwhile, even in a disembodied state, for the body has nothing to do with the matter. The spirit is with Christ, and Paul was unconscious of the body, and yet he heard “unspeakable things said”.
Well, it was just that impression, dear brethren, that communications of love continue even now. How sweet! It would lift our hearts and spirits in adoration to Him. He laid the basis for His own to be there with Him. Some have been with Him long, and some very briefly, but nevertheless Scripture seems to show that communications of love continue. How wonderful!
We may well adore Him, and thank and praise Him, and be lifted up now in the consciousness of His present love.
Word at the burial of Miss W. Bridge, Tunbridge Wells
24 April 1978