GOD’S COMPLETED WORK
I think we can say, beloved, that God’s work in our sister was complete. She is now with Christ, which is very much better, enjoying uninterrupted communion with Him. We were reminded recently that those who have departed to be with Christ do not see, they do not speak, but they hear. It says of Paul when he was caught up to the third heaven, and did not know whether he was in the body or out of the body, that he “heard unspeakable things” 2 Cor.12:4. That is what our sister is enjoying, uninterrupted communications from her Lord and Saviour. How precious that is. Well might the apostle say that “it is very much better”, Phil.1:23.
I was affected by God’s work being complete in our sister. Who can say when it began, but God knows. It began with the Holy Spirit in new birth. I trust His work has begun in each one of us here, that sovereign work of the Spirit. It begins, and it continues day by day and little by little. The next step is when we answer the call of the gospel; we come to know the Lord Jesus as our own personal Saviour and we come under the shelter of His precious blood. As has been said in prayer, it was evident that our sister enjoyed that. It was evident when you spoke to her and visited her. Where she was in the nursing home for so long, the testimony was rendered that she knew the Saviour, He was her Lord, and as has been said, her confidence was in Him. So the work of God continues until it is complete. God’s work is a wonderful thing. It goes on silently; no one sees the work of new birth. “The wind blows where it will”, John 3:8. How precious to have that in the soul. While the outward man might be consumed, as it was with our sister and will no doubt be with us all if we are left here, yet the inward is renewed day by day (2 Cor.4:16). God’s work continues.
I was struck many years ago when a brother gave a word at an occasion similar to this, and said that although the sister being spoken about at that time had been apparently unresponsive, not able to hear or see or communicate, yet the Lord’s work had continued. He has a way to reach the soul even though the body and the mind might be unresponsive. How precious that is, that His work continues. So Paul said to the Philippians that he had confidence that “he who has begun in you a good work will complete it unto Jesus Christ’s day”. I wanted to speak about “Jesus Christ’s day”. There is a wonderful passage in 2 Thessalonians 1 where Paul speaks of the coming of the Lord, and says that He will be “glorified in his saints, and wondered at in all that have believed” (v.10). Our sister is among those who are “his saints”, and I trust that everyone here is among them. The world will wonder, the universe will wonder at the Lord Jesus and His saints, and He will be glorified in all those that believe. How precious that is, and our sister, the work in her finished, will be there. The fulness of it will be seen in the holy city which will come down “out of the heaven from God, having the glory of God”, Rev.21:10. What a precious work that will be in myriads of souls who compose that vessel, and in whom the work of God will be complete.
We would not draw too much attention to our sister, although we love to speak about the testimony she has rendered, but think of the glory that our Lord Jesus will have when those in whom the work of God is complete will be seen in all their holy myriads. That verse in 2 Thessalonians speaks of “the glory of his might, when he shall have come to be glorified in his saints, and wondered at in all that have believed”. Jesus Christ’s day will be when He will take up His rights here, so long denied. Those of us who love His appearing, our sister among them, will be with Him, whether we are among the living who remain and who will be changed when He comes, or whether we are taken by Him before then. What a wonderful prospect awaits us and what a wonderful answer there will be when the work of God will be complete unto Jesus Christ’s day. May we be encouraged, and may the Lord bless the word.
Word at a burial, Colchester
18 December 2018
P.J. Walkinshaw