COMPLETING OUR TESTIMONY
A. C. Craig
I thought, dear friends, to add a word as to the importance of completing our testimony, felt it right to add this word to what has been already said. That our brother has completed his testimony there is no question. Not just that he has died, but that he has completed his testimony. That is said of the two witnesses in Revelation, that they had completed their testimony. The Lord said about them they are “my two witnesses”, Revelation 11: 3. That our brother was the Lord’s witness there is no question, a current witness. And then
we are told that they had completed their testimony, and we can say this of our brother too.
After they had died and were raised up, they were told to “Come up here”. That has happened to our brother. He has been called up. He has completed his testimony and has been called up.
He will soon be caught up with all the others who have gone. Those who have gone, and those of us who remain, are to be caught up, but in the meantime he has been called up.
These witnesses, indeed all of the Lord’s witnesses, are pleasurable to Him. I thought, therefore, about Stephen and Paul. Stephen and Paul have a link, and the heavenly side of the truth links them together. I think two things are necessary in the completion of our testimony; first, a constant, living, active occupation with the Man in the glory. Stephen, fixing his eyes on heaven, saw the glory of God. I think it is necessary that we have this constant, living link with Christ above. Also there must be the link with the testimony of our Lord as down here. I cannot conceive it being predicated of anybody that they had completed their testimony if they did not have these two things, occupation with Christ above, and, too, a loyal, faithful link with the testimony of our Lord at the present time. I could not think that, as to a person who is not going on with the truth and the Lord’s current mind, it could be said of them that they were completing their testimony. They may be taken, the Lord could take them, because He has rights to them, they are His, “my two witnesses”. He has redemptive rights over His people, all belong to Him, and He will take every one. But when it comes to a matter of completing our testimony, I think the two great essentials are that we are occupied with Christ above and that we have a link with the testimony at the present time. I think that is most essential.
I want to stress that, but, first of all, this matter of being occupied with Jesus in glory. What comfort that brings! I think that can easily be said about our brother, that he was occupied with the heavenly side and Christ above, fixing his eyes on heaven. I think we would all have to admit that we fail there, as to fixing our eyes on heaven. What a relief and comfort that brings and what a change that brings about! When it comes to the moment of Stephen dying, his occupation with Christ in glory affected that, for he died like his Master. Being occupied with Him would alter things right up to the moment of our quitting this scene. What a wonderful example, therefore, what a wonderful witness, Stephen is as being occupied with Christ above. I commend that to us this afternoon that, like Stephen, and like others, we might be occupied livingly, and constantly, with Jesus above. He saw the glory of God, and Jesus. That filled Stephen’s soul. May it fill ours! Then it comes out in testimony. This is what he sees, what he is occupied with. It alters, you might say, his whole course here—not for him long, but it alters his whole course. It affected the moment of his death and the way he died.
Then he comes out in testimony. You see, he is the Lord’s witness. He witnessed to Christ above. What do you witness to? What do I witness to? Oh that we might be more constantly occupied with the Son of man above. How soul-filling it is, as I said, to alter our life here. Let us fix our eyes and let Him fill our hearts. It will fix us too in relation to the testimony here. I cannot conceive of anybody here whose eyes are fixed on Christ in glory, who is not fixed regarding the testimony here. I cannot conceive of anybody wandering about not knowing where to go, not knowing what to do, if their eyes are fixed on Christ above.
As I said, there is a link between Stephen and Paul. Paul was present when Stephen died, and he speaks about Stephen later as “thy witness Stephen”. How that penetrated the soul of Saul of Tarsus I am sure, the way that Stephen witnessed to a Man above. Now our brother certainly did that. It is amazing the contacts he had, the contacts he made, the testimony that this place is now rendering concerning him. It is amazing.
Well, now we come to Paul. He says, just before his decease, just about at the closure of his testimony, the completion of his testimony, “But I make no account of my life as dear to myself, so that I finish my course”. Think of that; finishing his course, finishing it with the element of completion. How are you going to finish? How am I going to finish? Am I going to finish my course as being faithfully, loyally, and in fidelity linked with the Lord’s testimony here? How are you going to finish? That is a real question. You had a link maybe at one time with the testimony. What is your link now? Is your link a vital one, a current one; are you actually linked with the testimony of our Lord? I believe that comes up in this section—“I finish my course and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the glad tidings of the grace of God”. Think of His testimony. That is Paul, might we say, in it, Stephen sets on the beginning of the whole heavenly order and you come to Paul and you come to the climax.
Beloved brethren, we are in the time of the climax of the heavenly testimony. Who would want to miss at the present time the opportunity of faithfulness, of being identified, avowedly and openly, with the testimony of our Lord? I doubt if you could definitely say your testimony will be completed unless you have that link with the testimony.
The Lord may take you, take you home, but can it be said about you, what I can say here today, that our brother has completed his testimony? It could hardly be said about you or me unless we have a living link with the testimony. I have said these things to us that we might all measure ourselves today, and, as linked with the whole heavenly order, that we might in fidelity to Christ be faithful in the few moments that remain to us. It brings great comfort to us as we realise that our dear brother, who is now with the Lord, has completed his testimony here.
Words at the burial of Mr. Oliver Mair, Cullen
31 January 1984