THE CHALLENGE OF A BROTHER’S DEPARTURE
W. Moseley
2 Corinthians 5: 6–8; Revelation 14: 13; 1 Corinthians 15: 29, 30
Beloved brethren, we are all sorrowing at the loss of our beloved brother, but I would like to say this, that while it might look like defeat, it is really victory. The scripture I read in Corinthians speaks of being absent from the body and
present with the Lord. Our brother is absent; our brother is not with us; he has been with us, but the Lord has called him, and he is present with the Lord. I do not think that any Christian could think of anything more blessed than being “present with the Lord”. It is the great hope of the saints that we are going to be present with the Lord. At the present moment our beloved brother has the advantage of us. While we are absent from the Lord, he is present with the Lord, and I think that, for him, involves the greatest joy. It would involve ecstasy.
The Lord Jesus as entering into death has changed the whole aspect of death, so that death is ours according to 1 Corinthians 3: 22. It is only the servant to bring us into the presence of the Lord. So our beloved brother is with the Lord whom he loved. He is with Him, not only by faith, but he is there actually. How wonderful that is! What a prospect it is! What a comfort it is to know how well our dear departed ones are taken care of. They are with the Lord. Paul spoke of having the desire to be “with Christ, for it is very much better”, Philippians 1: 23. Paul was enjoying Christianity here. There was no one happier than Paul; and yet he could speak of being with Christ as being very much better.
I read the scripture in Revelation because, while it belongs to a future day, I think it has its bearing on us this afternoon. It speaks of the voice from heaven, “Blessed the dead who die in the Lord”. Our beloved brother has lived to the Lord, and he has died to the Lord. He has died in the Lord. The Lord has been active in taking our brother to Himself, and we can speak of it with great liberty and great freedom, because of what he has been. Sometimes we have to resort to what is abstract in speaking, because there is nothing much that we can speak about, but we know our brother’s works, what he has been. The Spirit
takes account of persons who die in the Lord, and this scripture says “their works follow with them”. Our brother’s works have followed with him and he will presently come into his reward when the Lord comes. But how wonderful it is to think of him at the moment, being present with the Lord, and having rest and blessing, and his works have followed with him.
Not one is forgotten!
Then I read the scripture in 1 Corinthians because it speaks of being baptised for the dead. I understand that it is an allusion to the Roman army. When a soldier was killed in battle another one would step into his place. So it is a challenge to us as to who is going to be baptised for the dead. Who in the local company is going to step forward to fill the vacant place? We know what our brother has been. We know what has marked him in faith. We know what has marked him in his affections. Is there anyone that is going to commit themselves to that? Our brother is absent now, but it remains for us to take up what he has been; so it would challenge us as to our affections. If anyone is prepared to commit themselves to this, the Spirit would help them in it. One thing that has marked our brother has been his piety. I have never known him otherwise, and piety is basic. You cannot have spirituality without piety. A person can be pious and not spiritual, but a person cannot be spiritual and not pious. So that our lives have to be ordered in simplicity, and our households too are to be ordered to please God.
We are not living as men do. We do not want the things that men want. We are living on a different principle. Piety brings God into everything, and that is what marked our brother.
There was no pretension with him, but faith and piety and spirituality, and with what affections! The challenge is to us. Are we able to take it up?
Is anyone prepared to make a committal to be amongst the brethren as our brother has been, so that the place that he has filled is taken up in affection? The Lord and the Spirit stand available if we just commit ourselves, in spite of our weaknesses, in spite of our failings. If we really want it, the Spirit will make us equal to it; and so, beloved brethren, I would just leave the matter with us. It has been a great loss; what our brother has been the Lord best knows, but I think there is a lot more than we know; his works are far greater than we could estimate. The Lord knows them all; but the challenge is, can we move in affection to take up what our brother has been? May the Lord help us, for His name’s sake.