My friend Gerrit has passed away. Christ was his life, his death his last gain. He was a good and honest businessman in the real estate sector. A year ago, he was finding it difficult to swallow. Finally, he was diagnosed with cancer. He asked me to anoint him with oil, according to James 5, together with two elders. We anointed him, laid hands on him and prayed. The Lord gave him another year to live, during which he was able to do everything, in fact, with unbridled energy. He even went with his wife to Israel, where he climbed Masada via the snake path! After his return he organised a flea market for the Holland Village in Jerusalem, one of the projects of ‘Christians for Israel’ for Jewish immigrants in Israel from Ethiopia. He loved Israel, and he loved the church. He made many trips in his old car to Romania because those Christians over there are very poor, but had a warm place in his heart as well. For many years he also smuggled Bibles into Eastern Europe. Together with his wife he organised relief transport behind the Iron Curtain, a long time before the dictator Ceausescu was brought down or the Berlin Wall disappeared and communism collapsed. “Others can speak and preach,” he said, “just let me work.” He was always creatively seeking new ways of bringing the testimony of Jesus to others. His trust in his Saviour was as firm as a rock. Eternity lasts so long, he reasoned, what does it matter whether you live to be 52, or 42, or 82 on earth? The best is yet to come and that has no end. For him to live was Christ, and to die, gain.1
He wrote to an unbelieving business associate and colleague, when he heard that this person also had cancer: ‘We have met each other twice in connection with business matters, but I know that I have had the same disease as you, for nine months, with metastases in several organs. What I should now like to tell you is this: the best has yet to come for you and me. In your and my Bible it says that eternal life awaits us. There is forgiveness for what we did wrong here on earth, and we have both done wrong. If we sincerely ask for forgiveness, He gives it to us, for the full hundred percent. God remains that Father, who is standing waiting.2 He wants to take you into His arms. He wants to take you with Him. He takes you by the hand, to His dwelling place. Do not let anything or anyone confuse you. God has given the best He had, His Son, for the people, for you and I too, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.3 As from today there is a little spot for you in my daily prayers, and I pray for you, that you, just like me, will talk and keep talking with our Father, who is in Heaven. He is listening. He is waiting. He can and wants to and will give a complete solution for our needs, even when death is approaching. Psalm 68:19-20 “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Saviour, Who daily bears our burdens. Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death. “Signed: your brother Gerrit”.
The Lord gave Gerrit Grace to die. There is Grace to live, and Grace to die. He was able to bless all his children and passed away peacefully, after they had sung a number of songs together, such as ‘Everything is ready, in the Father’s house.’ The text on the funeral card read “So that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.4 Those who are ‘victorious’ will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be My children—a brother (and sister) of Jesus Himself, who is not ashamed of the fact. “For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren”.5 An eternal and unfading inheritance lies ready, for us too.6 We can stretch out our beggar’s hand and God will fill it abundantly.” The Dutch, rhymed version of Psalm 81:12 says: Open thy mouth, request freely of Me. All these wonderful promises for you too: just for the asking.
• An heir is someone who is going to possess everything his father possesses. Likewise, God’s children are heirs who are going to possess everything their Heavenly Father possesses, because He has adopted them as His children and heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.7
Bible References:
1.Philippians 1:21 2.Luke 15:11–32 3.John 3:16 4.Philippians 1:20b–21 5.Hebrews 2:11 6.1 Peter 1:4, 5:4 7.Romans 8:17
