Our dear friend, Linda Stalnaker, was called home to glory November 25th, after suffering with breast cancer and all the surgeries and treatments involved in treating that disease. All who knew her well will miss her greatly; even as we rejoice in and give thanks to our God for taking her away from this world of woe.
Linda left us with a remarkable testimony to the grace of God. Shelby and I knew Linda for more than twenty years. She, her husband, Pastor Marvin Stalnaker, and their children (Rebecca, Hannah, Sarah, and Gabe) have been cherished family friends all that time, sharing one another’s sorrows and joys. I have often commented to many, what a great tribute Marvin and Linda’s children are to them as parents. If you wish to know what kind of people they are, you need only observe the character of their children.
In all the years I knew her, and we spent many hours together, I never knew Linda to say anything unkind, or even express an indication of anger, toward anyone. She was a sensitive, gentle, loving woman, always thoughtful of other people’s feelings and needs. Linda believed the gospel and adorned it. I count it an honor to be her friend.
As we watched her, and wept for her, over the past year, Linda never once expressed anything less than gratitude to our heavenly Father for his goodness and grace in Christ and complete submission to his wise and good providence. As her mother-in-law told me Sunday afternoon, “We have many examples of how we should live; but Linda taught me how we should die.” The last song I heard her sing on this earth was “It Is Well With My Soul.” I was convinced that it is, indeed, well with her soul.
When the righteous perish, while their bodies sleep in the earth and they walk in the fulness of life with Chrit in heaven, they leave a great void in the earth. Their experience, influence, counsel, encouragement, and wisdom are taken from us. Therefore, we miss them and feel the hurt of their absence much more acutely than when others are taken away. We weep not for them, but for our temporary loss of them. While we would not rob her of her blessedness, we do miss Linda’s warmth, kindness and love.
Last week, when he and Linda knew that she would go home to glory in a very few days, perhaps a few hours, Marvin said to Linda, -- “Tell me what the Lord has taught you in this. Tell me the thing that stands out most. I really want to know.” – Linda said, “Well, Marvin, I have never before seen, as I now do, the complete, utter, insufficiency of my righteousness and good works before God. -- And I have never before seen, as I now do, the complete and absolute sufficiency of Christ and his righteousness.” Our dear friend left this world leaning upon the arms of Christ, with “a good hope through grace.”
are Taken Away Isaiah 57:1-2
All who have even the slightest understanding of spiritual things recognize that unregenerate, unbelieving men understand nothing concerning the things of God (1 Cor. 2:14). And the unbeliever can never understand the believer. God’s saints are as much a mystery to the world as God himself is (1 John 3:1). Never is this fact more evident than at that time when God’s elect are taken out of this world.
When the unbeliever dies, he dies under the wrath of God, because of the wrath of God, to suffer the wrath of God forever. Trying to find comfort and peace in the good he has done, his conscience is tormenting. Trying to convince himself that he is good enough to meet God, his soul is, understandably, terrified. His family and friends are distraught, because they have no more hope for him than he has for himself.
When the believer leaves this world, his body dies, but he enters into life. He leaves this world of woe in peace. Denouncing all personal merit, acknowledging that his most righteous works are filthy rags before God, no more worthy of God’s approval than his most vile imaginations, confessing that he is (in himself) no more worthy of God’s approval than the very devil himself, the believer leaves the earth in peace and hope, -- leaning upon Christ, trusting Christ alone as his Savior, -- trusting Christ alone for acceptance with God. His family and friends, rather than behaving as hysterical pagans, weep with peace and hope, because they understand the heavenly words, -- “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord.” Do you ask, “How can that be?” Those who die in the Lord are eternally and indescribably blessed and happy, because…
1. They have not died! – God’s elect never die (John 11:25-26). Yes, these bodies, these tabernacles of clay must be dissolved. But these bodies are just the pup tents in which we dwell for a short time. While these bodies sleep in their bed, awaiting the resurrection, we will walk with Christ in glory in the perfection of uprightness.
2. They rest from their labor! – That does not mean that the saints in heaven are floating around on clouds, strumming harps. We will continue to serve God our Savior forever. Our labor is not with work, but with sin. Soon, we shall enter that phase of spiritual life which Christ has purchased for us, in which there shall be no more curse, no more sorrow, no more pain, and no more crying, because there shall be no more sin!
3. They are taken away from the evil to come! – So long as we live in this world, we experience evil because of sin. Once we leave here, we leave all evil behind forever! Yes, it is true, “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord!”