Irene Bosma-Funeral
Notes
Transcript
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Scripture: Romans 8:22-28
Message
Brothers and sisters, it was shared last night that Irene was not a complainer. She not someone who raised her voice to anyone’s memory. She was thoughtful, considerate, enjoyed people, and she could get her intended point across in a clear way without losing her cool. It’s not that she didn’t experience or feel her life had struggles but she made the most of what she had.
It is possible to be content, to enjoy our lot in life, to be grateful for all the many blessings which God has given to us, but still recognize that how things are here and now is not how they are supposed to be. Destruction of lives and homes whether by natural disasters, terror, or war is not what God intended in the beginning. For strokes to inhibit the human body and mind, taking away much of a person’s ability to communicate and express our love, is not what God created us for. Death was not what God purposed our lives to have as their end.
We can be content and enjoy what God has placed in our lives, and still acknowledge these are part of the reality we live in. In a world that is fallen and broken with sin, we must recognize that things need to be fixed. We plead that God would make them better, even make them perfect, without sin or sin’s effects. We can be grateful that Irene and all who believe and have died, get to go and be with the Lord, that they can experience healing. But we can also wish that our loved ones would not have had to die.
We see this exemplified in this part of Romans chapter 8 in which Paul repeatedly talks about groaning. “The whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth…We…who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption…The Spirit intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” He says something similar in 2 Corinthians 5 verses 1 and 2, “Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed,” speaking of the death of our bodies, our lives, “we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling.” He makes his meaning clear later in that chapter, “We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”
There is a yearning that ought to be taking place in those who believe. A looking forward to a greater and better kingdom, a home, even when we love and feel at home in many parts of this life. Most people, though, not just Christians, would agree that there are horrible, tragic, undesirable parts of this life. What Christians and the faith that we hold onto has to offer, though, is the only real hope. Creation is groaning, we’re groaning, but we’re not just waiting for a time change or a world change, we’re waiting for “our adoption,” as full children of God, inheriting his grace in heaven, “the redemption of our bodies.” We have hope in that which we don’t have and can’t yet see or experience. Salvation has not fully been delivered to us as long as we are on this earth. But we still have it, we look forward to it, and the Holy Spirit of God helps us.
We’re groaning to be with the Lord, to get out of our sin, to leave it behind, and all that which has been affected by it. We’re looking to go home to him, and faith is the only way to truly have that—a faith which orients our whole life to Jesus, and by which the Spirit makes a home in us. But how do we keep the faith? How after 96 long years with many changes, having her parents pass away and her husband and several siblings, seeing countless tragedies take place on the global scale—how did Irene keep the faith?
It’s not a secret that she found inside of herself, it’s not something she was able to buy. It’s what we find in one of her favorite verses, Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” How does a person keep the faith no matter what they experience, no matter how trying, how sorrow-provoking life can be? Christians can keep the faith because God works for the good of those who love him,” who he has purposefully called.
As many have said, this doesn’t mean that necessarily everything will always go right or nice or good in our terms, our perspective. No, but when we consider the heavenly good, the kingdom good, the eternal life good that God has sole control over, we can trust that he will accomplish in our lives that which is going to be for our best good in the end. It’s a beautiful thing that God knows each one of us, too. He knows our name, our struggles, our dreams, our gifts, and he knows how he will use us for his glory and how we can best be led to him.
So, we can have faith, as Irene did, that there is a perfect home waiting for us. She was ready for that, and it’s a homecoming for her that is worth celebrating. We may not like that she’s gone and not with us anymore, we may grieve that, but we cannot argue that to be at home with the Lord in his keeping, away from all that causes groaning in this life, we cannot argue that’s not also good for her. We can’t argue because that is what we are seeking to be the end of our own lives as well. We, who believe, also desire that God would work for our good because he has loved us, because he has called and justified and glorified us.
Notice that Irene’s salvation is not about Irene. It’s about God, it’s about what Jesus has accomplished. It’s all about the one who said, “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you…I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” It’s what God’s word testifies to, and the Holy Spirit assures us of. God, in his mercy, rescues sinners, though we don’t deserve it and we could never earn it. But in the greatest love possible, he died for us that we might live with him forever. Amen.