Elias Aslaksen

Elias Aslaksen

Our precious brother, a faithful servant of the Lord and a spiritual giant, was called home on May 10th. He passed away as quietly as a flickering candle-light in his home, having filled more than 88 years. His memory is glorious and blessed. On occasions like this he often spoke on the word from Psalm 116:15: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” He would say that there is a great celebration in heaven when the saints are called home. Now he is experiencing this glorious event which he had anticipated with rejoicing. Luke 12:37.

Brother Aslaksen has had a long working day. He was active and travelling until the latter part of January this year. He is the greatest man of God we have known in our time. Galatians 1:10 was his guideline from his youth: “For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” I remember when he would read this word, he would often say, “It does not say that if I seek to please men, then I am a bad servant of Christ. Not at all! It says n-o-t, not; then I am not a servant of Christ.” Throughout all these years he has lived and served among us in this faithfulness, not pleasing men but Christ alone. In 1908 he met Brother Johan O. Smith and received light over following Jesus on the new and living way which He consecrated for us. Heb. 10:19-20. He was apprehended of Christ, counting everything as dung compared to the knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord. In faithfulness to Him, he proclaimed the gospel with great power and zeal without thinking to please men. He could make these words of Jesus his own: “And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” Matt. 11:6.

Many of us, in many countries around the world, have become happy because we have not been offended by him or by the truth in Christ Jesus that he proclaimed to us. He especially proclaimed faith in the fact that our old man was crucified with Christ Jesus—faith in His finished work and the work He will do in everyone who believes. He himself was a testimony to what he proclaimed, and he would, with great boldness, give his personal testimony to the victory he had experienced in his own life through faith. He would usually add, “And since God is able to do such a work in me, a former hopeless sinner, He can do it in anyone!” In this way he would greatly strengthen those who mourned over their sin. He gave them hope and comfort through the gospel.

Brother Aslaksen was a mighty man of the Spirit. By God’s grace he had the power to cast down all conceit—that spirit of wanting to be something because of one’s talents or boasting because of one’s human qualities. Thus he also fought against all those spirits of Satan that find their way in among religious people and rule in their midst through conceited people who cause strife and divisions everywhere. He fought this battle to the very end.

Likewise, this terrible spirit-power that is called “equality” in our days has been battled through his faithfulness. It is this spirit-power that has driven mothers out of their homes, away from their children and the tremendous task that God has given them. Micah 2:9. The results of this spirit’s terrible work are abortion—which is sheer genocide—and an increase in the dissolution of family life. Brother Aslaksen has fought against this spirit-power, notwithstanding all the criticism and condemnation from the religious world; he was constantly faithful to this motto: “Not to please men.” The fruit of this battle is that we have happy homes with large families among us. In this way the church has become a light in the darkness of our times, a light which these spirit-powers have been unable to quench.

Brother Aslaksen would often speak about entering into rest through faith. Heb. 4:3. He would say that rest in God is proof of our sanctification. Those who did not have rest in God were restless, anxious, suspicious, etc. They followed their reasoning instead of believing God. He would read Romans 8:28 which according to several translations reads: “All things serve us for our very best regardless of the circumstances.” God, who knows how many hairs we have on our head, directs the smallest detail so that all things work together for our very best if we love Him. This is how we could see him abiding in rest—always and in all situations. He was the best proof in flesh and blood of rest in God. The last thing I heard from him when I visited him four days before he died was that he praised God as loudly as his weak voice would allow him.

Brother Aslaksen was a perfect contrast to the usual dried-up old preacher who holds forth with his worn-out sermons and stories. He was always anointed with fresh oil. He would use the same text several times over and each time speak in such a way that it was always new. During one of the last meetings he held, he said, “God gives me light continuously.” If we asked the young people who was the most interesting person to listen to, we received a prompt reply: “Brother Aslaksen.” Likewise, if we asked the children, “Whom would you rather hear,” the prompt reply was, “Brother Aslaksen.”

Now that he has departed, there remains a glorious brotherhood that is firmly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment, all speaking the same thing. 1 Cor. 1:10. This is in perfect harmony with the song he wrote: (Ways of the Lord #186)

We are drawn together in a brotherhood
Which fulfills our longing for the pure and good.

Now there are hundreds of us who want to follow this exhortation he gives us in the last verse:

Brotherhood must always strong and constant be,
Holy and unblemished till eternity.

God be praised who has raised up such servants in our time who have proved with their lives that God’s Word can be lived—leaders whose faith we can follow. Heb. 13:7.