Faith, Love and Obedience — Erlo Stegen

Take this service, Lord, and let it be in your hands. From the very beginning, in all that we're going to do, and to the end, Lord, wouldn't you rule? By your grace. Amen. We read from 1 John chapter 5.

Faith in Jesus as the Christ

From the first verse to the third. Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves him who begot also loves him who is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep his commandments.

For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. We'll read thus far. I am troubled today, very much. Because actually I've got two sermons on my heart, and my struggle has been which sermon I should use and which one I should leave.

There is so much on my heart. I was going to speak on this theme that everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ, he is born of God. And to look at this question, what does it mean to believe that Jesus is the Christ?

Now that was going to be my sermon, because it is essential for people to know, because it is very easily done to glibly say, yes of course I believe Jesus is the Christ, he is the anointed one, the Messiah.

And then as I considered leaving this one, I decided to use it for next Sunday, until it dawned upon me that it's the wedding next Sunday. Now it is crucial that we believe that Jesus is the Christ. And that determines whether we are born of God or not.

Now believing that Jesus is the Christ is absolutely crucial, and here are one or two points, I'm going to share them anyway because maybe I won't get another chance to share this. If you believe that Jesus is the Christ, you also believe that Jesus is the prophet, the priest, the king.

Now that in itself is just so full of meaning. For instance, is Jesus the prophet to you? Now you do your homework at home, take your Bible, and examine this matter about Jesus being the prophet, what does it mean?

And then that he is the priest, what is the explanation? How are we to understand it? And that he is the king, what is the meaning of that? We had a funeral just these days here, and just in passing we looked at the subject of the king, or of royalty.

We looked at the family or the nation of Belgium, where there was a certain law which the Belgian government wanted to be passed. And I think it might have been related to the abortion issue. And the king of Belgium at that time said, I refuse to sign this into law while I am the king of this nation.

So what did they do? The nation of Belgium dethroned him, passed that abortion law, then enthroned him again, put back his crown. That is sheer mockery of the royalty there. It is just rebelliousness against the king of that time.

Now in the Christian faith, many Christians are apt to do the same thing. They understand that their king, King Jesus, doesn't want them to do something, so they just dethrone him temporarily. Just for a little while.

They do what their craving demands, then they enthrone him again and say, alright Jesus, you can be my king again. And that is a wicked thing.

They dethrone him, then they do their own thing, and then they dethrone him again. You are an evil person. You are Satan if you do such a thing in your spiritual life. You belong to the devil. That is where you belong.

Faith as a Living Relationship with Christ

Let me go now beyond this theme of Jesus as the Christ, asking, is Jesus really the Christ to you? Now in these three verses that I have read, John is showing to us three things that are of absolute, crucial value to him regarding our relationship to God.

Fundamental elements in our relationship with God. In the knowledge of God. Firstly, faith. Secondly, love. Thirdly, obedience.

Now there was a certain story I was going to tell you about the nation of the Germans. Now this is it. In the pre-historical Germany, in the year around about 300 -400 A .D., when it was still in the early days, an Englishman came from Britain and preached the gospel there in those Germanic areas.

He went up and down the areas of Germany. Now if this information is correct, it is said of him that he with his own hands baptized 300 ,000 of those Germanic tribes. I was going to tell you the story of that Englishman who came to Germany to bring the gospel.

For from that I have to ask the question, preachers alive now in this world, how many have you personally led to the Lord? You Christians, how many have you brought to Christ? The Germans called that Englishman Winfried.

One day the Lord willing, as we get an opportunity from the Lord, we can look at this man's life. But let's get back to our text for today. John says this, whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ, the one who believes or has faith, in the Greek it is pistoio, meaning faith.

Now what does it mean if it says the one who believes? What does it mean to believe in the Lord? In Africa it has become traditional to think that if a person becomes a Christian or a believer, he puts on different clothing, church clothing, that identifies him as a Christian.

Or he does a certain hairstyle, or putting on a certain covering. Now what is believing? Many say they believe, they believe in God. James tells us that Satan also believes in God, the demons believe in God.

But they tremble and shake. The demons of his day, when Jesus was alive, said well he's just the son of Mary and Joseph. The demons already knew. They were casting down those who they had possessed, saying this is the son of God.

So James says don't just easily accept that faith is the real faith. Now what does it mean to reject the genuine article? For many will say they believe but on the day of judgment be condemned. There is just the statement where a person says I believe in Christ, but if that faith is just like the demonic faith where they know, they believe that God is there.

So you must take your faith, examine it, see whether it is the genuine faith or not.

John continues and says.

What James continues and says, unless you show by your works, by the way you behave, that you have faith, that you believe, your faith is dead.

You might say that you believe in Satan.

You might say that you believe but your faith is on a par with demons. It's a faith that is to be utterly condemned and thrown away with the devil. So what is true faith? What is it like? How is it? In the epistles of John you have to understand this, that believing or faith John always associates believing with the object of that belief, with the object of that faith.

It's not a directionless thing but it has a target, faith in something. Now in everything that John wrote, in his epistles and in the gospel according to John, when he speaks about believing it's always in relation to a person, it's faith in a person.

Faith not only requires that something is held true But that someone has entered into one's life.

Grasp this carefully, listen to it carefully for without understanding this you've lost the crux of the matter.

According to John, faith is not only, or faith not only requires that something is held true, that you believe it's true. But that someone has entered into your life. You've lost the crux of the matter.

So John always assumed faith that was relational, that meant a connection to one who has entered into your life. John never meant faith as in believing a set of historical facts. What a wonderful secret, what a wonderful revealed mystery, it shines brightly.

John never meant faith as in believing a set of historical facts.

And it is absolutely clear from John that he didn't mean faith that this happened, that happened, that Jesus was born on earth and that he died and rose again. And all of those facts, demons know that that happened, these are historical facts, but John meant it's a faith that is personal and brings about a relationship, the one you have faith in enters into you.

John the great counsellor may be the best and greatest of all counsellors that has ever lived in this world, apart from our Lord Jesus Christ. If you would sit down in his office and he asked you do you believe in Christ, then he'd make it clear to you, someone must have entered.

John the great counsellor may be the best and greatest of all counsellors that has ever lived in this world, apart from our Lord Jesus Christ. If you would sit down in his office and he asked you do you believe in Christ, then he'd make it clear to you, someone must have entered into your life.

It denotes an understanding between you and that person, a commitment to that person, a special agreement. And after that you confess, you say it out aloud.

If you would sit down in his office and he asked you do you believe in Christ, then he'd make it clear to you, someone must have entered into your life.

In the New Testament understanding, faith meant believing in the heart unto righteousness and confession with the mouth unto salvation of what you have believed in. So this first question on this is do you believe in Jesus?

Some are full of doubtful answers, well I hope so, I think so, but this has happened to my life and this has come upon me. To another one, if you ask do you really believe in Jesus as the Christ, they answer very often as well I'm trying to, I'm trying.

But that, that is doubt, that shows your doubt, you're mixing it with doubt.

If I ask a person. If I ask a person are you married and they answer well I'm trying, what does that mean, what does it imply, you school children. If you ask him are you married and he has to answer well I'm trying, I'm hoping so, what does that mean.

And if that man had to say I'm unsure whether I'm married or not, well that's the type of faith that goes nowhere. If you have that type of faith in the Lord it means that you belong to the devil, you're on your way to hell.

If I ask a wife have you got a husband and she says I'm trying, I'm unsure, you boys, what would you say. You would say she's not married, because if she's married you would say she's not married, if she is then she's insane, she needs to be taken to a clinic and she needs mental help.

To the one who is married, you can ask him. Next Sunday you try it out because there's going to be this double wedding. After the wedding you go to one of these couples or one of those who have got married and you ask them have you got a wife or have you got a spouse now.

And the person answers well I'm unsure, I'm doubtful, I don't know, you would say that person really has a mental problem. And you will quickly take that person for prayer and say please this person needs special prayer and deliverance, they are so confused and their mind is gone.

That is a relationship faith. So you cannot have a person who is engaged or has got married answering back well I don't know if I'm engaged, I'm not sure if I'm married, no, it is a relationship faith, they know because they have entered into a relationship with that person.

When they stand before the altar there is a question asked do you agree to get married to this person who will be your spouse. And that person needs to say so, they are making a commitment and they sign that it's true, then there is no doubt after that.

The same spiritually.

The same spiritually. The person who has made that commitment to Jesus Christ saying Lord I surrender, I commit my life to you, enter into me and I receive you to come into my life. The Lord takes that upon his promise where he has said behold I stand at the door and knock and if anyone opens the door I will come in, that shows a faith which is a relationship faith, it has happened.

You don't have to make that commitment ten times or a hundred times, that first decision, Jesus takes you upon your word and he enters into your life as you commit yourself to him. So genuine belief, real faith means that it's a relationship, he has entered into your life, the Lord Jesus Christ has come into you.

It's no longer a useless faith which is just on a par with demonic faith or what Satan believes, now it is a true genuine faith that has real effect in your life. Now go to the second point, remember we had said firstly faith, secondly love.

Agape Love, Marriage, and Holiness

And if it speaks about the love towards God, it means the love of God, an agape love, it doesn't mean a sensual love, a prostitution type love, a homosexual love. If the Lord spares me for next Sunday, my aim is to speak about love and marriage.

Real love is a committed love. That is genuine, it's not a sensual love in the sense of a person sleeping with somebody else and then they move on to someone else, that is not love, that is just a prostitution, lustful love.

Or to cohabit, to live together saying well I love this person, that is not real love, you are actually helping that person towards hell, you hate that person.

That is not real. Love, you are actually helping that person towards hell.

So-called same-sex love is not love at all because you are driving that person to death, to hell. Because of this type of relationship and you don't even love yourself, you are committing suicide, suicide is self-hatred.

You must know the difference between lust and love, it all starts with hell but it's two completely different things. It's lust, not love.

Marriage means a committed true love. If a person has been sleeping around and not keeping themselves pure for their spouse, it's a bestial, dog-like love, it is lust and has got nothing to do with real love.

Love we receive from God. Real love brings life, it does not murder, it brings life. God so loved us that he committed himself in giving his only begotten son to die and suffer for us, to give us eternal life, he doesn't bring death through his love.

You go to a girl and mess around with her, petting her and causing her to lose her virginity, don't bluff her by saying that you love her, that's a lie, you are a hater of that person, you hate them, you are killing that which is pure and you are sending them to hell.

You are a murderer, spoiling, killing her life, her pure, precious life, you are an evil boy, you are an evil man.

You are a murderer, spoiling, killing her life, her pure, precious life, you are an evil boy, you are an evil man.

You are a murderer, spoiling, killing her life, her pure, precious life, you are an evil man.

You are a murderer, spoiling, killing her life, her pure, precious life, you are an evil man. You are a murderer, spoiling, killing her life, her pure, precious life, you are an evil man.

Throw her things right out of hell. You are a murderer, spoiling, killing her life, her pure, precious life, you are an evil man. You are a murderer, spoiling, killing her life, her pure, precious life, you are an evil man.

You are a murderer, spoiling, killing her life, her pure, precious life, you are an evil man.

You are a murderer, spoiling, killing her life, her pure, precious life, you are an evil man.

And she is now a mother of your children, and yet in defiance of that love, you now say you love somebody else, you fall in love with some other girl, that is not love, that is hatred, you are a killer.

You are bewitched by a great sorcerer out of the bottomless pit, you think you love that lady, you don't love her, you hate her, you are out to kill her, and you kill your own wife and your own children.

You are a sorcerer, you are a killer, you are a murderer, you are an evil man. Remember that this love is the love of God, God the Father, agape love, and we love Him because He first loved us. And if we are born of God, we love Him.

We love God, we love our Lord Jesus Christ because of what He has done for us.

We love God, we love our Lord Jesus Christ because of what He has done for us.

We love God, we love our Lord Jesus Christ because of what He has done for us.

We love God, we love our Lord Jesus Christ because of what He has done for us.

Have you responded to the love of God like that? Have you been to Him and thanked Him and said, Lord I love You because You have loved me, I thank You for suffering and dying for me? If you have not done that, then I doubt that you really understand what the love of God is.

We find that in chapter 4 verse 19 where it says, we love Him because He first loved us. But continue and see where this text takes us to. If someone says, I love God and hates His brother, he is a liar for he does not love his brother whom he has seen.

Or if he does not love his brother whom he has not seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? Let me repeat the last part. His brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him, that he who loves God must love his brother also.

And in chapter 5 verse 2 he says, therefore by this we know the ones who are the children of God when we love God and keep His commandments.

The natural thing if you start verse 1 and 2, then you say, when we love God, then we love our brothers in Christ. John changes the thing and says, if we love the brothers.

John changes the thing and says, if we love the brothers in Christ.

He says, if we love the brothers in Christ, then we love our brothers in Christ.

People very easily say, I love the Lord, but if that person does not love their brethren and they are fighting with their brethren and they are upset and angry and they are hating their brethren, the Bible says that person is a liar.

I would love the Germans in Germany to hear that. And the pious people that claim to be children of God, they are liars. Hell will be filled with Christians unless they repent. If you say you are a child of God, you don't love with a divine love, 1 Corinthians 13, your brother, you are a liar.

You don't go to heaven and those people have got to repent. And if they don't repent, don't expect to see them in heaven, you will see them in hell.

If you don't repent, don't expect to see them in heaven, you will see them in hell. We take faith and say, well, that's our tradition, it belongs to our family or our neighborhood, it's our culture.

It belongs to us, to our group, everything outside of it doesn't concern me, I can do whatever I like. If you don't love the man who is born of God, you can't love God, you are a liar, you are living in a fool's paradise.

You gossip about him, you spread lies about him, you speak evil about him. The Bible says, if you don't love your brother who is born of God, you are a liar. If you say you love God, you don't love him.

That is the proof that you love God, that is the sign that you love God by loving your brother and your sister in Christ.

The Bible says, if you don't love your brother who is born of God, you are a liar. If you say you love God, you don't love him.

The Bible says, if you don't love your brother who is born of God, you are a liar. If you say you love God, you don't love him.

Do you love them with God's love, with a holy love? The Bible says, if you don't love your brother who is born of God, you are a liar. If you say you love God, you don't love him. Are you doing the opposite?

You speak evil about that person, instead of that love towards them, you are speaking evil behind their back, spreading rumors, you are a person of hell.

The Bible says, if you don't love your brother who is born of God, you are a liar. If you say you love God, you don't love him.

John has taken this whole matter and dissected it as it were for us, laid it out clearly piece by piece, because if you look at the Christian world, it is utter confusion, a mixture, things are unclear in comparison to John laying it out so clearly.

Whether you are a white, with your brothers, now blacks, maybe it's not from your family, or from your nation. You will love whoever is born of God with a sacrificial love, wanting to lay down your life for that person.

And it doesn't matter what nation they are from, they don't have to be from your race or from your nation, whether they are Caleds or Indians or other groups, you will love that person with the greatest compassion.

You will love whoever is born of God with a sacrificial love, wanting to lay down your life for that person.

Being related because you are born of God, and that person doesn't matter where they are from, doesn't matter what racial group or what nation. If you are just thinking of your own type or your clique or your race, then that's got nothing to do with this love where that brother is in you, you are united because you are born of the same father.

Obedience to God in Marriage and Daily Life

I come now to the last point about obedience. Now obedience is essential, remember now we have started by looking at faith first and love and now obedience. The word says, this is the new commandment which I give to you, that you love one another.

Now you have heard that you cannot love God if you don't love your brethren. Now there is a strong connection between loving God and obeying God. Loving God is not just emotional feelings, it's not just something that is emotional that you feel, there are some things which you can feel emotionally and it's physical.

I once came across a difficult and tragic situation. About a woman who would stand in the front of the church during the worship time and waving her arms with her bright nails and toenails. And the very same person who was worshipping the Lord there in church would get back into the car in the parking area with her husband and speak badly to him.

Having a fight with her husband and she was worshipping and praising God. Those things can only happen in the last days, that's an abomination, just an emotional thing.

If that woman truly loves God. If she truly loved God, she would have been obedient to her husband. She would have known what God's word says about her relationship to her husband, in listening to him, obeying him, submission to him, instead she sits on his head and does something that is wicked and it's not the oil of Aaron that comes down his head.

True agape love, holy love, always is associated with action. If you truly love a person, that love is a sacrificial love, you are willing to lay down your life for that person. And exactly the same. The same thing applies to the husbands, Ephesians 5 says, husbands love your wives, as Christ loved the church.

Is that the love that you have? Or is there something grieving the Holy Spirit and you don't have this love? So out of love and respect for God, we will do what he says. The love of God is not just a superficial thing.

Look at Acts chapter 5 where they responded, you tell us, who shall we obey? Shall we obey you, earthly authorities, or shall we obey God? Obedience to God is absolutely essential, don't make it something less than what it is, it is crucial that you are obedient to God.

But we must obey God more than men, whether it's your wife, your child, your husband, even your earthly king, or those in authority, you must obey God more than them. You must obey God more than men, you must obey God more than women, you must obey God more than men.

You young person, you say you're afraid to give yourself to the Lord, you say I'm too scared to give my life to the Lord because my friends will mock me, well what are friends anyway? What are human beings?

They are here today and gone tomorrow. Yesterday I saw something where I just had to say yes, it's true. It was in a newspaper where it was written, the one with whom you gossip will be the same person who gossips about you tomorrow.

The one who comes to you gossiping is the one who will gossip about you tomorrow.

The one who comes to you gossiping is the one who will gossip about you tomorrow.

That's what a human being is like, that same human being who comes to you and says I'm your pal, I'm your real friend and then gossips. Don't trust your friendship with that person, they can turn against you tomorrow, that person can be gone tomorrow or they'll gossip about you tomorrow.

Let your obedience be to God, to God alone. Be like Saul who when he met with the Lord Jesus Christ on that road and was struck down he said immediately, Lord what do you want me to do? He did not consult with flesh and blood.

Think back of King Saul when he failed in obedience and he came to Samuel saying I've done what the Lord has said. And Samuel said well what is that noise in the background of the cattle and the bleating of the sheep?

And Samuel said. And Samuel said to King Saul that disobedience, rebellion is on the same level as witchcraft. If you're a son or a daughter of the Lord you will obey Him. You will do it because God has said so.

And you'll treat your wife in a biblical way because the Lord has said so. Whether you're at the table, whether you're in your bedroom or in the kitchen you'll treat her in the proper way with true love because God has said it.

Lay down your life, taking up a new life in response to your Lord and Master. In other words, if you're a son or a daughter of the Lord you will obey Him.

In other words, you cast off your old life, you put on the new life. The same is true with your wife, your child, because you've received your Lord and Master. Now the last thought. The final thought with regards to obedience to God.

God's Commandments Are Not Burdensome

John adds a little note there. And his commandments are not burdensome. To the natural man this is weird, strange. It's also perplexing. People who live in sin say it's difficult to be a Christian, one can never reach up to it, it's just something you cannot attain to.

And they are at loggerheads with the Lord Jesus who said in Matthew 11.

And in Zulu it says, my yoke is light and my yoke is good, it's wonderful. Can you say that?

It's light. Can you honestly say that what Jesus brings is light and it's wonderful, you identify with it, you embrace it. Or are you at loggerheads with the one who said that his yoke is nice, it's wonderful, it's light.

Otherwise you'll find yourself at loggerheads with him on judgment day.

Having a long sour face, it's so difficult, so difficult. Then run away and go to the place where you'll be happy, why do you still stay there where you're unhappy. And it's so difficult, Jesus says it's light, why isn't it light to you?

You're in the wrong camp, you're on the wrong side. You are not one with Jesus and the sooner you repent in dust and ashes and shed tears as never before You are hopelessly lost in this and in the world to come.

It's hard, it's difficult because you are godless and Christless. But if Christ and God has entered you and you trust him, then his yoke is gentle and his burden is light.

If you have faith, you know what faith is according to the gospel of John.

Have you got love? Is that your daily life? The air you breathe? And do you live in obedience? These three fundamental elements must be there in your relationship and knowledge of God.

A Living Faith Demonstrated by Love and Holiness

This day somebody came to me. And said, I met with so and so and that person was so angry, they were so upset.

As this person told me, oh I spoke to so and so and that person was irritated, upset and angry. Then I said, hey I don't believe what you say, I think you're telling me a lie. Can a person be at Quasizabantu and get upset, annoyed and angry?

I'm sorry my friend, I don't believe what you tell me. It doesn't go in my head that a person can live at Quasizabantu and get upset and angry. You must be lying. You can go, I don't accept what you say.

I can't believe it, that a person can be at Quasizabantu and can get upset, annoyed and angry. I said no, that's not true of Quasizabantu people. That's a blatant lie that you are telling.

I said, my friend, I don't believe what you say. I don't believe it, that a person can be at Quasizabantu and get upset, annoyed and angry.

I said no, that's not true of Quasizabantu people.

A person from Quasizabantu doesn't get irritated and angry and upset. Below the top, I cannot accept it, it doesn't enter into my head.

Is there somebody here at Quasizabantu who can get annoyed? Then I say, you child of the devil, repent today. You know where my office is and come and dust the ashes. You are a disgrace to us. I expect a holy life from every...

If you tell me there is somebody who gossips, I say no, can't believe it. A person of Quasizabantu should gossip. I want to see that person, you bring him to me.

Prayer for Faith, Love, and Obedience

That's where I stand. Where do you stay? Living faith. True and real love. Divider And obedience. From A to Z. Let's pray. Help us Lord that we won't just be hearers But doers. And keep your word. That the whole world would acknowledge that we don't have a faith that is just on the level of the devil.

Or that is a dead faith, but a faith that shows that we are in a relationship with the living God. Through true love of the brethren, showing that we truly love your God. And a godly obedience that destroys obedience to the lusts of the flesh or the lust for the bottle of alcohol or drugs.

We ask you Lord Jesus that your grace would be with us. And not only with us but in us, permeating our whole being. Teaching us O Holy Spirit what it is to deny the world and all of its lusts and everything in the world and to live for you.

Amen.