Without Spot or Wrinkle — Erlo Stegen

The Church Betrothed to One Husband

And our word we get from 2 Corinthians chapter 11. From the second verse. I am jealous for you with the godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.

We'll end reading there.

The text, God's word that we have read, says for I am jealous for you with the godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband. Being a Christian means going for one thing, not mixing things together, different things.

Now we've got an engagement service today, where a boy and a girl get engaged. We've just mentioned how they do things in the world at engagements. But Paul says, I am jealous for you with the godly jealousy, because you've been engaged to one man, to Christ.

Now it would be a very sad state of affairs when you find a woman who has two husbands in her life. You are married to one, but you've got another one just by the way. I know there was such a woman, she was married, but when the husband left for work, she let another man into her house.

That is something terrible. When her husband found out, he got terribly angry. He said, I'm going to go back and I'm going to kill that man. Now we live in a time where everyone has their rights. Children have their rights, prisoners have their rights.

Everyone has their rights. It's a time of freedom they say, but it's very often a freedom from hell. We have God's way, God's law and that's the way that we should live. We should not be afraid of HIV, we should not be afraid of cancer, we should be afraid of freedom.

Our leader was sharing with us earlier on about HIV and AIDS, what a terrible disease it is and the havoc it's wreaking all over. Why? Because we've got our liberties and our freedoms where you've got men going around with men in relationships and women with women and unmarried people and this is the result of it.

In fact, this disease should not even exist. If everyone would only live the way they should. If everyone would only live the way they should. We've heard about motor car accidents. How many people are injured and killed as a result?

Why? Because people are drinking and then they drive. You find people driving on the wrong side of the road. You can drive the best and most expensive car there is. If you don't stick to the rules of the road, you won't even get to Stanger.

And so it is in our own lives as well. Be it in spirit, soul or body, we've got to live according to God's laws, otherwise we'll go off the road, we'll go off the track. I even noticed when I mentioned that a woman has two husbands, two men in her life, even the young people had to laugh about it.

There was a reaction. Even young people realise that that is not right to do such a thing. So if we call ourselves Christians and we are baptised, we partake of communion, we have our church membership ticket, then we go to church, we do everything as one thinks one should in church, but at the same time, you're living in the world, you're living for the devil.

You're exactly the same as a woman with two husbands in her life. And Paul says, but I fear for you, lest you be deceived just as Eve was deceived by the serpent. The Bible speaks a lot about purity, being a virgin and living a pure life, holy life.

Purity, Holiness, and the Christian Bride

When a bride gets married, she wears a snow white dress. And that white dress is symbolic of her life, that she has never been touched by any man. And she wears a veil which is symbolic of virginity, of purity.

Just like Baba Species said, it's like that glass that hasn't been broken. So she is still pure, a virgin. And as it's done, when the father brings in the bride, he removes that veil. And by that saying to the young man, to the bridegroom, now I remove from between you, now I hand over to you my virgin daughter.

That girl has lived a life like Mary, the mother of Jesus, who, when the angel said to her, son will be born of you, she said, but how is that possible? I know no man. I've never had anything. A Christian, a child of God, lives a pure life.

Before marriage, she has nothing to do with another man, so that she can wear that white dress in truth, that it signifies something that's true, that there are no spots on her. And she says, I also want to wear a veil.

Showing that I am holy and pure before God and before men. But you, if you as a young person have to do with the opposite sex, you're unmarried, but you meet with a boy or with a girl, then you are a child of the devil.

And Paul says, I fear lest you be deceived, because the devil does deceive people, especially young people, who then say, well, we're engaged now, we're going to get married anyway, so now we can go ahead.

But you can even sin in your thoughts, because to God a thought is like a deed. So you need to live a holy life. We've got to be pure, clean, faultless, spotless before God. A thought is like a deed. And don't let the devil lead you astray and say, we're engaged already, it doesn't really matter.

It matters to God. But you, child of the devil, it doesn't matter, because you're on your way to hell. But if you're on the holy road, the highway of God, it matters. It's a matter of life and death. And many people, before they get married, and even before they get engaged, they're sending each other SMSs and messages from one to the other.

But Paul says, I want you to be holy and pure before God. And God doesn't only expect you to live that holy and pure life in church. When you're in front of the minister, he expects it from you wherever you are, at home, at work, in Durban, on the beach, or anywhere.

God expects holiness from us. And if you haven't repented, you need to repent now. But what do you find today, people, young people, 12, 13, 14 years old, they haven't even reached puberty yet, and then they're already going to family planning clinics.

As some whites can't understand, they say, but why do they laugh now and then? When it's very serious and critical, then suddenly they laugh. They say, that's a good sign. When it hits home, then they laugh.

We whites are just quiet. If they don't accept it, then they'll get angry. So it's a good sign. And then if they laugh, then you know they've understood what has been said. That was just by the way. It's like when you're at a function and people start ululating, and you don't really know what's going on, and you think, well, is a war breaking out, or what is it?

And all the time they're just very happy. If we are Christians, let's be genuine Christians. Let's not be Pharisees, hypocrites, but let's be genuine about it. And Paul says, I want to present you to Christ as a pure young virgin.

The Bride of Christ Without Spot or Wrinkle

There's a place not far from here. A young man wanted to get married to a young girl, and he paid his lobola, he paid it in full. And the next day after the wedding day, there was a huge commotion. And the next day after the wedding day, there was a huge commotion.

The husband was up in arms. He said, when I paid the price for my bride, I paid it in full. Everything was paid. But now I've spent the night with my bride, and I find she is not a virgin anymore. She was not complete as I paid the price.

She must take her things, go back home, I don't want her. They called the minister, they said, please come, try and get some reconciliation going here. The husband said, I'm not interested. He said, I'm not interested.

And nowadays, even abortion is allowed. So nowadays, that will even complicate matters more. Because you should actually be honest about it, and also say how many you've aborted. Now, Jesus wants us to be His perfect bride.

Without spot or wrinkle. Spotless. Let me just use an example of another woman. She was an important lady in the church. When there was a service, she would be sitting right in front. That wasn't here in this place, it was somewhere else.

Outward Church Activity and Hidden Occultism

And when the congregation sang, she would get very involved and even start dancing to the music. Moving with it and singing. But then one day, suddenly, it came to light. They found out that this lady was breeding snakes at home.

An occult snake. Had to do with occultism. So she'd be in the service, very much involved there. But when the service was out, she was off home to go and attend to this snake of hers. So there she was, in the church, but involved in occultism at the same time.

Prayer, Repentance, and the Decline of a Congregation

She'd go home, she'd speak to the snake, she'd communicate with it. Is that? Is that being betrothed to one man? Like this lady? Being in the church with Jesus there, but at home with the devil? Now it's only 12 to 11 now, so we can still keep it short, even if we bring in another story.

I was worried that my watch had stopped already, I couldn't believe I still had so much time. I thought it had stopped, like some Christians, they go for a while and then they stop. In Northern Africa there was a congregation.

And God was at work in this congregation. And the congregation grew. But then suddenly one day they noticed that the growth had stopped, and the numbers started decreasing again, the benches were getting empty.

And the minister was worried, and he got the elders together. And he said, I'm concerned, because I notice the people aren't coming to the services anymore, it's as if the Holy Spirit has stopped working.

When God is at work, things go forward, there's progress. He said, but this worries me, let us get together and pray. Let us meet at least once a week at 5 o 'clock in the morning and pray, cry to God and ask Him to be merciful.

But in spite of all that, the numbers kept decreasing. And then one of the elders came to the minister and said, you know, to meet once a week at 5 in the morning, it's really getting too much. Can't we make it only once a month?

There's so much work and we're exhausted. But this minister was on fire, he wanted the best, and he said, no, we can't decrease the number of days we're meeting, we should actually increase them. I think from now we should meet every single morning.

So then Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, every morning they were meeting at 5. Before that week was over, this same elder that had come and requested that they meet only once a month stood up in the meeting and said, Reverend, Pastor, and all the other members here, the tears were streaming down his face, he said that God has stopped working in this congregation, it's my fault.

And I want to confess my sin. He said, I remember when one of the congregation was desperately ill, on his deathbed. He called me to his deathbed. And he said, brother, I realize that my illness is leading to death.

And he said, now please do me a favor, I've got many cattle. And my wife and my children are going to suffer when I die. And I'm concerned if no one looks after the cattle, they can go lost or they can die of some sicknesses.

And my wife and children are going to suffer when I die. And I'm concerned if no one looks after the cattle, they can go lost or they can die of some sicknesses. I'm concerned if no one looks after the cattle, they can go lost or they can die of some sicknesses.

He said to me, brother, do me a favor, please sell all the cattle I've got and then go with my wife because she's uneducated go with her to the bank with all the money that you've got from the sale of the cattle and put it into a Savings account and give her the signing rights that she can at least Sign with her thumbprint and then at least she'll have something to live off after I've died Go by when a Uli Kola whom Christ?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, we're temper. Yeah, I don't see second chart. And he said I'd like you to do this for me because you're a Christian I trust you and that's why I'd like you to do this for me.

What all right? Lungile is a wedge and he said I'll gladly do that for you. My take a woman is a A Hamba, no, no, no mama. I'm movie a Panky now in that person had after he had passed away this Man went with that mother with with a widow to the bank.

Oh my says, oh, yeah Thank you for him. I live funky. Why Bala? Why Bala? Hey, you need a cool one cool ones the abusing combo white at any way for the cookie now this Christian man this elder when he went to the bank and he saw how much money Had been realized from the sale of the cattle.

He said wow, these are thousands upon thousands. We are no Bank who fucking money can't any we could see that we fuck it. Then he took some of the money and he pocketed it. So when he went with a widow to the bank, he only deposited a portion.

The rest was in his pocket. Oh Many Pelley Pelley. Well, it's a sign a sign fuck is to pa by a car Can't be a is a cuckoo. Nila key. So the Tati Lea It I go bonai can't do cool and cool bonita. So they went to the bank they deposited the money, but it wasn't all in the bank.

Some of it was left in his pocket. He thought no one had seen it. God had seen it. What he burns I mean I'm gonna mow your way. We're still a good say Benza. Not Georgia. Not a team. I like faggot Guinness on gap and ooga I'm taking a lady.

He's all y 'all must ban bunny. Give me Sonos. I'm Enjoy, please. I will pin the way Jemos, I'll kill you and the other stood there in that meeting weeping and saying I've sinned I've sinned and I'm Confessing the sin I've stolen.

I'm a thief. I'm going to I'm confessing it I'm gonna go to that widow and I'm going to apologize to as well and I'm going to repay that money and not just the Money I'm going to pay back more than I stole Yes on the land alive and gaining a congenial Wallace like Wallace we It's odd.

He repairs we Quite agree. Ma. What's the venture more in way? Can I yes or no? Hey, I'm going to party with a machine. That's all no Pain do girls if we may almost go Jack go Jack. Oh, yes. Hope we know showing you an apartheid.

He repented like Zacchaeus. And he made that right. The next Sunday the church was brimful. There were more people than ever because he had repented. You see what sin does. Is there anybody in our midst that has sin in his life?

Repentance, Judgment, and the Highway of Holiness

You need to repent from it. But of course if you don't repent from it, you'll end up in hell. And you'll spend there for all eternity. But that word doesn't mean anything. But revolutionists, they bring to our remembrance what eternity is.

Millions and billions of years you'll burn in hell. Therefore repent. If there's sin in your life, don't let the sun go down today without you confessing it. God is holy. His way is a highway of holiness.

So walk this highway of holiness. And Jennifer, you too walk this highway of holiness. What's wonderful is that God is gracious and merciful. But remember also that God is just. And he says if you have something outstanding, a debt or a guilt, You'll be thrown into a prison which you won't get out of until you've paid back the last half cent.

And you need to be faithful even in money matters. If we are not faithful in financial matters, God won't entrust us with his spiritual blessing. We are children of the devil. And we don't go to heaven, we go to hell.

Things need to be right and in the light. One cannot have any guilt or debt. But the wonderful part is that if one has sinned, if you come and you confess that sin, you forsake it. He cleanses you, he forgives you and he even forgets that sin.

Even if you should be a prostitute, when you repent, turn to God, confess your sin. He promises that he'll forgive you and he'll remember it no more. But if you don't repent, he'll remember it forever, you can forget it.

But when you get to the gates of heaven, that sin will stand before your eyes and you won't enter eternal life. So one needs to live that holy, pure life until that day of marriage for this couple. And if God should spare them, they get married, even thereafter, right unto death.

Let us close and pray. Thank you Lord for your word. We think again of those getting engaged. Help them Lord in your grace to live a holy life. And help all of us that are here to live a holy life. Old and young.

That we will be perfect before you. Amen.