Build on God's Firm Foundation — Erlo Stegen

The Foundation Tested by Fire

Our text. Our text. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become manifest, for the day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test each one's work of what sort it is.

And then we read in 2 Timothy chapter 2 verse 9. That's verse 19. That's 2 Timothy chapter 2 verse 19. We'll read thus far. We hear that there is a foundation laid and Paul says as a wise master builder he laid the foundation and we hear from Timothy that nevertheless this foundation stands sure.

God's Unchanging Foundation and Its Seal

This word nevertheless implies that there is something that has taken place that is corrupting which is perverted which threatens that but despite all that the foundation stands true. That which is of God always stands sure and eternal and secure it never moves it never changes.

The fashions, the modes, the trends have no influence on that which is of God. And we hear that the foundation of God has a seal and it's a seal which can be read. This seal has on the one side of it the statement the Lord knows those who are His.

And on the other side the seal says. The other side of the seal says.

He who names the name of the Lord. Let him depart from sin or depart from all iniquity. Let him depart from all iniquity. Let him depart from all iniquity. Let him depart from all iniquity. Let him depart from all iniquity.

We must understand what God is saying. Believing is trendy. Today you'll find that everybody will say, well, I have this belief and I have faith. But true faith has the stamp of God. Like marriage, well, anybody gets married.

Purity and the Marriage Covenant

But in marriage, not everything is automatically acceptable to God. But within marriage, there is also the foundation of God. Let the one who gets married also take care. How he builds. Because he is on the foundation.

Because many a bride gets married with a veil to keep up tradition. But the true veil has long since been torn. And you know that the veil symbolizes chastity, purity, virginity. I saw, and you would have noticed the bride coming down with her father, she had her veil on.

He then uncovered her face and removed the veil. In other words symbolizing that she is now given over in marriage. Now people who grab hold of that before that time that appointed time they are as criminal as one who just goes into a butchery instead of paying for what he buys he just grabs any piece of meat hanging there.

He will go to jail. And if he doesn't go to a South African jail. If he is not arrested and imprisoned well, there is the eternal jail.

He doesn't even go into the door he just takes a stone throws it through the glass breaks the glass and enters into that building. That person is a criminal he is a murderer shedding blood it's not acceptable to God.

God says that he has set aside a special day to judge promiscuity and those who remove innocence from the marriage bed and defile the marriage bed this is this is a time of great and blatant wickedness and you will find that a girl and a boy will be girlfriend, boyfriend together touch each other, pet and even sleep with each other before they have stood before the altar of God and the one who has been messing around and has been the plaything of men for ages she comes in with a white veil she might as well be performing in a circus who knows.

What would you think of a bride who would come in with her veil and her wedding garment and it's got black spots on it, or even blood? That's why I say, yes, this is a marriage, this is a wedding ceremony, but let's take notice that this foundation has the seal.

Let's notice the words which say, he who names the name of the Lord, let him depart from all iniquity. And that is why in the context of that verse in Timothy, we find that there is a great shaking of many other things, and people just doing their own thing, and sometimes everybody doing the opposite, but nevertheless, God's solid foundation still stands firm.

Building What Will Survive Judgment

That we build upon this foundation, for on that day, the fire will reveal of what type it is. Even though there are those who mess around, and pretend, and put up a facade of righteousness where they say, well, I did pray about it, it is the Lord's will, meantime actually it's been a suggestion by their friends, and there's been a lot of arranging, and even an affair between them.

You might get away with it, but the Bible says that nevertheless, the sure foundation of God stands. Even if you do that, God's judgment will bring to light what you've done. Now, this is for the wedding ceremony, but you might be here as a visitor, and you are surely at work with something.

You need to also examine yourself, and ask, what am I building with? Am I building with this which is just rubbish, and which will be burned, or is it gold? Is it precious stones, and silver? Now, even though the government might make laws in favor of homosexuality, and things like that, that they can even get married, but the Bible says that those who are not thankful, and do not acknowledge God, the Lord hands them over to perversion, such as homosexuality, lesbianism, even though it might be legalized, nevertheless, God's foundation stands sure.

Living Before God in Marriage

Now, compliments have been paid to the bridal couple, and I also say they look wonderful, and as far as I'm concerned, they've done everything well. But remember that we mustn't live before man. We mustn't think that we are out to impress people.

We are to live before God, because before Him, all things appear as they really are. Some people will not gossip in church, but when they are at home, then they feel quite free to gossip and slander using the names of other people.

That's why it says, let each one therefore examine with how he builds. And so, to the bridegroom and the bride, I say, it's wonderful that you've started your married life in this way, now continue in this direction.

If young people would simply live in purity and in chastity, the AIDS problem would be instantly solved. Those who've already got it will die, but there will be a new generation of those who live free from it.

Husbands and Wives Called to Holiness

Now that you've started with marriage, that's not the end of the story. You now need to live, you bridegroom, as a man of God, and you bride as a woman of God. And let your in-laws be blessed by what they see.

Let it not go according to the Zulu idiom which says that the bride was very pretty and nice when she first came, but after a while, she kicked her husband. And you too, your husband, treat her well. Remember that you are accountable before God, for He will call you to account as to how you looked after her, whether you helped to hallow and sanctify her.

The Bible says you are to give yourself for her, you are to be surrendered for her sake, just as Christ surrendered himself for his church. And you wives, you older women, those who are mothers already, and you have husbands, the Bible says of you that you should be teaching the younger wives how they should love their husbands.

Don't say I'm too old, I don't care anymore. You're not too old. If you're too old, let him get married to a young woman. But he's got to wait till you die before then he can't.

Well, two men got together and in their conversation, the one man said to his friend, my wife is a real angel. The other one said, oh, you are privileged. Mine is still alive. So you wives, don't be angels just one day when you're dead.

Be angels now while you still have the practical responsibilities new with your husband. And to your in-laws, let it be that should it be one day that you die first, there's genuine sorrow at the loss because of what you were to them.

And your husband, you be that too.

Let it be that if your wife discusses privately with others about you that she can say honestly, I'm married to a man of God. I honor him and respect him. I make no bones about the fact that I'm happy to be a man for I pity the woman that has to marry a man and he turns out to just be a fake, an imitation.

He might be religious, but when it comes to real holiness, really being a man of God, he's just a wimp. What a pity then for women who have to live with a man who cannot command her respect. They don't live lives that are worthy of respect.

That's why I say, Lord, thank you for making me a man. So your wife, live with a heavenly attitude and let it be noticeable. Your husband as well, live with a heavenly mind and that you live with the things of heaven and that it is evident.

Accountability for Every Believer

Now, both of you are believers. You've surrendered your lives to the Lord. You are Christians. Now, you are on the foundation. Be careful therefore now how you build for one day we will be brought to account before God.

We'll be tested by fire. And you girls and you boys, remember you too will be called to account before God, even if you never get married. Whatever happens to you, you will have to give account of yourself before God.

We're going to the judgment day where it will be tested by fire. The first part of the seal says the Lord knows those who are his. Now, we find that confusing. And and mystifying. Sometimes I ask parents whether their children know the Lord and the parents say, well, I don't really know, but God knows those who are his.

He is not confused. He's not mystified.

He's not confused. Yes.

Knowing the True Christ

I've related the story a couple of times recently how a certain woman in Christian work on her deathbed confidently saying to all those around her, the Lord is coming to fetch me. When she opened her eyes in horror, she said, no, not that one.

That's the wrong one. She was fetched by someone else. She was living for something, but it wasn't Jesus.

But she thought it was Jesus. My, what a shock she must have received. And that's how she entered eternity. How will you eternity enter eternity? Make sure Maxie can leave a friend.

Go see. Jesus said many will come saying, Lord, Lord, did I not do this? Did I not prophesy in your name? Did I not cast out demons? But the Lord will simply shake his head and say, I do not know you.

So you better make sure that you are serving the right Jesus and not the wrong one. Go make sure you can't afford it serving the wrong one. And your life will witness to all mankind, whether you've got the real one, the genuine one.

But if you get angry, annoyed, have grudges.

So in that sense, the Lord knows those who are his. He knows exactly who they are. When they come, he can differentiate between a sheep and a goat. Now this foundation, this seal has something regarding God and something regarding you.

God's Side and Our Side of the Covenant

It's like a covenant, which has an agreement, two sides. God's side. The Lord knows his. He knows I have chosen this one. I have saved him. I've sanctified him. But here's your side. He who names the name of the Lord, let him depart from all evil.

And in Greek, it's not only let him depart from all evil, let him stand aloof, aside from evil and have nothing to do with it.

Do you hear about your side? Some people are so stressed by the thought, does God really care for me? Does he really love me? Will he look after me? No, that is God's side. You need to keep your side of the covenant.

Let him who names the name of the Lord stand aloof from all iniquity. In other words, having no fellowship, no participation in it. I can ask you at the end of the sermon, ask you a question which has to do with you, yourself personally.

Have you parted from iniquity from the point of view of standing aloof from it, shunning it, or are you still participating in it?

Having nothing to do with it. That is what God demands from you. Don't say that you belong to Christ if you haven't parted and stand aloof from all evil. That's God's foundation upon which you've got to build.

That's God's foundation upon which you've got to build.

A Final Appeal to Build on the Sure Foundation

I was so touched by a pagan woman who fled and came here for refuge because a group of men were hunting her down to rape her. She said, I'd rather die, I'd rather commit suicide than have these men do this to me.

I even said, Lord, will pagans like this enter into heaven and the children of the kingdom be cast aside? A child of pagans who are involved in ancestral worship, that's how she felt. But you find children of Christians who will be writing love letters to each other, touching each other, and doing that type of thing.

Oh, that fire will burn and show up what sort people really are. I would be so glad if you, husband, your wife, that you would live this life on this foundation, and your future family as well, that you would stand on this sure foundation.

That was my prayer and my wish to this couple.

Some lay claim to being on the foundation, but when you observe them, you have to say they're lying. They're not on God's foundation. For the first question, if you really meet with the Lord, the first question is, what does He want of me?

Not what I want out of Him. It's the question is, does He know me? Not so much whether I know Him. And on that day of judgment, the real question, the core question will be, does He know you or not?

And the other side of the coin, did you break with all evil and ungodliness and unrighteousness?