Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ
We greet everyone this morning. I trust we have a desire to hear God’s word. Time is running out. Life is short. Before we know what is happening, we reach the end. When we grew up, our parents were strong, but today, I realise that God is waiting for my mother with outstretched arms. Let us redeem our opportunities. We were left with a job, don’t wake up too late.
Indian elections were held on 13 May. The results will be out on 4 June because the country is so large. The South African elections will take place on Wednesday next week. It is important to vote. Many people say that they will not vote. Do what God’s tells you. We have a responsibility to our country. We wish that our country would serve the living God and that we would be lighthouse in the world. The world is moving very fast in a direction that is against God and His laws. Some people speak well but their actions and lives are different. You will know them by their fruit.
We feel that it is necessary to pray for our country. Christ demanded that we pray for the government. We can stand for the Lord. You can pray in your heart, with your family and your church. We will pray this morning and ask Him to look on our country with grace. We are nothing and we do not deserve anything. We will go on our knees and pray. Mr Hlongwane will close off. The short prayers get to heaven quicker. We should not take this lightly. The Bible says that you do not have because you do not ask. We must think and pray that God’s kingdom will come and that His will be done. If it cannot be done in your life, how can it be done around us? Pray and you do what God tells you to do.
Mothers, how do you look after your children? I asked my mother this morning to pray before I took the service and she said, ‘God go with you.’ Do you teach your children God’s ways and how to live for God? Are you prepared to pull your child’s ear and say, ‘Not like that in my house’? Do you remain silent and only pray? Why are you a parent? You must teach the child. What do you teach your children through your lives? Life is shorter than you dream. If you cannot preach to your own children, how will you preach to the rest of the world? It is much easier to preach to others but try it at home. Preach to your daughters and sons and be strict. It is not so easy. When God created this world, He created it on rules and laws, but you want to have a family where you can do what you want – no! The children rule nowadays, and the parents must respect and fear the young people.
Our prayer this morning must go deep because of these serious issues we face.
Today’s text is taken from 1 Corinthians 15.
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:56,57
Paul grew up under the law. They studied it and lived according to it. Without the law sin would not exist. The law only tells us what is wrong. He fought tooth and nail against Christ because he lived according to the law. That is why he did what he did until Christ met him. It changed his life around. This is why he said the power of sin is the law. There is no hope. You cannot find a way out. The law always condemned people.
On the outside, Paul was fervent, but inside it was different. He had turmoil in his heart. He could not overcome, but he knew inside that it was wrong. He reached the point where he saw that what he was trying to do through the law did not help him because of the sin that reigned within. He said he was an unhappy, wretched man and who would release him from the body of death? He tried it another way. He knew inside he was wretched and pitiable; he couldn’t get away from it. Oh, thanks be to God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul put his heart and soul into what he was doing but it did not help him. We must be so careful that we don’t do things ourselves and through our own strength, but thanks be to God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
When man was created, he fell into sin and from that time man was born in sin. The law of the nature of man was sinful. In one way, it is human nature that gives sin its power. Things might look right but inside you know there is turmoil. Paul reached the point where he realised that Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the only One who could help him. Only Christ can save us from sin. It is impossible to keep God’s laws without Christ.
Someone phoned me yesterday evening and I told him to take things seriously with Christ. I said if you pray with your heart, things will be different. This morning, he phoned me again, he was crying and said that he had prayed seriously last night to Christ and this morning when he opened God’s word, it struck him. When last were you struck when you read God’s word? Do you take Christ seriously? This man cried and said, ‘God showed me this sin in my life and the next thing.’ This man had been a Christian for many years. If you take things seriously with Christ, He conquers the power of sin. Without Christ you only keep your laws. You obey law 1,2,3 and then you are right. It does not work like this; you must meet Christ. This man said to me this morning, ‘How wonderful it is that we have each other, that we can instruct one another.’ I need help and you need help.
When will sin be cut out of your life? When will it lose its power in your life? If God is with us, He can do anything. He does not need to use us. There is hope for the future if you take things seriously with Christ. He must give you the green light. Not that you do things because so and so said it or another person. It is not only about the things I have done wrong. It is about Christ in me and what He can do through me. Look at the Christian world today. When will you grow spiritually? When will you have the power that comes from God? Not if you wallow in sin.
Consider Adam and Eve. They were told that they were free. They could do whatever they wanted except one thing. That is the law of fallen human nature. Once you grasp that, you will be more careful about where you go and what you do. Eve was inquisitive. What does that mean? Why did God say that? It is human nature. They want to do what they should not, see what they should not.
A young boy worked for an old man. The boy was very inquisitive and always blamed others for what was wrong. One day the old man left home and put a dish on the table. He told the boy not to lift the dish until he returned, just like a child who is told not to enter his parents’ room. The child enters because he thinks there is something there that they have been told not to do. The parents’ room should be respected. You are disrespectful at school because you do not practice respect at home. What did the boy do? He was inquisitive. He should have stayed away from the dish but because it is human nature, he lifted the dish a little and the rat under the dish ran out. Have you sensed that inquisitiveness in your heart that drives you to want to know? Children at school speak – and you ask questions.
When in India I told the story of Sven Stegen. He was inquisitive about what the boys at school discussed. He heard them speaking about girls. One night, not long afterwards, the Lord said to him, ‘With that thing in your heart, you cannot enter heaven.’ How many things have you heard? The gates of heaven will be closed to you. It is nice to hear what others say – if you see fashion, what goes on? The devil enters with thoughts and your thoughts go wild. When you get to things like that stay away. Sin gets its power from your own flesh. That draws you. Inquisitiveness leads to deception. You are deceived by what is wrong or right. We need each other as humans but there is no greater danger than the people around you. You talk and listen to things and because you don’t want to feel excluded you also make comments about people. If Christ is the centre of your life, you should pick it up quickly. Turn around and walk away. Go to that person and ask him if you can call the person whom he spoke about.
As child, I remember the Lord teaching us this thing: using the Lord’s name in vain. Deuteronomy 5 and Exodus 20 speak about this. Don’t use the Lord your God’s name in vain. You will not go unpunished. How often do you respond by saying, ‘Aw Jesu wami. Oh my God.’ God will not allow such a person to go unpunished. ‘Touch wood’ What does that expression really mean? These things grip our lives.
In India we learnt what it means when there are many different idols and gods. In Africa we still need to find out what it means to serve ancestral spirits. In the church, people even live this evil life. Be careful. You may have seen photos of palm reading. You think about it. No wonder sin has power in your life. In the Christian world, the Indians want to separate from these things.
Adultery or immorality. We often speak about young people in this regard but let’s look at older people. What is your life like? There are many forms of immoral sin. If you look at a woman lustfully, you have committed adultery. How many people in the Christian world do the filthiest things and they say it would not be as bad?? You do it and live with it. How on earth? How many people think Hollywood is a trend, you can chop and change your partners? It is not like that. DL Moody said, “When I hear anyone make light of adultery, I take the Bible and see how God’s curse comes on that person.” Today you can live with a man, you do not have to marry him. No wonder the world is in a mess. No wonder the children are like you. Husband/wife, how inquisitive are you? Marriage existed in the garden of Eden before the fall of man. It is one of the first things that happened. It is critical for the church to be like this. If family ties are dishonored and not kept pure and holy, it is fatal for the church. You are married but your husband is in Johannesburg. What are doing? You are bringing a curse on your family.
The family existed before the church. How lightly we take the family. Except the home is kept pure and undefiled, the church is in danger of nonexistence. Adultery is such an evil crime. How often haven’t you been told; to not go anywhere alone but you still do it? How often have young girls been told this. But you do it. Why do you want to drive alone, go alone and do things without anyone around you? You are always friendly with others but not with those at home. The church is built on family life and if the family is not right, the church will shake. I ask you all, if you look at a person of the opposite sex, with what eyes do you look? Why do you always go back to it? If you mean business, Christ can enter and He will save you from that life.
One man said in all the laws of human nature, there is the weakest link where you are very vulnerable, and the devil is at his worst. That is if you are not careful about the purity of your life. I don’t know of a quicker, shorter way to hell than by adultery or living an immoral life. Don’t take things lightly. Come out with the truth. On the outside all looks good but, on the inside, you are rotten. No wonder you cannot stand up for what is right.
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 6:9,10
Friends, Christ came to set us totally free from these things. There is only one way to be victorious - through our Lord Jesus Christ, if you repent and cry with all your heart. If you seek with all your heart and go deep. Come out with the truth. If Christ is the first in our lives, we will have power. Christ will grant us that and help us. We do not have to fight ourselves. Christ said to Paul, ‘If you want to be helped, come to Me, I will save you from your wretched human nature.’ Be careful because human nature is always around the corner. Christ came that we might have power over sin and evil. Christ will fill the void where sin once ruled. Ask Him and open the door for Him to do it. It sounds easy but Christ in you helps you to evade temptation.
That is why the Lord taught us that in everything we do we should pray. He also taught us not to use His name in vain. Lord, be with me now as I go to school. There should be continual talking and discussion between you and the Lord.
When I was young, we were taught what it meant to wrestle with the Lord and cry to Him. We were taught that there must be a relationship between us and the Lord. It was not easy. At school we were disliked but it was good for us and it helped us to stand. Christ molded our lives. I would go alone and speak to the Lord. When last have you spoken and poured out your heart to the Lord? I spoke my heart out to the Lord. How nice isn’t it when God’s word speaks to you and shows you your sin? No one else has to say anything. Cry and seek God with all your heart. When I look back at my life, I was forced into situations because of how hard the fight was.
Ask the Lord what He is saying to you. Sometimes difficulties and hardships are good for us because they put us on our knees. May I bend before God has to bend me. He won’t let go of you before He bends you. When I look back, I thank God for His grace that I could live in the light. I remember often how Rev Stegen helped me. If there was something, I would share it and say what I thought. Your life should stay in the light. God will bring you to the light. It is nonsense that the small things do not matter. It is the little things that destroy your work. The things we disregard and look down on, ‘Oh that is just a thought.’ May God help us to be careful. Jesus in us will show us the small things. Sven just heard someone speaking and sin entered his life.
When the devil leaves a house, it is cleaned but not occupied, the demons will return. If Christ is there, He will guard the door with His works and His gospel. That is important. If you are convicted of sin and repent of it there and then and if you mean it with all your heart, He will hear even the prayer of the other person who prays with you. It is between you and Christ.
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Through His spirit that is inside. The victory belongs to Him. We often create our own problems unnecessarily and we have anxieties and fears because Christ is not the centre of our lives.
58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain.
Paul goes a step further. Stand firm. Abound, being continually aware that your labour in the Lord is not vain. That helped me. A person is busy with God’s work where He has put you. Otherwise, Satan will keep you busy with his things instead of busy with God’s things. Otherwise, you sit at home on your cell phone. Get into God’s work but we are held down by little things, irritations. The closer you get to God, the dimmer the things of the world will become. This does not mean there will not be a fight. The law of the spirit of life will grant us grace and set us free through our Lord Jesus Christ. If you understand that your life depends on Him.
The Bible says where two or three are gathered in My name, I will be with them. I will hear their prayer. If you understand how important Christ is in our lives and what that name means, it is more than we can fathom.
