19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”
Jabulani Dube
We greet everyone in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank the Lord that we can meet in this manner. We had asked the Lord for rain and it would be a mistake not to thank Him for the rain we have received. We will continue praying for those who have not received rain so that they will still receive it. In Romans 1 we read how people were given over to various kinds of sins because they did not thank God. In Romans 1:21,22, their hearts became darkened. It is important to thank God for that which He has done for us.
There is a song that says, “Lord, may revival begin with me.” That was our prayer in the beginning - send revival and start with me. When we cried out in this manner, He started with us. When you ask for revival, it must begin with you. The first life that God needs to work in is yours. God began to work in our midst. He showed us our evil and sins. Disunity was dealt with. If you want God to work, He should begin in your own life. If you ask God to work in the life of your family or neighbours, He needs to start in your life. God brought together different nations because He worked in our lives first. We saw God’s greatness.
12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12
This text shook me. Those who received Him He gave the power. When you have received the son of God, you have received this power. You are born of God you receive the power of God. If we have received the Lord Jesus Christ we are born of God. What a mystery this is.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own,[b] and his own people[c] did not receive him. John 1:10,11
His own did not receive him but those who did, received power to become children of God. They received that birth from God and through that they received power. If you have been born of God you have received that power from God. What an amazing truth that we are born of God when we were saved.
19 But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.” 2 Timothy 2:19
Since you name God’s name, have you departed from iniquity? This is the sign that you belong to God. If God’s name is in your mouth, have you departed from iniquity? When Korah, Dathan and Abiram ganged up against Moses, the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them. We say, I stand up against others but the earth does not swallow me. I go against my family and nothing happens to me. I have children out of wedlock, and nothing happens to me. Spiritually, the earth has swallowed you and that is why you live as you do.
God’s foundation has this seal. Can people see this in the manner in which you dress? If a person is a child of God, you cannot mistake that fact. It is obvious. The manner in which he talks, behaves and dresses will show that he is a child of God. That person stands on the true foundation. Some houses are built on sand and others are built on rock. When the storms come with strong winds, it is easy for houses on the sand, to be destroyed by the storm. Nothing will move a house built on a solid foundation. It will stand no matter what. If a young man or woman are on God’s foundation, they will stand firm. God’s firm foundation stands and bears this seal: the Lord knows those who are His.
You say that you are a child of God, but sin is found in your life. If you get angry or you are stubborn, you cannot be a child of God. If you go back to the things of this world, you cannot call yourself a child of God. If your house is built on the sand, it will collapse when the storms come. It should be clear to all, through the manner in which you dress and behave that you are a child of God. If all that people see in our lives is gossip and criticism, they do not see the seal of being a child of God.
What is there that demonstrates that you are a child of God? Depart from all that is evil. Abstain from every form of evil. What would you say of a person who enters a bottle store to buy coke? You need to abstain from every from and appearance of evil.
The Bible says that if you name the name of Christ, you need to part from iniquity. If we call ourselves Christians, have we departed from iniquity? You take the Lord’s name into your mouth but you have not departed from evil. 19 But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.” Have we parted from evil things?
The mother crab scolded her child for not walking straight. The child asked the mother to demonstrate how to walk but she could not. She also walked sideways. They lived the same kind of life. A parent can reprimand their child, but they do not see the correct way of life in the lives of their parents. How do we walk? What do people see in us? Have we been crucified with Christ? Peter said that we should not be like the dogs that return to their vomit. This confuses me: a person confesses his sin but returns to it and that person calls himself a child of God. Brethren, is that person truly born of God if he does things like that? He still steals. He visits prostitutes. Is he a child of God? He looks pious. Where is the sign that you are child of God? You are ruled by your cell phone and internet porn and you return to daily.
God’s foundation stands firm. Brethren, we need to stand on that foundation. We must not be weak. We must be immovable on God’s foundation. Let us not be like a paper fire that flares up but quickly dies. Such a person has never built on God’s foundation. He has taken a short cut. To build a proper foundation, you must dig deep.
“The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.” Children of the Lord, have you departed from iniquity? When that Book is opened which will send some to heaven and some to hell, what will we be called to? A child of God should never doubt whether he is a child of God or not. If he does doubt, ask the question whether that person has returned to the sin that he repented from? Or when he repented, did he remove all the roots of his sin? You should have the assurance that when you walk, you are doing it in fellowship with Jesus Christ. You must have this assurance that your name is written in the Book. If you return to your sin, your name will not be called because you have gone back to your sin. If you are children, there should be no fighting amongst you but you should submit to one another. Livestock that belongs to you is branded so that it can be see that the livestock belong to you. Some people need to see the seal that you are married which is your ring.
We need to live for God. It should be clear that we have that firm foundation. No matter what church you belong to, it should be clear that you have departed from your iniquity then God will forgive you. Lord knows those who are His. As children of the Lord, have we departed from iniquity? We have received the Lord as our Saviour, but have we departed from iniquity? Do people see this seal of the children of God? John asked who the people were who were who were dressed in white. They were those who had come out of the great tribulation. No matter what tribulation we go through, the seal should still be evident in our lives.
Conclusion Dietmar Joosten
God reminds us of His ways. How will people know that I am a child of God? If you love the world, you will dress like the world. The sign will not be seen by people. We are not like the world so the devil will attack us for this. It will be seen through the way in which you conduct yourself that you are different. If you want to know how a Christian should dress and behave ask a heathen. Christians want to get as close as possible to the world and in the end, there is no difference between them and the world. How will it be clear that you are a child of God? Have your departed from all that is evil? What draws you? Examine your life and see that it draws you closer to God and you will see if you are a child of God or not.
Stand aloof and live above iniquity and evil. If you ride the wave it is a sign that you belong to Christ. People say that if you try hard and do all that is expected then you are a Christian, but it is by the grace of God that you are a Christian. It is because of God working in us not because of what we are trying to be. There is nobody who can say I am what I am because of what I am. I am because of Christ who met me and changed my life. You can confirm it because when you deviate, you fall into things that you never thought you would because there is no power of God in your life, you have left it.
It is only by God’s grace and power in our lives that we can say no things that are wrong. How on earth can you accept evil when God expects us to depart from it? God has set a standard for us in this revival and by God’s grace we can stand. From the beginning, God dealt with things. God has taught me to say ‘no’ to all unrighteousness. We stand victorious in our own lives which is where it starts.
If I say that I am child of God, do I depart from iniquity? Are you going around in circles? Have you got victory in your life? When you do have victory then the devil is angry. Here is the seal: by the grace of God I depart from iniquity and I overcome it. This is when the devil becomes angry. No wonder people were thrown into the fire because they had this seal that they were children of God.