Engagement of Bheki Mthethwa and Nonhlanhla Majola
1 Corinthians 3
9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.
10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
We take care of many things, but do we take care of that which is the most important? Many people take care of their financial wellbeing. Every day revolves around their money and how to make more. That’s what they care about.
Others care about themselves. If things go well with them they are happy. They are not concerned about others as long as it’s going well with them.
But here the Bible tells us what we should care about. Our life is likened to a house and we need to take care how we build our life on the foundation Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy 2
19 Nevertheless the foundation of God stands sure having this seal, “The Lord knows them who are His”, and “Let everyone who names the Name of Christ depart from iniquity.
Note that the Lord knows who are His. It is not important whether we claim to know Him, but whether He knows us. We must already experience that He knows us while we are on this earth, otherwise He will say on Judgement Day, “I never knew you; depart from Me you workers of iniquity” (Matt 7:23; Luke 13:27).
“Let everyone who names the Name of Christ depart from iniquity” – If you claim to build on the true foundation this is the sign – you depart from wickedness. By this sign one recognises a true Christian. You cannot be a Christian and continue sinning. Those that love Him obey His commandments (1John 3:24).
Many Christians are specialists at whitewashing their mistakes and plastering it over. But there’s only one thing you can do with a mistake and that’s to bring it to the cross of Christ.
If you whitewash your mistakes God will one day take the plaster off and show you and the world what you were really made of. Everything that cannot stand the fire of God’s Holy presence will burn.
We need to put ourselves in God’s Holy presence now and pray that He will show us where there is still any wicked way in us. We need to place ourselves in His Light which reveals even the roots of the tree. Let us rather put ourselves in God’s Light and fire now so that everything which is not of God will be burnt away.
Proverbs 16
16 How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding than silver.
We need wisdom, understanding and the love of God. Is that what your life consists of?
Many Christian young people get married like the world. They look for the prettiest girl or if they have a bit more brains they look for one that’s pretty and has a good character according to their judgement. Yet they do not seek God’s face. Such a young person is building with wood, hay and stubble and it will not stand the fire. Happy and wise is a young person who seeks God’s face to show him to whom he should get married.
God knows the future and He knows the heart of each person which we cannot see.
In the world girls have children without being married and the children do not even have the same father. But those who live like the animals are worse than the animals because God created us with a soul and showed us right from wrong.
Many live like fools in this life, especially young people. They think that they build their house for someone else. They only live before their pastor or their parents. When they think that their pastor or parents do not see them they get up to a lot of mischief.
But young person you will have to live in that house that you are building. You do not know when God will call you to account. You might think that you still have your whole life in front of you yet on God’s clock you are putting in the last few screws on the roof and then He will call you to give account of your life.
May we lay each stone of our life with the utmost care that we will not be ashamed before Him at His coming.