The Parables of Christ 1

The Benefits of the Son of God to us no. 9

They are calling God a liar

Sunday, August 22, 2004

Rev. Brian Kocourek

Wednesday evening we spoke on the seventh benefit or promise of God to us concerning our believing in His Son is that we are given a special witness within ourselves of this relationship. We took for our text 1 John 5 and verse 10…

1 John 5:10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record (witness) that God gave of his Son.

Wednesday evening we showed you that this verse of scripture has two parts to it. Part Number One speaks of The Witness which we found is the Holy Spirit Himself, and the second half of this scripture tells us: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record (witness) that God gave of his Son.

Now, before we get to this second part this morning, I want to just glean a few thoughts from our message Wednesday evening for those who were not able to attend. Wednesday evening, we focused our thoughts on the first half of this Scripture that says, “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself.”

Again we pointed out that this word hath was translated from the Greek word echo so this verse should read He that believeth on the Son of God echoes the Witness in himself.

Now, we know there is a difference between just being a witness and THE Witness. For The Witness is the Holy Ghost Himself. 1 John 5:6 And It is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.

We went to the Book of Romans to establish that it is the Spirit of God that is the Witness, and the important point in our study was to establish that in Romans 8:16 The Apostle Paul makes it clear that the important thing is not that we bear witness with God and what He does but that He bear witness to our spirit. He said, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God,”

The problem we found is that many people will read this verse wrong and thus try to convince themselves that it is their own spirit that is bearing witness with God’s spirit and thus that makes them something. These are those who will not accept the sovereign position of God that he does not need us, but rather by taking the assumption that it is their own witness in their spirit and their own choosing, they thus null and void the witness of The Spirit and the choice that is reserved for God to make, and Him alone. For what good is your choice if it is not God’s choice, and what good is it that you witness in your own spirit that you are what God has not made you to be.

Now, the whole text of what Paul is saying here is that it is God who bears witness with our spirit that we are His children. We can claim that God is our Father all we want but that won’t make it true, unless God claims us Himself. And therefore it matters not what witness we give of our selves, for we can witness all we want and claim God as our Father all we want, but if God does not claim us and bear witness Himself that we are His children, then we are not. End of debate.

In John chapter 8 we see Jesus Himself debating this very issue with the Pharisees who claimed first to be Abraham’s seed, and when Jesus showed them that Abraham had two seeds, One by flesh and the other by promise, then they denied being the one by flesh and went straight to claiming themselves as being God’s seed. But Jesus didn’t cut them any slack, and he denied that they were God’s Seed even though they claimed to be. He said, I am of God and you are not of God but of your father the devil, and the deeds of your father you do. He said if you were Abraham’s seed you would believe me and do the works of Abraham, but because you believe me not, it shows you are of your father the devil, and he laid it out pretty plain to them. He said if you were of God you would believe me for I say nothing but what he tells me to say, and I do nothing but what He tells me to do, and I have surrendered my will to His will and my thoughts to His thoughts, and my actions to His actions, and since you will not receive what he told me to tell you, then it shows you are not His Seed.

Now, that brings us to the second part of our verse this morning, and let’s just read it again for a refresher.

1 John 5:10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath (echoes) The Witness (The Spirit of God) in himself: Now that was a nice study. But the second point John is making here is he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; (why?) because he believeth not the record (Witness) that God gave of his Son.

Now, this word record is the same Greek word as we read in the first half of this verse that weas translated as the word Witness. So we can read this as he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record which is God’s Witness or testimony that God gave of his Son.

Now, John is telling us here that these people are making God out to be a liar because they do not believe the Witness, or the record, or the testimony which God Himself gave of His Son.

So we must ask ourselves this question, how can any one make God out to be anything other than what He is. Now, John is not saying God is a liar because these people say so, but He is saying to them, they believe God is a liar, because he is not saying what they think He should say concerning His Son.

“he that believeth not God has made him a liar”;… Now, is it really possible to make God what He is not? In no way, shape, or form is it possible. Then what does John mean by this?

The Amplified translation says, “He that does not believe God in His Testimony, has made Him out to be and represented Him as a liar. “

The Weymouth Translation says, …”he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, in that he has refused to accept the testimony which God has given about His Son.”

Now, the first thing we must understand in reading this verse is that it says, he who does not believe God has made Him a liar. Now the fact of the matter is this, the first part of this sentence speaks of those who do not believe God. If they do not believe God then they are unbelievers, right?

And how they do not believe God, is that they do not believe what God has said concerning His Son. John call’s this His testimony, or record, or witness of God concerning His Own Son.

And as we read this together it says, he who does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, in that he has refused to accept the testimony which God has given about His Son.”

They refuse to accept God’s own testimony which is His own Word. And that is the battle we have today with most of so called Christian-dom. The claim to believe God’s Word but refuse to accept what God has said about His Son. They refuse the record which God has given to us from this Bible, God’s Own Word, concerning His Son.

Then to believe anything contrary to what God has said concerning His Son means you are an unbeliever. And to disbelieve the record that God has given us of His Son is to label God in your own mind a liar, and that is a pretty serious charge against God.

Because Jesus told us that to say one word against the Holy Spirit when He comes is to blaspheme the Holy Spirit, and to call Him a liar is the unforgivable sin.

Therefore, we must know the record that the God, the Holy Spirit has given to us of His Son, so we have the benchmark that tells us if we blaspheme or not.

Now, in order to know what this is, we must go to the official record Itself and that is the Holy Scriptures and the declaration of the Holy Ghost that came down with a shout which is a message in this hour.

And remember and never forget, William Branham was God’s mouth-piece in this hour, and he told us, “My ministry is to declare Him”,… and the word declare means: To make known formally or officially. 2. To state emphatically or authoritatively; affirm. 3. To reveal or make manifest; show. 4. To make a full statement of … and that is exactly what the record of God is… It is God’s testimony of His Son, it is God’s account, the information and facts, (especially in writing) that gives us as a means of preserving the knowledge.

And so we read in the Scriptural record, John 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things so ever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. And what does this record tell us? That the Son can not do until Father shows Him to do. Then how can He be His own Father?

John 12:49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak. And if Jesus can receive a commandment from the Father, then he the son of God is not sovereign. He is not independent, and he is not omniscient, nor is he omnipotent.

John 7:16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If His doctrine is not even His then he is not the author now is he?

John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. 31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true 32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesses of me is true. 37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.

Notice he even gave up His own will, which is his own purpose and his own ability to make to choose for himself.

John 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

Hebrews 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and if he is his own father then who was he obedient to?

John 8:17 It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. 18 I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me. Now this statement clearly distinguishes that there are two persons involved here.

John 14:10 The words I speak I speak not of myself, The Father that dwelleth in me He doeth the works. Here Jesus tells us he could not even speak all by Himself, He was totally dependent upon the Father for the words to say.

John 5:17 My Father worketh hitherto and I work . And here we see that he was dependent upon the father to show Him what work to perform.

Now, William Branham Prophet of God and God’s mouth piece to us in this hour said he did not believe like the Oneness believed, and that Jesus and God were not one like your finger is one, and He said that Jesus was a dual being, and he said that there are two concerning the Father and Son, and he said that sons have beginnings, and he said, that Jesus could not be His own Father, and he said that the body was not deity, but deity dwelt in the body, and he said that God indwelt the son at the river Jordan and left Him in Gethsemane.

So we have eight definitive statements that the Holy Spirit has recorded to us on magnetic tape and if you do not believe the recording or the record which is the testimony of the Holy Spirit you have made God out to be a liar. And if you do not believe God then what does that make you.

Now, there are some claiming to follow this message that are nothing more than blasphemers. Reprobate concerning The Truth.

I remember one man, after being quoted a statement of Brother Branham’s concerning a coming before the coming, he said I wouldn’t believe it. Another said brother Branham was wrong when he said that God left Jesus in Gethsemane, because the Scriptures didn’t say it. I asked him where he got his vindication from, and then I asked Him if he would believe it if I showed him in the scriptures, and he said he would but when I showed him where Jesus Hung on the cross and said, “My God, My God why hast thou forsaken me, and the word forsaken means to totally abandon, he said he still didn’t believe it. I told him that is ok, because it is not for unbelievers. Oh, he got offended that I called him and unbeliever, but that is what the man is.

I am sorry, my brothers and sisters, but if the shoe fits you had better where it. And if you say you do not believe the record that God has laid down in His Scriptures, that are replete with evidence showing the difference between the Father and the Son, and you still choose to disbelieve it, then you are in effect saying that you do not believe God and you know better than God does concerning His Son. And to me there could be nothing more arrogant than for a person to deny vindicated Truth, and think they know better.

Baptism Of the Holy Spirit 58-0928M 94 He said, "I and My Father are One. My Father dwelleth in Me." No one could read that any plainer. They said, "Why don't You show us the Father, and it'll satisfy us." John 14:8. He said, "I've been so long with you and you don't know Me?" He said, "When you see Me, you see My Father." As a lady once jumped up, she said, "Why, Brother Branham," she said, "the Father and the Son are one, just like you and your wife are one." I said, "Oh, no they're not." I said, "Do you see me?" She said, "Yes." I said, "You see my wife?" Said, "No." I said, "Then they're not the same kind of one. Jesus said, 'When you've see Me, you have seen the Father. The Father dwelleth in Me.' My wife don't dwell in me." See? They are One; in every way they are One.

John 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. 30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; Why? because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. There you have it. Jesus can judge because God, His Father, knows that he will only judge what God has already judged. He said, I have not come to do my own will but the will of the father which sent me. Then he says, 31 ¶ If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. 32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.

In verse 36 we find out Who the witness is, Jesus is speaking about. And if Jesus is consistent in what he has been telling them, then it has to be His Father that He is speaking about as we see in JOHN 5:36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. 37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. 38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.

Now, let’s stop for a moment and look at another scripture that Jesus is speaking of this Judging. Let’s turn to JOHN 8:16 And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me. 17 It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. 18 I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me. 19 Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also. Notice the words of Jesus, he says, I am not alone. Now, that speaks of another, meaning more than one is involved here. And he tells us immediately who that other is… I and the Father that sent me. Then he says, 17 It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. Then notice who those TWO MEN are that he uses for his witness. I am one that bears witness of myself, and the Father that sent me bears witness of me.

Now if Jesus considered Himself to be One with God in that way, why would he speak these words? But they could not see His Father because they did not understand what He was talking about. And so they looked for one that can not be seen, and missed seeing that He was living in His Son.

Now, in getting back to John 14:8 we read, Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. ⁹ Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? ¹⁰ Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. ¹¹ Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.

Obviously from what we have seen so far, Jesus is not saying here that He and His Father are one like your finger is one. But what He is saying is that the same Word that is in the Father, is abiding in Him and that makes Him one with the Father. Brother Branham further clarified this in the sermon,

SHOW US THE FATHER IT'LL SATISFY 56-0422 E-36 Now, it's many times it's been said that no man can see God at anytime, the Bible said so. But the only begotten of the Father has declared Him. Philip, here was very inquisitive; he wanted to see the Father. Says here He said, "I've been so long with you, Philip, and you don't know Me?" Said, "When you see Me you see My Father." In other words, you see the Father express Himself through the Son. Him and the Father were one in the sense that His Father was dwelling in Him, not Him doing the works; He was a Son, Himself, the mortal, virgin born, Son of God. And then in Him was dwelling the God, the Father, expressing Himself to the world, His attitude towards the people. See? Well, that's how Christ and God were one. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. Now, He said, "When you see Me, you see the Father, and why do you say, 'Show us the Father?'"

Again in the sermon, He Swore By Himself 54-1212 we can find William Branham clarifying that this is what was meant by Jesus when he spoke to Philip. He said, "I and My Father are One. My Father is in Me." Said, "Show us now the Father." Philip said, "Showeth me the Father and it'll satisfy me." Said, "Philip, I been so long with you, and you don't know Me?" He said, "When you see Me, you see the Father. And why say, 'Show me the Father.' I and the Father are One. My Father's living in Me now. It's not Me that doeth the works; it's Him that dwells in me, that does the works." Oh, my. How could I tell a man what was wrong with him? How could I tell him what his future will be ten years, or what he was forty years ago? It isn't me. Hallelujah. It's Him that lives in me, that come down, that through His Blood brought me in fellowship with Him. Hallelujah. How could my hands do anything by healing the sick? It hasn't got a bit of power. It's not me. But it's Him that dwells in here that does it.

And since three is a witness, let me share one more quote with you where William Branham further elucidates my point that Jesus and God were one by reason of the Father abiding in Him, directing Him by His Word. CONFERENCE 60-1125 E-73 When He said, "It's not Me that doeth the works. It's My Father. He dwelleth in Me. Me and My Father are One. I and My Father are One. My Father dwelleth in Me." And He did the same works that He did when He dwelt in that Body standing there before Abraham.

AS I WAS WITH MOSES 51-0503 E-15 When Jesus of Nazareth... I believe that the Father was in Him, that all the great things that was the Father's was given unto His Son, all the great blessings and gifts; for He was just expressed image of the Father. And in Him dwelled all the richness of God dwelling in Him here, looking up. He said, "I and My Father are One. My Father dwelleth in Me." Just as Jehovah... Just what Jehovah was, Jesus was. He was the expressed image of Him. He was God shaped out here, and all the powers of God formed into, and put in a human body. He said, "It's not Me that doeth the works; it's My Father that dwelleth in Me; He doeth the works."

GIFTS 56-1207 E-29 Now, in Christ dwelt the Fullness of the Godhead bodily. He had all the Spirit of God in Him. "I and My Father are One," said Jesus. That's the reason the people couldn't understand Him. Sometimes He'd say something, might look like He turn around and say something different. It was Him speaking, then the Father speaking. See? They were... And even the disciples could not understand Him. And right at the last, they said, "Lo, now speakest Thou plainly. Now, we believe by this if you know all things; no man needs to teach you." Jesus said, "Do you now believe?" After all that time, they couldn't get the... Why? That sometimes He'd say this and then say that. It was Him and the Father speaking. E-30 Now, notice closely. Now, God dwelling in Christ used His voice to speak by. Jesus said in His miracle, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing in Himself, but what He sees the Father doing, that doeth the Son likewise." Is that right? Saint John 5:19. Then He did not do nothing within Himself. No prophet ever did anything within himself, until first God showed what to do. What a mistake Moses made when he went out without the vision of God and smote down the Egyptian, thought he'd liberate them with his hands, because he thought he had a lot of faith and could do it, because he was called for the job. No matter how much you're called for the job, God has to do the leading. See? He failed of all of his schooling and his military mind and his training as a great Egyptian leader. But yet it failed, 'cause God had a program and we've got to work according to God's program. No matter what we do, how smart we are, we've got to humble ourselves and work according to God's program. Amen. So he failed and God had to keep him another forty years to educate him. So what it was, that he must forget himself, and it's not him, but it was God.

SUPER SIGN 59-1227M 86 When He was here on the earth, He proved that He was God, proved that God was in Him, because the signs of God followed Him. He said, "If I do not the works of My Father, then believe Me not. But if I do the works of My Father, if you don't believe Me, believe the works, the sign": Immanuel. "I and My Father are One. My Father has sent Me. And as He sends Me, so send I you. The Father that sent Me is with Me; He's in Me and doing the works of Himself. It's God in flesh."

SHOW US THE FATHER AND IT WILL SATISFY 60-0731 E-15 "The works that I do, shall you also." And seeing the same results by human beings so submitted to God, until the Holy Spirit can work through those human beings just like the Holy Spirit worked through Jesus, Who just has confessed that, "I and My Father are One. My Father dwelleth in Me. He doeth the works. It's not My words; it's His words."... See? He was so submitted to God.

Revelation Chapter One 60-1204 198 He was the true and faithful Witness to God's eternal Word. He was the Word, was God's Word; and being the Word, He was a Prophet. For the Word of God flowed through Him; He'd say only the things. "I can do nothing within Myself, but what the Father shows Me to do. Not Me that doeth the works, but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works. I and My Father are One. My Father's in Me," said Jesus, the Man, the Tabernacle.

SIRS WE WOULD SEE JESUS 61-1224 21-3 I and My Father are One," not three, "We are One." God is in Him. God speaks through Him. He's no more His own, but He's God's voice through human lips. Hallelujah.

SIRS WE WOULD SEE JESUS 61-1224 24-1 Jesus said so. Argue with Him,

not me; I'm just saying what He said. "I and My Father are One. It's not Me that doeth the works; it's My Father; He dwells in Me. If you don't believe Me, believe the Word, 'cause He is the Word.

QA IMAGE OF THE BEAST 54-0515 194-282 And God came down and dwelt in His Son, Christ Jesus, making Him God on earth. When Thomas said, "Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us." He said, "I've been so long with you and you don't know Me?" He said, "Why sayest thou, 'Show us the Father'?" Why, He said, "When you see Me you see the Father. I and My Father are One. My Father dwelleth in Me."

HE SWORE BY HIMSELF 54-1212 156 And God Himself living in this, making a tabernacle, and He dwelt in Christ. There's God walking around. He said, "I and My Father are One. My Father is in Me." Said, "Show us now the Father." Philip said, "Showeth me the Father and it'll satisfy me." Said, "Philip, I been so long with you, and you don't know Me?" He said, "When you see Me, you see the Father. And why say, 'Show me the Father.' I and the Father are One. My Father's living in Me now. It's not Me that doeth the works; it's Him that dwells in me, that does the works." Oh, my.

HEBREWS CHAPTER 1 57-0821 25-158 Thomas said, "Lord, show us the Father and it'll satisfy us. Said, "I've been so long with you and you don't know Me?" Said, "When you see Me, you see the Father. And why say, 'show us, Thou the Father'? I and the Father are One. My Father dwelleth in Me. I'm just a Tabernacle called the Son. The Father dwells in Me. Not Me that doeth the works, it's My Father that dwelleth in Me. He doeth the works, not Me."

SHOW US THE FATHER 0722 E-64 God in His Son, do you believe He was? He looked like God; He acted like God; He said He was God. He cried like God; He healed like God; He died like a man; and He rose like God. He was God manifested in the flesh. God was in His Son. Do you believe it? God was in His universe. You believe it? God is in His Word. You believe it? God is in His Son. You believe it? Could you see Him in Christ? Jesus said, "When you see Me you see the Father. Why sayest thou, Show Me the Father?" God was in the Son, reconciling the world to Himself. Now, God in His universe, you believe it? God in His Word, you believe it? God in His Son, you believe it?

UNVEILING OF GOD 64-0614M 257 Jesus once said, "When you see Me, you see the Father." See? God and His Word is One. Now you understand? When the Word is manifested, what is It? Right. See? 260 Jesus said, "Search the Scriptures, you think you have... You believe in God, believe also in Me. If I do not the works of My Father, then don't believe Me. But if I do do the works, I and My Father are One. When you see Me, you have seen the Father." And when you see the Word made manifest, you see the Father God, because the Word is the Father; the Word is God. And the Word made manifest is God Himself taking His Own Word and manifesting It among believers. Nothing can make It live but believers, just believers.

MASTERPIECE THE 64-0705 69 There in His own image reflecting God, for He said in St. John 14, "When you see Me, you see the Father."...And then, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God; and the Word was hewed out and reflected what the Word was at the beginning: Him, the Word, reflected in the Masterpiece in His own likeness, God back again in His own likeness, the Word form being reflected in the image of a man: the Masterpiece. All the prophets had flaws. All the ones was a portion. But here at last coming up through that finally comes the Masterpiece, the perfect One, no fault in Him at all, so perfect, reflected of the Builder Himself. His own image was reflected in His Work. God and Christ were One, insomuch until He put His own Spirit into Him; and then even the Image and the Builder became One: God and His sculpture Work, His Masterpiece... Where Moses was in the work of Michelangelo, was a sculpture work that was dead, because it'd been made out of stone. But here the Master Builder, when He got His Handiwork perfected, He stepped into It.

QA HEBREWS PART 2 57-1002 281-Q-63 63. Please explain the Trinity. How can the Son set at the right hand of the Father, interceding to the Father, if they are not two persons? Well, beloved friend, that's a... That's a revelation. If Jesus said, "I and My Father are One," then how can they be two? See? Now, they're not two. A woman once said to me, and I was explaining that, said, "You and your wife are two, yet you're one." I said, "But God and the Son is different from that. See?" I said, You see me?" "Yes." "Do you see my wife?" "No." I said, "Then Father and Son's different; Jesus said, 'When you see Me, you've seen the Father.'" See? The Father and the Son... The Father was Almighty Jehovah God dwelling in a Tabernacle called Jesus Christ, which was the anointed Son of God. Jesus was a Man; God is a Spirit. And no man has seen God at any time, but the only begotten of the Father has declared Him. He was... He... His Personality, His Being, His Deity, whatever He was, He was God. He was nothing less or nothing more than God. Yet, He was a man. He was a man, a house that God dwelt in. That's right. He was God's dwelling place.

Notice that brother Branham pointed out that we are not talking about two physical being like a man and wife are two physical beings. But he explained that there is one that was a man, and we know to be a man you must have body, soul and spirit. But in that man that was fully man, indwelt the God, the Father, who is Spirit, thus making them one by the indwelling. But notice in this next quote how brother Branham is more specific and shows that the oneness of God and His Son is not like Husband and wife and He is more clear as to why it is different.

Therefore if you do not believe the Godhead as in the way I have shown you God’s very own record and His witness, you are calling God a liar, and thus you are a blasphemer. Let us pray…..