Benefits
no. 37
Unconvinced Means
Unconcerned
February 26, 2005
Brian Kocourek, Pastor Grace Fellowship
Last week we
spoke on why people are falling away from The Faith, which is The Revelation
of Jesus Christ, The Message. We looked at why they are loosing Faith, the Faith. And we know that the
Apostle Paul did not warn us that they would fall away from faith, but that
they would fall away from The Faith. And this same Apostle Paul told us in
Ephesians chapter 4 that there is just
One Faith and Brother Branham taught us that Faith itself is a Revelation, it
is something that has been revealed to you. And Paul followed up by telling us
there is only One Faith and One Lord, and therefore that One Faith is The
Faith of that One Lord.
And that is the
same Faith that the Son of God expressed when He said he could do nothing, say
nothing, teach nothing except what the Father had showed Him first.
That is why
Paul could say, “I
am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet it is not I that is living
but Christ is living in me, and the Life which I now live I am living by The
Faith OF the Son of God who gave Himself for me.” Therefore it is
not our faith in Jesus but it is actually His Faith that is to live itself out through us.
That is what
Jesus was praying when he said to the Father in John
17: 22 And the glory which thou gavest me, (He
was speaking of The Doxa, which is God’s opinion, God’s assessment, and God’s
Judgment, in other words the revelation
that God had given Him, and He went on to say, this same Doxa) I have given them;
that they may be one, even as we are one:
And it is this faith, the very Faith that the Son of
God expressed that the people are falling away from in this hour. I have
watched This Faith dying out and cooling off in the people for the past
twenty to thirty years until one can see very little of the Life of Christ in
the people today.
Why is it that brother Branham constantly demanded a
life that is worthy of the Gospel and yet today we have people watching more
videos than they are reading their Bibles.
They can tell you more about the movies and movie stars than they can
tell you about the heroes of the Bible. Even in his day, brother Branham
pointed out this same attitude in the people.
Handwriting on the wall
58-0309M P:44 “And today,
we've rock-and-rolled. We've took our
children to televisions and uncensored programs. We've let our floors and our
tables become full of old dirty, sexy love stories in the stead of the Word of
God. There isn't a kid in this city but what knows more about Arthur Godfrey,
or Elvis Presley, or Pat Boone, or David Crockett than they do know about Jesus
Christ. That's straight, but it's oh so true. No wonder there's a falling away. And what does the pastors know?
They don't know what's the cause of it. They are the cause of it.”
Today people,
church people, right in this message,
instead of taking a stand on marriage and divorce, they will just turn
their heads and look the other way as if it doesn’t matter. It does matter. No
fornicators or adulterers will enter into the
1 Corinthians 6: 9 Know ye not that
the unrighteous shall not inherit the
Revelation 22: 19 And if any
man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take
away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from
the things which are written in this book.
I challenge you
to take God at His word, because if you don’t you will pay the price.
The Apostle Paul said, “Don’t be deceived; God
will not be mocked: for whatsoever a man
soweth, that he shall also reap. Galatians 6: 7”
You can not
mock God and get away with it. Oh you might divorce your wife, you might
divorce your husband and then marry
someone else and think you have a good marriage going, but you’re still going
to have to answer to God at that Great judgment day. You say, well, it must be
the Lord’s will because look how good our marriage is. Don’t you know that
complete unbelievers can have great marriages? Don’t you know there are people
living as gay couples that have great relationships with each another? That
doesn’t make it right. Only what God deems right is right, and it doesn’t
matter what you think about it that counts one iota. God is the Judge, not you.
And he will try the hearts of every man and woman one day. And if you spurn His word You will answer to
Him and face His Holy wrath.
I know of
people right in this message who are fornicators and adulterers, and people who
drink alcohol, and curse and even smoke and they think they are ok because they
believe in the Grace of God, or they identify with a certain minister. Let me tell you something, those people are
lost and don’t even know they are. The Bible said they are blind and naked and don’t even know it.
They are unbelievers, and that is Thus
Saith the Lord from God’s vindicated
prophet who said from his message, I have heard but
now I see 65-1127E P:107 There's not a greater sin in the world than unbelief, "For he
that believeth not is condemned already." Is that right? "He that
believeth not is condemned." There's only one sin, and that's unbelief. Smoking's not a sin; cursing's not a sin; committing adultery's not a sin; lying is not a
sin; that isn't sin; that's the results
of unbelief. Unbelief, you do it
because you don't believe. If you do
believe It, you don't do it.
And he also
said from his sermon, Identification 63-0123 P:39 You see, sin is
unbelief. There's only two channels that you can live by. One of them is faith,
and the other one is unbelief. "He that believeth not is condemned
already." Smoking, drinking, committing adultery, lying,
stealing, carnal impersonations, those
things are attributes of unbelief. If
you was a believer you wouldn't do those things. No. You do that because you're not a believer.
Oh, you say, "Oh, but I am a believer." But by their fruits you shall know them. See? Your actions speak louder than what your
confession proves. See? When you disbelieve God's Word and count it as
something gone by, or take some book in its stead, and saying, "This is
just as good as that," it goes to
show that you're not a believer. That's right. You're not. And if you was,
then you would believe God's Word and it would... He would express Himself through His Word. Now, He was God's Word
expressed.
Look, God
doesn’t play games. In the first church age when people lied to the brethren they dropped over dead right
on the spot, and the brethren had to carry them out feet first.. Do you think
that the same God that was there then in the form of the Pillar of fire is any
different now than he was back there? Brother Branham said the last plague to
strike was Spiritual death and I have seen many a person die right in their
tracks spiritually and never move on with the Lord again. I have also seen them
drop over dead physically as well.
Hebrews six
tells us that if they come to the Knowledge of the truth and then turn away
there is no more ability to change their thinking towards God and His word, and
they die right there spiritually.
Let me just
read for you some other things brother Branham said about this falling away
that is taking place today.
From his
message, Convinced then concerned 62-1125M P:29 Brother
Branham said, “Falling away, no concern...and
later in the same paragraph he said, ….PP. 29B There's a falling away, and the
falling away has brought an unconcern.”
And that is
what I am talking about. They can’t be convinced because they are not
concerned. If they were convinced they would have to be concerned. But when we
see people divorcing and remarrying and the believers not taking those people
aside and warning them, you have to ask yourself, how concerned can the
believers be for those people? How concerned can the ministers be?
What do you
suppose the Apostle Paul meant when he said, in I CORINTHIANS
5:9 ¶ I
wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: 10 Yet not
altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or
extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. 11
But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is
called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater,
or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with
such an one no not to eat. 12 For what have I to do to judge them also that
are without? do not ye judge them that are within? 13 But them that are without
God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
I ask the
question, did he say this just for kicks? No, it’s called church discipline
that the church has thrown out with the rest of the Scriptures a long time ago.
God’s Message to the elect in this hour doesn’t just call for doctrine. It
calls for Conduct, Order and Doctrine. And you can have the doctrine but if you
toss aside the conduct and church order you are just an unbeliever, that’s all.
Say what you will but by your fruits you are known.
Again from his sermon Convinced then concerned 62-1125M P:28 we hear
brother Branham say, “This day of falling away, and being that it is
fallen to that, the people are losing concern.”
And what does
it mean to be concerned? The dictionary defines the word concern as Regard for or interest in
someone or something. A troubled or anxious state of mind arising from interest..
Thus if you are truly convinced this Message is right, then you will be
concerned about living it right, and you will be concerned for your loved ones
as well.
Convinced then concerned
62-0118 P:28 Now, this falling away is a
lack of concern for the body of Christ. I believe that maybe the right
thing hasn't been presented. He said,
there’s no concern for the body of Christ. People only care for themselves, and
not enough for each other.
Concerned and convinced
62-0610E P:24 Seems like that
there's become a falling away. And seems like there's not much concern,
not too much anyhow, not as much as there should be, very little concern. Brother Branham also said in his sermon Greater
than Solomon is here 62-0628 P:12 concerning the falling away, Remember, He
said, "As it was in the days of Noah, wherein eight souls were saved, so
shall it be in the coming of the Son of man." See? Each generation will
just produce so many. And that's the way you see it today. Everywhere it's just a dying away, a falling away. Sin is
collapsing in everything.
And notice
still further how brother Branham ties in the falling away with the cares of
this life, and being lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. Believest thou this? 50-0716 P:86 I believe that
in the last days there'd come a falling
away; men would be heady, high-minded,
lovers of pleasure more than
lovers of God. I believe we're
living in that day. Believest thou this?
In the parables
Jesus tells us how the cares of this world chokes the Word and the Word becomes
unfruitful. So you can have the correct word sowed your way, but if you allow
the cares of this world to take a hold, it will choke that Word and that Word
will become unfruitful in your life. And it makes no difference what minister
you sit under. That parable is thus saith the Lord.
In speaking
about Hebrews six, brother Branham says in His sermon entitled, Hebrews Chapter 6 57-0908E P:61 See what He's
talking about? He's not talking about Christians falling away and impossible to
come back. He's talking about carnal
believers who go through the form of reformation. But he said, "To you
who was borned again, you who are
Christian, beloved, we're persuaded better things of you. You don't say those things. You don't live
that type of life. You're secured with Christ." What did he say right
here? Now, let's go to… Ephesians 4:30.... and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed until the
day of your redemption.That right?
Church Age Book Chapter 3 - The Ephesian Church Age P:61 The fervent desire to please God, the passion to know His Word, the cry for
reaching out in the Spirit, all begins
to fade and instead of that church
being on fire with the fire of God it has cooled off and become a bit formal.
That is what was happening back there to the Ephesians. They were getting a bit
formal. The abandonment to God was dying
out and the people weren't too careful about what God thought of them as
they began to be careful about what the world thought of them. That second generation coming on was just
like
In ROMANS
12:1 The Apostle Paul said, ¶ I
beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your
bodies a living sacrifice,(and what kind of a sacrifice are we
supposed to present our bodies to God? He goes on to say one that is ) holy, (and one that is
what?) acceptable unto God, which is your
reasonable service. And the BIV translation says, this is your
spiritual act of worship. Now, notice verse two. And how do we perform this holy and acceptable
sacrifice to God? Paul tells us in verse two. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable,
and perfect, will of God. 3 For I
say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to
think [of himself] more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly,
according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
The Wuest translation says,
“I therefore beg
of you, please brethren, through the instrumentality of the aforementioned
Mercies of God, by a once for all presentation to place your bodies at the
disposal of God, a sacrifice, a living one, a holy one, well pleasing, your
rational sacred service, [rational in that this service is performed by the
exercise of the mind]. And stop assuming an outward expression that does not
come from within you and is not
representative of what you are in your inner being but is patterned
after this age; but change your outward expression to one that comes from
within and is representative of your inner being, by the renewing of the mind,
resulting to your putting to the test what is the will of God, the good and
well pleasing and complete will, and having found that it meets specifications,
place your approval upon it.”
Now, there are 10 things
that the apostle Paul mentions here in these first 2 verses of chapter 12.
ROMANS
12:1
¶ I beseech you therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye
#1-present your bodies –this speaks of how important the presentation is.
#2- a living sacrifice, - this speaks of a sacrifice
that has been made alive, by God’s very life in us, and that the presentation
of our bodies is to be
#3- holy, and we must understand what this holy is if we are to know
what is
#4- acceptable unto God, and the Apostle Paul said,
#5- which is your reasonable
service. Therefore if it is a
reasonable thing, then it is most certainly attainable, or God would not
require it. and if reasonable it comes by reason or the mind that produces it.
As I taught you years ago, your mind is like a garden, and it is full of seeds
which are thoughts, and if the wrong seeds are manifesting themselves then you
must cut off the water supply. Brother Branham asked an Indian Chief who was
baptized with the Holy Ghost how things were going since He was born again, and
he said, “Two dogs war within me since I was born again.” And brother Branham
said, who is winning chief, and the chief responded, “the one I feed the most.”
#6- And be not conformed to this world: and this tells us that this
holy condition of this holy sacrifice comes by a separation from the world and
the things of the world. A consecration to God.
#7- but be ye transformed And we know that the transformation
speaks of a change from one state to another state. And this comes by
#8- by the renewing of your mind, and that in order
#9- that ye may prove And so your sacrifice in
your flesh, and the fact that your mind brings forth the change in the body is
proof of
#10 what [is] that good, and acceptable,
and perfect, will of God.
So we see that
God calls us to bring forth in our bodies a holy sacrifice. In ROMANS 12:1-2 Paul is telling us how we are to present our bodies
as a living sacrifice and it is by the renewing of our minds. 2 And be not
conformed to this world: but be ye
transformed (How are we to be transformed? ) by the
renewing of your mind, (And what will that do for us? He says,) that ye may prove
what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (It’s all about the Will of God. Jesus
said, It is written in the volume of the Book, I have come to do thy will O
God. Jesus, said Father,
not my will but thy will be done. And Paul said in Colossians “Let this mind
(this attitude) which was in Christ be in You.)
Notice here, as he continues
Now, for the next few
minutes I would like to focus our attention on Paul’s view of how we are to
present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God. And we will look at what it
means to be Holy. He said this living sacrifice is one that is Holy, and so we
want to know what it means to be a living sacrifice that is holy.
Notice, point # 3, He said, Holy. We are to present to God not
only a living sacrifice but a Holy sacrifice.
And how is this possible, for there is none holy but the Lord.
Now, Paul told us our
living sacrifice is to be Holy, and the word he used here is the Greek
word, hagios pronounced, (hag'-ee-os) and it is made up from two root words, hagnos
which means pure, chaste, clear, sacred, pure from carnality, modest, immaculate
and clean. The other root word is Thaipo and it means, to cherish with
tender love. Or tender care.
So we see that bringing
these two words together we have a purity that comes as a result of tender love
and care. Therefore, we have purity out from the motive of true
tender care, and we see modesty that comes from tender love,
and we see a sacredness out from and in response to pure love. As brother
Branham preached the message “Convinced and Concerned”, our being convinced
brings about a true concern, and we have a life pure from carnality one that
is modest,
immaculate and clean, not from a fear of retribution, nor from a fear
of penalty, but as a result of an inner motive of Tender Love and Tender Care
for our Savior. This holiness Paul is speaking of is not the result of a rigid
and disciplined life style, but a result of true caring and tender love for
God.
How contrary this is to the
disciplined and rigid life of the legalist. Those are people who through fear
of retribution from a Holy God live in fear and walk in fear and tremble at the
thought of eternal separation from God and Heaven. These are people who do
right not because it is the right thing to do, but they do right because of
fear of penalty for doing wrong.
But Paul said this
sacrifice is a Holy one, and it comes from a different kind of motive. A motive
that is stimulated by tender Love and tender care for the One Who gave them new
birth. Oh, how different the two motives are. One binds you while the other
sets you free, and yet they both will produce the same works, and the same
outward acts. But Paul began with the thoughts of how we are to present our
bodies as a living sacrifice, and so he is setting our minds on the importance
of the presentation.
The man who comes home
after a hard days work to the aroma of
an apple pie baking in the oven, and fresh baked bread sitting out on
the counter and the aroma of a nice
cooked meal, has a much better presentation that the man who comes home to a
note on the refrigerator that says there is a
frozen TV dinner in the freezer, put it in the oven at 325 and I’ll see
you in an hour after I get home from shopping.” The presentation of the one
tells the man that he is loved, and his wife has a tenderness towards him,
while the letter tells the man a totally different motive from his wife. The
one shows love and warmth while the other shows coldness, and calculation.
So we see in the one
instance, the atmosphere has been set to give a wonderful presentation of this
gift of supper to him, while on the other hand we see the man who came home and
his wife has a note taped to the refrigerator with instructions how he should
prepare his own meal.
In both instances, both men
receive a gift of a supper from their wife, but what a difference in the
presentation of that gift. And that is the same way God looks upon what we do.
Your Holiness ads nothing to God, but if you present your gift with tender love
and care to Him, He looks upon your motive, He looks to the very recesses of
your heart, and He knows your presentation, if it is motivated by Love or by
fear.
LEVITICUS
20:7 Sanctify yourselves therefore,
and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.
8 And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I [am] the LORD which
sanctify you.
Our Holiness is a result of
a cleansing act which can only come from God’s Word. It is not an act in our
flesh, produced by our disciplines life, but it is an expression which begins
in our mind, and is conveyed outwardly through the actions of our bodies.
In PSALMS 119:9 we read, ¶ Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his
way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
Then how can a young man
cleanse himself if he doesn’t take heed to the Word of God? So we see that it is the taking
heed to the Word that brings cleansing in our Life. So your attitude and the motive behind your
sacrifice is more important to God than the sacrifice itself. Jesus told a
story about the two different ways of approaching God in LUKE
18:10
Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a
publican. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank
thee, that I am not as other men [are], extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or
even as this publican. 12 I fast twice
in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13 And the publican, standing
afar off, would not lift up so much as [his] eyes unto heaven, but smote upon
his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man
went down to his house justified [rather] than the other: for every one that
exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be
exalted.
It’s the approach that
counts. One man approached God with a broken and contrite heart and God openly
accepted his prayer while the other man had lived no doubt a much more
disciplined life, but look at his approach. He wasn’t looking for forgiveness!
He was proud, and gloating how much better he was than the sinner next to him. And
look at Jesus words concerning that man.
Jesus said he was not even justified, whereas the man who approached God
in contrition went away justified, cleansed, and free from all guilt and stain
in the eyes of God.
And this being communion
night we are told by the Apostle Paul that we should examine ourselves I CORINTHIANS 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let
him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and
drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 30 For
this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we
would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. And how do you judge yourself? John said try
the spirit to see whether it be of God. And so you give yourself the Word test.
Jesus said in Luke chapter 7,
them whose sins,
are many, and are forgiven; loveth much: but to whom little is forgiven, [the
same] loveth little.
LUKE
7:40 ¶ And Jesus answering said unto
him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. 41
There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred
pence, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly
forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? 43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that [he],
to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
Notice then that
forgiveness produces much more love in the individual than all the doing will
ever produce. Jesus is letting us know that when we have a willing heart, ready
to forgive, we will be loved more. And in the same illustration he tells us
that if we are perfect in our actions but have a rigid and stony attitude
toward others we can love only little.
Notice how the Word of God
shows us that our cleansing brings forth two things, holiness and Love. And it is these two things together that
merit with God. We are not clean and therefore holy. We are cleansed by the Love
of God and the tender mercy of God and therefore, have become holy unto to. Set
aside for service because we have a right heart, and our heart first has become
holy. Our heart first has been cleansed, and because we can see our own
condition is as filthy rags, and we have been made clean by the blood of the
lamb, we then have a tender heart for others and a forgiving heart for others
and as we love, and tenderly care we are made holy.
Therefore our holiness is
not a state of our actions, but a condition of the heart. And if it is true
holiness it will bubble over with Love.
EPHESIANS
5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even
as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might
sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might
present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any
such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Notice Paul is saying Love
that you may sanctify. Love that you might cleanse. Love that you might make
holy. TITUS 3:5 Not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of
regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
It seems we so overlook the
simple things, and yet that is where God hides, is in simplicity. Everyone
wants the challenge to do the big things, and yet it is in those simple acts of
love that cleansing and therefore holiness are born.
PSALMS
51:7 ¶
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be
whiter than snow. Holiness and cleansing is born
out of Love. JOHN
3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent
not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him
might be saved.
And our Love comes from
being loved first. I JOHN 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us,
and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to
love one another. 12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another,
God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
IT
WASN'T SO FROM THE BEGINNING
60-0306 E-54 Sent His Holy Spirit down here to come into our
flesh, which He has sanctified with His own blood... You believe in
sanctification? "Be ye holy, for I am holy." Now, you cannot be holy.
I'm not depending on my holiness. I have none. But I'm depending on His
holiness. It's His holiness that I'm looking at. Not what... Well, not what I
was, but what He is. That's it. Go back to the beginning. There it is: Jesus
Christ the same yesterday...
Notice then our holiness is
not what we do for Him, but what He has done for us.
I
SAMUEL 2:2 [There is] none
holy as the LORD: for [there is] none beside thee: neither [is there] any rock
like our God.
There is none that is Holy
but the Lord, and when He cleans you up and fills you with His HOLY Spirit,
then having the same Spirit and same Life in you as in Him, you are now made a
Holy people.
LEVITICUS
20:7 Sanctify yourselves therefore,
and be ye holy: for I [am] the LORD your God. The cleansing comes first
and then Holiness follows. But it all begins because of Love, for He first
Loved us, and then gave of Himself, a part of Himself to us to live through us.
I THESSALONIANS 4:7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but
unto holiness. 8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who
hath also given unto us his holy Spirit. 9
¶ But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for
ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
Notice how you cannot
separate Holiness in the scripture from Love for that is what it is. It is
Hagios, it is a Tender Loving Care. That’s what Holiness is. And that is what
is expressed through holiness.
I
PETER 1:15 But as he which
hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in
all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am
holy. And
then in verse 22 we
read Seeing ye
have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye
love one another with a pure heart fervently:
Oh, my Peter begins by
speaking on being holy even as God is Holy, and then he swings right into
showing how we express this holiness, and that is by loving the brethren.
DEUTERONOMY
7:7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were
more in number than any people; for ye [were] the fewest of all people: 8 But
because the LORD loved you, …
Because He loves us we are
made Holy. Then let’s take that attitude and do the same. Let this mind which
was in Christ be in you. Let this attitude which was in Christ be in you.
PHILIPPIANS
2:1 ¶ If [there be] therefore any consolation in
Christ, if any comfort of love, if
any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2 Fulfill ye my joy,
that ye be likeminded, having the same
love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through
strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than
themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the
things of others. 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Let us pray. Dear Gracious Father
we are so thankful that you first loved us and have shown us the way, and
expressed your love to us through the death of your only begotten so, that the
very Life that you placed in Him might come back into us, and that through that
act of love, we have been freed from our own self righteousness and have become
Holy, by a Holy God, whose Holy Spirit has come through Your Holy Word to live
your Holy Life full of Love and compassion and Loving tender care through our
own vessels, that we might become the very Holiness of God. And we thank you
Father for what you are continuing to do through your Word in this hour. Amen.