Christ
is the Mystery no. 14
“Bound
by Fear Set Free by Love”
July 25, 2012
Brian
Kocourek
Romans
8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation That means these is no strong censorship, no being put down or put outside,
you are in the inner circle to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life (that’s the law of Life
which is Genesis 1:11 every seed after it’s kind.) For the
law of Life which is the law of the Spirit in Christ Jesus hath made me
free from the law of sin and death. (In other words if you are free there is nothing holding you in bondage
anymore. You are not controlled by an obligation or by the will of another) 3 For what the law
could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, through self, God sending
his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the right-wise-ness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after self,
but after the Spirit. 5 For they that are after the
flesh (in other words, they that are self centered) do mind the things
of self; but they that are after the Spirit give their attention to the things
of the Spirit. 6 For to be self centered is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because
the carnal mind (the mind that is absorbed in self) is the enemy of God: for it is not subject to the law
of God, neither indeed can be. (So
if you are ruled by self, you are at war with the things of God and in no way
can you subject or submit your self to the things of God, because you do not
have His Spirit in you working to will and to do.) 8 So then they that
are in self cannot please God. 9 But ye are not self-centered,
self-motivated but Spirit centered, spirit motivated, if so be that the Spirit
of God dwells in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none
of his. 10 And if Christ be
in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the
Spirit is life because of right-wise-ness.11 But
if the Spirit of him that raised up
Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by
his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to self,
to live afterself.13 For if ye live afterself, ye
shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye
shall live. 14 For
as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (Now,
that is your key to freedom right there.) as many as are led
by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage
again to fear; but ye have received
the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our
spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And
if children, then heirs; heirs of God,
and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared
with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
This evening I would like to look at this thought Bound
by Fear Set Free by Love.
Jehovah
of miracles 59-1126 P:33 Mary didn't stop to think about criticism;
she didn't care about criticism. When a man comes to get the Holy Ghost, you
don't care what the neighbors is going to say; you don't care if you shout, you
speak with tongues, or whatever you do, it's a past that; you took God at His
Word; you don't care for criticism. You've lost all your devil made, homemade,
intellectual society called prestige. The thing that you want is favor with
God. You don't care what the Holy Spirit causes you to do: to shout, scream, or
cry, or bawl, or anything you want to do. Anything the Holy Spirit puts on you,
you do it because you don't care. You've lost all that manmade stuff. You're
free in Christ Jesus. The Spirit of God
has set you free. And you're free in
the power of God, bathing in His beauty, worshipping Him in the Spirit and
truth. You're a free person.
You've took the Word of God; it took a hold in your heart. You don't care;
you're throwing yourself...You say, "Well, if I be standing on my job
someday and the boss said, 'Say, I heard you was over there at that holy-roller
meeting and got healed.' I'm afraid." No, you're not. Brother, if you're
the seed of Abraham, you count it a joy to stand and testify of the power of
the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Certainly, you do. "My people shall not be ashamed. If you're ashamed of Me before men,
I'll be ashamed of you before My Father and the holy Angels," said the
Lord Jesus. So they're not ashamed;
they're not afraid.
Remember the promises concerning the believer?
John 3:18
“He
that believeth” (ὁ
πιστεύων) on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is
condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God.
Romans
9:33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and
rock of offence: and “whosoever believeth” (ὁ
πιστεύων) on him shall not be ashamed.
Romans
10:11 For the scripture saith, “Whosoever believeth” (ὁ
πιστεύων) on him shall not be ashamed.
1 Peter
2:6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I
lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and “he that believeth” (ὁ
πιστεύων) on him shall not be confounded.
So what do we have to be afraid of?
Romans
8:15 For ye
have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption,
whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Brother Branham said in Christ is the mystery 63-0728 P:120 “Look,
Christ in you makes Him the center of
Life of the revelation. See? Christ's
Life in you makes Him the center of the revelation. Christ in the Bible,
makes the Bible a complete revelation of Christ. Christ in you makes you the complete revelation of the whole thing.
See, what God's trying to do? What is
the new birth then? You say, "Well, Brother Branham, what is the new
birth?" It is the revelation of Jesus Christ personally to you. Amen. See? Not you joined a church, you
shook a hand; you done something different; you said a creed; you promised to
live by a code of rules; but Christ, the Bible... He is the Word that was revealed to you. And no matter what anybody says, what takes place, it's Christ. Pastor,
priest, whatever it might be... It's Christ
in you. That is the revelation that the Church was built upon.
From his message Position in Christ
60-0522M 88 83 For ye haven't
received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit
of a... [Congregation says "adoption"--Ed.]Now,
after you're adopted, all right, after you're adopted, you're placed; then you
understand, after the ceremony's said and you've been put into the Body
correctly. You're a son, sure, a daughter; when you're born again you're...
that's your birth. But now you're positionally placed. We've not received the spirit of fear...; but we have received the
Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
(Which means, "my God." All right.) The
Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we're children of God: How does it do it? You say, "Glory to God. Hallelujah.
It don't bother me; I'm a child of God," and go out and do the things you
do? The Spirit of God will do the
works of God. Jesus said, "He that believeth on Me, the works that
I do shall he do also." See, see?
For
ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; Notice here how the Apostle Paul contrasts the
spirit of bondage with the spirit of Sonship. But notice he uses the words
"The Spirit
of adoption” which speaks of receiving the identification of the
Spirit of God whereby we are considered or recognized or witnessed to be sons.
The word bondage must be understood to be that of the will. For our wills at
one time were subject to the flesh only but through the Spirit of God by His Word
have been set free to follow the leading of The Spirit. Jesus said in (John 8:34)
whosoever commits
sin is the servant of sin. Of this bondage no law could ever free
you. The law can only cause you fear of the judgments that follow sin.
Therefore law, or even the Law of God can only destroy the works of sinful
desire, but it does not destroy those passions which allow for the sin to
manifest in our lives. Therefore it does not destroy them but actually makes us
aware of them and thus increases the desire for sin. It actually intensifies
the hatred for the law and the desire to transgress it.
But ye have received The Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba
Father. He is telling us that we have become free from fear
and have received the spirit of adoption by which you trust God. This trust he
shows very clearly by the words, "whereby we cry, Abba, Father." This is the
cry of the heart which is full of childlike trust and knows no fear. (remember,
brother Branham told Brother Vayle after he was translated to see the other
side, he said, "Lee, from that time
on I know no fear." The cry is not of the mouth but of the
heart as we see in (Galatians 4:6-7) because ye are sons, God hath
sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying Abba Father. Wherefore
thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God
through Christ.
Listen to these words from Brother Branham in the Church Age Book
Chapter 2 - The
Brothers, that is John
14:12 and 13. 12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the
works that I do shall he do also; and greater works
than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.13 And
whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be
glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
God
testifying of His gifts 52-0713E P:49 So
don't fear; fear is of the devil. Everything Jesus would say, "Fear
not, fear not," constantly, "fear
not, fear not." Is that right? Always, "Fear
not." Now, God don't
want you to fear; He wants you to believe.
Water of
separation 55-0121 P:15 I used to often time wonder what's the
matter with the Christian church, they're so scared of things. Why, you've got
nothing to be scared about. The first word nearly Jesus said after the
resurrection, "Fear not." See, don't fear. Don't get scared. There ain't nothing going to happen. Nothing can
happen. Nothing can bother a Christian. Amen. Not even death itself can even
touch the Christian. "He
that heareth My words, and believeth on him that sent Me, hath Everlasting
Life, and shall not come into condemnation; but has passed from death to Life."
Amen. Death itself has no reign over a Christian. Christ died in our stead.
Amen. What a marvelous... What a faith that ought to build up in the people,
something that'll toe the mark. You'll never get nothing by being a little
jellyfish Christian. No, sir. Did you ever see a jellyfish? You just hit him,
he splatters all over everything. See? A jellyfish, you know what usually eats
them? The crabs and things along the side of the seashore, comes up with his
pincher and cuts him in two and takes him down, 'cause the jellyfish just lays
there. Brother, we need some Christians,
not jellyfish, but with a backbone (That's right.) that'll stand. Oh, I don't
mean to fuss with people, but stand for your God given rights that Christ died
for. Certainly. Not pushed around,
we don't have to be. No, sir. We got
an inheritance. Amen. And our
inheritance belongs to us. It's your
privilege to have anything that you inherited, through accepting Jesus Christ
and dying to yourself. How marvelous. Yes, sir. Satan said, "Well,
I'll tell you what I'm going to do." "No, you ain't going to do
nothing." That's the way to talk back to him. Say, "I know my
position in Christ, and you just might as well get away. I ain't listening to
you no more. I got an inheritance."
Romans;
28 And
we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them
who are the called according to his purpose.
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might
be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover
whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also
justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 31 What
shall we then say to these things? If God be for
us, who can be against us? 32 He
that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not
with him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall lay
any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God
that justifieth. 34 Who is
he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea
rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also
maketh intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from
the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or
distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we
are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all
these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels,
nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able
to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Luke 12:2
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to
give you the kingdom.
Luke 12:4-7 4 And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that
kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which
after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear
him. 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of
them is forgotten before God? 7 But
even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are
of more value than many sparrows.
Questions
and answers COD 54-0103E P:101 And a serpent grabbed him through the hand.
Now, watch. Paul didn't fear. He said, "Jesus Christ said, 'If they take
up serpents, it shall not harm them.'" So he walked over here, shaked him
off on the fire; turns around and walks over to get some sticks and put back on
the fire; turned hisself around and warmed his back, and turned around this way
and warmed his hands. The natives said, "Why don't he die? Why don't that
man die? He ought to drop dead?" But Paul was so full of the Holy Ghost
(See what I mean?), so full of the Holy Ghost until the poison wouldn't poison
him. Oh, brother, give me a church full of the Holy Ghost. God will do in one
year what all theology's failed to do in two thousand years. You wait till the
anointing of the church really strikes home to that faithful the little
remnant. After the doors of the Gentiles is closed, oh, God will anoint a
church then. "He who's filthy, let him be filthy still. He who's righteous
let him be righteous still, and he who's holy let him be holy still." And
God will anoint the church with the power of God, and things will be taken
place. Not only that then, but He's doing it now. Watch signs and wonders. And
the people look around and saying, "Well, it's of the devil." Oh,
because they don't know the Scriptures, neither the power of God. And that's
the reason it's...?...
Hebrews
Chapter 6 57-0908E P: 94 While we have our heads bowed, if there
be such a one that would like to swap a carnal life of ordinances, of baptisms,
of sensations, of little carnal things like that, for a real heart full of real
love, that--that you could walk up to your bitterest enemy, put your arms
around him, and say, "Brother, I'll pray for you. I love you." If
you'd like to swap that experience of carnal things for a real experience of
love, would you raise your hand to God, and say, "God, take me tonight and
make me what I should be"? I'll pray for you right from the pulpit here.
Would you desire prayer? Raise your hands. 95 God bless you back there,
sir. God bless you, brother. Someone else? God bless you, sir.
"I have been in the church for years." God bless you, sir. God bless
you here, brother. God bless you back there, little lady. "I will ask God
to make me peaceful." Do you... Are you real raging? Are you out of sorts?
Do you doubt? Do you toss about? Do you wonder whether It's really right or
not? When you come to Christ, do you come with a full assurance, a heart full
of love? Do you walk up to Him without one fear, saying, "I know that He's
my Father and there's no condemnation." You've passed from death unto
Life. You know it, and you notice your life; you're loving, you're forgiving,
you're gentle, you're peaceful, you're meek; all these fruits of the Spirit accompany
your life day by day. And as soon as you do anything wrong, "Oh, my."
Just as soon as it come to your mind you've done wrong, quickly you make it
right, right then. Don't wait another minute; go right then and make it right.
If you don't, well, you don't have the Spirit of Christ. You might be a good
woman; you might be a good man. You might be well thought of in the church. You
might be well thought of in the neighborhood, but have you went on to that
perfection, to that place to where you're wholly trusting in Christ? And by
the... Just give you the seal... Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto
him for righteous, and God give him the seal of circumcision as a confirmation.
In 1 John 4: 18 "There is no fear in
Love. But perfect love drives out fear. Because fear has to do with punishment.
The one who fears is not made perfect and complete in Love."
DIAGLOTT:
fear has restraint.
WUEST:
This aforementioned love which exists in it's completed state throws fear
outside, because this fear has a penalty, and the one who fears has not been
brought to completion in the sphere of this love, and is not in that state at
present.
1) to throw fear aside you must first be able to
recognize it.
2) fear brings restraint from a lack of trust, unrest.
NIV: fear has to do with punishment.
The NIV states 1 John 4: 16-18 this way...And so we know and
come to rely on the love God has for us, for God is love and whosoever lives in
love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us
so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world
we are to be made like Him, (
and I might add, how does this come about? Through the renewing of the
mind). There is
no fear in love, But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with
punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect, complete and mature in love.
Now, what John is telling us here is that if we truly
have perfect Love then we cannot fear because perfect Love casts out all fear.
It is fear that causes men to war with one another, and it is uncertainty and
fear of the uncertainty that causes people to do things in a self defense kind
of thinking. And that is what causes strife and ill treatment toward one
another is fear. But perfect love casts all that away.
1 John 4: 17 - 18 ( read) Fear has torment = Kolasis = punishment or
penalty, and what is the penalty? it has to do with causing to hold back, to
check, curtail, or restrain In other words as long as you are under fear, you
will not move forward. You tighten up and stop your progress.
Because it is not of God to fear. Every time the Angel
of the Lord came to man, the first words out of His mouth would be "Fear
not! For I have come from the Presence of the Lord." We find also in 1 John 4: 18
that perfect or
mature love casts out fear because fear has to do with punishment.
Fear causes damage, because when a person
is afraid they become bound by their fears. We read in 1 John 4. That perfect or mature Love will cast out fear
because fear has a penalty, it has to do with you freezing and crystallizing in
your thinking. Joseph began to fear that Mary had not been faithful
and so God sent His Angel to tell him not to fear to take Mary as His Wife.
What did fear do here? It caused Joseph to doubt and it caused him to stop
moving forward with the plan of God for his life.
Peter walking on the water. He was
walking all right, till he seen the waves contrary and he got scared. Jesus
said, "Why'd you fear?" That's what's the matter with the Holy Ghost
people today. They've got a lot they're afraid...The devil's just trying to
scare you out of something. He's trying to put something off somewhere else,
say, "Some of these days you'll be this." You are now. Now, we're
sons of God. Now, we're seated together in heavenly places. Now, we have all
powers in heavens and the earth. See? Now, we have it. Not in the millennium,
we won't need it then. We got it now. We're... Right now we are the sons of
God. "It does not appear what we shall be, but we know we'll be like
Him." What you are here is a reflection of what you are somewhere else.
"Those who He called, He justifies." Is that right? "Those who He
justified, He has glorified." Already in the Presence of the Father, we
have a glorified body. Whew! Wasn't that deep? All right. We'll find out
whether it's right or not. "If this earthly tabernacle be dissolved, we
have one already waiting." Is that right? That's right. So right now, and
what we are there, is a reflection. Here, what we are here, is a reflection of
what we are somewhere else. So if your deeds are evil, you know where it comes
from. You know where your other body's a waiting.
118
Lean not to Thy Own Understanding 65-0120 You
know, the Bible said you can believe a lie and be damned by it. See? That's
exactly the truth. They form, no matter what the Word of God says, they lean to
their own understanding. They lean on it; they believe it; they think it's the
Truth. You can keep believing a lie over and over and over till it's the truth
to you. That's right. But how do we know whether it's Truth or not? God proved
it's Truth, 'cause it's in His Word and He a-vindicates It. He does His own interpretation
of It. How do they do, get to this? They do it by their culture, their
education, of their understandings of their--the degree of doctor's degree, and
so forth, that they have come from some certain seminary and learned these
things. The 4th attribute we see Webster refer
to in the defining of neurosis. This 4th attribute is Phobias which we all know
is an irrational, excessive, and persistent fear of some particular thing or
situation. In the book of Job we find out that the things you fear the most
will come upon you. In [ 2 Tim 1: 7 ] we read, " For God has not
given us a Spirit of fear, but of Power and of Love, and of a sound mind.
" So then we can see by this that to have fear shows you don't have a
sound mind. Because it is not of God to fear. Every time the Angel of the Lord
came to man, the first words out of His mouth would be "Fear not! For I
have come from the Presence of the Lord."
We found also in 1 John 4: 18 that perfect or mature
love casts out fear because fear has to do with punishment. Notice
as I said earlier, the first is what sets the trap. Anxiety. The cares of this
life. Being caught up into them and not having our focus on Christ in this
Word, having come down with a shout for our deliverance.. The next thing
happens is we get caught into the pressure and so compulsion results where we
find ourselves doing things not because common sense tells us to, not because
we really want to, but because we have been pressured into it. These irrational
sorts of behavior then force us to be living a lie and thus once we have hit
this stage we enter into the 3rd manifestation which is devil possession and by
this time our minds are completely gone. No longer are we able to focus on the
things of God but only on the irrational behaviors which have overwhelmed us.
In 1 JOHN 4: 18 "There is no fear in
Love. But perfect love drives out fear. Because fear has to do with punishment.
The one who fears is not made perfect and complete in Love."
So God must place something within us to
bring us to this place of perfection and lacking fear.
In Ezekiel we see why God says, I will
give you a new heart and a new spirit. It is in order for us to be able to from
our heart fulfill His Word and His Law.
Martin Luther said in His Preface to the Book of Romans, “God judges
according to what is at the bottom of the heart, and for this reason, His law
makes its demands on the inmost heart and cannot be satisfied with works, but
rather punishes works that are done otherwise than from the bottom of the heart,
as hypocrisy and lies. No one in his works is a doer of the law, for even
though you might keep the law outwardly, with works, from fear of punishment or
love or reward, nevertheless, you do all this without willingness and pleasure,
and without love for the law, but rather with unwillingness, under compulsion:
and you would rather do otherwise, if the law were not there. The conclusion is
that at the bottom of your heart you hate the law. What matter, then, that you
teach others not to steal, if you are a thief at heart, and would gladly be one
outwardly, if you dared? For this reason he Paul says in Romans 7 that the law
is spiritual, For if the law were for the body, it could be satisfied with
works; but since it is spiritual, no one can satisfy it, unless all that you do
is done from the bottom of your heart. But such a heart is given only by God's
Spirit, so that he acquires a desire for the law in his heart, and henceforth
does nothing out of fear and compulsion, but everything out of a willing heart.
Where that spirit is not in the heart, there sin remains, and displeasure with
the law, and enmity toward it; though the law is good and just and holy.”