MASTERPIECE No. 9

The Purpose of God

Sunday, June 12, 2005

Rev. Brian Kocourek

 

THE MASTERPIECE 64-0705 5 Bless Thy Word this morning, Lord. Thy Word is the Truth. And we assemble here now in the church. We pray for Brother Neville, and for Brother Capps, and Brother Collins, and all the rest of the ministers, and the trustees, deacons, and all the laity, and the strangers in our gates. May this be a day that we'll long remember because of Your Presence. 6. We're here under great expectation this morning, Lord. Just momentarily notice, called together... We feel that it's for a purpose. May Your purpose be achieved, Lord. For we ask it in Jesus' Name, as we submit ourselves. Amen.

 

This morning I would like to focus all of our thoughts upon just one word that brother Branham said in the closing of his opening prayer. Notice he said, we’ve been called together on a moments notice and we believe that it is for a purpose and we believe that Your purpose will be achieved.  Now, this word purpose, we will want to examine what he means by God’s purpose being achieved in this meeting. Notice that he said it would be a day of remembrance because of God’s Presence. And then he said he believed the Lord had called the people together that the purpose of God might be achieved.  

 

Now, we know this sermon deals with the Masterpiece of God which is the Life that God lived out in His Son and that Life in the Son of God was an example of what the Life of God is to be in Sons. And he said we were called together on short notice in order for the purpose of God to be achieved.

 

So what is the purpose of God any way? First let me read several Scriptures that speak of the Purpose of God and then we will sort them out and see how that purpose as defined by Scripture is to be achieved in this gathering together of the saints to hear this sermon on the Masterpiece.

 

Acts  26: 16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;

 

Now, I want you to notice something here. God is speaking to the Apostle Paul and he is telling the Apostle Paul that His Appearing to Him was not something  that was to be considered lightly. God doesn’t just do things for the sake of doing them. He told Paul here that He had a purpose in Appearing to Paul. God is telling us that he has a purpose behind His appearing. And that purpose was to make Paul a minister and a witness both of these things which he had seen, and of those things in which God would appear unto Him.

Now, what then does the word purpose mean? According to Webster’s dictionary, the word PURPOSE means: “something that one intends to do, in other words, it speaks of the intent or intention, resolution or determination, the object for which something exists or is done, in other words that which exists or is done with the end in view, or  with a specific end in view, not something done accidentally, but something done by design. In other words purpose speaks of doing something or planning something with a specific result in mind.”

 

And so we see that when God purposes anything, we must keep in mind His end product., or His  specific outcome that He has in mind. His end view. 

Again, the next time we see this word purpose used is in Romans  9: 17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

 

In one instance we se where God had a purpose to show forth Himself through the apostle Paul as His witness to testify of God’s great Power and Glory. And then in this scripture we find also God achieving the same purpose but with a totally different plan. Here he speaks of a vessel of dishonor, and yet getting the same result from it. So whether you are ordained to Life or ordained to condemnation, God will bring about the same result and that is to magnify His own name above all the earth.

 

Again we see the purpose of God in Romans  9: 11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)

 

So we see here that the purpose of God stands in election. Now, if you do not understand what election is, then you will not understand what God’s purpose is either. For he said, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth. So we see that election consists of but one thing. God’s calling. God’s choosing. Not anything you can do but what God has chosen to do even before you came into this world. Either God chose you in Him before the foundations of the world or He did not. And if He did not, then no matter how much you claim to be a believer, no matter how much you can recite the Word of God, no matter how much you do in His name, it won’t do you one lick of God. God’s purpose stands in His election, His Choosing.   

 

That is where so many do not understand where they are in Christ. They do not understand that God is Sovereign, and in being Sovereign He is also Solitary. He does not need anyone or anything. He existed for an eternity without anyone, and thus is in need of no one. And being sovereign He answers to no one, and is completely independent. Thus God and God alone is Sovereign. He alone is all knowing, and he alone is all powerful. Now, to be Sovereign you must be all powerful and all knowing for if you are not, then the person that is more powerful can influence you or the person that is more knowledgeable can persuade you, and thus you would not be sovereign any longer.

 

But no one can persuade God against His purpose. No one can talk God out of His judgment. He alone is sovereign, and in His sovereignty He has made a choice and that choice is called His elect.  And then God sets that Elect on the path to its outcome or end. That is God’s purpose, that is His plan, and that plan is called pre-destination. The destination preplanned. Therefore when we are talking about the purpose of God we are speaking of His foreknowledge.Most Christians do not understand the difference between Foreknowledge, Election and Predestination. Many people today, especially the Fundamentalist and Evangelical differ greatly on exactly what Election and predestination are all about.  The main issue however, has not been whether God predestinates or not, as much as the issue of choice, or rather who makes the  choice.  Men want so bad to be in control of their own lives that they have placed free moral agency as the ultimate in a man's experience with God. Men, it seems, would rather have the ability to choose God, than allow God to do the choosing Himself. Thus, they try to explain away election by using foreknowledge of God, as their excuse to place man's ability to choose above God's Own choice.

 

ROMANS 11:33  O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!  34   For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counselor? 35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

 

Now, we are talking about purpose this morning, but man in his own religious nature wants to feel that he is doing something for God. Let men tell you something, there is nothing that you can do for God that is of any good unless it is something that God has asked you to do. Jesus the Son of God, said, The Son can of Himself do nothing but what he seeth the Father do, that doeth the Son likewise. John 5:19 and 5:30.

 

Today there is a book called the Purpose driven life, but it does not speak of God’s purpose but in you having a purpose. Yet what good is it for you to be purpose driven if it is not God’s purpose that is driving you.  That might sound real good, and that kind of talk can take an ordinary salesman into an extraordinary salesmen, but God has not called us to be salesmen. He has called us to be obedient sons.

 

In Isaiah 1: 11 we read, To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. In other words, God is questioning their own purpose for all their sacrifices.  

 

And in the Book of 1 Samuel 15: 22 we see where King Saul  had disobeyed the command of the Lord. He was told to destroy everything from a certain place and not to bring back any spoil, but when he returned from that war, he brought back much of the spoil along with the King from that country. When Samuel the prophet saw this he was so angry with Saul for disobeying the Command of God, that he took the kings own sword and struck off the head of the conquered king, and then told Saul, And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

 

So that day Saul lost His anointing from God, and God determined to have the Prophet Samuel anoint another to be King instead of Saul. So let me tell you, God doesn’t care two bits about how much sacrifice you can do for him. If your sacrifice is from your own purpose, and not from His purpose, then it means nothing to Him. If you go because you want to do God a service without it being His will, then you go without the anointing of God upon you. Then you might as well not even go. So much then for a purpose driven life. If it is not God’s purpose driving you, and His will for you to do it, then you had best not go until he says go. If I had any inkling that God did not want me to go to these places that He has had me to go, then I would not go.

 

I made a pact with God several years ago. I told him I did not wish to go to Africa or Asia, but never the less, not my will but His will be done. I then told Him that I would go where ever He wanted me to go. And furthermore, I would not go unless he opened the doors for me to go, and then He would have to let me know that it was Himself that opened the door and not myself.  And so far he has blessed me with His Presence going before me and preparing the way. And the results are, from what I have been told by the brothers from those countries, is that revival has broken out in those countries around the doctrine of Christ and it has lasted now for over three years.

The brothers have told me when others come from America and Europe to preach to the people, the people might talk about it for a couple days at most, but the talk about those meetings we held back in 2001, 2002 and 2004 have so stirred the people that they are still talking about them for several years now, and what was taught in those meetings is burning like a brush fire across their countries and into every corner or their countries, and spilling out across their borders into neighboring countries as well.  Now, these are not my words, those are the words given to me by the brethren in Uganda, and Congo, and south America, and the Philippines.

 

I CORINTHIANS 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10  But God hath revealed [them] unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.  12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.  15  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16    For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

 

Now, we are talking about the purpose of God this morning. And yet most people who claim to be Christian do not even believe in a sovereign God who has a divine purpose. They say, God being omniscient, and knowing the end from the beginning, knew who would and who would not and based upon this foreknowledge, God then elects those to Glory who chose the right thing, and He elects to condemnation those who do not choose right. In believing this they place man's ability to choose above God's sovereign will, and thus they fall into error.

 

God knows your end from your beginning because He pre-destined your end. That is what the word predestinate means. It means to pre - destine.  To mark out before hand, your destiny. Therefore, predestination is the path you are destined to take. And that is what the purpose of God is all about. Purpose with the end-in-view.

 

Let's turn to the Word now and examine the very scriptures that must be relegated to the trash heap in order to prove free will has anything to do with election.

 

In JOHN 15:16, Jesus said, Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

 

Now, we ought to stop right here and rest our case. Either this is meant for all believers or it is not. If it is not, then all believers are not expected to bring forth fruit, and all believers are not entitled to ask the Father in the name of Jesus and expect to receive what they ask for. But Jesus is telling us that we did not choose Him first, He chose us first, and our love toward him, and acceptance of Him, is only in response to His having first chosen us.    In I JOHN 4:19, we hear John tell us, "We love him, because he first loved us." Now, either this is true or it is not. Then if this is not true, we must rip it out of our Bible. And if this passage is in error, then what else is in error.

If we believe God wrote the Word, that His Bible is the Un-adulterated Word of God, then we must accept what it tells us. Scripture does not fight scripture. 

 

In DEUTERONOMY 7:6, we read, "For thou [art] an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that [are] upon the face of the earth. 7The 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, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he [is] God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; 10 And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.

 

Again we see that it was not our choosing but God's choosing that is involved here.

 

In PROVERBS 14:12, we read,  ¶ There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death.

 

This scripture tells us that man will try to choose what seems right, or the way that he believes to be the right way, but man's choice will always lead to the way of death. Therefore, even in our choosing, we need a God who will watch over our choices, and help us to make the right choice.

 

In PHILIPPIANS 3:15 we read,  Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

 

In the following scriptures we find God is actively involved with the choices His elect take.

 

PSALMS 37:23 The steps of a [good] man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.  Here we find the Hebrew word Kuwn used for "ordered", and means to set up or establish, to prepare or arrange. Therefore we see the hand of God actively involved in the steps of a good man or righteous man.

 

In PROVERBS 16:9 we read,  ¶ A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.  Here we find that although a man may contemplate and even plan his way, yet God has the ultimate say so and will direct the very footsteps of that man. Jonah was a classic example of this. The Lord told Him to do such and such and when Jonah had what he thought was a better plan, God just took over the situation and produced exactly what He intended to produce. Jonah had no choice, or at least his choice meant nothing to what God wanted done.

 

In JEREMIAH 1:5  we read, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, [and] I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.  Jeremiah could not get away from it if he tried. For this very reason he was born.  That’s the purpose of God in election.

We also find in the book of ACTS 13:48,  And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

 

If we are to believe this scripture, then we must acknowledge that all who are ordained to Eternal Life will believe. Then those who are not ordained to Life will not believe, and there is your evidence of election.

 

I CORINTHIANS 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Now, look, either God purposed it and ordained it before the world for our Glory or this scripture is full of lies. Then if God purposed it and ordained it which means he planned out the way it would happen, then is God in charge of our destiny or are we in charge of our destiny.

 

And in the Book of EPHESIANS 1:4 Paul tells us that even before the worlds were framed we were chosen in Him, and our destiny was planned out for us. According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

 

Now, if God had a Word which He ordained before the world began, and if that word was to produce Glory in a chosen people, or a people of God's choosing, then there had to be a people in God's mind before the world began who would at the right season believe this predestinated Word, and receive the glory it was ordained to produce.

 

Now, just as there are those who were ordained to glory and to eternal Life, we also find those who were ordained to condemnation. JUDE 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

The Apostle Paul shoots the theory that speaks of free moral agency as the root cause for election to pieces in Romans chapter 9. ROMANS 9:11  (For [the children] being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) 12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 13    As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.  14 ¶What shall we say then? [Is there] unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16  So then [it is] not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. 17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 18  Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will [have mercy], and whom he will he hardeneth. 19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? 20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed [it], Why hast thou made me thus? 21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

 

Paul makes it very clear that our election is not up to you or I, but entirely up to God. He even goes so far to say, So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. Now, if it is not him that willeth, then your will and my will have nothing to do with our election at all. It is God who either chooses to show mercy or not.

Therefore, if your will has nothing to do with your being elect, then neither does your choice for your choice is but a reflection of your will. You will and then you choose.

 

 

 

 

Divine healing 54-1219M P:49 Listen. It's not him that wants to get saved, that's saved. It's him that's saved  by God's choice. Esau wanted to get saved too. He wept bitterly, and couldn't find no place to repent. He wanted  to get saved. It ain't 'cause you want to get saved. God said, "I've hardened who I will harden. I have mercy on  whom I want to have mercy." That's right. He said, "Before Esau or Jacob, either was born, not knowing right and wrong," God said, "I love Jacob and hate Esau.'" And Esau tried to get right with God and couldn't. Pharaoh tried to get right with God and couldn't do it. So it's not you, not what you want. It's what God has ordained for you to do. That's right. Paul said in the 9th chapter of Romans there, "Hasn't the potter got power over the clay to  make an honored vessel or a dishonored vessel, to show His glory to those who He has honored?" You didn't  know that, did you? That's what the Scripture says. Pharaoh tried his best to repent. He was kindhearted. He said,  "Sure, I'll let you go. Go on.” God said, "No, you ain't. I'm going to harden his heart so you can't do it." 'Cause God's  Word has to be fulfilled. And if we're living in this day when formalities and things has broken the church down,  broke away; why, it's God's Word being fulfilled. As sure as God said, "These signs would follow them that believe,"  as sure as God said these churches would be like they are now, God also said this opposition would meet it.  So the same God that ordained signs and wonders, ordained that these should be persecuting against It.  So there you are. If you're on the other side, I feel sorry. And I want you not to be that way, but maybe  you can't help it. See? God might've fixed it that way.

 

Now, to place foreknowledge and election and then predestination in their proper place, we must first know the definitions of each. Therefore, since most people wish that foreknowledge is the preeminent principle behind election, we will start with this point first.

 

FOREKNOWLEDGE: What is it? The word foreknowledge is made up of two words. The word “Fore” which is a prefix meaning “beforehand”, and then the word “knowledge” meaning “to know”, hence “to know beforehand”.

 

In I PETER 1:2 we read, Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, Therefore our election is by the foreknowing of God.

 

Now the word for foreknowledge was translated as such from the Greek word prognosis  which means 1) foreknowledge  2) forethought, pre-arrangement.

 

William Branham said concerning this foreknowledge from the sermon QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 59-1223  496-123 Before there was a world you were in God's thoughts to give you the Holy Ghost, because He knew that you'd be wanting It; and He chose you Himself because you desired... He chose you in Christ before you or Jesus, any of you, was on the earth. And He sent Jesus to die to prepare the way to send the Holy Ghost, to bring you to Himself. Oh, that's just... I know I may... This is the church, so I'm at home now. See? Oh, that is so rich to me. To think it's not what I wanted; it wasn't my desires; it wasn't my will; it wasn't my choosing; I had not one thing to do with it. But before the world ever started, God saw us and put our name on the Lamb's Book of Life before there even was a world. Talk about God. Whew.

 

We must also understand what ELECTION means: It means to Select out, to choose, to appoint, hence to make a choice, To choose involves as process of  previewing or showing forth, then an assessment opinion or judgment is expressed and the selection then is made based upon the assessment, opinion or judgment which is the  DOXA of God.

      

ISAIAH 42:1   Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

 

ISAIAH 45:4  For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.

 

ISAIAH 65:9  And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there. Notice here that God’s Elect are His Seed.

 

ISAIAH 65:22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat:  for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

 

JOHN 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

 

In John 6 & 8, we find a great debate between Jesus and the Pharisees concerning the Election of God.

 

John 1:12-13 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. So we see that our will had nothing to do with our being born again. It was God’s choosing. His Election.

 

MATTHEW 25:34  Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

 

I PETER 1:20  Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

 

II THESSALONIANS 2:13   But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

 

I JOHN 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

 

PSALMS 65:4  Blessed [is the man whom] thou choosest, and causest to approach [unto thee, that] he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, [even] of thy holy temple.

 

Now, we must understand that Purpose also deals with predestination. To plan out before hand with the end in view. The word Predestinate..(comes from the Greek) Proorizo = which means to pre-determine, to determine beforehand, to  ordain, or predestinate, to limit in advance. Now, the word limit means: The point, edge, or line beyond which something cannot or may not proceed.

In other words, DNA comprises the limits of the genes that set forth the principal properties or characteristics in the individual.  They define the boundaries of that individual, and so does the Word of God in pre-destination. It sets forth the limits, the boundaries, the

 

Romans  8: 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. (notice, not just those that Love God, but those who are The Called according to God’s Purpose, and notice further that those whom he called, or elected, he also ordains their path) 29 For those whom He has known beforehand He has also pre-destined to bear the likeness of His Son,(you see He set the limit in advance) that He might be the Eldest in a vast family of brothers; (You see, Jesus the eldest brother in a vast family of brethren) 30 and those whom He has pre-destined He also has called; and those whom He has called He has also declared free from guilt; and those whom He has declared free from guilt He has also crowned with glory.

 

Now, notice that this election was in Him before the foundations of the world were even framed and this is what Paul called the Purpose and Plan of God. EPHESIANS 1:3   Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:  4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him…(Notice then, if he declared that we should be holy and without blame then he had to predestine us to that condition. ) 5 in love having predestinated us (notice those words are all past tense) unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted (notice these are past tense as well) in the beloved.  7 In whom we have (notice these words are present tense) redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; 8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; 9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: (so we see this purpose of God stands in His election, His choosing) 10 That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; [even] in him: 11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

 

God’s purpose looks in view of the outcome.  MATTHEW 24:31  And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. And where are they being gathered to? Into Christ, the Word.

 

TITUS 1:1Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;  2    In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

 

PRE-DESTINATE :  pre meaning before, and destine meaning destiny. To Pre-determine. To determine beforehand. To pre-determine means to mark out and determine beforehand. Therefore, chance is negated altogether. Design becomes supreme. Choosing beforehand is essential and indispensable.  The word determine not only implies influence but the power necessary to control or enforce the outcome desired.  We can see by all these words that a Design, and thus a Designer is evident. Nothing is left to chance, which is chaos theory. Nothing is left to coincidence, nothing is left to self will, nothing is left to the strength of the pre-destined, nothing is left up to the abilities of the predestined ones, but all by a great design is planned out and back by a power to ensure it through it's final outcome. Hence all is under a continual enforcement and control of the One doing the predestinating. Therefore, a plan is involved, and a destiny is set as sure as god is God.

 

ISAIAH 55:8  For my thoughts [are] not your thoughts, neither [are] your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9    For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper [in the thing] whereto I sent it.

 

JOHN 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

 

I CORINTHIANS 3:7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

 

Then knowing we have a God Who is Sovereign, One Who changes not, and Who chooses right (Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?) One Whose Word is Eternal and immutable, One whose first choice is His best choice, then it is This One Who has Chosen. It is this One Who has planned out the destiny of all man. It is This One Who has determined our destiny, even before he framed the world. Then what are we afraid of? Shall not the judge of the earth do right? Then I hope you can see how sure God’s purpose is to us today. And as brother Branham set forth that the purpose of God in this sermon the masterpiece is to show us, yes to insure to us that our destiny is as sure as the destiny of the Son of God was sure. For if we were in Him before the foundations of the world, and if he set forth His glory to be revealed in us, and if he hid that Glory for the purpose of revealing it to us in this end time, the how can we not be secure in this time knowing God has come with a shout, and Has made known to us His great plan and purpose and in election, our election, He has shown forth His own Purpose, and that purpose was revealed in Christ.

 

Ephesians 3: 11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

 

Ephesians 1: 11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

 

2 Timothy   1: 9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

 

1 John   3: 8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

 

Let us bow our hearts in prayer. Dear Father, we know by what we have heard from Thee this morning, that you have everything under Your complete control. Therefore, Father it is our hearts desire to be conformed to the image of your eldest Son that we might relfect Thee as Sons with Your own Life living out in us. Help us to be obedient as you said that you desire obedience even gmore than sacrifice. You told us in Your Word that your Son Jesus learned obedience by the things that he suffered. Help us Father to have the mind that was in Christ, and may our Lives reflect that Life and that Mind for we ask it in jesus Christ’s name thy Obedient Son, Amen.