Masterpiece 77
Reflecting God’s
Nature in us
July 30th, 2006
Pastor, Brian Kocourek
Last night we continued with paragraph 150 from Brother
Branham’s sermon “The
Masterpiece” and examined the thought where Brother Branham said, everywhere that Pillar of Fire went was Life; God was that
Light. And in doing so we combined these two thoughts into one
subject and thus we examined the thought of “reflecting God’s Light and His
Life”, as we saw in 1 John 1:7 “if we walk in the Light as He (God) is in the Light.
We also examined this walking in the light with 2 PETER 1: 2-4
2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3 According as his divine power (which
is His Word) hath
given unto us all things that pertain unto
life and godliness,(which is God-likeness, or being like God,
and this comes to us) through the knowledge
of him that hath called us to glory
and virtue: (Notice the knowledge of God calls us to God’s glory
which is His doxa. It calls us to the same opinion as God’s opinion, to the
same value set as God’s value set. What God values we value. And it calls you
to the same judgment as God’s judgment. That is what the Knowledge of God will
do for you.
And let’s face it, without an ability to think like God
thinks, you couldn’t be God-like because that is what Godliness is. Oh, you can
have a form of godliness, but that is only the form, or outward actions. But
having God’s way of thinking will automatically allow you to live a virtuous
life) 4 Whereby
are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might
be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the
world through lust.
So we looked at Life, and we found that the nature of
life, in fact the nature of any life defines what that Life is, and the nature
of our life is the essential quality of who we really are. Our nature defines
who we are. And we are promised to receive the very nature of God’s own Life,
which will show in the life that we live.
In Genesis 1:11 the law of life says, “every seed must
bring forth after its own kind or nature”.
And the nature or character of a seed is what
distinguishes one form of life from another. The characteristics describe the nature, and our character defines what
Life is governing us. Therefore you either have the beast nature ruling in the
flesh or you have God’s very own nature ruling and living out Itself in you. And
there is only one thing we will take with you when you die, and that is your
character. It doesn’t matter how popular you are, or how much wealth you have
accumulated, that will all stay here. When you die you are stripped naked of
everything you own, or possess with one exception, and that is your character.
That is who you are. That is the essence of your being. And your life here is
just a reflection of where you are going.
Now, the thing that we
are looking at here is the Nature of God in the believer. In other words, the
God-life reflecting itself out in the believer. But we have a problem. We have this flesh to deal with. And to have
the actions and speech of god cannot come until we have a mind like God’s own
mind. And unless we think God’s thoughts we could never do or speak words that
are pleasing to God.
Now, we are told that Jesus
was the expressed image of God, the divine nature of God in expression. Yet he had to learn obedience by the things
that he suffered. And He was not born in sin to begin with. So you and I have a
body that was sewn in corruption to overcome.
But the problem is that we
don’t understand why we do wrong when in our hearts we want to do what is
right. The Apostle Paul said it best in Romans 7.
ROMANS 7:14 ¶ For
we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For that
which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that
do I. 16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that [it
is] good. 17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to
will is present with me; but [how] to perform that which is good I find not. 19
For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that
dwelleth in me. 21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is
present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23
But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and
bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O
wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our
Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh
the law of sin.
Brother Branham said from
his sermon Explaining healing and Jairus
54-0216 P:37
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. 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 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.
And we can not perceive Life without perceiving it's nature. So
we see then that Nature is a defining of
the Life. Websters said, "Nature
is the essential character of a thing; the quality or
qualities that make up a thing; it's very essence.” It is the inborn
character, the innate disposition or inherent tendencies of a
person. The inner force within that molds and shapes the
being.
Therefore Life itself is
invisible, yet until it becomes manifested we can not know what it is. But
once it is manifested then it can be described with words, which is to declare
it. And brother Branham said, “My ministry is to declare Him, that he is here.
That is two different things altogether. The first is Him, to declare Him,
which to enunciate and define the Godhead in a way that would declare who and
what God in His Trueness is. And the other part of his ministry he said was to
declare that he is here.
John said, I JOHN 1:1 ¶ That which was from the beginning, which we
have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and
our hands have handled, of the Word of
life; (So John here is talking about the Word and notice how he
describes the Word. He calls it the Word of Life, for so it is.
Jesus said the Word was
a seed and if a seed then it contains Life, and therefore if it is the Word of
God then it is God life that lays in that seed. Now, notice what John says
next) 2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen
[it],(Therefore unless it was manifested there is no way we
could see it. And if we could not see it, then we could not) bear witness, and
shew unto you that eternal life,
which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also
may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and
with his Son Jesus Christ.
As brother Branham
quoted 1 John
3:2, Beloved,
Now are we sons of God, (not someday down the road, but we are now) but it does not
appear what we ought to be. (And that is our problem, we are looking
through the mirror of the worlds view and not in the mirror of God’s Word. And
as long as you believe what the world says about you, you will never have
victory over this flesh. You have got to look at what God said about you. And
have got to say what God says. It’s His word which can change you, because it
does so from the inside out.) And we know when he shall appear we shall be like him for we
shall see him as he really is.
That is why we study the
Godhead. Not just to know Him, but unless you know Him you will never know who
you really are yourself. It is the seeing Him, the perceiving Him as He really
is that allows you to get a hold of who you really are.
Paul, you like speed.
Yet the speed you travel in is dependent upon the size of the engine man can
build. But did you know when you receive your body change you will be able to
travel like a thought.
The speed of light is
hundreds of thousands of miles per second, and it takes about 8 seconds for the
light of the sun to travel to earth. Well, if you could travel like a thought
you could be to the sun and back in a fraction of a second. Now, that is speed.
And just think, before you even ask God He is already has the answer on the
way.
So watch your life, and
your attitudes, because we are talking about God life and the nature of God
life and it certainly is not a proud spirit, but a humble one.
Romans 7: 4-6 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become
dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another,
[even] to him who is raised from the dead,
that we should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh,
the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring
forth fruit unto death. But now we are
delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit,
and not [in] the oldness of the letter.
NIV Romans 7:6
But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit,
and not in the old way of the written code. This morning I would
like to subtitle this message, we should serve in newness of spirit.
Now, why do you suppose he says that He is able to
keep you from falling and He will present you as faultless at His Presence? It
is because we are ordained to go through a real trial and testing during the
time of His Presence, and the world will not be able to come out on top, but they will fall a thousand at you
left hand and ten thousand at your right.
I
PETER 1:3 ¶Blessed
[be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his
abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4To an inheritance incorruptible, and
undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the
last time. 6 ¶ Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a
season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7That
the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth,
though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory
at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom,
though now ye see [him] not, yet believing,
ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9 Receiving the end of your faith, [even] the
salvation of [your] souls. 10 ¶ Of
which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who
prophesied of the grace [that should come] unto you: 11 Searching what, or what manner of time the
Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand
the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 12Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto
themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported
unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost
sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. 13
¶ Wherefore gird up the loins of
your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought
unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14As obedient children, not
fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 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.
Now, if we are to be Christ-like, then we must act and
think like Christ did. Paul said, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”
And according to the original Greek, it says, “Let this attitude be in you which also was in
Christ Jesus.”
So, what was the attitude that Jesus had? PHILIPPIANS 2:4
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: 6 Who, being in the form of
God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and
took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he
humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
The Apostle Paul said in Romans
8:16 “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the
children of God,”
How many men, not
understanding what Paul is saying here have wrestled this Scripture to their
own destruction because they have tried in vein to accomplish their wrong
understanding of this Scripture. How
many have mistaken the voice of their own imagination for this witness of the
Spirit of God, and only presumed they were the children of God, while they were
doing the works of the devil! These people might be enthusiastic, or as brother
Branham would say, they might be sincere, but they are sincerely wrong.
Now, we must ask ourselves, what
is this witness or this testimony of the spirit? The real question
should be, what is the testimony of God’s Spirit; and, how does He
“bear witness with our spirit that we are the children of God?” Secondly.
How is this joint testimony of God’s Spirit and our own, clearly and solidly
distinguished from the presumption of a natural mind, and from the delusion of
the devil?
We can not even consider what
is the witness or testimony of our own spirit. That is where man have gone so
wrong in the past. There is a way which seemeth right unto man,
but the way is the way of death. What the Apostle Paul is
saying here is not of the testimony of our own spirit, but rather he is
speaking of the testimony of God’s Spirit.
He had just said, in the
preceding verse, “Ye have
received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father;” and immediately he adds, “The same Spirit beareth witness to our
spirit, that we are the children of God.” Therefore, it is the Witness of God's Own Spirit
Himself, to your spirit and for your
spirit, that is what counts in the final
estimate.
Now men will take the Scriptures
would seem to tell you that there are certain identifiable characteristics in
the Spirit filled personas we see 1 John “Hereby
we know, that we do know him, if we keep his commandments.” “Whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the
love of God perfected: Hereby know we that we are in him;” that we are indeed
the children of God. (Verse 5.) “If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that
every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.” (Verse 29.) “We know that
we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.” (Chap.
3:14.) “Hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts
before him;” (verse 19;) namely, because we “love one another, not in word,
neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” “Hereby know we that we dwell in
him, because he hath given us of his” loving “Spirit.” And, “hereby we know that he abideth in us by
the” obedient “Spirit which he hath given us.”
Yet all this is no other than
rational evidence, the witness of our own spirit; our own reasoning. And it all
leads us into these thoughts: "Those who have these marks are
children of God: But we have these marks. Therefore we are children of God."
But how does it appear, that
we have these marks? This is a question which still remains. How does it
appear, that we do love God and our neighbor, and that we keep his
commandments? Observe, that the meaning of the question is, How does it appear
to ourselves, not to others? I would ask him, then, that proposes
this question, How does it appear to you, that you are alive, and that you are
now in ease, and not in pain? Are you not immediately conscious of it? By the
same immediate consciousness, you will know if your soul is alive to God; if
you are saved from the pain of proud wrath, and have the ease of a meek and
quiet spirit. By the same means you cannot but perceive if you love, rejoice,
and delight in God. By the same you must be directly assured, if you love your
neighbor as yourself; if you are kindly affectioned to all mankind, and full of
gentleness and long suffering. And with regard to the outward mark of the
children of God, which is, according to
ROMANS 9:1 ¶ I
say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in
the Holy Ghost,
I TIMOTHY 1:5 ¶ Now
the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and [of] a good
conscience, and [of] faith unfeigned:
HEBREWS 10:2 For then would they not have ceased to be
offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more
conscience of sins.
HEBREWS 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full
assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and
our bodies washed with pure water.
I PETER 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts:
and [be] ready always to [give] an answer to every man that asketh you a reason
of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
I TIMOTHY 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their
conscience seared with a hot iron;
TITUS 1:5 ¶ For
this cause left I thee in
I TIMOTHY 1:18 ¶
This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies
which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; 19 Holding faith, and a good conscience;
which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:
Now this is properly the
testimony of our own spirit; even the testimony of our own conscience, that God
hath given us to be holy of heart, and holy in outward conversation. It is a
consciousness of our having received, in and by the Spirit of adoption, the
tempers mentioned in the word of God, as belonging to his adopted children;
even a loving heart toward God, and toward all mankind; hanging with child-like
confidence on.187 God our Father, desiring nothing but him, casting all our
care upon him, and embracing every child of man with earnest, tender affection:
— A consciousness that we are inwardly conformed, by the Spirit of God, to the
image of his Son, and that we walk before him in justice, mercy, and truth,
doing the things which are pleasing in his sight.
But, still in all this we can
deceive our selves. Jesus said in John 5:30, "If I bear witness of myself
my witness is not true. Therefore, the witness in our own soul although very
good does not really matter. I can claim God as my father all I want, but until
he claims me, what good will it do me? This is the very argument that Jesus had
with the Pharisees. They began by claiming to be seed of Abraham, and when
Jesus pointed out to them that Abraham had two seeds coming froth from him, one
by promise and the other by an act of the flesh, then they claimed that god was
their father. And Jesus laid out the grounds for whom you can claim. He said
you will do the deeds of your father. This is your witness in the spirit. If
you are a REAL Son of God you will do the things your father God shows you to
do. So the witness in your spirit of The Spirit is the condition of your spirit
in response to the things of God.
JOHN 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth
shall make you free. 33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never
in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? 34 Jesus
answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the
servant of sin. 35 And the servant
abideth not in the house for ever: [but] the Son abideth ever. 36 If the Son
therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.37 I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye
seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. 38 ¶ I
speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen
with your father.39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father.
Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of
Abraham. 40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth,
which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. 41 Ye do the deeds of your
father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one
Father, [even] God. 42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would
love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but
he sent me. 43 Why do ye not understand my speech? [even] because ye cannot
hear my word. 44 Ye are of [your]
father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer
from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in
him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the
father of it. 45 And because I tell [you] the truth, ye believe me not. 46
¶ Which of you convinceth me of sin? And
if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47 He that is of God heareth
God's words: ye therefore hear [them] not, because ye are not of God. 48 Then
answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a
Samaritan, and hast a devil? 49 Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I
honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. 50 And I seek not mine own glory:
there is one that seeketh and judgeth. 51 ¶
Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never
see death. 52 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil.
Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he
shall never taste of death. 53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which
is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? 54 Jesus
answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that
honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: 55 Yet ye have not known
him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar
like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day:
and he saw [it], and was glad. 57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet
fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? 58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say
unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.