Your Life in Predestination
January
31st, 2002
Sunday
morning our Character and how it is influenced from above. In fact we found
that brother Branham made a strong case for what we are here is only a reflection
of what we are somewhere else. We showed where he said that the only thing we
would take with us is our character, and therefore we should be striving for
the mastery of our character to bring it into conformity with the pull of the
Holy Spirit that is within us.
In the CHURCH AGE BOOK CPT 9, brother Branham said, Listen to me, "Naked (physically) we came into the world, but
naked (spiritually) we will NOT leave it." Oh no, we are going to take
something with us. What that something is, is ALL we can take with us, nothing
less and nothing more. So we had better be real careful now to see that we take
something that will make us right before God. So, then, what will we take
with us? We will take our CHARACTER, brother, that is what we will take with
us. Now what kind of character will you take with you? Will it be like HIS
Whose character was molded by suffering in the fiery furnace of affliction, or
will it be the softness of this character-less Laodicean people? It is up
to each one of us, for in that day every man will bear his own burden."
We
then found in the Scriptures much evidence that we will not only receive a body
change but we have a celestial body already waiting the change of this body to
join together with it to bring forth the glorified body we will have throughout
the rest of eternity.
I CORINTHIANS 15:51 ¶ Behold, I shew you a
mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment,
in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and
the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For
this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on
immortality.
Then
we found that there is a body that we already have, which Paul likens to a
celestial body.
II Cor 5:1 ¶ For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle
were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal
in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed
upon with our house which is from heaven: 3 If so be that being clothed we
shall not be found naked. 4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being
burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality
might be swallowed up of life.
Now
this having our mortality swallowed up of life suggests to us that our bodies
will be so saturated with eternal Life until every fiber of our being will
radiate with God-Life, or we will be completely submersed in God-Life. If you
swallow something it is totally submersed into your being. And the Life Paul is
speaking of is Eternal Life and there is only one form of Eternal Life and that
is God-Life. Therefore, Paul is telling
us that our beings will come to the place where we are so saturated with
God-Life, that our beings will be completely immersed, as if to be swallowed
completely by God-Life, or into God-Life. And that is where I want to
be.
We
found the process of this God-Life taking over our mortal life comes by a
renewing of the mind as we see in Romans chapter 12.
ROMANS 12:1 ¶ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is]
your reasonable service. 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.
Now,
I want you to notice that Paul is speaking of a process of our being
transformed and he tells us it comes by the renewing of our minds. He is not
speaking of an inner transformation, or he would not have used the Greek word
metamopho-o which means to change into another form and is specific to the
physical statue. This does not speak of an inner transformation as though we
are changed from an angry man to a gentle, or that sort of thing. It speaks of
the outward body changing form. The root word here is morphe which means the
form by which the person or thing strike the vision, and speaks of external
appearance.
Now,
for this reason Paul is telling us that it takes an inner change to bring on
this outer change. Therefore when he speaks of transformation he is speaking of
a body change as a result of a mind change.
This is confirmed by his further thoughts in regards to this in 2 Corinthians
chapter 4.
II CORINTHIANS 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man
perish, yet the inward [man] is renewed day by day. And how does this inward man become renewed? Paul tells
us in the book of Ephesians that it is a process that begins in the mind.
EPHESIANS 4:21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as
the truth is in Jesus: 22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation
the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be
renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in
righteousness and true holiness.
And
by what means can our minds become renewed? And what has the power to not only
renew the mind, but to bring forth a transformation process that ends in a body
change? There is only One Power so great as to renew the spirit of our mind and
continue on to bring forth a body change and that is the Word of God, which is
the Power of God.
COLOSSIANS 3:9 COLOSSIANS 3:9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye
have put off the old man with his deeds;
10 And have put on the new [man], which is
renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
So
we see then the renewal comes about by receiving into our minds a certain
knowledge. And not just any knowledge will do, because the word Paul use here
is the Greek word epiginosis which
means a precise and correct knowledge.
And therefore he is speaking of what takes place when the precisely correct knowledge of God comes into
the mind. This is a vindicated Knowledge. For God proves that it is correct and
very precise. That is why understanding the Godhead correctly and not only
correctly, but precisely correct is so crucial to our receiving a body change.
For without having this precise and correct
knowledge of the Creator, we will have no way to receive a
change of the body. Our Body change is then dependent upon receiving the
precisely correct understanding of the Godhead. He said, when that which is
perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. Therefore we
need a perfect understanding to put away this imperfect flesh, and to bring on
the change of the body that will take on the perfect Glorified condition that
was in the perfect mind of the perfect God before the earth was formed.
The
whole Christian world has it all wrong. They are looking for something to come
out of the blue skies and at the blinding speed of light, we will be changed
for no reason at all except we have confessed John 3:16, and we have
recited the four steps to salvation, according to their way of understanding
it. But that is shear madness to think in such terms. God's way was to have an
Epiphanaea to attract our minds and our attention to him.
He
came down, His presence is here, but what good does it do us if we do not know
it. So he brings forth of his Power in demonstration, and manifestation,
showing the World that He has returned to the earth. Then once He has gotten
our attention, he begins to declare Himself to those who are willing to stand
still long enough to learn. Once He has gotten our attention and He begins to
declare himself through His Prophet Messenger, the Words Spoken from the mouth
of the Lord, His Prophet, begin to unveil Him in His full nature and expression
of Being. He unveils His Godhood-ed-ness. He unveils Himself to us in order to
bring forth this precise and correct knowledge.
He calls this His apocalypses, and phaneroo. Thus God fully discloses himself
to His Elect with the purpose in His mind and set forth in His plan, that our
receiving His full disclosure, this precise and
correct knowledge of Him, is the thing that will bring on a
renewing of the spirit of our mind, and thus begins the process of a body
change in our very beings as laid out by the Apostle Paul and confirmed in this
hour by God's end-time Prophet William Branham.
TRYING TO DO GOD A SERVICE
65-1127B 335 He stirs It right into His Word to make It
live. And if you were ordained from the beginning of the earth to that Word, every
Word will come right on top of the Word. Like a human cell will not have
one human cell, and the next the cell of a dog, and the next the cell of a cat;
it'll be human cells. But it's got to have a cell first to start with. Is that
right? say, "Amen." Well, if
it is the Word cell to start with, the other Word cells are ordained to make it
a full body.
THE RAPTURE 65-1204 91 When a germ comes into the womb of the female, You didn't become
a human germ from your father, and then the next thing you become a germ from a
dog, and the next thing from a cat, and the next thing from a chicken; it was
all human germ. And the Body of Jesus Christ. The Bride, will be part of His
Body which will... He was the Word, and the Bride will have to be the Word, Word
added to Word added to Word. Luther's justification, Wesley's
sanctification, Pentecostal's baptism with the Holy Spirit, restoration of the
gifts, and all the rest of it goes with it. It's got to be Word on top of
Word, germ on top of germ, life on top of life, to bring out the full statue of
the Bride of the Lord Jesus Christ.
MODERN EVENTS MADE CLEAR BY PROPHECY
65-1206 78
When people hear the Word of God...(notice here the comparison brother Branham is making) When a baby is conceived in the womb of a mother, when
that one cell goes in there, another cell builds on top of that. It's not
one cell of a human, the next of a dog, and the next of a cat, and the next of
something else; it's absolutely, straightly, human being. And when a man's
born of the Spirit of God, he don't inject anything into his life; It's
unadulterated Word of God vindicated for that hour. He takes the full Word of
God; he don't put no creeds, nothing else into It. It's purely
unadulterated God's Word made manifest among us.
Now
we find the process of the body change also spoken of in the book of Ezekiel.
EZEKIEL 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put
within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I
will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you,
and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments,
and do them.
Notice
the very purpose of God bringing on a change first of the heart, then of our
spirit and then promising to fill us with His own Spirit is for One purpose and
One motive and that is that we will walk in His statutes and Judgments. Notice
he said, I will put my spirit within you, (and notice what God says it will do) and (and what? And by doing this, by placing in
you my Spirit it will) cause you to walk in my
statutes, and (remember,
AND is a conjunction so we must ask, AND what? And) ye
shall keep my judgments, and (Here's another conjunction, and it
will cause you to) do them. (Do
what? Do my statutes and judgments. In other words, it will cause you to live
out My Word.)
Now,
what is this new heart and new spirit then that we receive before we receive
His Spirit in us? From the message IMPERSONATION OF
CHRISTIANITY brother Branham is speaking of Ezekiel 36 where God is
speaking of our receiving a new heart, then a new spirit and then His own
Spirit entering into us. "So God had to give
you a new heart, not a patched up one, a new heart. That's your intellects that
you think with, a new way of thinking. Then when He give you a new way of
thinking, " Notice Brother Branham here tells us the new heart
is a new way of thinking, or, in other words a new mindset. Then he takes this thought one step further
by telling us what the new spirit is.
Then
brother Branham goes on to tell us what the new spirit is. He says, Then He said after that, "Then I'll give you a new
spirit." What's that? A new desire, "I want to do right."
So
we see that God brings us a new understanding first. This is that precise and
correct knowledge of Him. That is what
begins the process of renewal in the inner man. That is what brings forth the
change of the mind. Then when the mind is changed your desires change with it,
conforming to the correct and precise knowledge of Him. That is our change in
the spirit. brother Branham called it a welcoming spirit. But that welcoming
spirit is not the Holy Spirit. But we need to have that welcoming spirit in
order for the Holy Spirit to feel welcome. Then finally, when He is totally
welcome, He brings His Own spirit and places it in us to finish what he has
begun by His word coming into us and quickening us and making His Word alive to
us and in us. Now, some people mix up
this welcoming spirit thinking they have received the Holy Spirit, and they
stop right there.
Brother
Branham said in the sermon called. WHY SOME PEOPLE
CAN'T KEEP VICTORY 57-0324 E-50 Yes. That's what we need today is
experiences of the new birth. Now, I want you to watch the order that Ezekiel
brought it in. He said, "I will give you a new heart, and I'll give you a
new spirit, and I'll put My Spirit in you." I want you to watch; there's
three of it. A new heart, "I'll
take the old stony heart away." That's that old different heart you have.
"And I'll give you a new spirit." Now, many times, and there's been a
terrible mistake, the people has thought sometimes that that new spirit was
the Holy Spirit. But it isn't; it's a new spirit. God gives you a new...
Why, you couldn't even get along with yourself with your old spirit; how you
going to get along with the Holy Ghost? God had to give you a new spirit so you
could get along with His Spirit. And sometimes people...?... "A new heart,
a heart of flesh, so you will receive it; then a new spirit in that heart, and then
I'll put My Spirit in that." You see? New heart, new spirit, "and
My Spirit," three things He spoke of.
And
from the sermon IMPERSONATION OF CHRISTIANITY 57-0120M he said, "Then
notice the order of the Scripture. After you get a new heart and a new spirit,
He said, "Then I'll put My Spirit..." See? Oh, what? That's what the
Scripture says here. That's the order, the Pneumatics and numerical order of
the Scripture: a new heart, a new spirit, and then My Spirit.
So
we see Paul teach us in Ephesians 1 and 2 about the quickening process that
begins the whole transformation process.
EPHESIANS 2:1 ¶ And you [hath he
quickened], who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Now
the word quicken means to make alive again. The God-Life that we had in Him
before the foundations of the Word is made alive, quickened, or re-animated.
Animation coming into these bodies, the Soul being quickened begins the process
of our returning to the way God planned before the foundations of the earth for
us to dwell in His presence for all eternity.
Now
we are talking about that precise and correct or precisely correct knowledge of
God the Creator, is what does it. It is THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST that begins
this process in us. We are quickened or made alive by a Living Word.
David,
a man after God's own heart knew how this process of God works!
PSALMS 119:50 ¶ This [is] my comfort in
my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me. 119:93 ¶ I will never forget thy precepts: for with
them thou hast quickened me.
1 Peter 1:22 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: 23 Being
born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word
of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
Notice
Peter tells us here that it is a living word that begins this process called
the new birth in us. And we know a birth is a life that is coming forth into
manifestation or into view.
Notice even Paul tells us in 2 Thessalonians that it
all begins by our believing the truth, which is that precise and correct
knowledge of the Creator.. 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:
And
again in 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: 12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who
first trusted in Christ. 13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the
word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye
believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Notice
again it is the believing the Truth, that precise
and correct knowledge of God that begins the whole process
toward receiving our redemptive and glorified body.
The Entombment - 57-0420 Our own
life is just a pattern. It's just a shadow, and not the real thing. It's the
negative side. It takes death to develop the picture, to put us
back in the theophany we come from. Then in the resurrection we come in His
likeness, a resurrected body, what a beautiful, not only beautiful but it's the
real, solemn truth of God's eternal Word, that we'll be like Him.
Q & A 54-0103E 143-191 What you are here... Get this in your mind
now. I'm going to close. But what you are here is a sign that you are
something else somewhere. You've always wanted to be in perfection, you
Christians. There is a perfection, and that perfection is not in this life.
But every man and woman here that is a Christian, every person that is a
Christian here now is already glorified in the Presence of Jesus Christ. And
you've got another body. You won't have some other time; you have right
now. Right now there's another body waiting for you if this one should perish.
Could you think of that. Study that just a minute.
ROMANS 8:29 ¶ For whom he did (already a done deal) foreknow,
he also did (another done deal) predestinate
to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the
firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did (done deal) predestinate, them he also called (again it is in
the past tense): and whom he called (past
tense), them he also justified (past
tense): and whom he justified (past
tense), them he also glorified (past
tense). Therefore it is finished. It's a
done deal. You can't change the outcome, no matter how hard you try.
Now
this word conformed comes from the Greek Word, summorphos {soom-mor-fos'} and means
conformed to -- fashioned like
unto having the same form as another,
similar, to describes what is the essence in character and thus complete
or durable, not merely a form or outline.
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. Notice he said, now we are. Not in the future, but
already are sons of God.
God Rich In Mercy 65-0119 42 Now, if you've got Eternal Life
tonight, if we have Eternal Life, then we always were, because there's only one
form of Eternal Life. We always were. And the reason we were, because we are a
part of God.
Now this
gets us up to paragraph 112 of WHO IS THIS
MELCHISEDEC 65-0221E where
we will read and then meet on Sunday to dwell further upon these thoughts. Now, we see here
plainly the complete secret of our lives in journey, and death, and where we go
after we die. Also predestination is in plain view here. Now, listen as we teach
this, closely. The stages of the eternal purpose He had in His secret has now
been revealed. Notice, there is still three stages to perfection. Just like He
redeems the world; same way He redeems His church. He redeems the people in
three stages. Now, look, first is justification like Luther preached; second,
sanctification like Wesley preached; third, baptism of the Holy Ghost. That's
right. Then comes the rapture. Now, the world, how did He redeem the world? The
first what He did, when it sinned, He washed it off in water baptism. That's
right. Then He dropped His Blood upon it from the cross and sanctified it and
called it His own. And then what does He do? As He tore all the world out of
you and renovated the whole thing by the fiery baptism of the Holy Ghost, He
also will renovate the world. And it'll be burnt over with fire and cleanse
every germ for millions of miles high, and every thing will be cleaned off. And
then there is a new heaven and a new earth, just like you are a new creature in
Christ Jesus when the Holy Spirit takes a-hold of you. See, there you are. The
whole thing's just as plain as it can be.