Only Those Ordained to Life will Believe
May
5, 2002
WHO IS THIS
MELCHISEDEC 65-0221E 140 Then one day He had need to go to Samaria.
But just before we do that, we found the woman, or the man as he went through
the gate called Beautiful, that he was healed, and Jesus knowed his condition,
and told him, "Take up your bed and go on home." And he did it and
got well. Then we find out the Jews, some of them received Him; some
believed it; some didn't. Why didn't they believe it? They was not ordained to
Life. They wasn't part of that attribute. Now, remember, them were priests
and great men. And Jesus... Think of those theologians and priests, men that
you couldn't find a flaw in their life. Jesus said, "You are of your
father the devil, and his works you do." Said, "If you'd be of God,
you'd believe Me. If you can't believe Me, believe--believe the works that I
do; they testify Who I am." Now, the Bible said that Jesus is the same
yesterday, today, and forever. Jesus said, "The works that I do shall he
that believeth on Me do also." That right? Notice, that was the real
Melchisedec now.
Now, in this paragraph we
find Brother Branham making a statement that most people just cannot handle. He
said, Why didn't they believe it? They was not
ordained to Life. They wasn't part of that attribute. Now, this is a rather strong statement that he is
making here because it goes against the grain of everything the church world
believes and teaches.
The Church World teaches
that Election is simply based upon the choices you make, and that you are the
one who is in supreme control of your own destiny, and you are the one who must
make the right choice. They believe that God has nothing to do with the choices
you make. He leaves that all up to you and your own Free moral agency. Now, the
Baptists will go a little further, in that the Baptists will allow for God to
know the beginning from the end, and therefore He is able to know who will make
that all important choice, and who will not. Then, and only then, the Baptist
will allow God to make an Election or choosing of sorts, but, not according to
His choice, but only according to the choice that you have made, and God really
has no choice in the matter. Now, that may sound silly to you, but talk to a
diehard Baptists sometime, and they will tell you that it would not be fair for
God to choose some to Life and not others. And I say, what does fairness have
to do with Election. And for that matter, when has fairness ever entered into
anyone's choice.
You make choices based on
merit, value, and performance. When you make a choice of a car, you don't just
go buy the car of your dreams and disregard all other parts of the equation.
No, that would be silly. In every economic situation there are tradeoffs that
must be made. Income is one part of the equation. Another important part is
value, perceived and otherwise. When you make that decision to purchase your
car, you say if money were not the real issue in my choice I would drive a
Porsche, or perhaps a Rolls Royce, or for some of you younger guys, maybe the
car of your choice would be a Chevrolet Corvette, and your parents might prefer
a Mercede's or BMW. EVERY CHOICE WE MAKE HAS A PRICE WE MUST PAY.
And when you begin to count
the cost of that decision, 99% of the time, most people cannot afford the car
of their dreams, so they settle for something less. Therefore, the price is one of the most important
factors in your decision making. And I am not just talking about the sticker
price. No, not just the price of the car alone, but how much will my insurance cost me, and what kind of gas
mileage will I get, because as gas prices increase, will my income keep pace or
will I have to cut back on my travel. And what about maintenance costs? What
kind of maintenance will it need? Can I fix it myself, or must I bring it into
the dealer's shop where specialists know how to deal with the problems, but are
also very costly. Does the job require a special tool? If I can fix it myself,
then will I be able to use standard parts or will I have to use OEM parts that
are much more costly. And then the practical issues come into play, like
whether my wife and children can all get in or not, and whether the whole
family can go to the places where we as a family need to go.
So you see, there are many
issues involved with every choice we make. And we make these choices everyday
whether they are fair or not. If the playing field needed to always be fair,
then everyone would have the same income, and everything we plan to buy would
have the same value to us, and would cost the same amount. But, then that would
be kind of a silly world to live in where a house costs the same as an
ice-cream cone, and a card would cost the same as a tooth-brush. But, we make
choices daily without having a fair playing field and that is what choosing is
all about. We daily make choices between two or more things and our choice is
usually based on which of the two or three or more items has the better value.
What is more needed, than the other.
And it seems funny to me
that the Baptist will make this determination in their mind that Salvation is
more valuable than perishing in the lake of fire, and so they will confess the
Lord Jesus with their mouth. And they think that is all they must do. And so
there choice becomes the all-encompassing act of faith on their part. But just
as they see the importance of making this choice, they also insist upon denying
God the opportunity to make His own choices.
If you tell them that God
not only knew who would accept him, and who would not, but God also placed in
some that attribute to be able to accept Him, and in others He did not put that
attribute in them. And they will immediately say, that would not be a fair God.
Then if I ask them if they had a choice of saving their own child or some
strangers child, 99% of them would tell you they would save their own child
first. The other 1% would tell you the
other child, but in reality they are just lying, because it is in our nature to
look out for our own first, then if we have time, and effort to look out for
others, we will do it.
But all of them would deny
god the same right to make His own choices, and remain a Just God. I have
talked to church people and showed them Romans 9 where Paul tells us that God
will have mercy on whom He will have Mercy and on whom He will, he will harden,
as He did with Pharaoh, and Esau. But these people will use the same argument
that Paul said they would use, they will say, " ROMANS 9:18 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? (Now
listen to what Paul says here.)
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 is telling us, "
Look, the fact remains that God is Sovereign whether you like it or not, and He
will show mercy on whomever He wishes to, and whom He also wills to harden,
they will be hardened whether they want it or not. Then he uses the
illustration of the potter and the clay." That is the example Paul gives
us. Do we then say to the Potter, why do you make the vessel of honor out of
this piece of clay and why do you make the vessel of dishonor out of the same
lump. And Brother Branham was making
this same point when he said, some believed it;
some didn't. Why didn't they believe it? They was not ordained to Life. They
wasn't part of that attribute.
Then he went on to talk
about those men who were ordained to condemnation. He said, Now, remember,
them were priests and great men. Think of those theologians and priests, men
that you couldn't find a flaw in their life. Jesus said, "You are of your
father the devil, and his works you do." Said, "If you'd be of God,
you'd believe Me. If you can't believe Me, believe the works that I do; they
testify Who I am."
It has been said of those
men, the Pharisees, that some of them lived so perfectly concerning the law
that you could never have pointed a finger against them concerning their
lives. These were remarkable men, they
were not wicked men, at least outwardly they weren't. These were not men who
dwelt in dens of iniquity. These were God-fearing men, who thought they were
living lives that were pleasing to God in every way. They tithed of all, they
gave to the poor, they studied the Word of God to the point they could pass a
needle through the scroll that had been rolled tight, and they could tell you
every letter it passed through. They knew the Word of God backwards and
forwards, and yet they were rejected, because they were not His own.
MATTHEW 7:21 ¶ Not every one that saith unto me, Lord,
Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my
Father which is in heaven. 22 Many
will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and
in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye
that work iniquity.
It all comes down to
election and Predestination. And what brother Branham was saying here is that
if you are not seed of God, then you never will believe because you are not
ordained to believe. Then if we look at this same thought we can also apply it
this way. If you were ordained to life you will believe. (Period) In fact the
God told us that very same thing in the Book of Acts. 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 Now, you can read that any way you wish to, but it all says the same
thing. Those ordained to eternal Life will believe. Why? Because they are
ordained to believe, and the others are not ordained to believe.
Did not Jesus Himself say, in JOHN 15:16 Ye have not chosen
me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, … Did not the Apostle Paul teach us, I CORINTHIANS 2:6 ¶
Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom
of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 7 But we
speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, [even] the hidden [wisdom], which God
ordained before the world unto our glory: 8 Which none of the princes of
this world knew: for had they known [it], they would not have crucified the
Lord of glory. 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.
Notice that Paul tells us that the Wisdom of God was ordained before
the foundations of the world for our glory, and it was kept hidden from others.
And then He goes on to tell us that all those who receive the Spirit of God in
them through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, will know and understand the
things of God, but all others will not. The he quotes the Prophet Isaiah saying
the very same thing. In fact Jesus
Himself even quotes this very same quotation of Isaiah in Matthew 13, Mark 4
and Luke 8.
Let's read it for our selves, beginning at Matthew 13 and verse 10. MATTHEW 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why
speakest thou unto them in parables? 11
He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the
mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given,
and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be
taken away even that he hath. 13
Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and
hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith,
By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and
shall not perceive: 15 For this people's
heart is waxed gross, and [their] ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they
have closed; lest at any time they should see with [their] eyes, and hear with
[their] ears, and should understand with [their] heart, and should be
converted, and I should heal them. 16
But blessed [are] your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous [men] have
desired to see [those things] which ye see, and have not seen [them]; and to
hear [those things] which ye hear, and have not heard [them]. 18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the
sower. 19 When any one heareth the
word of the kingdom, and understandeth [it] not, then cometh the wicked [one],
and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received
seed by the way side. 20 But he that
received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and
anon with joy receiveth it; 21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for
a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by
and by he is offended. 22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he
that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of
riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. 23 But he that received
seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth [it];
which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty,
some thirty.
Now, look, we just finished hearing Jesus tell us that there are those
who are ordained to hear and understand and there are those who are not
ordained to hear and understand. I don't think he could make it any plainer in
telling this parable. He sums it up by saying those who hear and understand
will bring forth fruit, and all others will not. Then the fruit that God wants
for us to produce can only come as a result of understanding His Word. And if
you do not understand it, you cannot bear this fruit. Oh, you might have fruit
all right, but not the fruit He has ordained for you to bear.
That can only come through understanding His Word, and to understand
His Word does not depend on your individual prowess, but upon His giving you
that understanding.
That is why he tells us in I JOHN 2:27 But the anointing
which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man
teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth,
and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. And
again in I JOHN 2:20 ¶ But ye have an unction from the Holy One,
and ye know all things. 21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the
truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
So we see that there are those who have been ordained to Life by God
and these have also been ordained to believe His Word. All others that have not
been ordained to Life will not believe, but will deceive and be deceived.
Matthew 24:4 ¶ And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no
man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and
shall deceive many. So we see there is coming a time of
deception.
MATTHEW 24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one
another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and
shall deceive many. (Notice
Jesus is telling us the deception will take in many. It will not be few, but
many, and look at the effect that it will have upon all mankind.) 12 And because
iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall
endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom
shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then
shall the end come.
Now, as we continue to read on in the Book of Matthew, Jesus tells us
even more about the great deception that is coming.
MATTHEW 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no
flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. 23 Then
if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here [is] Christ, or there; believe [it]
not. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew
great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall
deceive the very elect. 25 Behold, I have told you before. 26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you,
Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, [he is] in the secret
chambers; believe [it] not. 27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and
shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 28
For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. Now, that carcass is the fresh kill. That is
the Food for the hour, not the food that has laid around from one generation to
another.
ROMANS
16:17 ¶
Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and
offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 18 For
they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by
good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. Notice
here that Paul warns us to mark them that do not teach the doctrine as was
taught by Him. Then he tells us to avoid these people because their purpose is
to deceive. And furthermore, don't place yourself in a position that you allow
yourself to be deceived. Because a man can repeat to himself a lie so many
times that he will finally believe it himself. LEAN
NOT UNTO THY OWN UNDERSTANDING 65-0120 118
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.
So you can believe a lie to be true
that you once knew was a lie. Paul said in, I
CORINTHIANS 3:18 ¶ Let no man deceive himself. So you can deceive yourself. That's why The Bible speaks
of a willful ignorance. And the Apostle John said, I
JOHN 8 ¶
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is
not in us.
And what is Sin? It is unbelief. Because we believe not, that is what sin is. Jesus said, so.
JOHN 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and
of righteousness, and of judgment: 9
Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no
more; 11 Of judgment, because the
prince of this world is judged.
And God set gifts in the church to
remind the church of these things and to teach us the truth, that our own
natural unbelief will give way to the truth, because once you have received the
Truth and then are able to be deceived, it shows you are not seed. EPHESIANS 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some,
evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the
saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son
of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of
Christ: 14 That we [henceforth] be no more children, tossed to and fro, and
carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, [and] cunning
craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow
up into him in all things, which is the head, [even] Christ:
So don't think there are not men out their whose motives and objectives is not to deceive, because God's own Word says they lie in wait to deceive.
EPHESIANS 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.Notice we find again that the deception only comes upon the children of disobedience.
II
THESSALONIANS 2:1¶ Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ, and [by] our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be
troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the
day of Christ is at hand. 3 ¶ Let no man deceive you by any means:
for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that
man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
The deception comes on those who have
fallen away. Why? Because they open themselves up for it. II THESSALONIANS 2:10
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because
they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them
strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be
damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Now, we have been talking about unbelief. Brother Branham said, some believed it; some didn't. Why didn't they believe it? They was not ordained to Life. They wasn't part of that attribute,
And so we find the Apostle John
speaking the same thing in I JOHN 3:4 ¶ Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also
the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. 5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and
in him is no sin. 6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not:
whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. 7 Little children, let
no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is
righteous. 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.
9 Whosoever is born of God
doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because
he is born of God.
some
believed it; some didn't. Why didn't they believe it? They was not ordained to
Life. They wasn't part of that attribute