The Witness of THE SPIRIT #3
Brian Kocourek
July 22nd,
2001
This Evening I would like to continue with our
thoughts that we took last Sunday concerning what Brother Branham said in WHO IS THIS MELCHISEDEC
pp. 70, when quoting the Scripture, "He that's born of God doth not
commit sin; he cannot sin."
Last night we left off speaking from Romans 8:16
“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of
God,”
How many men, not understanding what they spake, neither whereof
they affirmed, have wrestled this Scripture to the great loss, if not the
destruction, of their souls! How many have mistaken the voice of their own
imagination for this witness of the Spirit of God, and thence idly 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 has gone so wrong in the past. There is a way which
seemeth right unto man, but the way is the way of death. But here I cannot but desire all those who
are for swallowing up the testimony of the Spirit of God, in the rational
testimony of our own spirit, to observe, that in this text the Apostle is so
far from speaking of the testimony of our own spirit only, that it
may be questioned whether he speaks of it at all — whether he
does not speak only of the testimony of God’s Spirit? It does not appear but the
original text may be fairly understood in this way. The Apostle had just said,
in the preceding verse, “Ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby
we cry, Abba, Father;” and immediately he subjoins, Auto to pneuma (some copies
read, (to auto pneuma) summarturei
pneumat hmwn, oti esmen tekna Qeou which may be translated, “The same
Spirit beareth witness to our spirit, that we are the children of God.” (The
preposition sun only denoting, that he witnesses this at
the same time that he enables us to cry Abba, Father.) And as I have already said, the testimony of
your own spirit, although a good thing, because it keeps you inc check, yet is
still a very deceiving thing. 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.
With regard to the testimony of your own spirit, the foundation is
laid in those numerous texts of Scripture which describe the marks of the
children of God; and is very plain. But these have also collected together, and
placed in such a strong light, by so many writers, both ancient and modern that
they have led millions after works campaigns to ensure their own placement as
sons. If any need farther light, he may
receive it by attending to the ministry of God’s word; meditating in it, before God in secret; and by conversing with
those who have the knowledge of his ways.
The acts in themselves do not prove you, but if you are already
proven by the witness of God's Spirit, then the acts will help your own
underastanding of he role God has set before you to play out as a son.
— according to that of the Apostle, “Brethren, be not children in
understanding; in malice” or wickedness “be ye children; but in understanding
be ye men;” (1 Corinthians 14:20;) — every man applying those scriptural marks
to himself, may know whether he is a child of God. Thus, if he know, First, “as
many as are led by the Spirit of God,” into all holy tempers and actions, “they
are the sons of God;” (for which he has the infallible assurance of holy writ;)
Secondly, I am thus “led by the Spirit of God;” he will easily conclude, —
“Therefore I am a son of God.”
Now the scripture
would seem to be agreeable to this, as we see by so many declarations by St.
John, in his First Epistle: “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 St.
John. the keeping his commandments, you undoubtedly know in your own breast,
if, by the race of God, it belongs to you. Your conscience informs you from day
to day, if you do not take the name of God within your lips, unless with
seriousness and devotion, with reverence and godly fear; if you remember the
Sabbath-day to keep it holy; if you honor your father and mother; if you do to
all as you would they should do unto you; if you possess your body in
sanctification and honor; and if, whether you eat or drink, you are temperate
therein, and do all to the glory of God.
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 Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that
are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:
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.
But what is that testimony of God’s Spirit, which is superadded
to, and conjoined with, this? How does he “bear witness with our spirit that we
are the children of God?” It is hard to find words in the language of men to
explain “the deep things of God.” Indeed, there are none that will adequately
express what the children of God experience.
But perhaps one might say, (desiring any who are taught of God to
correct, to soften, or strengthen the expression,)
The testimony of the
Spirit is an inward impression on the soul, whereby the Spirit of God directly
witnesses to my spirit, that I am a child of God; that Jesus Christ hath loved
me, and given himself for me; and that all my sins are blotted out, and I, even
I, am reconciled to God.
That this testimony of the Spirit of God must needs, in the very nature
of things, be antecedent to the testimony of our own spirit, may appear from
this single consideration: We must be holy of heart, and holy in life, before
we can be conscious that we are so; before we can have the testimony of our
spirit, that we are inwardly and outwardly holy. But we must love God, before
we can be holy at all; this being the root of all holiness. Now we cannot love
God, till we know he loves us. “We love him, because he first loved us.” And we
cannot known his pardoning love to us, till his Spirit witnesses it to our
spirit. Since, therefore, this testimony of his Spirit must precede the love of
God and all holiness, of consequence it must precede our inward consciousness
thereof, or the testimony of our spirit concerning them.
Then, and not till then, — when the Spirit of God beareth that
witness to our spirit, “God hath loved thee, and given his own Son to be the
propitiation for thy sins; the Son of God hath loved thee, and hath washed thee
from thy sins in his blood,” — “we love God because he first loved us;” and,
for his sake, we love our brother also. And of this we cannot but be conscious
to ourselves: We “know the things that are freely given to us of God.” We know that we love God,
and keep his commandments; and “hereby also we know that we are of God.” This
is that testimony of our own spirit, which, so long as we continue to love God
and keep his commandments, continues joined with the testimony of God’s Spirit,
“that we are the children of God.”
Not that I would by any means be understood, by any thing which
has been spoken concerning it, to exclude the operation of the Spirit of God,
even from the testimony of our own spirit. In no wise. It is he that not only
worketh in us every manner of thing that is good, but also shines upon his own
work, and clearly shows what he has wrought. Accordingly, this is spoken of by
St. Paul, as one great end of our receiving the Spirit, “that we may know the
things which are freely given to us of God:” That he may strengthen the testimony
of our conscience, touching our “simplicity and godly sincerity;” and give us
to discern, in a fuller and stronger light, that we now do the things which
please him.
Should it still be inquired, “How does the Spirit of God ‘bear
witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God,’ so as to exclude all
doubt, and evince the reality of our sonship?” — the answer is clear from what
has been observed above. And, First, as to the witness of our spirit: The soul
as intimately and evidently perceives when it loves, delights, and rejoices in
God, as when it loves, and delights in anything on earth. And it can no more
doubt, whether it loves, delights, and rejoices or no, than whether it exists
or no. If, therefore this be just reasoning, He that now loves God, that
delights and rejoices in him with an humble joy, and holy delight, and an
obedient love, in a child of God: But I thus love, delight, and rejoice in God; Therefore, I am a
child of God: — Then a Christian can in no wise doubt of his being a child of God.
Of the former proposition he has as full an assurance as he has that the
Scriptures are of God; and of his thus loving God, he has an inward proof,
which is nothing short of self evidence.
Thus, the testimony of
our own spirit is with the most intimate conviction manifested to our hearts,
in such a.189 manner, as
beyond all reasonable doubt to evince the reality of our sonship.
The manner how the divine testimony is
manifested to the heart, I do not take upon me to explain. Such knowledge is
too wonderful and excellent for me: I cannot attain unto it. The wind bloweth,
and I hear the sound thereof; but I cannot tell how it cometh, or whither it
goeth. As no one knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of a man that is
in him; so the manner of the things of God knoweth no one, save the Spirit of God. But
the fact we know; namely, that the Spirit of God does give a believer such a
testimony of his adoption, that while it is present to the soul, he can no more
doubt the reality of his sonship, than he can doubt of the shining of the sun,
while he stands in the full blaze of his beams.
How this joint testimony of God’s Spirit and our spirit may be
clearly and solidly distinguished from the presumption of a natural mind, and
from the delusion of the devil, is the next thing to be considered. And it
highly imports all who desire the salvation of God, to consider it with the
deepest attention, as they would not deceive their own souls. An error in this
is generally observed to have the most fatal consequences; the rather, because
he that errs, seldom discovers his mistake, till it is too late to remedy it.
And, First, how is this testimony to be distinguished from the
presumption of a natural mind? It is certain, one who was never convinced of sin,
is always ready to flatter himself, and to think of himself, especially in
spiritual things, more highly than he ought to think. And hence, it is in no
wise strange, if one who is vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, when he hears
of this privilege of true Christians, among whom he undoubtedly ranks himself,
should soon work himself up into a persuasion that he is already possessed
thereof. Such instances now abound in the world, and have abounded in all ages.
How then may the real testimony of the Spirit with our spirit, be distinguished
from this damning presumption?.
I answer, the Holy Scriptures abound with marks, whereby the one
may be distinguished from the other. They describe, in the plainest manner, the
circumstances which go before, which accompany, and which follow, the true,
genuine testimony of the Spirit of God with the spirit of a believer. Whoever
carefully weighs and attends to these will not need to put darkness for light.
He will perceive so wide a difference, with respect to all these, between the
real and the pretended witness of the Spirit, that there will be no danger, I
might say, no possibility, of confounding the one with the other.
By these, one who vainly presumes on the gift of God might surely
know, if he really desired it, that he hath been hitherto “given up to a strong
delusion,” and suffered to believe a lie. For the Scriptures lay down those
clear, obvious marks, as preceding, accompanying, and following that gift,
which a little reflection would convince him, beyond all doubt, were never
found in his soul. For instance: The Scripture describes repentance, or
conviction of sin, as constantly going before this witness of pardon. So,
“Repent; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:2.) “Repent ye, and
believe the gospel.” (Mark 1:15.) “Repent, and be baptized every one of you for
the remission of sins.”
(Acts 2:38) “Repent ye
therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.” (Acts 3:19.)
In conformity whereto, our Church also continually places repentance before
pardon, or the witness of it “He pardons and absolves all them that truly
repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy gospel.” “Almighty God — hath promised
forgiveness of sins to all them, who, with hearty repentance and true faith, turn
unto him.” But he is a stranger even to this repentance: He hath never known a
broken and a contrite heart: “The remembrance of his sins” was never “grievous
unto him,” nor “the burden of them intolerable.” In repeating those words, he
ever meant what he said; he merely paid a compliment to God. And were it only
from the want of this previous work of God, he hath too great reason to believe
that he hath grasped a mere shadow, and never yet known the real privilege of
the sons of God.
Again, the Scriptures describe the being born of God, which must
precede the witness that we are his children, as a vast and mighty change; a
change “from darkness to light,” as well as “from the power of Satan unto.191 God;” as a
“passing from death unto life,” a resurrection from the dead. Thus the Apostle
to the Ephesians: “You hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins.”
(2:1.) And again, “When we were dead in sins, he hath quickened us together
with Christ; and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in
heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Verses 5:6.) But what knoweth he, concerning
whom we now speak, of any such change as this? He is altogether unacquainted
with this whole matter. This is a language which he does not understand. He
tells you he always was a Christian. He knows no time when he had need of such
a change. By this also, if he give himself leave to think, may he know, that he
is not born of the Spirit; that he has never yet known God; but has mistaken
the voice of nature for the voice of God.
But waving the consideration of whatever he has or has not
experienced in time past; by the present marks may we easily distinguish a
child of God from a presumptuous self deceiver. The Scriptures describe that
joy in the Lord which accompanies the witness of his Spirit, as a humble joy; a
joy that abases to the dust, that makes a pardoned sinner cry out, “I am vile!
What am I, or my father’s house? Now mine eye seeth thee, I abhor myself in
dust and ashes!” And wherever lowliness is there is meekness, patience,
gentleness, long-suffering. There is a soft, yielding spirit; a mildness and
sweetness, a tenderness of soul, which words cannot express. But do these
fruits attend that supposed testimony of the Spirit in a presumptuous man?
Just the reverse. The more confident he is of the favor of God, the more is he
lifted up; the more does he exalt himself; the more haughty and assuming is his
whole behavior. The stronger witness he imagines himself to have, the more
overbearing is he to all around him; the more incapable of receiving any
reproof; the more impatient of contradiction. Instead of being more meek, and
gentle, and teachable, more “swift to hear, and slow to speak,” he is more slow
to hear, and swift to speak; more unready to learn of any one; more fiery and
vehement in his temper, and eager in his conversation. Yea, perhaps, there will
sometimes appear a kind of fierceness in his air, his manner of speaking, his
whole deportment, as if he were just going to take the matter out of Gods
hands, and himself to “devour the adversaries.”.
The joint testimony of our spirit and the Spirit of God, our
Father is this, that we lay down our own will in favor of His Will. Jesus said,
"Not my will but Thy will be done." And that is the testimony of The Spirit
with our Spirit. We identify and do the Will of the Father. That is how our
will also identifies with His Will, and that His Will is preeminent in us over
our very own will.
REV Chapter 4 PT 2 24
Elders 61-0101 321 Sanctify this little church
this morning, Lord. Sanctify every person in here with Thy Spirit, and let the
Holy Ghost come into their hearts, each one of us. Freshen up the Spirit in
them Who's already opened their hearts through their self-will, has denied
their own will and has come to know Your will.
There
you are. It is a letting go of your own will and receiving the will of the
Father. That is the witness of His Spirit, His Will in your spirit.
231 "How is self-will? Why will you call
that self-will, Brother Branham?" Because it puts a man and woman back
again just like Adam and Eve at the garden of Eden, On what? The two trees?
Self-will, this one is death. This one is Life, self-will. Immoral... Free
moral agency... God placed the first man, Adam and Eve, right here on free
moral agency. He places you the same place. And the only way that you can get
this thing fixed in here is your own self-will. Hallelujah. Your self-will. You
have to will to do God's will. You have to get rid of your own will to let
God's will come in, for this is the only channel that leads to the heart.
232 Oh, you can join church, you Baptists and Presbyterians. And
you Methodists and Pilgrim Holiness can come to sanctification. But you have to
will to do God's will, self-will, to let the Holy Spirit come in here to bring
forth: "These signs shall follow them that believe; In My Name they shall
cast out devils. They shall speak with new tongues. They shall lay their hands
on the sick, or take up deadly things, and so forth. These signs shall follow
them that--that has let their will become My will, and the works that I do
shall they do also." I hope you don't miss it. There's a will to do God's
will. You see what I mean?
308 Now, "the mercy seat..." Now, the
mercy seat's in the heart, seat where the shining forth of His--His Glory in
all of His children, the Shekinah Glory in the human heart. Here's the human
heart. Is that right? Is that the mercy seat? How do you come through it into
that, through these different systems? Through self-will, self-will, comes into
here, and through there comes out what? Shekinah Glory. What--what is the
Shekinah Glory? It's God's Presence. And when a man's walking, or a woman, he's
reflecting the Shekinah Glory. He don't go into gambling dens, and--and carry
on, and go out here and deny the Word. No matter what the people says, he's got
his heart set on one thing: God. And if he's truly called of God, then Jesus
Christ reflects Himself through him with the Shekinah Glory, doing the same
things He did back there, manifesting the same Gospel, preaching the same Word,
same Word being made manifest in the same measure it was then; just like it was
truly at Pentecost it's measured back again. Oh, my.