Romans 126
The
Forming of Divine Character
Brian Kocourek
ROMANS 15:4 For
whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we
through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. 5 ¶ Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward
another according to Christ Jesus: 6 That ye may with one mind [and] one mouth
glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 ¶ Wherefore receive ye one another, as
Christ also received us to the glory of God.
ROMANS 5:1¶ Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this
grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only
[so], but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh
patience; 4 And patience, experience (Character); and experience (Character), hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed
abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Brother Branham said, 88 IDENTIFICATION
64-0216 The Word molds God's character to us. And anything
that's tried to be mixed with that character breaks the mold.
You can't mix
creed with Word. You
can't mix the world with the
Word. Jesus said you can't
serve God and mammon. Mammon means the world.
You can't be one or the other. "If you love the
world or the things of the
world, the love of God's not even in you." Is that true? Then you see,
you can't mix it.
Paul taught us that we are washed by the washing of water by the Word.
It is the Word that produces the character of God in us because God is the
Word.
E-178
AN ABSOLUTE 63-0127 Man's
not measured by how much his biceps are,
how bigger muscles
he is. He's measured by his
character. That's exactly right. And character comes from the Word of God, and that alone. And any
preacher that claims to be a preacher,
and deny that
Word, there's little character of
God there to me. Amen! May be
some hopes if he will listen
awhile. Yeah. Now, I don't want to
get critical with you. I love you, and I mean that. But that's my absolute, brethren--this Word, "thus saith the
Lord." You know
that's true.
David in the Psalms said, How does a young man
cleanse Himself? By talking heed to the Word thereof.
84 IDENTIFICATION -- 64-0216 Now,
if you find your place, sister,
don't let me hurt you,
brother, but you'll find your
place in the Word as a Christian. Not what the creed said. That's down here
in this lower cannon
fodder. It's gonna
be destroyed, see. You find your place as
a Christian, because
your character is molded as Christ.
You're Zoe, the same as He was Zoe.
Then, if the Bible said for a
woman not to cut her hair,
how can you do it? It says a man's ruler of
the house. How can you women be? What's the matter with you men, as
sons of God? See, you don't find your place, see. Watch now.
You're invited to come and take his character. By having
his character in you, it molds
you into the same mind that He was. In his mind was always to do what the
Father had ordained Him to do.
How was Jesus Character
molded? The Bible said, He learned obedience by the
things that he suffered. It is the sufferings of Christ that molds your
character. Now, today we do not strive for blood. We are not physically beaten,
nor are we tortured, or hunted down, as in days gone by. But the sufferings of Christ in this hour is rejection. You take a
stand for the word and not only the world hates you
but the church world as well.
UNCERTAIN SOUND 62-0714 E-71 I
know you think I'm crazy, but some of these days at the judgment bar when I
stand there by your side, you're going to find different. Now's
the time. Don't wait till there. It'll be too late. Judge it with the Word, see if it's the right. Then you'll know.
Intellectual--they don't want somebody
to really stand up and pull the Scripture out and show it. They want somebody that's trained to bypass
It. They don't want to know that. Oh, they just
can't stand that. Fish and loaves is fine. But Jesus done the same thing. What a wonderful prophet. The
little prophet of
The world wants
compromisers, but God hates compromisers. And the ones who suffer rejection the
most are those who will not compromise on the Word. The small
church who is more interested in pleasing God than pleasing man. That is
how the sufferings of Christ brings forth character in
you. He said, the world will hate you because it hated
me, but you are not of the world as I am not of the world.
I CORINTHIANS 11:23
¶ For I have received of the Lord that
which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the [same] night in which
he was betrayed took bread: 24 And when he had given thanks, he brake [it], and
said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in
remembrance of me. 25 After the same manner also [he took] the cup, when he had
supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my
blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink [it], in remembrance of me. 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do
shew the Lord's death till he come. 27 Wherefore
whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink [this] cup of the Lord, unworthily,
shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let
him eat of [that] bread, and drink of [that] cup. 29 For he that eateth
and drinketh unworthily, eateth
and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the
Lord's body. 30 For this cause many [are] weak and sickly among you, and many
sleep. 31 For if
we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But
when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be
condemned with the world. 33 Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together
to eat, tarry one for another. 34 And if any man hunger, let him eat at home;
that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order
when I come.
92 IDENTIFICATION 64-0216 Now you can judge. That won't make nobody judge you. You judge
yourself, see. Nobody's
judging. I'm not passing
any judgment. But let's just reflect... see how it reflects from
some characters of the Bible, as we
mention them, and see what your
character is at this present time. Now, notice. The Word creates character. We know that. Now we look
into his mirror, and identify
our self by some person in the Bible.
And that is what the
Apostle Paul said we should do as well, as we see in 1 Corinthians 11:26
concerning the communion table.
117-1
SMYRNAEAN CHURCH AGE – CHURCH AGE BOOK CPT 4 Why does He stand by? The reason is in Romans 8:17-18,
"And if
children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ;
if so be that we suffer with Him,
that we may be also glorified together.
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time
are not worthy
to be compared with the glory
which shall be
revealed in us." Unless we suffer with Him we cannot reign with Him. You have to suffer to reign. The reason for this is that character simply is never made without
suffering. Character is a VICTORY, not a gift. A man without
character can't reign
because power apart from character is Satanic. But power with character is fit to rule. And since He wants us to
share even His throne on
the same basis that He
overcame and is set down in His
Father's throne, then we have to
overcome to sit with Him. And the little
temporary suffering we go through
now is not worthy to be compared to the tremendous glory that will be revealed
in us when He comes. Oh, what treasures are laid up for those who
are willing to
enter into His kingdom through much tribulation.
Now, we are not
suffering through persecution, nor by the shedding of
blood, but our suffering comes through the rejection and isolation we suffer as
a result of our stand for this Word. You feel it from your families, your
friends, or ex friends, and your neighbors. The apostle Paul said, ye have not
resisted unto Blood, and we haven’t. But our rejection comes for the stand we
take.
JOHN
Now why does the world
hate you? And we have already shown you that Character comes through suffering
for the Word, and through that very same Word that you hold dear God etches His
own character into you. In John 17 Jesus
tells us why the world will hate you.
JOHN
But the large church
that is held together by organization seems to hold the masses of people
because the people do not want the Word.
I JOHN 4:5
They are of the world: therefore speak they of the
world, and the world heareth them.