Romans 28
The Grace Wherein We Now Stand
Brian Kocourek
Tonight I would like to take a short subject from Romans
chapter 5. As you know we spoke about the oncoming squeeze last Sunday, and
read from Romans 5:1 for our text.
Romans 5:1 ¶ Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ: Our
justification therefore comes to us by faith which is a revelation, and this
Revelation brings us Peace with God. Now, we examined this peace with God in
contrast to the seemingly lack of peace we have in this world. In [Matthew 10:34] Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to send you peace
on earth, I am not come to send peace, but a sword.” And in [John
6:33] Jesus said, “In
me ye may have peace. In the world ye will have tribulation.”
Therefore it is while we are in Him, that
is in His Word, for as a man thinketh so is HE, and in the Beginning was the
Word and the Word was with God and the word was God... and as I was saying, as
long as we are in Him or His Word, we shall find this peace that surpasses all
understanding... We examined this peace with God while we are in the midst of
many variegated trials. But although the trials sometimes come in a way in
which we can not see the end, or outcome, yet we have been given a confidence
that others do not have to go through these trials, because He promised us,
that “All things will work together for the good of those who love God and
those who are the Elect according to His purpose.
Therefore Paul tells us [Romans
5:3], that we should “Glory in our tribulations,” Therefore
we can see that our tribulation which come from divine Love have a purpose
behind them, and that purpose is to work only that which is good for us, even
though for a time it may not appear to be so.
But we see in this in [1
Peter 1: 5-7] (read) The tribulation which comes from divine Love will work
only that which is good for us. and what is that? [Romans 5:4] “Knowing that Tribulation worketh patience.”
Through tribulation our faith is put to the test and purified to the
highest degree. Whatever tribulation finds in us, it develops more fully. And therefore the purpose of the trial or
tribulation is to expose where we are
carnal, weak, blind, wicked, haughty, and so forth. Because without this understanding of how Christ works in us His will,
tribulation will only make us more carnal, more weak, more blind, more wicked
and more haughty. On the other hand, if we are spiritual, then our tribulations
will make us strong, wise, pious, gentle and humble and we will become more
spiritual, more powerful, more wise, more pious, more gentle and more humble,
as we see in [Psalm 4:1] “Thou
hast enlarged me when I was in distress.”
Paul continues saying, “By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand,
and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
And not only [so], but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that
tribulation worketh patience; And
patience, experience; and experience, hope:
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.
So we see here that distress or trials
are meant to produce in us, or enlarge in us whatever is all ready in us by the
Baptism of the Holy Ghost. And in fact when the squeeze comes fully upon us,
it will only bring forth in us those attributes which God has already placed in
us by the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Now, tonight I want to look at this
thought that Paul is telling us, concerning our access into Grace and how it
comes by This Faith, into this Grace. And notice he also tells us that the
Grace wherein we have access is the Grace wherein we now are already standing.
This is a key thought here because he is telling us that it is not another
Grace that we will have access into. But the Grace we now stand in is given
access to by this revelation.
Let me break this down for a moment that
we might have a better understanding about it.
Paul says, By whom also we have access by faith into this
grace wherein we stand. Now, this can not be read alone or we will not
fully understand what He is saying. So let’s read all of verse one together.
Romans 5:1 ¶ Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ:
, By whom? By This same Lord Jesus
Christ, we also have access by Revelation into this grace wherein we stand.
So we are dealing with the Grace wherein we are now standing. This is
important, because it is by Jesus faith, and not our own that we are to live
by.
Paul said, “I have been crucified with
Christ, nevertheless I live, yet it is not I that Liveth, but it is Christ that
liveth in Me, and the life which I am now living in the flesh, I live by the
faith of the Son of God, who first loved me, and gave Himself for Me. Therefore
I do not frustrate the grace of God...”
Paul is telling us that it is impossible
for us to live the Life without doing so by the same revelation that Jesus
Christ the Son of God had. If you think
that you can live a life of victory apart from the Revelation of Jesus Christ,
then you are sadly mistaken. But when we come tot he place where God has given
unto us the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of Himself, then
we have received the Revelation of Jesus Christ. And it is in this Revelation
or by this Faith we now stand. Because
we could not even stand without it. We would be up and down and up and down,
and backsliding a thousand times daily without knowing this great Revelation.
Now, the thing of it is, is that we all
seem to think that there has got to be some greater Word to come that will give
us that Rapturing Faith. But Brother Branham told is already that this is it.
This is the Shout and we have already heard the Shout. We have it. So don’t be
looking down the road, but look at what we already have in our midst. Jesus
Christ the same yesterday, today and forever.
Brother Branham has told us this in many
stories that he told. He told us of the slave who acted like a son of the King,
because he knew he was the son of the king.
He told us how to over come, and it is by knowing who you are just as
Jesus knew who He was. In John 17:5 Jesus said, “And now, O Father, glorify Thou
Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world
was”. In other words, He said, O
Father, Glorify yourself in Me with the same Glory we shared together before
the world even was framed. Now, what is that Glory? What is the word here
for Glory? The Greek word doxa, right? And what does that word mean? _?_. Then in essence, Jesus is saying here,
“O Father, Place your own thoughts in Me,
and express your opinion, your assessment and your judgment tot he world
through Me, even in the same manner that you did so in Me and through Me when
we framed the world together.
Now, then, if we are to have this same
mind, this same Revelation, then it is because we have come into the same
relationship. [John 3: 1-3] Notice
that in the reading of this scripture, you will find that as the Revelation of
Who He is comes to us, we begin to understand just who we are. And when we see
who we are we begin to purify ourselves. How then can a young man cleanse
Himself? By taking heed to the Word of God. [Psalms 119:9] And how are
you washed? By the washing of water by the word. [Eph 5:26]
Then what will the trials be all
about? They will bring us into a
further understanding of Who we are. And what effect will they bring? They will
bring us into a further sanctification. And why is this further sanctification
needed? Because without holiness, no man shall see God? That is not only to see
Him but to enter into His presence, and be able to perceive Him and really know
Him... [Matt 5:8] Jesus said, “Blessed
are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” Now this does not mean to visibly see God
because No man can see a Spirit. But this word is the Greek word, Optanomai, which means to
look and behold, and it comes from the primary root word, horao which means to
behold, perceive, to see with the eyes
and with the mind, to know, and be acquainted with by experience.
[John
1:18]
[John
6:46]
[John
8:38]
[John
14:7]
Now, how might you say does this have to
do with the squeeze? well, let’s examine what this squeeze is all about.
6-1 LOOK AWAY TO JESUS 63-1229E
So now, I am going to say something to you now, that I haven't said all
along. And that is, the thing that we have looked forward to for so long, or at
least many years, four or five years or maybe longer, the third pull has now
been vindicated, and I'm sure you all know what it is. Now, remember, there'll never be any
impersonation of that, 'cause it can't be. It cannot be. Now, it's in
existence, and I am warned of this, that soon, right at this time now, it's
just happened, so it could identify its presence among you. See? But it will
not be used in a great way, until this council begins to tighten up. And when
it does, when that does... The Pentecostals and so forth can almost impersonate
anything could be done, but when that time comes, when the squeeze comes down, then you'll see what you have seen
temporarily, be manifested in the fullness of its power. See?
Now,
I must continue in evangelism, just as I was commissioned first; I must
continue on. Therefore, you've had the Word, and you know what to look for, how
to stand. I must continue on in evangelism. And friends of mine, keep still and just keep moving on, for the hour is approaching swiftly (See?), that
when something is going to be done.
Now, you might see some little odd things happen from me, nothing
sinful, I don't mean that, but I mean something odd to what the regular trend,
because what I have reached to now in the ministry, I'm dropping back here,
watching that spot and waiting for the time to use it. But it's going to be used. And everyone knows that for as certain
as the first was identified, so has the second been identified; and if you'll
think real closely, you who are spiritual (as the Bible said, "Here's to
him who has wisdom.") the third is
properly identified. See? We know
where it is. So the third pull is
here. It is so sacred that I
mustn't not say much about it, as He told me in the beginning. Said,
"This, say nothing of it." You remember that years ago? It speaks for Itself. See? But I've
tried to explain the others, and I made a mistake. This will be the thing that, to my opinion (I don't say the Lord
tells me this.)--this will be the thing
that will start the rapturing faith for the going away. See, see? Now, I
must lay quiet for just a little while.
Now, remember (and who's
listening to this tape) you might see such a change in my ministry right
away, dropping back... Not going up, dropping back... We're right at the age now, and it can't go any further. We
have to wait here just a minute until this happens over here to catch up, then the time comes. But it's thoroughly identified. There's
coming a time--in this nation, to where
this nation is going to exercise all the power that the beast had before
(which was pagan Rome, when it become papal Rome. See?) that this nation will
do that. Revelations 13 plainly explains it. The lamb came up out of the earth.
The other beast came up out of water, thickness and multitudes of people. This
lamb came up where there was no people.
A lamb represents religion--the Lamb of God. And remember, it spoke like
a lamb; it was a lamb, and then after while it received power and spoke like a
dragon, and exercised all the power the--the dragon--power the dragon had
before him; and the dragon is Rome always. So don't you see, Roman
denomination, a marked Protestant denomination, an image unto the beast, making a power that'll force all
Protestants like a union. You'll have to be into this council of churches,
or you won't be able to have fellowship ...
Well, it's practically that way now. You can't go to a church and
preach, 'less you have a fellowship card or some identification. And now, on
persons like ourselves, we're going to be cut out of all that altogether.
That's exactly, because they won't be able to do it. It's tightening; and then
when that time comes, and the press
comes to a place to where you're pressed out, then watch (what I am fixing to tell you in a few minutes) watch the third pull then. It'll be
absolutely to the total lost, but it
will be for the Bride and the church. Now, we're closer than it seems to be. I don't know when, but it's real, real, close. I may be
building a platform for somebody else to step on. I may be taken before that time. I don't know. And that time may be
this coming week that the Holy Spirit will come with--and bring Christ Jesus.
He may come this next week. He may come yet tonight. I don't know when He will
come. He doesn't tell us that. But I do believe that we are so close, that I
would never die with old age. Yet at fifty-four years old, I'd never die with
old age until He's here. See? Unless
I am shot, killed, or something, or other, some way killed; just old age
wouldn't kill me, until He's come. And I believe that... And I want to say
this; I have never said it before, but according to Scripture, according to what He said thirty years
ago, thirty-three years ago on the river down there (in 1933, rather), what He said, everything has happened
just exactly. I may not do it, but
this message will introduce Jesus Christ to the world. "For as John
the Baptist was sent to forerun the first coming, so is the message to forerun
the second coming." And John said, "Behold the Lamb of God that takes
away the sin of the world." See? So it paralleled it in every way, and I
know it will. The message will go on.
Now, brother Branham told us just to
stand, just like Paul did. He said, when
the squeeze comes down, then you'll see what you have seen temporarily, be
manifested in the fullness of its power. See? Now, I must continue in
evangelism, just as I was commissioned first; I must continue on. Therefore,
you've had the Word, and you know what
to look for, how to stand. I
must continue on in evangelism. And friends of mine, keep still and just keep
moving on, for the hour is approaching swiftly (See?), that when something
is going to be done.
Then brother Branham tells us how the
third pull will come fully into use. He says,
“But it's going to be used.
And everyone knows that for as certain as the first was identified, so has the
second been identified; and if you'll think real closely, you who are spiritual
(as the Bible said, "Here's to him who has wisdom.") the third is properly identified. See?
We know where it is. So the third pull is here.
It
is so sacred that I mustn't not say much about it, as He told me in the
beginning. Said, "This, say nothing of it." You remember that years
ago? It speaks for Itself. See? But
I've tried to explain the others, and I made a mistake. This will be the thing that, to my opinion (I don't say the Lord
tells me this.)--this will be the thing
that will start the rapturing faith for the going away...
Now, tomorrow morning we will look at
those things which brother Branham said the third pull has already been
identified with.