Romans 30

What is the testing all about?

Brian Kocourek

Last night while I sat in my study, something took place that I am completely thrilled with, to know that God, My Sovereign Lord, and yet My Father, has allowed us to better understand why we must go through the way of trials and tribulations. I want you to listen very closely this morning to the words which are spoken because as I began to read from Romans 5 again, something just started to speak to my mind and I just wrote a quickly as the words were coming to me and I have a greater understanding of these two verses of scripture than ever before. Let’s read now from Romans 5.

Romans 5:1 ¶ Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 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.

Again this morning I want to address the subject of Romans 5:1-2, which deals with the Peace of God even during tribulation. I ant to reinforce this to you because of what we saw by way of film on Wednesday night. I do not want you to be too concerned with what is coming upon this world. But we also do not want to be unprepared either. “For if the good man had known what hour the thief was coming, he would not have suffered his house to be broken into”. So, in fact Jesus Himself warned the people to be prepared. And in fact, “He has come to make ready a prepared people.” But right now we want to emphasize to you the fact that Paul tells us we will have many trials and tribulations, but through all this we have peace with God and therefore our focus throughout it all is the peace we still have during times of stress and tribulation. Those who do not understand God’s Word are the ones who will not hold up under the tribulations and testings. But those who are ordained to believe will, and because they place their trust in God and Him alone, they are not worried about making other provisions for themselves.

Matthew 13:5-6 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 13:10-13 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 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. 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. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 13:20-21 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but endures for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

So we see the trials are to test the metal so to speak to show what is in you as we have already spoken for the last few weeks. And notice that the trials are because of the Word. Those trials which are do to your believing the Word...

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Why?

Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Therefore our focus throughout it all is the peace we still have during times of stress and tribulation. In fact the peace of God is said to be in this regard, a much greater feeling to us than the concerns of tribulation because we know for certain that tribulations are only allowed by God for the purpose of creating in us a greater measure of patience, and when we come into this greater measure of patience, we will as well develop more experience which means that our character will more fully develop.

Therefore what we can see is that tribulations, or testings and trials are a necessary thing if we are to grow and become more Christ-like. For without them we can not grow and develop the same character that Our Lord Jesus Christ did. The Scripture tells us that, “Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered.” [Heb 5:8] Let’s read it together for ourselves...

Notice the Scripture says, “Though He were a Son”, and this word, THOUGH is a combination of two Greek words, KAI and Per which together says, Although He were a Son, or Even though He were a Son, in other words, In Spite of the fact that He were a Son, ... So this tells us that it does not matter what place you have in the kingdom of God, there is but one way for you to learn obedience, and that is the way of suffering. We in Laodicea have not learned to be obedient to God by what great bountiful blessings we have received. But on the contrary, when we suffer, we learn.

The Scripture goes on to say, in spite of the fact that He were a Son, In spite of this, yet learned He obedience ... Now this learning means that He not only increased in his knowledge and understanding, but it also means to learn by use and practice...to be in the habit and accustomed to... Therefore, the suffering does not take you from an idiot and give you some incredible knowledge, and thus make you a son with the character of the Son, but it takes the knowledge and understanding that you already have in you by the new birth and shows you how to use it, and become familiar with it, and to become accustomed to it. In other words, that it might become more natural to you than the other nature that you have of your own flesh. And what is it that God wants us to become more accustomed to, until it is just as natural to us as breathing? It is obedience to His Word. And this word obedience used here is a word which tells us that we become more compliant and submissive to the knock on the door. We become more attentive and careful about listening for that knock on the door. It is a compound word hupo-meaning under or submissive to and-akouo which means to be able to hear and pay close attention to or to perceive the sense of what is said or done. In other words it is a sensitivity and perception or the ability to be able to understand, perceive, consider and discern what is happening and why it is happening.

Therefore if we link these words together and their usage in speaking of Christ Jesus Himself, we could read this verse of scripture with the following understanding, “In spite of the fact that He was a Son of God, yet, still He had to learn to subject His being and to use His knowledge and sensitivity to God and His perception, and understanding, and discernment of God’s Word on a daily basis, in His every day life, until He became so accustomed to using it that it became part of His nature, that He could walk in it freely without feeling awkward, or uncomfortable or unnatural. In other words, God allows the every day trials and tribulations to mold into us and hone into us a sharpness that is characteristic of His discerning Word, that we could never be pulled to the left, nor to the right, but that we will comfortably walk down the middle of the road, and live in the Presence of the Living Word in such a natural way as if it is and has become a part of our very nature, because after all, it is our nature by the new birth, and by the child training of our Father.

Hebrews 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

Acts 3:26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

John 6:44-45 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.

This is part of that ever abounding Grace that gives us access. Because in Romans 5:3 Paul tells us our access comes by Faith which is the Revelation of Jesus Christ as God our Father Hath Himself taught us.

Now, in considering this obedience that comes through the trials and testing, we now have a better understanding . By the New Birth, God has breathed into our Souls the breath of Life and our Soul is quickened and made alive. And as we are given trials and testings, these are but a means of exercising a Spiritual muscle and training that spiritual muscle to have a natural reaction to certain situations and words. Like an athlete who has excelled. They train their bodies to respond in a certain way to certain stimulus. The hurdler trains over and over with his rhythm and stride that he can run the course set before him with his eyes blindfolded and still not miss a hurdle. The martial arts master has tuned his mind and his five outer senses so well that he is able to defend himself in total darkness and without the aid of his eyes if needed. The skilled pilot is so one with his machine that he or she can do things with a plane which look completely impossible for a plane to do. Yet it comes through training the senses until they just naturally respond without much thought. And that is what God has in mind for you and I. That we might respond to His Word in such a natural display until we don’t even have to take a second thought.

It just comes by naturally. That is what Hebrews 5: 8 is all about. It is not that God just wanted to make some absurd statement about how Jesus was not and one day became. Nor is it to say as though suffering has some magic in it that makes you something you are not. But the suffering is a form of exercising your senses so that it becomes just as natural to you as nature itself. Let’s follow through with what Paul tells us here in Hebrews 5... Because in many ways Hebrews 5 parallels Romans 5...

Hebrews 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; Now, I want you to notice that this doesn’t stop here. Watch how Paul ties this learning to use this sense of obedience and oneness with God’s Word with the development of Character. 9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; Now, remember this becoming is not as though He were not and then became... But as brother Branham explained to us of the Becoming God, it is a moving from one expression to another, and as Jesus used more and more the Word of God in overcoming His own trials, He became more perfect and complete in His Oneness with the Very Word of God until it was just as natural to do what the Word told Him to do as it would be to follow your natural instincts. 10 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec. Now, it did not say He was Melchisidec, but that God called Him to be a High-Priest after the Order or in the same way in which God Himself had been to Abraham... 11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. 12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which [be] the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. Now, why would Paul say this??? why would he start to talk about the fact that these people should be to the place of being able to teach others, and yet have not arrived there yet? because he is still talking about how the trials and daily life routines are to hone our minds and bring out what God has placed in us by the New Birth, yet He is also telling us that this comes by opening up our minds to strong meat which is Word. 13 For every one that useth milk [is] unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

Now, why would Paul say they are unskillful and not simply use the word unkowledgable. What does the word skill suggest to you? The word unskilled means to be inexperienced or without experience. And when we think of the word skill we think of in terms of being able to apply something which has been learned and to be able to easily put it to use. Webster defines skill as an expertness that comes from training and practice. And that is what Paul is telling these people. After so many years of believing the Message, if they had been applying the Message in their lives, they would by now be able to teach others also how to apply, but they have chose rather to drink the milk of the Word, and to chase after the miner things instead of the deeper things of God. How many times did the Pentecostal people come to brother Branham and ask him to teach them the deeper things of God, and what was his answer every time? How can I teach algebra when they don’t even know their ABC’s. And what is the ABC’s he’s talking about? Always Believe Christ.

And what did he use as an example that they did not believe Christ? He said, it was the way they looked, the clothes they wore, the things they talked about, their hair and the simple every day living... They had the word for those things and yet because they did not exercise themselves in it, because they did not train themselves with it, because they did not practice that word, how could he give them greater?

Hebrews 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age or the end-age, [even] those who by reason of use, By reason of what? those who by reason of use, have their senses exercised, have their what? have their senses exercised, to do what? have their senses exercised to do what? to discern both good and evil. There you are... They have trained their minds, their spirit, their soul so regularly to what is right, that when evil pops it’s ugly head they know what it is and what to do with it just as naturally as you would know to swat down a mosquito. And once they have been so trained, they become so one with the Word that it is just as natural as breathing. As Brother Vayle has said, when any Word is spoken, it is so natural that immediately you know what Brother Branham taught us on that subject. And when and man would quote God’s Prophet, immediately you would know what scripture He is speaking of. And when the people are in this mature condition, then what? Let’s read on. Remember, it was a catholic month that put the chapters in this Bible, so ignore them as you read. And let’s continue on with what Paul is saying here...

Hebrews 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. Now, what does Paul mean by not laying again the foundation of repentance and faith and baptisms, and resurrection of the dead? Look, the Protestants spend most of their time trying to prove these basic precepts of our faith, when Paul is saying, don’t stop there, you must go on. There is much more to this than just the basic tenets of our faith. Let’s go forth and move on. The martial arts master doesn’t know just one aspect of his craft, but he has progressed into a much higher realm. The skilled pilot doesn’t just worry about taking off and landing, but has learned to maneuver his plane in ways which defy physics. The World class hurdler doesn’t just practice his starts, but he has mastered his stride, and rhythm and cadence and speed, and loft and stretch and landing, and breathing and every aspect that is involved with his race. And so must we.

So many in this message have stopped at divine healing and God sending a prophet until the very Message that God Himself brought have been left aside and have become altogether unprofitable to them. Many of the ministers in this message have long time ago stopped their quest for truth because it interferes with the numbers of people they would like to have in their churches. But Paul said we must lay aside the first step, and the second step and the third step and the fourth step and keep moving forward to perfection, to completion. I’ll never forget, when I was young and in school, in junior high school I could pole vault 9’9’ with a steel pole that had no flex. And in fact when I went to high school, my sophomore year, I could vault 10’ 9” with only three steps with a flex pole that was corked so it would give some flex but not too much. 10’9” with three steps... And we had this new track coach who liked my ability so much that he promised me with hard work I would do 15 or 16 feet without any problem. But he said I would have to train hard and boy did he train us hard. In the early spring up their in Minnesota, we ran snow sprints in knee deep snow. we climbed the 30’ rope without our feet, and when we got to doing it fairly quick, we then had to climb it upside down. We worked and worked, I thought about what this man had told me and thought that he was full of blue sky because the world record was only 17’ something and there was no way as a high schooler I would ever do 16’. And so I quit, got a job and went to work.

A couple years later, my senior year I decided to give it another whack. But this time I was at another school without a good track coach. I began by practicing indoors and working on my three step 10’9” jump. I got it down pretty good. But the coach I had wanted me to change by approach and lift. And instead of taking me up higher and adding to what I already had, he did not like my vertical lift and tuck so he had me work every day on only that one point and to do it his way... I never vaulted over 11’9” that year... Oh, I could hit 11’6” my first try, no problem... I qualified for the regional by hitting it my first jump and hitting 11’9’. But I hit a barrier at 12’ that I could not get passed, because I did not go on to perfection.... I had so focused on what this coach wanted me to do that I never progressed, but actually went backwards in my vaulting ability. I ended up having no second lift at all and ended up fossbury flopping the bar. And the most disgusting thing of all is the guys who I could out vault my sophomore year by over a foot, were doing 15’4” that year. I look back today and wish I would have listened to the first instructor and went on to perfection. I would have had the state record. But I had a bad teacher at the new high school who did not understand pole vaulting, not having been a vaulter himself and allowed him to mess up my vertical take off and vertical push and roll. And how many people have stopped moving forward in this Word of Life because they have a bad teacher who wants to back and focus of the minor things.

Hebrews 6:3 And this will we do, if God permit. 4 For [it is] impossible for those who were once for all enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made companions of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, If they deviate from the truth, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put [him] to an open shame.

Keep moving onward... Train them up in a way they shall go and when they get old they will not depart. Why? Because through practice and repetition, it has become ingrained in them as part of their life... Is that what we are doing in our homes ? Are we so in training that this Word has become part of our nature? Are we so in practice that this Word has become not only a reality, but our very life and breath?