Brian Kocourek
ROMANS 8: 1 ¶ [There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ
Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me
free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do,
in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness
of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of
the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the
Spirit. 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but
they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded
[is] death; but to be spiritually minded [is] life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind
[is] enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed
can be. 8
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the
Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is
none of his. 10 ¶ And if Christ [be] in you, the
body [is] dead because of sin; but the Spirit [is] life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him that
raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that
raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit
that dwelleth in you. 12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors( That mans obligated),we are not obligated to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For
if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify (or die to) the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14 For as
many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye
have not received the spirit of bondage (slavery) again to fear; but
ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16
The Spirit (Word of God in us) itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 ¶ 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. 18 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. 19 For
the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth
for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20 For the creature was made
subject to vanity, not willingly,
but by reason of him who hath subjected [the same] in hope, 21 Because
the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into
the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in
pain together until now. 23 And
not only [they], but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit,
even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, [to wit],
the redemption of our body. 24 For
we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth,
why doth he yet hope for? 25 But
if we hope for that we see not, [then] do we with patience wait for [it]. 26 ¶
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we
should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us
with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what [is] the mind of the
Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to [the will
of] God. 28 And we know that all things
work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called
according to [his] purpose. 29 ¶ For whom he did foreknow, he also did
predestinate [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be
the firstborn among many brethren. 30
Moreover whom he did predestinate,
them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 31 ¶ What shall we then say to these things? If God [be] for us, who [can be] against
us?
Let’s just bow our heads and
hearts for prayer.
This morning I would like to
continue in our study of the book of Romans and this is number 48 in our series
and I would like to also subtitle this (Kadesh and the judgment seat of
Christ.)
We read an awful lot of
Scripture this morning, and the entire 8th chapter of the Book of
Romans means so very much to me that it is very difficult to know where to
place our focus, but since we have been studying so carefully verse 1 which
speaks of the Judgment and the fact that there is no judgment to those who are
in Christ Jesus, I want to look at this opening thought that Paul expresses
here in line with the other things he says immediately following.
Therefore, let’s read from
verse 1-2 and then verses 20-21 to take our text for this morning. ROMANS
8: 1 ¶ [There is] therefore now no
condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh,
but after the Spirit. 2 For
the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of
sin and death. … 20 For
the creature was made subject to vanity,
not willingly, but by reason
of him who hath subjected [the same] in hope, 21 Because the creature
itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious
liberty of the children of God.
20 For the creature was made
subject to vanity, not willingly,
but by reason of him who hath subjected [the same] in hope.
The Weymouth Translation : For
the creation was judged to have it’s energies marred and frustrated , not of
it’s own choice, but by the will of Him who subjected it.
The Amplified
Translation: For the creation (nature) was subjected to frailty – to futility;
judged and condemned to frustration – not because of some intentional fault on
it’s part, but by the will of Him Who so subjected it. Yet with hope that it
will be liberated and set free from the
bondage and corruption and brought into the glorious freedom of the Children of
God.
Now, from the viewing of these thoughts , I would
like to focus our thoughts this morning on verse 1 again, because Paul is
telling us here that although we are hopelessly frustrated while in this body
of corruption, yet, our hope is in a once for all deliverance. We know according to Brother Branham that we
by-passed our theophany to come to this world for testing. That means that that
Spirit Body which knows, we did not possess before, we came here. Therefore, by
by-passing it, we came to this world without a clue. Why? So that we might give God a sense of being.
Ironies said, "God being a Saviour, it was necessary
that He predestinate a man who would require salvation in order to give Himself
reason and purpose of being.
Therefore Paul tells us, 20 For the creature was made
subject to vanity, not willingly,
but by reason of him who hath subjected [the same] in hope,
Now, then, how does this tie into the first verse, 1
¶ [There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus… Because
Paul goes on to tell us that there is a particular law which is in operation
here. A certain Law that takes over in this situation. He said, 2 For
the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of
sin and death.
For the law of
the Spirit of life. What is the law of the Spirit of Life? Is it not that which God Spoke
in Genesis 1: 11? Every
Seed shall bring forth of its kind, its nature? Then if the law of Life
is what keeps us from going through the judgment, it is because of this
law. We are seed and therefore heirs
and joint heirs with Christ.
Notice verse 17-18 17 ¶ 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. 18 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.
And notice more specifically, that Paul speaks of a
suffering together with Christ, and a reigning with Him.
He said, if so
be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified together.
Now, we have established that it is the law of Life
that prevents us from going through the judgment. And why is that, Because we
have in the law a certain principle that you can only be tried and judged once
for the same offense. And in the case of capital punishment, you can only be tried and sentenced to death but
one time. And since we were in Christ
as Seed, and therefore our Life is His Life, then we have already suffered with
Him, and therefore we shall reign with Him as well.
Paul said, in Galatians… GALATIANS 2: 20 I am
crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:
and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of
God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. In the Message CRUELTY OF SIN 53-0403 Brother Branham
quoted Paul by saying, "I
was crucified with Christ. Yet I live; not me, but Christ lives in
me."
SPIRITUAL
AMNESIA 64-0411 E-33 033 Now, to be a true
Christian, you have to be the same. We don't want to forget that. All that He
was, I'm identified with Him. I'm identified with Him. Notice. And He is in me, and I in Him. Notice. Then
every Christian that's a real genuine Christian--Christian was with Him,
"when the morning stars sang together and the sons of God shouted for
joy" before there was foundation of the world. We were identified in the
immortal realms with God ten million years before the world was ever formed. I
was back there with Him. If I've got Eternal Life, I was there with Him. I was
identified with Him when the morning stars sang together, and the sons of God
shouted for joy….
I most surely
was with Him at Calvary. I must be identified with Him at Calvary. I must be
there to a place, that where not also was I identified with Him in Calvary, I
died with Him at Calvary. Every Christian must die with Him at Calvary. If you
don't die with Him at Calvary, you can't be none of His. I was there when He
died. I died with Him. And then I was
with Him when He raised up from the dead. I come up on Easter morning with Him
in the resurrection. Whatever He did, I was right there with Him. Every
believer was the same.
DOUBLE
JEAPARDY
Tells me I can not be judged again… Hallelujah…
There have been three Exoduses… And during the
first, I was with Him, and in the second I was with Him and now today, I am
with Him because He lives, I live.
At the first Exodus The people came to their Kadesh
Barnea, their judgment seat, when Joshua came back with the evidence of the
promised land in his hand. (he brought to the people the evidence of the fruit
of the promise ) and they turned it down. Brother Branham said, our Joshua is the Holy Ghost and He has come back in this hour with the
fruits of His Promise.
CONFLICT
BETWEEN GOD AND SATAN 62-0531 E-7 007 And when they got
over to Kadesh-Barnea... Now, the... Kadesh-Barnea is the judgment seat. It was
at that day to the world. Kadesh-Barnea; it was a place where there was a great
big spring and many little springs, little tributaries to this spring. Well,
there they had a man among them, a great warrior named Joshua
("Joshua" is "Jehovah-Saviour."), and Joshua went over into
the promised land. Now, remember, none of them had never been there. They
didn't know whether the land was actually there or not. They just, by faith,
went by what was told them, that God had a place for them, and they was going
to that place just by faith. Now, think of that. Left Egypt and God brought
them out, and now they're nearing that land. And when they get near the land,
Joshua goes over into the land and brings back the evidence: crosses Jordan,
goes over into Palestine, brings back the evidence, great bunch of grapes, that
taken two men to pack, and they could eat those grapes. And he said, "The
land is just exactly what God said it was." Oh, what a freedom that was,
where they could go now and they could have their own farms, and raise their
children, and have... And God's blessings upon them, and live in peace. They
was nobody's slaves. How... But
finally, after they lived a good long life, they finally had to die, yet being
God's children. It went on for year after year: raising their crops, and having
their families, and good peaceful life, and then die. E-8 008
And then one day down come the greatest Warrior of all, the Lord Jesus,
the Son of God. And He said, "There is a land where a man don't die. In My
Father's house is many mansions. If it wasn't so, I would've told you. I go and
prepare a place and return to receive you." Now, He's the Prophet that
come speaking of a land just beyond the river Jordan, death, where that... Even
though you got your farms, you got your families, you're blessed of God, but
yet you have to die. But yet, there's a land beyond that where you don't die.
Oh, my. Then He came to Kadesh-Barnea, Calvary, the judgment seat again. Where
the penalty of sin that caused men to die, it was met at judgment at His
Kadesh-Barnea. He paid the penalty of sin, died, crossed Jordan, the Jordan of
death, and rose up on the third day. Coming back, and said, "Feel Me. A
spirit don't have flesh and bones like Me. Got something to eat?" He eat
fish and bread. And He was with them for forty days, proving, like Joshua, that
the land was there. He's the evidence of the land there. Now, He said,
"All that will believe this, go ye into all the world, preach the Gospel
to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He that
believeth not shall be damned." E-9
009 Then on the day of
Pentecost He sent back the earnest of this place, the assurance, the evidence
that this land is real. Just like Joshua brought back the evidence, Jesus
brought the evidence of the Holy Ghost. Now, we reckon ourselves dead. We're
buried with Him in baptism unto His death, and we raised with Him in the
resurrection. And now we are in already, not we're going to; we're already
raised. Oh, my. We are now, not will be; we are now, tonight, setting in
heavenly places. How? In Christ Jesus. Not we will be some other time; we are
now. The church don't realize who they are. See? We are now, right this minute.
How? In Christ Jesus, assembled together in Him, already raised from the dead. Our
souls is immortal. E-10 010 Now, let's stop just a minute. Here once we
used to lie, steal, cheat, fight, curse, everything else. And then we confessed
all that sin. Then we were buried with Him in baptism and raised up with Him.
And when we come up, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the
Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the
evidence," the evidence of this good land. And then that Spirit that comes
upon us brings us up from that lying, stealing, and all that stuff back there.
And now we have raised up with Him, now setting with Him up here in heavenly
places. Our souls are absolutely, already.
At the Second Exodus Jesus took our judgment upon
Him. And if we were in Him then we have been crucified with Him, we have
suffered with Him…. How many remember when brother Branham quoted Levi as being
credited with paying tithes while he was in the loins of Abraham?
DEMONOLOGY 1
PHYSICAL Here's the Scripture for you if you want. I believe it said that
Levi paid tithes when he was in the loins of Abraham, which was his
great-grandfather. Is that right? So, see, the germ become back there.
Then if we were in Him when He was crucified, we
were also in Him when God raised Him from the dead.
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up
Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that
raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his
Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Read from the suffering of Christ by the physician…
We can not be tried twice for the same thing. And if
the Spirit of Christ be in us it is because we were in Him when He was judged.
Yes, God judged your sin already and Jesus your older brother Paid the price
for your sin and unbelief… I have been crucified with Christ, Nevertheless, I
live, yet Not I but Christ that liveth in Me.
This nation has met its Kadesh – Barnea in 1956, and
what happened after the rejection at Kadesh-Barnea? They had to wander for 40
more years.