Romans 57
Brian Kocourek
Sunday we spoke from Romans 10: 1-6 where Paul spoke of those who had a
Zeal but without knowledge, and how they will turn down God's knowledge and try
to establish their own.
Romans 10:1 ¶ Brethren, my heart's
desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3
For they being ignorant of God's
righteousness, and going about to establish
their own righteousness, have not
submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4 For
Christ [is] the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 5
For Moses describeth the
righteousness which is of the law, That the
man which doeth those things shall live by them. 6 But the righteousness which is of faith
speaketh on this wise, (Notice, Paul is telling us that righteousness speaks.) that word in the Greek is lego
and it means: to put word to word in speaking , join words together,in order to
teach, exhort, advise, command, direct
2c) to point out with words…
Then Paul tells us in what
manner our righteousness will speak…But the righteousness which is of faith
speaketh on this wise 7 Or, Who shall descend into the
deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
In other words, who is going
to tell God anything.
8 But what
saith it? The word is nigh thee, [even] in thy mouth, and in thy heart:
that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the
Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the
dead, thou shalt be saved. 10
For with the heart man believeth unto
righteousness; and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be
ashamed.
Now, Sunday we studied this zeal
based upon a false understanding, and we saw how the command for Laodicea is to
repentance. Which we know is a change of the mind. He said they have a zeal but it isn't according to knowledge.
Then he said, Being Ignorant of God's righteousness, they go
about to establish their own righteousness. Now the word, righteousness
means right-wise-ness and being that they reject God’s right-wise-ness or God’s
way , they have only one thing left to do and that is to accept their own
right-wise-ness as being the correct way.
Isn't it interesting that
their own understanding brings upon them a zeal that outshines the Elect. Why?
Because the Elect won't make a move without knowing it is God's purpose and
plan for them to do so. Jesus said, the Son can of Himself do nothing, but
whatsoever the Father doeth, the Son doeth Likewise.
From the Church Age Book we
read from the chapter pertaining to this end-time, 355-4, 4 Laodicean Church Age - "Be
zealous and repent." Now this false church has zeal; make no mistake about
that….He goes on to say, But it is a wrong zeal. It is for the house of their
own building. It is for their own creeds, dogmas, organizations, their own
righteousness. They have put the Word out for their own ideas. They deposed the
Holy Ghost and made men into leaders. They have put aside Eternal Life as a
Person, and make it good works, or even church conformity rather than good
works. But God is calling for another
zeal. It is the zeal to cry "I AM WRONG". Now who is going to say
that he is wrong? What is it that all these denominations are based upon?--the
claim to originality, and that of God,--the claim that they are right. Now they
ALL cannot be right. In fact NOT ONE of them is right. They are whited
sepulchres, full of dead men's bones. They have no life. They have no
vindication. God has never made Himself known in any organization. They say
they are right because they are the ones that are saying it, but saying it does
not make it so. They need the vindicated "Thus saith the Lord" of God,
and they don't have it.
Paul said, For they
being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the
righteousness of God. Notice, these do not submit themselves to the
right-wise-ness of God and so they try to establish their own thinking as the
best avenue, the best way to go and do not realize in doing so they cut
themselves off from the Life of God.
UNVEILING OF GOD If they'd have only known the Word, they'd
have known Who Jesus was. If a man only known the Word of God, he'd know the
hour we're living and what's going on. They just refuse to listen to that Word.
Their traditions...
Then
we must ask ourselves what is going on? What is the Revelation of this hour?
From the Message SERPENT'S SEED 58-0928E
21-7 brother Branham said, "God hid it from the eyes of the wise
and prudent and promised to reveal it to the sons of God in the last days,
when the sons of God would be made manifest. When God's sons that rejoiced with
Him before the foundation of the world, when the great revelation of the
Godhead and things would be brought down in the last days, He would
manifest these things to the sons of God. You know the Scripture teaches that.
And here we are. That's the reason that God is opening these things to us.
God is bringing His sons into manifestation. He's going beyond the
limitations of any human knowledge, way into the spiritual revelations and
bringing it down."
So
we see that God is doing something for the Sons of God in this day, and what He
is doing is revealing Himself and what that will do for you and me is bring us
into manifestation of what we really are. He said, "That's the reason that God is opening these things to us. God is
bringing His sons into manifestation."
That's
exactly 1 John 3: 1-3 ¶ Behold, what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God:
therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we
shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we
shall see him as he is. 3 And every
man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
That's
Colossians 3: 4 When Christ, [who is] our life, shall appear,(phaneroo) then shall ye also appear (phaneroo) with him in glory.
I
CORINTHIANS 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face:
now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
I CORINTHIANS 13: 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is
perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. And there is no one perfect
but God… Then this speaks of when He, God comes… 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child,(why did I understand like a child?) I thought as a child: but when I became
a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now
we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face, (Face to face?
That word is personal presence. Therefore, there is coming a time when I will
see Him Presence to Presence. ) now I know in part; but then ( When? At that time that He is personally here, ) then
shall I know even as also I am known.
Know = epiginosko , to become
thoroughly acquainted with, to know thoroughly; to know accurately, know well… to recognize; by sight, hearing, of
certain signs, to perceive who a person is…then will I understand…
Then
we should be able to see that this knowing God is what brings on our change.
Now let's turn to the book of John and examine this revelation which is to
bring forth our change.
JOHN
14:7 If ye had known me, ye
should have known my Father also: This
tells us that that Jesus did not come to manifest Himself but his Father. and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Now, this is
where the ONENESS believe that Jesus was his Father. But Phillip knew Jesus was
speaking of another. For He said, 8
Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9
Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast
thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how
sayest thou [then], Shew us the Father?
Now again the ONENESS will run
with this and say, See! See! See! Jesus said when you see him you see the
father, that means that Jesus is the Father. And they are wrong, wrong, wrong….
How many sons are a spitten image of there Father, and in this case all
Jesus said and did He did only after watching the Father do and say.
JOHN
5:19 Then
answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can
do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever
he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
20 For the Father loveth the
Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him
greater works than these, that ye may marvel. 21 For as the Father raiseth up
the dead, and quickeneth [them]; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
JOHN
5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I
hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but
the will of the Father which hath sent me.
31 ¶ If I bear witness of myself, my witness is
not true.
JOHN
7:16
Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that
sent me. 17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether
it be of God, or [whether] I speak of myself.
Now,
remember, Phillip had just asked Him to show them the Father and Jesus told
them when you see him you see the father, and then notice how specific Jesus
makes His understanding of this special relationship known to his Disciples.
John
14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father,
and the Father in me? Now,
this clarified His previous statement that He made concerning His relationship
with the Father. But the ONENESS will not read this. They want to stop at "when you see
me you see the Father," But when Jesus says, I am in the
Father and the Father is in Me, this tells you that He is not the all of the
Father but only a part of the Father.
We are talking parts here. God was in Christ, that is what the Scripture
tells us. This is the relationship Phillip saw here. Let's turn to it.
II
CORINTHIANS 5:16 ¶ Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though
we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we [him] no
more. 17 Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new
creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18
And all things [are] of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus
Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19
To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto
himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us
the word of reconciliation.
COLOSSIANS
2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the
Godhead bodily.
ACTS
17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our
being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his
offspring. 29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to
think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art
and man's device. 30 And the times of this ignorance God winked
at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
In
getting back to john 14: 10 we read, the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the
Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Now, this should be about as plain as the nose on
your face. The Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works…
John
14:11 Believe
me that I [am] in the Father, and the Father in me: or else
believe me for the very works' sake. He says, Believe
me when I tell you the Father dwelleth in Me, and if you find that a hard thing
to do, then believe me for the works sake, for the vindication sake…
John
14: 12 ¶
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the
works that I do shall he do also; and greater [works] than these shall he do; because
I go unto my Father. 13 And
whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be
glorified in the Son 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I
will do [it]. 15 ¶ If ye love me, keep my commandments 16
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter,
that he may abide with you for ever; 17
[Even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive,
because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he
dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18
¶ I will not leave you
comfortless: I will come to you.
I
will not leave you orphans, I will come unto you. 19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me:
because I live, ye shall live also. 20 At
that day ye shall know that I [am] in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and
he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will
manifest myself to him. 22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord,
how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? 23
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and
my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with
him. 24 He that loveth me not keepeth
not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's
which sent me. 25 ¶ These things have I
spoken unto you, being [yet] present with you. 26 But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father
will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to
your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 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. 28 ¶ Ye have heard how I
said unto you, I go away, and come [again] unto you. If ye loved me, ye would
rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than
I. 29 And now I have told you
before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.
30 Hereafter I will not talk much
with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. 31
But that the world may know that I love the Father; That
the world may know that I love Myself
066 Oh church, and if this tape goes out, can't you see, ministers
of the Gospel, where you're living? Can't you see the hour that we're in? God,
showing Himself, setting aside... Look, He took that temple veil and tore it to
pieces that they might see God in plain view, and they was too blind to see It.
And He's done the same thing today: putting His Word right out in front, what
He promised, every promise in the Word laying right before us, in plain view.
You know what the Gentile church does? The same thing the Jewish church did:
too blind to see It. That's all. It'll be on their hearts just as it was in
that day.
067 Notice, death to stay away from It now. You must go into It
through this veil or you won't. How God could have mercy on them... But
remember what it was, that God is manifesting what was behind that veil. Watch
what was behind the veil: the Word. What did it veil? The Word. What was it?
It's in the ark. It was the Word that that veil hid. See? And Jesus was that
Word, and He is that Word, and the veil of His flesh hid It. And today the veil
of tradition hides the Word again, saying, "It's not so." But It is
so. God's testifying of It, blasting Himself right out as bright as the sun
before everyone, and they fail to see It. God, be merciful to us.
068 In type, Moses coming from the Presence of God with the Word of
God for that age... Now, watch, we're now in Exodus 19. Don't miss this now.
Exodus 19, Moses is coming from the Presence of God, or 20 and 21, 19:20 and
21. Moses is coming from the Presence of God; he has been into the Word. The
Word's been wrote, and he in the Presence of God with the Word, he had the Word
for that age. There's a Word for each age. And Moses coming forth, his face
shined so. See? The Word was in him, ready to be manifested, give out to the
people. The true Word, God had wrote It and It was with Moses. Notice It was
with Moses and was ready to be manifested. He was the Word to them; he was the
living Word hid, veiled himself; Moses had to put a veil over his own face.
Why? He was that Word. Amen. Until that Word was made known, Moses had to veil
himself. Amen. Do you see It? Wherever the Word is, It's veiled.
380-1 Resume of The Ages - CA But
because they are wrong seed, consequently they have a wrong spirit motivating
them. Religious? Oh my! They outshine the elect in effort and zeal,
but it is Laodicean, not of Christ, for
it looks for big crowds, big programs and startling signs amongst them.
They preach the second coming of Christ, but deny the advent of the
prophet-messenger, though in power and signs and true revelation he eclipses
them all. Ah yes, this false spirit that
in the last day is so close to the real, can be distinguished only by its
deviation from the Word, and whenever it is caught in being anti-Word, it
falls back on the one argument we have already shown to be false: "We get
results, don't we? We have to be of God."
348-1 LAODICEAN CA - Now God says they are naked as well as blind. I cannot imagine anything
as tragic as a man who is blind and naked and does not know it. There is only
one answer--he is out of his mind. He is already deep in oblivion. His faculties are gone, spiritual amnesia
has set in. What else can it mean? Can it mean that the Holy Spirit has
taken His leave of this last day church? Can it mean that men have put God out
of their minds to such an extent that it is happening even as stated in Romans 1:28. "And even as they did
not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate
mind, to do those things which are not convenient." It surely appears that
something like that has happened.
Here is a people who say that they are of God and know God and have His
Holy Spirit, and yet they are naked and blind and don't know it. They are
ALREADY DECEIVED. THEY HAVE THE WRONG SPIRIT. THE ELECT CANNOT BE DECEIVED, BUT
IT IS EVIDENT THAT THESE OTHERS ARE. These are they who have become blind
because they refused the Word of God. These are they who have stripped
themselves naked by leaving God's care and protection and sought to build their
own way of salvation, their own tower of Babel by organization. Oh, how lovely
and beautiful dressed they appear in their own eyes as they formed their
general assembles, and their councils, etc. But now God is stripping it all
away and they are naked, for these organizations have but led them into the
camp of antichrist, into the field of tares, right up to their binding and
burning. Objects of pity indeed they are. Yes, pity them, warn them, beseech
them, and still they go their way headlong to destruction, wrathfully turning
away any and all attempts to save them as brands from the burning. Miserable
indeed they are, yet they know it not. Callused and beyond hope, they glory in
what is actually their shame. Defiant against the Word, yet one day they shall
be judged by it and pay the price of its awful indictments.
Therefore, we should be able to see that God has come
with the purpose to shine forth His Light upon the minds of the elect, which He
calls His Righteous, and by shining the Light of His Glorious Presence upon His
Righteous, It causes His Righteous to be changed from Glory to Glory and from
image to image. That’s 2 Cor 3: 18
again… “But we all, with open face (an unveiled face, one which
has no traditions or creeds) beholding as in a glass (the mirror of the Word) the glory of the Lord, are changed into the
same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
In other words, when we pick
up the Word of God, this Bible and look into it, we no longer see ourselves,
but we see Christ, and when we see Him, the longer we look the more we are
changed to be like Him.
Now, in getting back to
Romans 10 we pick up at verse 13 through 17 in closing…
Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon
the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed and how
shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear
without a preacher (Even though they say they
hear, thy boast in vain, unless they hear true preachers; for to hear false
prophets means as much as not to hear. They hear and they do not hear; They
have ears, but do not hear, nor do they preach the Word of God. ? 15
And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful
are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of
good things! ? This is directed
against all conceited teachers and arrogant instructors .
If you will notice in verse 14-15 there are four
statements that Paul makes that of which follow together in such a way that one
leads to the other, but so that the last forms the foundation on which the
others rest. Thus we see from what Paul said, that it is impossible that those
preach who are not sent, It then is impossible for those to hear who are without
a preacher, and it is impossible for them to believe who do not hear, and thus
it would be impossible for them to call upon the name of the Lord who do not
believe. And thus it would be impossible for them who do not call upon the name
of the Lord to be saved.
So then, the entire source and origin of salvation rests on this, that
God sends out someone, ( A true minister of the Word).
Ø If He does not send out any, then they who preach, preach falsely, and their preaching
is no preaching at all. In fact, it would be better for them not to preach.
Ø Then also they who hear, hear error, and it would be better for
them not to hear.
Ø Then also they who believe, would believe false doctrine, and it
would be better for them not to believe.
Ø Then also they who call upon Him would call falsely (upon a
false Lord), and it would be better for
them not to call.
1
For such preachers do not
preach,
2
such hearers do not hear;
3
such believers do not
believe;
4
such callers do not call;
5
they will be damned because
they would be saved by falsehood.
Ø Then we would see what is
spoken of in Proverbs 1:28
which says, “Then shall they call upon me, But I ill not answer; they shall seek me
early, but they shall not find me: for that they hated knowledge and did not
choose the fear of the Lord.”
16 But they have not all
obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17 So then faith [cometh] by
hearing, and hearing by the word of God. The true, revealed, and vindicated Word of
God.
Then can you see the importance this morning of
receiving a vindicated Ministry? Because if it is not vindicated, then how do
you know what you are hearing is not error? And if it is error, then you would
be believing error, and if you believe error, then you would be calling out to
a wrong God, and if you call out to a wrong God, then how could you be
saved? Therefore, God has come down to
vouch safe His own Presence among us. We know that we are the elect of God because
He said so. It is not just something we have read in a book, but God Himself
has come down and has spoken through the lips of His Prophet whom He has
vindicated and that is what I am standing on this morning.
ROMANS 10:9 That if thou shalt confess
with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath
raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
ACTS 2:23 Him,
being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have
taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 24 Whom God hath raised
up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he
ACTS 2:32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we
all are witnesses. 33 Therefore being by the right hand of God
exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he
hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
ACTS 3:14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired
a murderer to be granted unto you;
15 And killed the Prince of
life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
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.
ACTS 4:10 Be it known unto you all,
and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, [even] by him doth this man
stand here before you whole.
ACTS 5:30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye
slew and hanged on a tree. 31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand
[to be] a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and
forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are his witnesses of these things;
and [so is] also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
ACTS 10:40 Him God
raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
ACTS 13:29 And when they had fulfilled all that was written of
him, they took [him] down from the tree, and laid [him] in a sepulchre 30
But God raised him from the dead:
31 And he was seen many days
of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses
unto the people. 32 And we declare unto you glad tidings, how
that the promise which was made unto the fathers, 33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he
hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art
my Son, this day have I begotten thee.
ACTS 13:37 But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.
I CORINTHIANS 6:14 And God hath both raised up
the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.
GALATIANS 1:1 ¶
Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and
God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)
COLOSSIANS 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye
are risen with [him] through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised
him from the dead.
I PETER 1:21 Who
by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory;
that your faith and hope might be in God.
ACTS 2:30 Therefore
being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of
the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit
on his throne; 31 He seeing this before spake of the
resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh
did see corruption. 32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we
all are witnesses. 33 Therefore being by the right hand of God
exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he
hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
HEBREWS 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered
up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten
[son], 18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be
called: 19 Accounting that God [was] able to raise [him] up, even from the
dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.