Romans #64
The Two Vines #4
(The Harvest Time)
Sunday February 6, 2000
JOHN 15:17 These things I command you,
that ye love one another. 18 ¶ If the world hate you, ye know that it hated
me before [it hated] you. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his
own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the
world, therefore the world hateth you.
20 Remember the word that I
said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have
persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they
will keep yours also. 21 But all these things will they do unto you for my
name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.
ROMANS 13:7
7 ¶
Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute [is due];
custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
ROMANS 13:8 Owe no man any
thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the
law. 9 For this, Thou shalt not
commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear
false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if [there be] any other commandment,
it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself. 10 Love worketh
no ill to his neighbour: therefore love [is] the fulfilling of the law. 11 ¶
And that, knowing the time, that now [it is] high time to awake out of
sleep: for now [is] our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at
hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the
armour of light. 13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not
in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and
envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord
Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to [fulfil] the lusts [thereof].
II TIMOTHY 1:12 For the
which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I
know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which
I have committed unto him against that day.
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: 31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge
the world in righteousness by [that] man whom he hath ordained; [whereof] he
hath given assurance unto all [men], in that he hath raised him from the dead.
ROMANS 5:8 But God commendeth his love
toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9
Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from
wrath through him. 10 For if, when we
were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more,
being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
COLOSSIANS 1:12 ¶
Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers
of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath
translated [us] into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, [even] the
forgiveness of sins: 15 Who is the
image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all things created,
that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they
be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were
created by him, and for him: 17 And
he is before all things, and by him all things consist. (sunistao
{soon-is-tah'-o} 1) to place together, to set in the same place, to
bring or band together; to stand with (or near) 2) to set one with another i.e by way of presenting or
introducing him, i.e. to comprehend 3)
to put together by way of composition or combination, to teach by combining and
comparing, hence to show, prove, establish, exhibit 4) to put together (i.e.
unite parts into one whole); to be composed of, consist).
18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the
beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all [things] he might have the
preeminence. 19 For it pleased [the
Father] that in him should all fulness dwell; 20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him
to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, [I say], whether [they be] things
in earth, or things in heaven. 21 And
you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in [your] mind by wicked works,
yet now hath he reconciled 22 In the body of his flesh through death, to
present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: 23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and
settled, and [be] not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have
heard, [and] which was preached to every creature which is under heaven;
whereof I Paul am made a minister;
ROMANS 8:38 For I am persuaded, that
neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things
present, nor things to come, 39 Nor
height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from
the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
PHILIPPIANS 1:3 ¶ I
thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with
joy, 5 For your fellowship in the
gospel from the first day until now; 6
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work
in you will perform [it] until the day of Jesus Christ:
ROMANS 11: 36 For of him, and
through him, and to him, [are] all things: to whom [be] glory for ever.
Amen.
ROMANS 12:1 ¶ I beseech
you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies
a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable
service. (which is your spiritual act of worship) 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by
the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and
acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
GOD'S POWER TO TRANSFORM
65-0911 31 Now, over in the
Book of Romans the 12th chapter and the 1st and 2nd verses, we wish--wish to
read this Scripture. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,
that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable to God,
which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good,
and perfect... good, acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Now, if the Lord
willing, I want to take my subject for this morning on: "God's Power To
Transform." That you might not be conformed to this world: but be...
transformed by the renewing of your mind,... (now) and prove that which is that
good, perfect, and acceptable, will of God.
33 It's an old familiar text
that many of your pastors has used down through your time. It's been used since
It was written. But yet, one thing about the Word of God, It never grows old,
because It's God.
It never grows old. Through every generation now for pretty near,
about twenty-eight hundred years or better, this Word of God has been read by
men, priests, and so forth, and never does It grow old. I've been reading It
myself for some thirty-five years. And each time I read It, I find something
new that I looked over the first time. Because It is inspired. It is God in
letter form. See, It's the attributes of God speaking fore--forth and is placed
on paper.
34 Many times men said, "Well now, man
wrote this Bible." No. The Bible says Itself that God wrote the Bible. It
is the Word of God. And It's... It never can fail. Jesus said, "Heavens
and earth will fail, pass away, but My Words shall never fail." And It
cannot fail in being God, because It's part of Him. And then you being His son
and daughter, you're part of It; that makes you a part of Him. So that's why we
come to fellowship together around the Word of God. 37 Now, this word
"transformed," I looked up in the dictionary yesterday when I'd
almost lost track of the time that I was to be up here, when I was looking for
a text. And I found this word, or this text, rather, Scripture. And in the
dictionary it says that it's "something that's changed." It's to be
"changed, transform, made different than what it was." It's been,
"Its character and everything has been changed in it": to
transform. 38 And I thinking this morning, in Genesis 1. This world was
without form, and was void; darkness was upon the earth, nothing but a complete
chaos. And when this world was in that condition, the Spirit of God moved upon
the face of the water, and the entire picture was changed from a total chaos to
a garden of Eden. That transforming power of God, that can take something
that's nothing and make something wonderful out of it, God's transforming
power...
375-4 RESUME OF THE AGES -
C.A.B. CHPTR 10 Harvest time. Have you noticed
that in the harvest time, though there is a real acceleration in the ripening, there
is consequently a slowing of growth until there is no growth? Is that not
exactly what we are seeing now? The false vine is losing multitudes to the
Communists and various other types of belief. Her numbers are not increasing as
she would like us to think. Her hold on the people is not what it used to be,
and in so many cases going to church is just a show. And the true
vine? What about her? Is she growing? Where are those vast numbers
that keep coming to revivals and answer altar calls? Are not most of them
merely emotional in their approach, or desirous of something physical rather
than desiring that which is truly Spiritual? Is this age not like the day in
which Noah entered the ark, and the door was shut, but yet God tarried in
judgment seven days? No one was literally turned to God in those silent
days. And yet it is the harvest time.
There then must come upon the scene in this age those who will bring the wheat
and tares to maturity. The tares are already maturing very fast under corrupt
teachers who turn the people from the Word. But the wheat also must mature. And
to her, God is sending the Prophet-Messenger with the vindicated ministry that
he might be accepted by the elect. They will hear him as the first church heard
Paul, and she will mature in the Word until becoming a Word Bride the mighty
works will be found in her that are always attendant upon the pure Word and
faith. The false church groups will
come together in a world council of churches. This world council of churches is
the IMAGE ERECTED TO THE BEAST. Revelation 13:11-18, "And I beheld another
beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he
spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before
him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first
beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he
maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And
deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he
had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the
earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a
sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast,
that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would
not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both
small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right
hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that
had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is
wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it
is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred three score and
six." Now remember, it was Imperial Pagan Rome that fell by the sword. But
she was healed of her death stroke when she joined to the nominal Christian
church of Rome and incorporated paganism and Christianity, and thereby became
the Holy Roman Empire which was to endure until Jesus came and destroyed her. But
Rome is not going it alone. Her daughters are right with her and she will take
over absolute authority by the World Council of Churches. This may seem far
fetched to some but actually it is very plain for all to see because right now
the churches are controlling politics and at the opportune time will manifest
exactly how great is that control. This ecumenical move will end up with Rome
at the head even though the people did not envision it that way. This is so
because in Revelation 17:3-6 it states that the whore, Mystery Babylon is
seated on the beast. She is controlling the last, or fourth empire. This Roman
Church is doing that. With the world church system under her Rome will be
controlling, and this image (church system) will be obedient to Rome because
Rome controls the gold of the world. Thus all the people have to belong to the
world church system or be at the mercy of the elements for they cannot buy or
sell without the mark of the beast in the hand or head.
This mark in the head means that they will have to take the
doctrine of the world church system which is trinitarianism, etc., and the mark
in the hand which means to do the will of the world church. With this great
power the church systems will persecute the true bride. This image will try to
keep the bride from preaching and teaching, etc. Her ministers will be
forbidden to give comfort and truth to the people who need it. But before the
antichrist (in person) takes over this complete world system of churches the
true church will be taken away from this world to be with the Lord. God will
catch away His bride for the great Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
Romans 12: 3 For I say, through the grace given unto
me, to every man that is among you, not to think [of himself] more highly than
he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every
man the measure of faith. 4 For as we
have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5
So we, [being] many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one
of another.
CHRIST IS IDENTIFIED THE SAME 64-0415
E-8 We just passed through a
great revival, last fifteen, sixteen years. We've had great meetings, just
broke all history records, as far as I know history. Usually a revival lasts
about three years, but this has gone on for many years. And now the revival
fires are quietening down. The enthusiasm of the people is dying off.
And you can see it. In the--the old temple of Vesta in Rome when the fires
went out, the people went home. But we're trying to rebuild these fires
again on every hill that we can. I cannot do it; no minister can. It takes all
of us together in prayer and believing and trusting God to see the Holy Spirit
continue to bless His people as we wait on His coming.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
64-0830E 1158-Q-386 386. Brother
Branham, what seems to be wrong in the day when we are living, of being a
believer and following the Message and messenger of today, when you cannot seem
to pray like you would like to? That's a good question. I believe brother,
sister, ever who asked it, it's a cause of the conditions of time. The revival
is over. The revival has lasted some fifteen years, never did last before over
about three years. I believe it's received its last revival. And I believe
that's why you can't pray and feel in the Spirit like you used to. It's because
the revival fires has gone out.
CONCERNED AND CONVINCED
62-0610E 10-1 Now I want to draw
tonight, if the Lord willing, for a little--for a--a word, two words I want to
use out of there. The two words I want to use is "Concerned and
Convinced." Now, as we know--and we all do--that we are now seeing a great
cooling off around the nation. I first started out there was a lot of tinsel on
the meetings. People were in prayer meetings everywhere. And criticize...
Papers criticized me. One woman drove three thousand miles in a taxicab just to
get to the meeting in Canada. They're not that concerned anymore. Seems like
that there's become a falling away. And seems like there's not much concern--not
too much anyhow--as--not as much as there should be--very little concern.
10-3 Now, about the only concern that we have
is not--them all night meetings when I--I stayed at the platform once for eight
days and nights without leaving, trying to pray for all of the people; and at
the end there was forty-something thousand people waiting to be prayed for.
See? Couldn't do it. But they would take a group this a-way and go into the
woods; they'd take a group this way and go to the woods, ministers, praying the
people through to the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Just couldn't rest until they
received the Holy Ghost. Beg your pardon. I said forty-two thousand; I believe
if you'd look at it in the magazine there was twenty-eight thousand, it was,
that was still waiting. For miles around Jonesboro there wasn't even a place
that you could rent, and tent cities up and everything. They're not that
concerned anymore. See, the revival fires are dying down.
10-5 Concerned is now, "Just come and join
the church." Or a great concern is support some radio mission or some
television affair, and making that some kind of a show (and all for the good,
of course, sure); big buildings, building great schools, and so forth like
that. It seems to be that is the--the concern now. Kinda lost the vision of
that prayer and constraining and like they used to have. There's something has
happened. I would just like to know what it was.
10-6 And now, they don't seem to be concerned
about... You can visit this church or call for people to come to the altar, and
it used to be they'd just run to the altar. And I've seen the time while I was
preaching, before I could even get my sermon finished, the altar and up and
down the aisles would be lined with people. I've seen the time that the Holy
Spirit would move out into the audience, and--and predict, and tell somebody
something, and the people would marvel and just faint right in their seat.
11-1 There's something wrong somewhere. Still
doing the same thing; still the same Gospel, I've never changed a bit since I
started. I just started with the naked, bare Word of God, and I stayed right on
It ever since. Thirty-two years I've been behind the pulpit and never taken
anything back or changed anything; stayed just the way I started. I can't take
it back; It's God's Word. And I--and if I say it just like it said here, the
next time I have to say the same thing, 'cause here's the way it's wrote here.
See? So just can't do nothing else about it. And the Holy Spirit's still doing
the same things. So... But it looks like there's not enough concern. Now,
I'm--wonder why.
11-2 Why isn't there a concern like there used
to be? It's... I believe the reason that if there's not as much concern as
there used to be; they're not as convinced as they used to be. You have to be
convinced before you can be concerned. Not concerned--you take the time now.
Instead of evangelizing and trying to do something, everybody wants a great big
school or a great big something that they can teach and--and make the ministers
have better pulpit manners and so forth. You know what I believe? I believe
that the people is not convinced that Jesus is coming soon. I don't believe
that they're convinced that He's coming in this age. And I believe that's the
reason that they're not concerned, because they're not fully convinced. That's
right. They're not convinced that He's with them. If they were, they would come
back to the Word. That's right.
11-4 And now, many people might misunderstand
it. Love--love is--is disciplined. You must discipline people, if you love
them. If your little girl was setting out in the road (as I said this morning)
making mud cakes, if you really love her, you'd get her off that road. What if
your wife said, "John somebody (whatever your name is)--you know
a--a..." You just let her run out with some other man, because you said,
"Bless her little heart, she wants to do it, and I just love her so much;
I'm going to let her do it." You'd be a poor excuse of a husband. She ought
to get rid of you and get somebody that loves her, that'll take care of her. I
didn't mean it that way, 'cause you can't do that.
12-1 But what am I trying to get at is this,
that what if God would said to Eve, "Poor little Eve, you know you're My
child. I--I--I... You didn't mean to do that." 'Course she didn't mean to
do it; certainly she didn't, but she did it. And we know she did it. We see the
results of it yet. But you see, He--he loved her, and He had to keep His Word
to her. And God's got to keep His Word to us. So we must obey His Word. And
when we obey His Word and see Him then vindicate what He said He would do, then
we're convinced (That's right.), that the Word's right.
ROMANS 12:6
6 Having then gifts differing according to
the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, [let us prophesy] according to
the proportion of faith; 7 Or ministry, [let us wait] on [our]
ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
8 Or he that exhorteth, on
exhortation: he that giveth, [let him do it] with simplicity; he that ruleth,
with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. 9 [Let]
love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that
which is good. 10 [Be] kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in
honour preferring one another; 11
Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; 12
Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
13 Distributing to the necessity of
saints; given to hospitality.
14 Bless them which
persecute you: bless, and curse not. 15
Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. 16 [Be] of the same mind one toward another.
Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your
own conceits. 17 Recompense to no man evil for evil.
Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with
all men. 19 Dearly beloved, avenge
not yourselves, but [rather] give place unto wrath: for it is written,
Vengeance [is] mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give
him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil
with good.
PHILIPPIANS 2:1 ¶ If
[there be] therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any
fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded,
having the same love, [being] of one accord, of one mind. 3 [Let] nothing [be done] through strife or
vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than
themselves. 4 Look not every man on
his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in
Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the
form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and
took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
JOHN 13:34 A new commandment I give unto
you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one
another. 35 By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have
love one to another.
JOHN 15:12 This is my
commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a
man lay down his life for his friends. 14
Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 9 ¶
But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye
yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
I THESSALONIANS 4:9 ¶
But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye
yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
I JOHN 3:11 ¶ For this is
the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
12 Not as Cain, [who] was of that
wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own
works were evil, and his brother's righteous. 13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. 14 ¶
We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the
brethren. He that loveth not [his] brother abideth in death. 15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a
murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
16 Hereby perceive we the love [of
God], because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down [our]
lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso
hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his
bowels [of compassion] from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? Seeing ye
have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned
love of the brethren, [see that ye] love one another with a pure heart
fervently: 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed,
but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
JOHN 3:23 ¶ And this is his
commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and
love one another, as he gave us commandment.
24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in
him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath
given us.
I JOHN 4:6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of
God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of
error. 7 ¶ Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every
one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God
toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we
might live through him. 10 Herein is
love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the
propitiation for our sins.
I JOHN 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
12 No man hath seen God at any time.
If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
II JOHN 1:5 ¶ And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new
commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love
one another. 6 And this is love, that
we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard
from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
DOPTION_ JEFF.IN AD.PT.4
SUNDAY_ 60-0522E 101 I said, "O Lord, that's what I'm here
at the church for, trying to set the church in order," telling you,
brother and sister, there's only one thing that can enter that; that's perfect
love. Not because you're loyal to the Branham Tabernacle, or the Methodist
church, or Baptist church, them's all right; you should be. But, oh, friends,
you've got... Not because you spoke with tongues, danced in the Spirit, because
you cast out devils, or moved mountains with faith. That all's all right, for
that's all right, but still unless that real perfect love is in there. That was
where perfect... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
HEBREWS.CHAPTER.3_
JEFF.IN HEB SUNDAY_
57-0901 88-6 You'd ask them
about it: "Well, we got our television, that's how we find comfort."
See? That's the American attitude. See? "We got television. We got plenty
of money. We got fine cars, got nice homes. What do we need with the Lord? We
don't need that." And that's the attitude. About the only religion and
salvation we have, and love, is amongst the real godly people. You know the
Bible said that would happen? (That's right.) And you Bible readers, I heard
you holler "Amen," and you preachers back there. That--that's right.
The love would be so far away in the last days, the only love there would be
left would be between the elect of God's people. The father would be against
mother, and mother against father, and the children against parents, and
different ones against each other. And the only love would be left would just
be that elect; just the elected. The word "elect," there, comes from
the word "elected": God's elected people.
HE.CARES.DO.YOU.CARE?_
JEFF.IN V-12 N-4 SUNDAY_
63-0721 56 The people, they
lie, cheat, steal, till you almost have to have a bond of security to borrow
five dollars from somebody. It's a... You know, the Bible speaks that, that
there'd be no love in the last days but just amongst the elect people. That's
right. The Scripture speaks of that, that the husband would be against wife,
and wife against husband, children against parents. Just among the elected of
the Lord will there be any love left.
354-1 LAODICEAN.CHURCH.AGE
- CHURCH.AGE.BOOK CPT.9
Let us examine the first phrase, "as many as I love". In
the Greek the emphasis is upon the personal pronoun "I". He does not
say as many would feel He should say, "as many as love ME". No sir.
We must never try to make Jesus the OBJECT of human love in this verse. No! It
is the MANY that are the LOVED ONES of God. It is HIS love, in question, NOT
ours. So once again we find ourselves glorying in His salvation, His purpose
and His plan, and we are confirmed even more strongly in the truth of the
doctrine of the Sovereignty of God. Even as He said in Romans 9:13. "Jacob
have I loved." Does it now obtain that since He loved ONLY the MANY, is He
therefore in a state of complacency, awaiting the love of those who have not
drawn nigh Him? By no means is this so, for He declared also in Romans 9:13,
"Esau have I hated." And in verse 11 the Spirit boldly calls out,
"For the children not being born, neither having done any good or evil,
THAT THE PURPOSE OF GOD ACCORDING TO ELECTION MIGHT STAND, not of works, but of
Him that calleth." This love is "Elective Love". It is His love
for His elect. And His love for them is apart from HUMAN MERIT for it says that
the purpose of God stands in election which is exactly opposite to works or
anything man has in himself. Because "BEFORE THE CHILDREN WERE BORN"
He had ALREADY said, "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated."