Romans * 89

Transformed

November 17, 2002

Brian Kocourek, Pastor

 

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. 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. 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.

 

BE YE TRANSFORMED. That’s the key to our body change. Be ye transformed by the Renewing of our mind. Let’s just bow our hearts, and our heads in a word of prayer.

 

Dear Gracious and most benevolent Father, we come into Thy Presence this morning with thanksgiving and joy in our hearts knowing that this is the hour that you have come to renew the mind, and transform  the body. Oh, how our souls do magnify Thy Great Goodness toward us, in that we could never even begin to plan nor develop a way to enter into an Eternal condition of Life, vitality and immortality, had it not been for Your Transforming Power of your Word. Therefore, we would ask that you would help us to get all the baggage set aside, and help us to focus ourselves this morning on what you are here doing for Your elect, for we ask it in Jesus Christ’s lovely name, Amen.

 

I was listening to Br. Bosworth the other day on a tape and he was describing his condition and he said, “Br. Branham called me the other day to find out how I was doing, and I told him not so good. He said, oh, I’m sorry to hear that, and I said, yes, brother Branham, I have that same old condition back again, and it is keeping me from getting my healing. And brother Branham said what is that Br. Bosworth, and Br. Bosworth said, The thing of it is, Br. Branham I am so happy, that I can’t find it in me to cry out for help to God for my Body.”  And so it goes with those that are so excited about the Presence of God, for in the presence of the Lord is fullness of joy”.

 

Now, this morning  I do not plan to take too long to speak what is on my heart. But oh if you could only understand the great joy of being set free from the ravages of false doctrines that have held the people in bondage for so long, and have now been set free by this Once for all enlightenment. I continue to receive letters from brethren in Africa, Asia, and All over South America, from countries where the books are being translated, and to see the words of Joy that floods there souls at being set free from the confusion that had taken over the message churches.  And to see the this joy, of being set free, this great joy of knowing that you are forgiven, and knowing your relationship to the Father through the selfless act of your older brother, and the great feeling that brings such a wonderful peace and is so sublime that no words could ever so describe it.  And that is what is happening out there all over the globe.

 

And you know what? I remember so well that same feeling of being set free, and that same feeling of peace and joy unspeakable and full of Glory. And it changes the way you act and the way you think. But, on the other hand, I think most of us have the plight of the man who was released from the electric chamber way back a few years ago. And that can be a trial all in itself.

 

You see that same man, in the hour of his pardon, was a lot happier than he is today several years after being set free and pardoned of his transgression.

 

Now, this morning, I want you to imagine for a few moments yourself sitting in that electric chair for the transgressions you have committed. That electric chair represent the judgments which we see are being set up all around us today. You can’t help but to feel the pressure is on, when you listen to the radio, or read the news paper or turn on a television set, and the talk keeps coming around to weapons of mass destruction, and the government keeps bringing up the threats of imminent danger from viruses, and plagues, and nuclear weapons, and an economy that is ready to topple, and as our senses are bombarded every day with this doom and gloom, we are like that man sitting in that electric chair just listening for the countdown to begin that will end your life in a surge of electricity coming down through your skull and burning right through every vein in your body until your hair and your head begin to smell like singed meat.

 

In this case, just like the world today,  you know that nothing can save you from the destruction that awaits you, except a Higher power intercede on your behalf. It is a matter of minutes and your life will suddenly end in that awful  puff of smoke and fire. Imagine the stress you are under just thinking of that judgment, and how it will come to an end.

 

Now, imagine, sitting there thinking about that oncoming judgment, when all of a sudden a man from the Governors office rushes into the room and pronouncing that the Governor has pardoned you. He shows the signed papers to the Warden, and they come and take off the wrist and ankle shackles that have been holding you to that chair. Now, I ask the question, “what do you think would be going through your mind right then?

 

You talk about joy unspeakable! How the joy just floods your soul, and how the relief takes over the it takes you a minute to realize what is happening, and you are in such a state of euphoria that everything around you becomes just a blur. Not only does extreme joy flood your soul, but peace begins to permeate every fiber of your body, because you know that you have been set free, and you are indeed, free, free at last.

 

Now, that is at the moment of your pardon. But what about a month later, or a year later, or a decade later when the euphoria of the moment has worn away, and the trials of your new found freedom begin to show forth in your life.

 

That is what I want to address this morning by the Grace of God. For that is where the majority of you are at this morning. You have come through the great time where you were set free of the bondage of legalism, and you have entered by the Shout into a time where you are beginning to understand the relationship you have been ordained from before the foundations of the world to have with your older brother Jesus and God your Father.  And you are in that transitional period called the transformation, where the inner man is being renewed daily as you sit back and watch the outer man perishing.  This is where we are at and by God’ grace I want to look at this transitional period in your life, and help you to focus your thoughts not, on this state that seems like an unending twilight zone, but rather on the end of your faith, the goal of your faith, even the salvation of our souls, and the redemption of our bodies. 

 

Now, to do so, let’s go to the Word of God and look at what we are told about these end time trials and the conditions we will be going through and the Grace of God that will take us up and above all of them.

 

I PETER 1:3  Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a living hope (that is a hope that has been made alive. Now, what does that mean? A Hope that has been made alive? It means that your hope is not just a guess so. It is a not a hope that is a hope so. But this hope, is not that way. This hope has been given life by something that has already happened. In other words, we can have this hope as Peter goes on to say, “as an anchor of the soul” because if has already been performed on our older brother. He has already experienced what this hope is all about, and He came back to share with us this great hope. Therefore, there is no guessing about it. There is only a looking forward to the day when this hope is made manifest in us as it already was made manifest in Him. And how was it made alive, Peter says, it was made alive …) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ out from the dead, 4 (Now, notice in verse 4 where this hope takes us…)

 

To an inheritance (and not only an inheritance, but one that is) incorruptible, (and that is important to think about because that means it is not even able to corrupt. Why? Because it’s eternal, and furthermore it is ) undefiled, (and why is that so significant? Because it’s one thing to receive eternal life, but if you were old and withered in the body and then given eternal life, in that condition, that would seem to you more of a curse than a blessing. But notice it is not defiled. And furthermore, it can never be defiled.  It’s force and vigor can never be impaired. You will not only receive it in its fullness, but it will always be with you in its fullness, and it can’t get any better than that.. It’s the best of the best. And notice Peter further elucidates) and that fadeth not away,(it can not fade away, that means it is perennial, it just keeps growing and growing and living and living, just like the perennial flower that just keeps coming back year after year time after time. Now, think of the great joy you had when you received your pardon for the first time. Think of that great joy as a beautiful flower in your life. Now, what Peter is telling us here is that that same joy, that same flower that brings so much joy to your senses, you see it in all its beauty, you smell it in all its aroma, you know its there whether you open your eyes and see it or whether you close your eyes and smell it. And it keeps coming back year after year and time after time to bring continuous joy to you. And that is what the inheritance is all about for us. It perennial. And the joy of receiving it is just as perennial. The joy doesn’t fade away, and the best thing about this is that no one can ever take it from you, because it has already been) reserved in heaven for you,

 

5 (Now, in verse 5 peter begins to talk about us who are the recipients of this great perennial inheritance. He says, and you…)Who are kept (and this word kept not only means to be safely guarded as from someone being able to come in and take you, but it is also used of keeping you so as preventing you from loosing what has been given to you. And how are we kept? He tells us) by the power of God (and what is the power of God? Paul tells us in Romans 1:16 the Power of God is the Gospel of Christ. It is the Revelation of Jesus Christ.  It is the Word of God Itself, for He is the Word. For, by the Word of God the worlds were framed. And God created all things by His word. And He maintains all things by that same Word. And notice Peter tells us this power is not only tapped into by faith, but it becomes manifest to us through faith which is revelation.) by the power of God through faith (Notice this power of Gird comes through Faith, through revelation. And Revelation means to reveal, and that is exactly what this power is for?  for it will bring our salvation as Peter says, ) unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (so we see that there is something about this last time revelation that brings or manifests our salvation. And what is this salvation? The word not only speaks of healing, but of keeping, and preserving, and safety and security. And it speaks not just of its effects upon us, but of all the divine blessings that God has for us, it will keep them and secure them for us so that we may never loose not even one of them. )

 

Now, knowing this it ought to do something for us… And it does. For Peter says,  6 ¶  Wherein (Now this word wherein, means by or as a result of this wonderful end-time revelation of Christ, it will bring a great rejoicing from you…) Wherein ye greatly rejoice, (he doesn’t just say we will rejoice from knowing this, but we will greatly rejoice because of it. ) though now for a season, if need be,(and this is the key, IF NEED BE, so when you are under what seems to be a lot of trials, it is only because you need them to work something either into you or out of you, because he says, IF NEED BE) ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.

 

(Now, the Wuest translation tells us that the purpose of these trials is to result in praise, honor and Glory. He tells us in his expanded translation that the very purpose of the trial is to prove or manifest our passing of the test. For God has already promised that He will not place upon us greater than we can handle.   And we know through our years of examination of these verses that these are attributes which the bride develops as a result of the trials of our faith. These are actually phases the elect must go through in developing from Image to Image and from Glory to Glory. We come through the trial of our Faith or the trial of our revelation, and we begin to enter into a state or condition of praise that is according to Hebrews 13, the praise offering of our lips giving thanks to his name. Then after speaking it in words of praise, we begin to live it under the phase of honor, which this is the Greek word tee-may meaning a valuing,. This is where we begin to understand the true value of God’s Word, and once we have entered into this stage, or phase, we are then ready for the Glory that is the DOXA of God which means the opinion, estimation, or judgment of God. In other words, we enter into the very mind-set of God. And God is Love, and so Peter says,

 

: 8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see [him] not, yet believing, (And that is the key, it is not what you see, but what you believe, and in this condition, he says) ye rejoice with joy unspeakable (there are no words which can express this great joy, that is) full of glory (That is full of DOXA, that is full of the very mind and thinking of God):  9 Receiving the end of your faith (Receiving the consummation of your revelation), [even] the salvation (preservation) of [your] souls (Life). 10 ¶ Of which salvation (or preservation) the prophets have enquired (That means they have carefully examined this out, and have sought out carefully )and searched diligently (and anxiously, and as a result of their search they ), prophesied of the grace [that should come] unto you: (Now, we all know from our examination of these verses in the past that this grace is the revelation of Jesus Christ as we see in 1 Corinthians 1: 4-10. ) 11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. (notice, the time of suffering for Christ and then the time of Glory. The alpha and then the Omega ministry of Christ.) 12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.  (You see, here Peter tell us this is all to take place at the time when the Holy Spirit comes down on a mission of his own, He says it was not for them back there, for they without us cannot be made perfect. So the perfection must come first to us, and then to them. Now watch where he takes this…)

 

13 ¶ Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind,(Notice he tells them to gird up the LOINS of the MIND. Now we gird up the loins when we are ready to run in a race. We don’t want to be hindered, but we want to run freely. And he is telling us here that the thing that can hinder us is the mind, so gird it up. To gird up, means to be prepared. The Orientals, in order to be unimpeded in their movements were accustomed, when starting a journey or engaging in any work, to bind their long flowing garments closely around their bodies and fastened them with a leather belt. And so in saying gird up the loins of your mind, he says to get your mind in a condition where it will not be impeded by anything, then he says, ) be sober,(which means to be calm and collected in spirit; to be temperate, dispassionate, circumspect) and hope to the end (Hoppe to the end, that means to earnestly expect for something, be expecting because it is promised to come, and that is ) for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; (So we see that at the time of the Revelation of Jesus Christ there is a certain Grace that is to produce in us this state of being that is Joy unspeakable and full of the mind set of God. And then with the mind set of the Father we will be) 14 As obedient children,(notice this is a condition just as Christ entered into, which we are told he learned his obedience by the things that he suffered.)

 

Not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning [here] in fear: 18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, [as] silver and gold, from your vain conversation [received] by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:  20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, (and notice here that although the whole plan was ordained before the foundations of the world, yet it took the manifestation of that plan to make it real and efficacious for us.) 21 Who by him do believe in God,(You see, had it not been for our older brother showing us the way, it would not be possible for us to even grasp what the plan of God is all about.) that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. (And so the whole plan comes down to this, that our Hope or our earnest expectation might be in what God has already promised us.)

 

 (Now, God has not done all of this to put on a show. He doesn’t operate that way. So there is a purpose in bringing us through these stages of perfection.  )22 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 (Oh, if only each and everyone of us would come to that place where we put our own selfishness aside, and begin to live our lives as Living sacrifices unto God. How can we do that? By living for others. He said, once you have gotten to the point where you have purified your hearts by obeying the Word of Truth,  then see to it that it brings forth an UNFEIGNED LOVE of the brethren, that means a love that just isn’t a show once a week at church or once in a while when you see each other. But that is a real, genuine Love. And not only that but Peter goes on to say, [see that ye] love one another with a pure heart (now this pure heart is one that is blameless or pure from ulterior motives) and notice he describes this condition of love as be fervently which means earnestly, fervently, intensely.) 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

 

Now, remember we are talking about a condition that is perennial. One that does not change with the weather, and fade away, but one that is fervent, and full of promise and full of life. Now, that is a very hard thing for our flesh to produce because the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. And the flesh is perishing daily, while the inner man is being renewed in the Spirit of the mind. So just be aware that there is a victory opportunity offered to us here, for Peter goes on to say,   24 ¶ For all flesh [is] as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.  So get a-hold of this enduring Word, this perennial Promise, and let it take over in your bodies. Keep your focus on it and let it become your every speech to one another.

 

EPHESIANS 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, [even] Christ:

 

EPHESIANS 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 21 ¶  Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

 

COLOSSIANS 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

 

I PETER 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, [even so] minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11    If any man speak, [let him speak] as the oracles of God; if any man minister, [let him do it] as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

 

EPHESIANS 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

 

TOKEN THE  63-1128E  103    Somebody said, not long ago, said, "Brother Branham, you scare the people, saying that the coming of the Lord is so near." I said, "They shouldn't be worried about that. That should be the most happy thing we know of." Uh-huh, yeah. "And He will appear the second time to all those that love His appearing," who love and longing for it. It's a love affair. And how we ought to love one another, because we're fellow citizens in the same Body. We should have love one for another.

 

I THESSALONIANS 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17    Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18    Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

 

There are over 3,827 promises for the believer in God’s Word. That’s 3,827 wonderful blessings that God wants you to have more than you want to receive them. Now, if you set your mind on receiving just one of these blessings from God every day, beginning today, it will take you over 10 -1/2 years from now to receive them all.    Shall we pray.