Satan’s eden no 3
Be ye Holy and Conformed
to His Image
September 5th, 2021 PM
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.
There are 10 things that the apostle Paul
mentions here in these first 2 verses of chapter 12.
Romans 12:1 ¶ I beseech you therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye #1-present your
bodies –this speaks of how
important the presentation is.
#2- a living sacrifice, - this speaks of a sacrifice that has been
made alive, by God’s very life in us. Therefore what remains to be examined is
the following seven points.
#3- holy,
#4- acceptable unto God,
#5- which is your reasonable
service.
#6- And be not conformed to
this world:
#7- but be ye transformed
#8- by the renewing of your
mind,
#9- that ye may prove
#10 what [is] that good, and
acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
The Apostle Paul is speaking here no longer of a
blood sacrifice which represents a dead sacrifice, but he is speaking of a
living sacrifice. one which is not dead, but rather one which has
been made alive. And in Hebrews 9:13 he tells us that we are
to purge our minds of our dead works, to serve the Living God. purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
So we see by this that it s not the works but
rather our consciousness of God that that counts. Paul is telling us here to
purge our conscience fro dead works, in order to serve the Living God.
In Romans 12:1-2 he tells us how we are to present our bodies as a living
sacrifice and it is by renewing of our minds. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye
transformed (How are we to be
transformed? ) by the renewing of
your mind,(And what will that do for us? He says,) that ye may prove what [is] that good, and
acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (It’s all about the Will of God. Jesus
said, It is written in the volume of the Book, I have come to do thy
will O God. Jesus, said Father, not my will but thy will be done. And Paul said
in Colossians “Let this mind (this attitude) which was in Christ be in You.) Notice here, as he continues
Now, this morning I would like to focus our
attention on the next element in Paul’s view on how to present our bodies as a
living sacrifice to God. And this morning, we will look at what it means to be
Holy. He said this living sacrifice is one that is Holy, and so we want to know
what it means to be a living sacrifice that is holy.
Notice, point # 3, He said, Holy. We are to present to
God not only a living sacrifice but a Holy sacrifice. And
how is this possible, for there is none holy but the Lord.
Hebrews 6:1 ¶ Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine
of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the
foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
So we see that our works are considered dead
before God. Those are works without Faith. For Works that express Faith have
been anointed by the Holy Spirit, and have become an expression of His Life.
Hebrews Chapter 5 and 6 57-0908M 184-106 We could take it verse by
verse, each one of those things. Baptism, we believe it. "There's one
hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism." We believe that there's a
baptism. We believe in the resurrection of the dead: absolutely. We believe
Jesus died and rose again. We believe that. Laying on the hands for the sick,
that's what it said: "These signs shall follow them that believe. If they
lay their hands on the sick, they shall recover." We believe that. But
what is that? Paul said, "It's all dead works." It's
something that you do. Now let's go on to perfection. Oh, my.
Notice brother Branham is telling us here that
the things that we can do for God is all dead works. There is nothing we can do
that will merit anything, for if we can do anything then Christ died in vain.
God does not want a dead sacrifice, he wants a living one. Br. Branham
continues by saying, …
“We're coming into the Tabernacle, not the
foundation, the Tabernacle, the Tabernacle Itself. That's the foundation: the
law, and the righteousness, and joining church, and being baptized, and laying on
of hands. Them's all orders of the church, but now let's go into
perfection. And there's only One that is perfected; that's
Jesus. How do we get into Him? Through the Methodists? No. Pentecostal?
No. Baptist? No. Through any church? No. Roman
Catholic? No.
Now, Paul told us our living sacrifice is to be
Holy, and the word he used here is the Greek word, hagios pronounced,
(hag'-ee-os) and it is made up from two root
words, hagnos which means pure, chaste,
clear, sacred, pure from carnality, modest, immaculate and clean. The
other root word is Thaipo and it means, to cherish
with tender love. Or tender care.
So we see that bringing these two words together
we have a purity that comes as a result of tender love and care. Therefore, we
have purity out from the motive of true tender care, and we
see modesty that comes from tender love, and we see a sacredness out
from and in response to pure love. We have a life pure
from carnality one that is modest, immaculate and clean, not
from a fear of retribution, nor from a fear of penalty, but as a result of
an inner motive of Tender Love and Tender Care for our Savior. This holiness
that Paul is speaking of here as not the result of a rigid and disciplined life
style, but a result of true caring and tender love for God.
How contrary this is to the disciplined and
rigid life of the legalist. Those are people who through fear of retribution
from a Holy God live in fear and walk in fear and tremble at the thought of
eternal separation from God and Heaven. These are people who do right not
because it is the right thing to do, but they do right because of fear of
penalty for doing wrong.
But Paul said this sacrifice is Holy out of a
different kind of motive. A motive that is stimulated by tender Love and tender
care for the One Who gave them new birth. Oh, how different the two motives
are. One binds you while the other sets you free, and yet they both will
produce the same works, and the same outward acts. But as I mention going into
the study of these two verses, the things Paul begins with here is setting our
minds on the importance of the presentation.
If you will recall the man who comes home after
a hard day’s work to the aroma of an apple pie baking in the oven,
and fresh baked bread sitting out on the counter and the aroma of a
nice cooked meal, and the atmosphere has been set to give a wonderful
presentation of this gift of supper to him, while on the other hand we saw the
man who came home and his wife hands him a frozen TV dinner and says, put it in
the oven at 325 and I’ll see you in an hour after I get home from shopping.
Both men receive the gift of a supper from their
wife, but what a difference in the presentation of that gift. And that is the
same way God looks upon what we do. Your Holiness ads nothing to God, but if
you present your gift with tender love and care to Him, He looks upon your
motive, He looks to the very recesses of your heart, and He knows your
presentation, if it is motivated by Love or by fear.
Leviticus 20:7 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye
holy: for I [am] the LORD your God. 8 And ye shall keep my
statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you.
Our Holiness is a result of a cleaning act which
can only come from God’s word. It is not an act in our flesh, produced by our
disciplines life, but it is an expression which begins in our mind, and is
conveyed outwardly through the actions of our bodies.
In Psalms 119:9 we read, ¶
Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed
[thereto] according to thy word.
So we see that it si taking heed to
the Word that brings cleansing in our Life. Listen, I have seen Women who live
so high and mighty, and are so heavenly bound that they have their noses up in
the clouds, and look down in disgust upon mortal man as though they are mere
sinful creatures and a much lower race than they themselves are. Do you think
God is pleased with that? Do you think you can bring that kind of an attitude
before God and it be an acceptable attitude? I don’t think so!
Jesus met those kind of self starched
people in his day and they were the Pharisees. So he told them a story about
the two different ways of approaching God.
Luke 18:10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee,
and the other a publican. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself,
God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust,
adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I
give tithes of all that I possess. 13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not
lift up so much as [his] eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying,
God be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house
justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall
be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
It’s the approach that counts. One man
approached God with a broken and contrite heart and God openly accepted his
prayer while the other man had lived no doubt a much more disciplined life, but
look at his approach. He wasn’t looking for forgiveness! He was proud, and
gloating how much better he was than the sinner next to him. And look at Jesus
words concerning that man. Jesus said he was not even justified,
whereas the man who approached God in contrition went away justified, cleansed,
and free from all guilt and stain in the eyes of God.
Paul said, Romans 4:1 ¶ What shall we say then that Abraham our
father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he
hath [whereof] to glory; but not before God. 3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham
believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of
grace, but of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but
believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted
for righteousness. 6 Even as David also describeth the
blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without
works, 7 [Saying], Blessed [are] they whose
iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed [is] the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. 9 ¶ [Cometh] this blessedness then upon the
circumcision [only], or upon the uncircumcision also? for we
say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. 10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or
in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the
righteousness of the faith which [he had yet] being uncircumcised: that he
might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised;
that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: 12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the
circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father
Abraham, which [he had] being [yet] uncircumcised. 13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world,
[was] not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the
righteousness of faith. 14 For if they which are of the law [be] heirs, faith
is made void, and the promise made of none effect: 15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law
is, [there is] no transgression. 16 Therefore [it is] of faith, that [it might be] by
grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only
which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is
the father of us all,
Jesus said in Luke chapter 7, them whose sins, are many, and are forgiven; loveth much:
but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
Luke 7:36 ¶ And one of the Pharisees
desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house,
and sat down to meat. 37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a
sinner, when she knew that [Jesus] sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought
an alabaster box of ointment, 38 And stood at his feet behind [him] weeping, and
began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe [them] with the hairs of her
head, and kissed his feet, and anointed [them] with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw [it], he spake within
himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what
manner of woman [this is] that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. 40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say
unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. 41 There was a certain creditor which had two
debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both.
Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? 43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that [he], to whom he
forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. 44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou
this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for
my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped [them] with the
hairs of her head. 45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman
since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath
anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins,
which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is
forgiven, [the same] loveth little. 48 And he said unto her, Thy
sins are forgiven. 49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say
within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? 50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
Notice then that forgiveness produces much more
love in the individual than all the doing will ever produce. Jesus is letting
us know that when we have a willing heart, ready to forgive, we will be loved
more. And in the same illustration he tells us that if we are perfect in our
actions but have a rigid and stony attitude toward others we can love only
little.
Notice how the Word of God shows us that our
cleansing brings forth two things, holiness and Love. And it is
these two things together that merit with God. We are not clean and therefore
holy. We are cleansed by the Love of God and the tender mercy of God and
therefore, have become holy unto to. Set aside for service because we have a
right heart, and our heart first has become holy. Our heart first has been
cleansed, and because we can see our own condition is as filthy rags, and we
have been made clean by the blood of the lamb, we then have a tender heart for others
and a forgiving heart for others and as we love, and tenderly care we are made
holy.
Therefore our holiness is not a state of our
actions, but a condition of the heart. And if it is true holiness it will
bubble over with Love.
Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ
also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and
cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it
to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing;
but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Notice Paul is saying Love that you may
sanctify. Love that you might cleanse. Love that you might make holy.
Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but
according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and
renewing of the Holy Ghost;
It seems we so overlook the simple things, and
yet that is where God hides, is in simplicity. Everyone wants the challenge to
do the big things, and yet it is in those simple acts of love that cleansing
and therefore holiness are born.
I Kings 5:1 ¶ Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king
of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him
the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour,
[but he was] a leper. 2 And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and
had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little
maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife. 3 And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord [were]
with the prophet that [is] in Samaria! for he would recover him
of his leprosy. 4 And [one] went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus
and thus said the maid that [is] of the land of Israel. 5 And the king of Syria said, Go to, go,
and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and
took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand [pieces] of gold, and ten
changes of raiment. 6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel,
saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have [therewith]
sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his
leprosy. 7 And it came to pass, when the king
of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and
said, [Am] I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to
recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see
how he seeketh a quarrel against me. 8 And it was [so], when Elisha the man of
God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the
king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now
to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. 9 ¶ So Naaman came with his horses and with his
chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash
in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and
thou shalt be clean. 11 But Naaman was wroth, and went
away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand,
and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place,
and recover the leper. 12 [Are] not Abana and Pharpar, rivers
of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I
not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and
said, My father, [if] the prophet had bid thee [do some] great
thing, wouldest thou not have done [it]? how much rather
then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? 14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan,
according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto
the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. 15 ¶ And he returned to the
man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he
said, Behold, now I know that [there is] no God in all the earth, but in
Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant. 16 But he said, [As] the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will
receive none. And he urged him to take [it]; but he refused. 17 And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be
given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth? for thy servant will
henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto
the LORD. 18 In this thing the LORD pardon thy
servant, [that] when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to
worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house
of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD
pardon thy servant in this thing.
Psalms 51:7 ¶ Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean:
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Holiness and cleansing is born out of Love. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the
world; but that the world through him might be saved.
And our Love comes from being loved first. I JOHN 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but
that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins. 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. 13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in
us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 14 ¶ And we have seen and do testify that the Father
sent the Son [to be] the Saviour of the world. 15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in
him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God
hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and
God in him. 17 ¶ Herein is our love made
perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so
are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but
perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He
that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19 We love him, because he first loved us. 20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his
brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he
hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God
love his brother also.
Isaiah 1:16 ¶ Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of
your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; 17Learn to do well;
seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless,
plead for the widow. 18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the
LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white
as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
It Wasn’t So from the Beginning 60-0306 E-54 Sent His Holy Spirit down here to come into
our flesh, which He has sanctified with His own blood... You believe in
sanctification? "Be ye holy, for I am holy." Now, you cannot be holy.
I'm not depending on my holiness. I have none. But I'm depending on His
holiness. It's His holiness that I'm looking at. Not what... Well, not what I
was, but what He is. That's it. Go back to the beginning. There it is: Jesus
Christ the same yesterday...
Notice then our holiness is not what we do for
Him, but what He has done for us.
I Samuel 2:2 [There is] none holy as the LORD: for [there is] none beside
thee: neither [is there] any rock like our God.
There is none that is Holy but the Lord, and
when He cleans you up and fills you with His HOLY Spirit, then having the same
Spirit and same Life in you as in Him, you are now made a Holy people.
Leviticus 20:7 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye
holy: for I [am] the LORD your God. The cleansing comes first and then Holiness follows. But it all
begins because of Love, for He first Loved us, and then gave of
Himself, a part of Himself to us to live through us.
I Thessalonians 4:7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness,
but unto holiness. 8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not
man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit. 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.
Notice how you cannot separate Holiness in the
scripture from Love for that is what it is. It is Hagios, it is a
Tender Loving Care. That’s what Holiness is. And that is what is expressed
through holiness.
I Peter 1:15 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, 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. 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, my Peter begins by speaking on being holy
even as God is Holy, and then he swings right into showing how we express this
holiness, and that is by loving the brethren.
1
Peter 1:23 Being born again,
not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.
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.
And if this God life comes forth from God’s
Word, and lasts forever, then our love of the brethren will not diminish
and becomes less, but will rather grow. And if our Love for the
brethren does diminish, then our holiness is waxing hard and becoming mere
works as well.
Deuteronomy 7:6 For thou [art] an holy people unto the LORD
thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself,
above all people that [are] upon the face of the earth7 The LORD did
not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than
any people; for ye [were] the fewest of all people: 8 But because the LORD
loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto
your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed
you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know
therefore that the LORD thy God, he [is] God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant
and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand
generations;
Because He loves us we are made Holy. Then let’s
take that attitude and do the same. Let this mind which was in Christ be in
you. Let this attitude which was in Christ be in you.
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 Fulfill 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:
Let
us pray. Dear Gracious Father we
are so thankful that you first loved us and have shown us the way, and
expressed your love to us through the death of your only begotten so, that the
very Life that you placed in Him might come back into us, and that through that
act of love, we have been freed from our own self righteousness and have become
Holy, by a Holy God, whose Holy Spirit has come through Your Holy Word to live
your Holy Life full of Love and compassion and Loving tender care through our
own vessels, that we might become the very Holiness of God. And we thank you
Father for what you are continuing to do through your Word in this hour. Amen.