Spoken Word no 124

The Nature of God Seed

Brian Kocourek, Pastor

November 31, 2009

 

The last time I spoke before brother Paul came to visit was from paragraph 96 of The Spoken Word is the original Seed where brother Branham said, “I'm a Branham because I was born of Charlie and Ella Branham. That makes me a Branham because I'm their seed. Their two agreements with their sperm together made a seed, and that made me.

 

Now, what does that mean? It means you are who you are by birth and not by your own doing. What you are and the nature you have and the characteristics that are displayed in your body came by your birth, and you cannot get away from that. “I'm a Branham because I was born of Charlie and Ella Branham. That makes me a Branham because I'm their seed.

 

So you can’t change who you are even though you might try. But for the child of God there can be a change to your nature and to your character because to the child of God he has received new birth and therefore the very life of your Father comes in and takes over the nature you were born with.

 

In John 3:6 Jesus said, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit." Therefore the child of God has two natures to deal with, the first which was born of the flesh and is earthy, and tends to the things of this world. The other is that nature of The Spirit which was born from God.

 

Here, we see the Lord Jesus teaching a fundamental doctrine. But the natural man will not receive it.

 

I CORINTHIANS 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.

 

Here we see three characteristics of the natural man, or the man who has not been born again. These three characteristics are found in every man that is not born again. And they are…

 

1) Because he cannot understand the things of God,

2) Therefore he cannot receive the things of God

3) And therefore the things of God appear to be foolishness to him.

 

Now, this is a sad condition to find anyone in. Not being able to understand the things of God and therefore those things of God seem foolish and because they seem foolish they do not want anything to do with them. Therefore, the final conclusion is that in the end, they will reject the things of God.

 

Now, that is what the natural man has to look forward to.  But let's take the time now to review the characteristics of the natural man, the man who has not been born again before we contrast them with the man who has been born again.

 

In John 3:6 this natural man is called the flesh. Jesus said, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh." And concerning this Flesh, Jesus said in…

 

JOHN 6:63 It is the spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

 

In ROMANS 7:18, Paul said, For I know that in me. that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good, I find not.

 

Again in Ephesians 4:22 Paul tells us the "The Old Man is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts"

 

In 2 Corinthians 4:16 Paul calls it "The Outward Man" which he says, “perishes day by day”.

 

In Jeremiah 17:9 it is called “the natural heart, which is "deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, so deceitful that it constantly betrays us and deceives us, and so deceitful that only God can really know it. Jesus said, in Matthew 15:19. "Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies."

 

In Romans 8:7 we read, For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10 ¶ And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

 

The "mind" is the source of our thoughts and our actions. Therefore, it is that part of the flesh which thinks, and its thoughts are always contrary to God, and have "the nature of sin".

 

In Galatians 6:8 Paul said, He That Sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that sows to The Spirit shall of The Spirit reap life everlasting.  All efforts to improve the flesh, all provisions made for the flesh, all laws connected with the flesh, all end in corruption and death: all “perish with the using”.

 

Paul also said in Romans 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die:

 

And that is the result of walking in the flesh and living in the flesh, for there is but only “one promise” to those who live in and walk after the flesh and that is death. That is your “one expectation” that you know you will surely receive. DEATH

 

Now, fortunately brother Branham did not stop there with his comments in paragraph 96, but he went on to say, When God and His Word becomes one (Hallelujah.) that's when God's Spirit waters the Seed of God, the Word of God, It produces God; and it's not the individual; it's God. For you are dead; you're not yourself no more. You reckon yourself dead, hollowed out, waiting for the Seed germ.

 

Now, that is exactly what Paul said to the Colossians in Colossians 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

 

Now, in getting back to what brother Branham is telling us, he then says, “Then what is it? It isn't you no more; isn't the man; it's God IN the man. It's a Seed germ like the beginning spoken Word. God's Word made manifest IN the man; then it isn't the man; it's the man that's died. He can't be a (hybrid and a son) at the same time. He's either a son of death or a son of Life. So if he's a son of death, give it over to the devil and let him kill it. Give over to God a minute and let Him kill the devil that's in you, run him out: hollows you out. Then let God plant His Own Life IN you, then it's not you no more; it's God's Life, because it's God's Word, watered by the Holy Spirit will produce the same thing. You see it? I'd just love to preach on that a few minutes…

 

Now, let's read again what Jesus said in St. John 3:6 Jesus said, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of The Spirit is Spirit." 

 

In other words, that which is born of the flesh remains flesh, period. But that which is born of THE Spirit is Spirit and will remain Spiritual.  

 

In 1 John 3:9 we read, Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin; (does not disbelieve); for His seed, (God’s Seed which is God’s own Life) remains in him: and he cannot sin, (he cannot disbelieve) because he is born of God.

 

And in 1 John 5: 4 we read, For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.

 

And again in 1 John 5:18 We know that whosoever is born of God sins not; (disbelieves not) but he that is begotten of God keeps himself, and that wicked one touches him not.

 

Now, in recapping our thoughts on the characteristics which define and identify the man who has been born again (reborn) in his spirit, let's look at several scriptures which refer to this new man.

 

First of all He is called "Spirit".  This is in contrast with, and opposition to, the "flesh", as the title of the old nature: and it is called this because it is begotten of the Holy Spirit (John 3:6).

 

Now we are looking at The Spirit in contrast to flesh. This is something that happens to the spirit which is within the man. Then it is within the man that this new creation comes to life within the man. Then the body is only the housing of the Spirit of God that has come alive in the man.

 

Now, we know the new birth speaks of “He that is born of THE SPIRIT (which is the Holy Spirit, which is God’s own Spirit), for “every seed must bring forth after its kind”, and therefore its nature must be the very nature that gave it birth, for the Life of the Life-giver has been planted into the vessel, and must come alive with the very nature or the Life Giver.  Then if you have been born again by the Spirit of the Living God, you will receive the very nature of the Living God in your being.  And if your Father is Holy, for He is called the Holy Spirit, then if you have received His Holy Seed Life in you, and therefore His Holy Nature in your mortal being will produce Holiness in your flesh. Then you can no more help being Holy than God is Holy, for it is His Life living itself out in your mortal flesh

Then this New Spirit within you must reflect the very nature of the Holy Spirit, if You have His Seed Life in you. 2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

 

This new nature, is then the Divine Nature of God for it is God’s own nature birthed into you by His very Spirit giving you birth.  

 

In 2 Pet. 1:3-4 we read, According as his Divine Power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and Godlikeness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

 

This is why it is said to be "perfect", and not able to initiate sin. In I John 3:9 we read, "Every one that is begotten of God does not initiate sin which is unbelief, because His seed, God’s seed, therefore the nature of God, abides in him: and he (the new you) cannot sin because God has placed His God-Life, His God-Nature in you."

 

So it is called the New Man. And Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:24; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. And again in Colossians 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, (shall phaneroo, shall manifest Himself in His true nature) then shall ye also appear (then shall you also manifest yourself in your true nature) with him in glory (with Him in Doxa, with Him in the same opinion, the same values and the same judgment.) Colossians 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

 

Our new Life is called "The new creation" as we see in 2 Corinthians 5:17; 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. 20  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

 

And Paul said in Rom. 7:22  For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:23  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?  25  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

 

2 Corinthians 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 17  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

 

Ephesians 3:16  That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17  That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18  May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 20  Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21  Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

 

Notice the contrast between "the outward man" which perishes day by day, while the "inward man is renewed day by day". One is the seed of death while the other is the seed of life. So it is the inward man that we are dealing with and not the outward man. Notice what brother Branham said in paragraph 96, “He's either a son of death or a son of Life. So if he's a son of death, give it over to the devil and let him kill it. Give over to God a minute and let Him kill the devil that's in you, run him out: hollows you out.

 

Notice in Ephesians 3:16 Paul told us "the inner man" instead of perishing, is constantly being nourished and replenished day by day with grace and strength by the Holy Spirit; so that Christ thus dwells in our heart by faith.  

 

And I want you to also notice that it is the inner or inward man that delights in the law of God according to what Paul told us in Romans 7:22. But the other as Paul says in Romans 8 “is not subject to the law of God

 

Romans 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.  8  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10  And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11  But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.  12  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

 

Therefore I hope you can see this conflict between your flesh and your Spirit, which must go on till death ends this struggle. That is what caused the Apostle Paul, (and all those who are of like precious faith) to cry out, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from this body of death". But our victorious answer is in Romans 7:25 where Paul says,  "I thank God [For He will deliver me] through Jesus Christ our Lord"

 

Finally in paragraph 96 brother Branham says, “Then let God plant His Own Life IN you, then it's not you no more; it's God's Life, because it's God's Word, watered by the Holy Spirit will produce the same thing. You see it? I'd just love to preach on that a few minutes…”

 

There is no other Spirit of Christ.  God doesn’t have two spirits. The Scripture teaches us in, “1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.  And in Ephesians 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

 

So we are dealing with One Spirit, and that is the same Spirit that indwelt Jesus Christ the Son of God and raised Him from the dead. 

 

Romans 8:11 But if The Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.  Notice he says, if The Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead. The Spirit not spirits, but The Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus. So who raised up Jesus from the dead? God Did, then it is His Spirit, His Life that comes into you to live itself out in you.

 

Romans 8: 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that The Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if any man have not The Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. So there you are. If God’s Spirit doesn’t dwell in you, then you are nothing but a dead man on your way to the second death.

 

And it is God’s own Life in us that gives us this new nature and makes us "sons of God" as Jesus Christ was "The first-born Son of God".

 

When we studied the Spirit of Adoption we saw how that in Galatians 4 we received instructions about Paul’s teaching in Romans 8 concerning our son-ship. Thus we see in Galatians 4:6 that we have the explanation of Romans 8: "because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the pneuma of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, i.e., my Father". This Greek word Pneuma-Christou is therefore another name for the “son-ship spirit” which we have in Romans 8:15.

 

Thus, the new creation within us is called pneuma-Christou, because Romans 8:16 and 17 tell us "The Holy Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit (or new nature) that we are children of God; and, if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ .

 

Therefore Paul could say in Romans 8:9: “Now if any man have not pneurna-Christou (pneuma meaning the rational soul or mental disposition and Christo meaning Christ, then it is apparent that unless you have God-Life living in your rational soul, and expressing the mental disposition of Christ) you are none of his” (you don’t have His nature, therefore your seed is not his seed, for every seed must bring forth after its nature.)

For Christ the Son of God, and all sons of God possess the precious gift or a "son-ship spirit". That is why it is called pneuma-Christou, or Christ-Spirit. Being sons of God: with Christ, we are then "heirs also; not only God's heirs, but Christ's joint-heirs; if so be that we suffer together, that we may be glorified together also" (Rom. 8:17). It is called pneuma-Christou; because it is the sign and token that it is Christ’s Spirit, and therefore a son-ship spirit; because Paul taught us in Romans 8:29 "whom he foreknew he predestinated also to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be Firstborn among many brethren".

 

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:  13  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

 

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.

 

Philippians 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: His perfect righteousness, His holiness

 

1 Corinthians 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

 

Therefore we will have his peace in our minds and our hearts Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

 

And it will be our Father's very purpose that motivates our being as well. Ephesians 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

 

And in conclusion it will be our Fathers perfect Love that will motivate our actions and our reactions. 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:

 

John 8:4 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me

 

John 14: 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. 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. 31 But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

 

John 15:9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

 

John 16:27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.

All this is because God has created within us a new nature, which He calls pneuma-Christou. But, meanwhile, here on earth, it is our privilege to share His rejection. "The world knoweth us not because it knew Him not"

 

But He has placed his God-Life, God-Spirit in us that we might reflect His God nature to this World that we are living in. Paul said, in Romans 8:18 "For I reckon that not worthy are the sufferings of this present time [to be compared with] the glory about-to-be-revealed unto us" The fact of our rejection by a religious world, and by a worldly church, must be to us the blessed Token that we are God's sons, and therefore partakers of his Christ-Spirit, or the new nature, which is God's gift. 

 

There as Paul said, GALATIANS 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

 

Galations 2:20, “I was crucified with Christ; Nevertheless I am living, [and yet] no longer is it I that am living, but Christou-Pneumou that is living in me,.

 

It's not a matter of feeling it, but of believing it, or Faith. If we are guided by our feelings we shall never enjoy a new birth. He never said do you feel it, He said, Do you believe it". “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God(Rom. 10:17). God has declared this great fact in His Word (or we could have never known it); we hear that Word; faith believes it and rejoices in what it hears; and believes God, apart from feelings. Therefore our first responsibility concerning the old nature is to accept God's estimate of it, and to reckon it (as He does) as having died with Christ when He was crucified.

 

Then what must we do when we have received the Spirit of Christ into our hearts? Our responsibility is to reckon that this flesh is dead to sin and unbelief.  For what good is this flesh to us? For Paul said, in the body of this death, there is "no good thing".

 

He expects us to believe it is dead, because He says it is. He looks for us to consider it as buried. In the natural man there may be found natural religious and likeable characteristics: and he may cultivate these. But the child of God doesn't need that! And will not cultivate these. For, by walking according to the new nature, and led by that, what need will there be for cultivating the flesh? Led by that, we have Christ in the place of "religion"; and, we have "the mind of Christ". This infinitely exceeds anything that we could ever produce by any attempted cultivation of the old nature.

 

That is what brother Branham is telling us in paragraph 96, that we must recon this body dead…When God and His Word becomes one (Hallelujah.) that's when God's Spirit waters the Seed of God, the Word of God, It produces God; and it's not the individual; it's God. For you are dead; you're not yourself no more. You reckon yourself dead, hollowed out, waiting for the Seed germ.

 

Then if our body is dead, and our Life is hid with Christ in God, then as Paul says we must show it by making no provision for this flesh. Romans 13:14 to Make No Provision For The Flesh. Then always remember "the flesh profiteth nothing, it is the Word that gives Life,"  The flesh can be made very religious. Religion has to do solely with the flesh. All its ordinances are connected with, the flesh. They are things that the flesh can perform. But always remember that kind of righteousness according to God in Isaiah 64:6 is nothing but filthy menstrual rags.

Don’t ever forget, it was the religious people that crucified the Lord Jesus. That is what religion will do, when it is perverted and misused by the un born again person. That is why God said in 1 Sam. 15:22, "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold; to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams".

 

In James 1:27 we are told, "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows, in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world" In other words, if you want to do something religious, then do acts of mercy and kindness because they are purer and better than all outward religious acts of service and services; bowing and kneeling; crossing and counting beads; drawing near with the lips, and observing days.

 

Colossians 2: 20-23 "If ye died with Christ from the religious ordinances of the world, why, as living in the world, do ye subject yourselves to ordinances ('Touch not, taste not, handle not'; which all are to perish with the using); after the commandments and doctrines of men?" 

 

Colossians 3:1-3 "If ye then were raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things which are upon the earth. For ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in God".

 

Thus we are taught as possessors of the new nature, not to make provision for the old nature; not to feed it nourishment which it loves;

 

The old nature is full of pride. That is why the congregations are crowded where they teach what is called "practical Christianity"; and the people are told to "do" this or that (not that they will necessarily do it); but still it gratifies the old nature of the religious man that loves to hear "precept upon precept, precept upon precept", rule upon rule, rule upon rule."  But to honor God's Word above all else?  To magnify His Word and abase man?  That's not what the old nature wants to hear. Where the worship is based on Spirit and Truth, the churches are deserted. Because they hate the light, neither will they come to it, lest their deeds may be made manifest. But where provision is made for the flesh; where there is plenty of music in the choir, and "things to do for God" in the pulpit, there you will find multitudes. There is more danger for the child of God in the things that pertain to "religion" and in the refined desires of the carnal mind, than there is in the coarse and vulgar "lusts of the flesh". No, the child of God will not readily, or so easily make such provision for the flesh.

 

Our final responsibility to the flesh we find in Colossians 3:5 "Mortify, Therefore Your Members Which Are Upon the Earth This sounds very strange at first, after being told repeatedly that we "died with Christ". It sounds practical also. But for a thing to be practical, it must be practicable. It must be something which we are able to do. The word "mortify" means to make dead; therefore we are to treat it as having become dead.    It is because of the fact that we died with Christ, and hence, have put off the old man, and have put on the new, that we are therefore on that account to "reckon" the "members" of our body "as good as dead", and to account them as being impotent, and unable to produce any "living", or "good works".

 

 

 

All so-called "good" works done by the old nature are "dead works". They are wrought by our flesh, which are in God's estimation, "as good as dead". The only "good works" are those which God Himself has “prepared for us to walk in” and which are done in the spiritual strength of the new nature. Oh! that God's values may be our values, and that his opinion would be our opinion, and that his judgments would be our judgments: So that we like Abraham may not be “weak in faith” in this important matter; but strong, believing what God has said to us in this hour, and thus, be set free to center our affections on the things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God; and to wait for our manifestation with Him in glory.

 

Let us bow our heads in prayer.