Spoken
Word no. 156
No
Judgment for the Bride
Brian Kocourek, Pastor
April
24, 2010
165 All right. In Genesis 1,
remember, every seed after its kind.
It must forever be that way. There's all those types. A man who would say,
could believe, that the church will go through a tribulation period, I wonder
where you'd ever get a seed for that? When even... "Well," you say,
"I believe it says this that they'll do..." That's all right. Did you
notice back yonder where the rains fell on the other time? Where did it fall?
Noah was in the ark before the judgment struck.
Romans 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed;
because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is
given unto us. (Before we go any
further, what is this hope? What does the word hope mean? It means to earnestly
expect. It is an earnest expectation. That is what hope is. The if I am
earnestly, which means that I am deadly sincere about this expectation, then I
will not waver one jot or tittle concerning what I expect to happen. Therefore,
if I am certain then how could I be ashamed. The Scripture tells us, And hope
maketh not ashamed ; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by
the Holy Ghost which is given unto us . And how is the Love of God poured out
into our hearts?
Let's look at
God's Love and let's see how God sheds His love upon us, or more precisely how
God pours out His love into our hearts which we receive by the Holy Ghost. Now
to understand this first we must break down this thought into to parts. Namely
what is this Love, or at least how does God manifest this Love to us. And
number 2, why does God use the Holy Ghost to do the pouring out into our
hearts.
Now, first of
all, let's look at what this Love is. The word for Love here is the Word Agape
which is a benevolent sort of Love that God has for only certain people. Jesus
tells us in
1 John 3: 1 Let's read it carefully. Now this is said in a
question format. It says, what sort of Love is this that the Father hath bestowed upon
us? Now what do we mean by saying that the Father bestowed upon us.
What does the word bestow mean? It comes from a Greek word DIDOMI which means
"To give forth from one's self." And what is the greatest
thing that God could give us, as our Father He could give or pass onto His Sons
one thing that is greater than all? And we will find this in John 5:26.
John 5:26 For as the Father
hath Life in Himself; so hath He given to the Son, to have Life in Himself; Now,
I know this speaks of the Father and Son, but if God has a way of doing things
for one, He must do it for all who come the same way, for He is not a respecter
of persons. Then if God has other sons, beside the Only Begotten of the Father,
then if God gave Him the same Life that was in the Father, then God as a Father
must give His life to His other sons in the same manner.
1 John 3:1 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.
Therefore we
see the sort of Love
that the Father hath bestowed upon us is that we are called sons.
And we could not be called sons without being sons, or it would be a lie, and
God can not lie. So, let's go back and read 1 John 3:1-2 again, .... and then we
see In verse 3
our response to this Love of God which has been shed abroad in our hearts by
the Holy Ghost.
Now, this brings us back to Romans 5 again.
Romans 5:5
And hope maketh
not ashamed; And what we earnestly expect we are not ashamed of,
Why? because the
love of God, the very Life of God, is shed abroad, or poured out into our
hearts, How? by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. And what
is the Holy Ghost which is given to us? It is the spirit of the Living God.
God's own Spirit and Life.
Now, Paul
explains how God did this in the next few verses. 6 For when we were yet without strength, in due
time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one
die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God
commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died
for us. Now, why was it so important that Christ had to die? Because
in Christ had been placed the fullness of the Godhood bodily. Everything that
God was He had placed in His Son, Jesus. Then God Himself had stepped into His
Son to manifest Himself to mankind. Then God had to leave His Son in order that
His Son might be able to die. And when He did die, the Life was released from
that Body and you and I are the recipients of that Life being allowed to flow
to the earth through the pouring out of His blood, and the seeds of life that
God had placed in the earth were watered by that blood that flowed forth from
Calvary bringing forth the Life that was in the blood into each predestined
seed. Not only did it carry the life into the seed, but His death also
justified the seed, thus saving it.
9 Much more
then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through
him. And thus we are saved from wrath
as we pointed out last week which is the judgments of God expressed upon the
earth. We are saved from these judgments which are in the earth through Him.
God can not destroy His own? And since His life has entered into the
predestined seeds through the blood of His Son, then God can no more destroy
His own offspring, than nothing. He just could not do it and be a just God.
Therefore, He has made the way for yours and my rescue from the judgments. 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. And notice that it
is His very own Life that saves us. 11 And not only [so], but we also joy in God through our Lord
Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
Now, in the
next few verses Paul tells us more specifically how this all came about. In
verse 12 He
says, Wherefore,
as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed
upon all men, for that all have sinned: Now, what does He mean by
this? How did sin and thus death enter into the world by one man? God had told
Adam not to touch it nor eat it least He die, for in the day you eat thereof
that's the day you will surely perish. And Adam, partook of the act with Eve,
and thus children were born into this world via the sex act and thus through
the life that was in Adam, as it was placed into Eve, it eventually was mingled
with the serpents life 6 generations later in the days of Noah.
Gen 6:4-10 There
were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of
God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same
became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. 5 And
GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every
imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth,
and it grieved him at his heart.7 And the LORD said,
I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man,
and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth
me that I have made them. 8 But Noah found grace in the
eyes of the LORD.9 These are the generations of
Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Now, here we see that
Noah was the last man that was genetically a son of God. Notice that the sons
of God saw the daughters of man and they mixed the seed, and then we see the
illustration of Noah. Now, Paul said in verse 12, Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the
world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have
sinned 13 For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when
there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over
them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is
the figure of him that was to come. 15 But not as the offense, so also is the
free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace
of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded
unto many. 16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the
judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto
justification.
Now, here it
is....I want you to get this... for the judgment [was] by one to condemnation... in
other words, the judgment was death which came from one act in the garden, the
day you eat thereof is the day you die....17 For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much
more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall
reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. In other words, whereas through
Adam and his transgression with Eve, everyone born in this earth was condemned
to die, but through Jesus Christ and His one act of selflessness, shall we
reign in Life....
Now, what does
Paul mean here by saying that For if by one man's offense death reigned by one,
And then he says, much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the
gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. Now if you are
paying attention, Paul says that by the offense of one death reigned, and then
he says by the gift of the other life shall reign... What does this word reign
suggest to us? It comes from a Greek word, basileou which means "to
exercise the highest influence and control." Therefore, by one
man's actions, a life took over in man that exercised a supreme influence and
control over man, and it was not until the stinger was pulled out on
Ephesians 2:1-10 And
you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this
world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now
worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among
whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh,
fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the
children of wrath, even as others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love
wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us
together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up
together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he
might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through
Christ Jesus. 8 For
by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift
of God: 9 Not
of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we
should walk in them.
Colossians 2:13-15 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the
uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having
forgiven you all trespasses;14 Blotting out the handwriting
of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of
the way, nailing it to his cross;15 And having
spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing
over them in it.
Now, what we are
talking about is the body of this death... and Paul also spoke of our dying out
to this flesh in Gal 2: 18-21 18 For if I build again the things which I
destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.19 For I
through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.20 I
am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in
me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son
of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 21 I
do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then
Christ is dead in vain.
Notice especially
verse 18. If I
build again the things which I have destroyed, I make myself a transgressor...
Now what does he mean I become a transgressor....
James 2:11 For
he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou
commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the
law.
To do part of the Word
or accept part of the Word without accepting it all is to transgress the entire
Word. The Word used for transgressor comes from the root word to transgress
which we find in 2 John 1:9 9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the
doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he
hath both the Father and the Son.
This word transgress
here means to go beyond the limits... That's what trespassing is all
about. There are boundaries which God has laid out, and going beyond those
boundaries shows what is in our spirit. To hope that God has some loopholes is
to be looking for a means of escape. Webster says a Loophole is a means of escape
or
a means of evading an obligation or enforcement of the law. Therefore,
if we are looking for any loopholes in God's Word, we are looking to the Law.
For a loophole is a legal idea in which one can hope to get around the law, or
evade the law by finding something wrong with the law. Now, if you are the word
how could you wish to get around what it says? Huh? As a man thinketh in his heart so is he, and
out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. That’s
scripture brother! So if you try to run from the Word then you are not one with
that Word.
It's sort of
like looking for errors in the law. And those who would look for loopholes in
God's Word don't understand God. There is no way of escape except in Christ,
and He is the Word. We should not look to see how close we can come to sin
without crossing over, but we should run as far away from sin as we can and
avoid totally the appearance of evil. Look, why would you try to get as close
to the edge as you can. Why not stay as far from it. When I went mountain
climbing at
Paul said, in 1Thess 5:21-24 21 Prove all things;
hold fast that which is good.22 Abstain from all
appearance of evil.23 And the very God of peace
sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be
preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.24 Faithful
is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
if you prove all
things, and hold fast to that which is right, (that which has been proven to be
right, which means it has been vindicated) and then abstain from anything that
would even appear to be evil, (and what does that mean? what does it mean to
avoid the appearance of evil? It means anything which would be contrary to that
which is vindicated) He said if you do this, then the very God of Peace will sanctify you
completely in your whole being, in your body, in your soul and in your spirit."
And not only that but He will keep you blameless unto and into the Parousia of
Jesus Christ...And then he says, "Faithful is He that calleth you, who
also will do it."
Then what do I
need to do? Check it with the Word. If God says it, then believe it. If you
don't understand why He said it, so what? I don't understand why He said many
things, but I believe He said it because He means it. But know this, He said in
Philippians 3:15
"Let us as
many as be perfect, be thus minded: and If in anything, ye be otherwise minded,
God will reveal even this unto you." Therefore, if you find it
in the Bible and if you find it in the Message, then you had better hold fast
to it, because in the mouth of 2 witnesses all things are established.
Now, in getting back
to Romans 5, we read on at verse 18... Therefore as by the offense of one [judgment came] upon
all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one [the free gift
came] upon all men unto justification of life. 19 For as by one man's
disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be
made righteous. 20 Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound.
But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 21 That as sin hath reigned
unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life
by Jesus Christ our Lord. Now, look then at Paul's next statement... 6:1 What
shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God
forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
When I came
into this message, I was willing and still am to change anything in my Life
that is not pleasing to God. I was young, about 21 years old... I changed the
way I wore my clothes, I changed the style of my hair, I changed the way I
talked and the music I listened to, and the foods I ate, and the things I
drank, and the way I looked at life and God's creation in life, .... I changed
my life from 90% sports to being immersed in God’s word day and night. Believe me, I’ve been crucified with Christ, nevertheless
I'm still living, yet it is no more the old man living, but the new man Christ
that Liveth in me, and the Life I am now living, I live by the Faith of the Son
of God who dies and gave His Life for me. Therefore, I shall not frustrate the
grace of God....
Brother Branham said,
“to live for
Christ is not legalism, He said, I can do anything I want to do, but I only
want to do is please Him." Can you say the same, If you can't,
then you need the same life in you, speaking through you that spoke through
him. Now, you know according to the Book of Revelations we are coming close to
the end-time, and there is coming a time when you will not be able to repent.
Repent now, while you still have time. For He said in His Word, "He that
is filthy will be filthy still, but He that is righteous will be righteous
still. And we are soon approaching that time, when the depression is on it's
way, and the atomic bombs will fall and the plagues will break out, and men
will cry out for death....but the bride of Christ will be tucked away in
safety.
John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and
believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation;(that is the judgment) but is
passed from death unto life.
From his sermon, Conflict Between
God and Satan 62-0531 50 There's no place where the church (the Bride)
ever goes through the tribulation period. Christ's Blood in the fullness of the
application of the Blood of Jesus Christ cleanses all sin. And why do we have
to be purged? We are purged daily.
No tribulation... Listen. Listen what Jesus said in
We have a
promise of a rapture, not a tribulation. The promise fo God for us in this day
is a change of the body and a catching away. 1 Thessalonians 4:13 But
I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are
asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so
them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
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.
He told us to comfort
one another with these words. And what comfort is there in teaching a post
tribulation rapture. The rapture has begun as far as William Branham is
concerned. He taught us that The Lord God Himself does all three of these
things, Shout Voice and Trumpet in His descent. We have already received the
Shout which is the Message, we are awaiting the Voice of the resurrection, the
same voice that raised Lazarus from the grave, and then the trump to go meet
Him in the air.
God Hiding Himself in Simplicity 63- 117 The church goes
through the tribulation, but not the bride. The church goes through for purification,
sure, under the sixth seal. Right. Israel does the same thing, for the hundred
and forty-four thousand, but not the bride. The bride's forgiven. She goes straight to glory in a rapture.
That's right. She's... My opinion, the last member will be caught up one of
these days. It might come, and you
wouldn't know nothing about it. Remember, it's a secret, secret catching away.
He'll come an hour that you think not. You
won't know nothing about it; she'll be gone, be too late then. 118 You say,
"I wish I would've stood." If you ever intended to make a stand, let
this meeting in
From his sermon THE FIRST SEAL
63-0318 161-3 {301} brother
Branham said, “Notice,
and when this Holy Spirit that we have,
becomes incarnate to us, the One that's
in our midst now in the form of the Holy Ghost, becomes incarnate to us in the
Person of Jesus Christ, we'll crown Him King of kings and Lord of Lords, That's
right. See?”
And the Apostle Paul said
in 1 Thessalonians 2: 19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not
even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
And why would the Parousia
Presence of Christ be our hope and joy if we were to have to endure the
hardships of the great tribulation.
Brother Branham said
in his sermon, Q & A on
Genesis 53-0729 51-243 When the
tribulation strikes, the church goes up. Now, remember, just an ordinary church
without the Holy Ghost goes through the tribulation period. It's only the elect that goes through.
Now, look back in the Old Testament. When you see the plagues falling, they
were in
Therefore, if I can leave
just one thing for you tonight, I want you to lay on your face before God for
yourself, your spouse, your children, because no one goes in that rapture
without the Holy Ghost. For it is the Holy Ghost that has come down to deliver
us, and He is more than willing to do it, if we will let Him. Why even Jesus
when He entered into His hometown He could do no miracles because of their
unbelief. And I tell you unbelief will hinder the work of God. So do not be
those who try to manipulate the Word of God for your own purposes, just learn
to let go and let God. Learn to be like Mary and say, “Be it
unto me according to Thy Word.”
Again Br. Branham said
from his sermon, Taking
Sides With Jesus 62-0601 755-55 Revelations it says one, two, three chapters to the church.
The church goes up in the 4th chapter.
It does not return anymore till the 19th chapter; that's after the tribulation
period when God calls out the Jews. That's right. And like Enoch, he went
up before one drop of rain ever hit the earth. He was gone, then the
tribulation set in. See? Noah was in the ark before any tribulation set in. Lot
was out of
The First Seal
63-0318 129-1 And how
can a man say that the Bride of Christ goes into the tribulation? I can't
understand it. See? She's took away
from the tribulation. If the Church
has been judged, and they have judged themselves, and have accepted the Blood,
how can God judge a man that's perfectly, totally sinless? You say, "There's no such a person."
Every born again believer, true
believer, is perfectly, absolutely sinless before God. He's not trusting in his
works. In the Blood of Jesus that his confession's dropped into... The
Bible says so. See? "He that is born of God does not commit sin, for he cannot
sin." How can you make a man a sinner
when the bleach of the Blood of Jesus Christ is between him and God, that would
scatter sin till there'd be nothing left of it. See? How can that pure Blood of
Christ ever let a sin pass there? He cannot. Jesus said, "Be ye
therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." And how could we even start the thought of being
perfect, but Jesus required it. And if Jesus required it, He's got to make a
way for it; and He has: His own Blood.
Q& A
64-0823E 1033-174 "Will
the foolish virgin be saved." No. Whatever happens, happens now. Now, she will have to go through the tribulation
period. And the reason of it is, is because she has rejected the Atonement in
Its fullness. She is a believer, a professed believer, but she will have to
go through the tribulation period.
Token The 63-1128E 97 Someone discussing that with
me not long ago, said, "The church will have to go through for a
purification." I said, "That is true, because
she rejected the Blood." But if the tribulation period catches the Bride,
His Own Wife, in the tribulation? No, sir. The
Blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed us from all sin, and there's no more
purifying. And the Blood of Jesus Christ, and that Token, as identification
that it has been purified (Amen.), that's the Token of the Bride wearing the
ring.
Hebrews 9:13 For
if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the
unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who
through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to
serve the living God?
Romans 5:1 Therefore
being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into
this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing
that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience,
experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh
not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy
Ghost which is given unto us. 6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the
ungodly. 7 For
scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some
would even dare to die. 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. 11 And
not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we
have now received the atonement.
12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and
death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: 13 For
until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses,
even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's
transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if
through the offence of one many be dead, much
more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus
Christ, hath abounded unto many. 16 And not as
it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to
condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more
they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall
reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) 18 Therefore as by the offence
of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness
of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19 For as by one man's
disobedience many were made sinners, so
by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.