Spoken Word no. 207
“Seven Benefits of the New birth”
Brian Kocourek, Pastor
December 5h, 2010
This morning we will again take our reading from
paragraphs 88 and 89 of The Spoken Word is the Original Seed
where brother spoke to us concerning the new birth. He told us the Word must
first come into our mind, then God quickens it by His Spirit and then it
becomes a dynamic revelation bringing new birth.
The Spoken Word is the Original Seed 88 And the
only way that we can ever be born again is first in the womb of the mind
receive the Word, and then the
Spirit comes on top of that and brings it. There you are. That's what does
it. That's the real Gospel teaching,
brother. I believe if
Paragraph 89
“Note, Mary's womb, Mary's womb, the physical
mind (See?), was virgin womb.
Why? She believed God's Word. No matter how much anybody criticized,
how many things somebody else said, that didn't have one thing to do with it;
she believed God's Word regardless. Oh,
I wished I could just get that over. Are you getting it? See, first, was her mind. Before the act ever taken place in her
literal womb, the act had to take place in here first to let the Spirit come
in, to do the rest of the work. Oh, before
the actual spiritual birth can take place, the Word has to find Itself through
your mind; believe It. ‘He that heareth
My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath Eternal Life, and shall never
come to the judgment, but (or through the tribulation period), but has
passed from death unto Life.’ That's it.”
Now in 1 Peter 1:23 Being
born again, we read, “Being born again,
not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth
and abideth for ever.”
Now to examine this being born again, turn in your Bibles to John 3: 1 There
was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 The
same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou
doest, except God be with him.
Now, this guy
Nicodemus comes to Jesus by night because I am sure that he was afraid of the
peer pressure that would hit him if he was seen openly talking to Jesus. So we
see Nicodemus by his own words he acknowledges the vindication of God’s
presence in the ministry of Jesus, yet because he was not himself born again,
he did not understand what Jesus was teaching. Yet on the other hand, he knew
this man had to be from God but his teaching was so un-orthodox that they could
not understand what he was saying. He said, “we know that no man can do what you are doing
unless God is doing it and standing behind your words, but what in the world
are you talking about?.”
In verse 3 we hear
Jesus reply to this man who understands vindication, but does not understand the
Doctrine of Christ. “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto
thee”, (now this word verily that Jesus uses twice to bring home his
point means “of a truth” or with full assurance and full certainty I am saying
this to you,) “Except
a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”.
Now, what does that
mean? “Except a
man be born again, he cannot see… see what? See the
Therefore, Jesus according to the Greek definition of
the word “see”, is telling Nicodemus that unless
a man is born again he can not “know” nor can he “perceive” nor can he “understand”
what the kingdom of God is all about.
Now, let’s continue on…4 Nicodemus
saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second
time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5 Jesus
answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the
The word “enter”
means to come into and become a participant of. In other words, if you can not
even enter, then there is no way you can be a part of the
Matthew
25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened
unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
Notice that there were ten of them, and if you recall when we took the series on the Parables of the Lord, we found that the number ten always represents that the whole cycle is now complete.
2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 They that were
foolish took their lamps, They had their Bibles but they took no
oil with them: And
we know that “oil represents the Holy Spirit, always”. Seven church ages 54-0512 P:68
4 But the
wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. Now, notice
this speaks of two things here. It says the Wise took oil in Their vessels WITH
their lamps. Now, we know the lamp represent sht e Word of God as we see in Psalms 119: 105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
But here we are told
that the oil was not in the lamps but in their vessels…and the Apostle Paul
said that our being is referred to as our vessel in 1
Thessalonians 4: 4 That every one of
you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor;
Now, back to the
parable in verse
5. While the bridegroom tarried, they all
slumbered and slept. 6 And
at midnight (that’s at the very end
of the day which represents time for the day has run out.) “there was a cry made”, and what was that Shout? “Behold”, “Look”, “see”, “perceive
and understand”. So we are told that this shout was to get the attention of the
Wise virgins who had the Holy Spirit while the foolish virgins who did not have
the Holy Spirit just could not understand what was happening. They heard the
Shout but because of no anointing oil in their vessels, they had no way of
understanding the Message given to them.) “Behold, the bridegroom is here, come out to meet him.”
Now, I know the King
James Bibles says go our to meet him, but then the cry would have to have been
from the inside not outside, and we know according to the parable and according
to Revelations 3
that he is outside the door knocking.
In the NIV version
it reads, At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the
bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'
And in the Message version
it reads, 6"In the middle of the night someone yelled out, 'He's
here! The bridegroom's here!
Therefore the message
is not “go out to meet him”, but come out to meet him because the voice came
from outside the church.
“7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps”. Now, what do you do when you trim a lamp? You must
look it over completely to see where it is not allowing light to show through
and then you clean it to do that completely you must cut off the smoke stained
wick, so it will burn brighter, and then you clean the glass so it will shine
more brightly. And we are talking about the Word of God. The soot is your own
thoughts that smudge up the meaning of Scripture.
“8 And the foolish said unto the wise”, Notice they are called
foolish because they think like fools. They had been too busy with all their
programs that they failed to keep their lamps trimmed and lit. So she said to
the Wise Virgin, “Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.” We
had the Word at one time, and we had some understanding back then, but
something’s we let it go out and we’re empty, we’re not filled with His Spirit,
we’ve let it go out.
9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go
ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to
the marriage: and the door (the Word, Christ the word is the Door, he
said so, He said I am the door to the sheepfold). And the door was shut. (they became closed
off to the Word which the Wise Virgin willfully accepted. The presence of the
Groom.
And the
Bible predicted it would be that way, way back in the book of Isaiah, some 700
years before the coming of Christ. And the Alpha has become Omega, as they were
blind then when the bridegroom was on the scene present, and they are blind
today as well to His presence.
Isaiah 29:10For the LORD hath poured out
upon you the spirit of deep sleep,
and hath closed your eyes: the prophets
and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. 11And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book
that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I
pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for
it is sealed: (you see there are
still so called learned ministers right in this message who believe the seals
are still closed)
12And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray
thee: and he saith, I am not learned. (at
least this person is more honest than the so called learned ones.) 13Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me,
and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: And so
they use fear to control the people.
Matthew 25:11 After ward came also the other virgins, (the foolish virgins) saying, Lord, Lord,
open to us. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I
say unto you, I know you not. 13 Watch therefore, for ye
know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Notice, then that when they heard the Midnight cry….”He is here, come out to meet Him”, they began
to trim their lamps but they could not find any light coming from the lamp or
the Word that they did have, because there was no oil in their vessel.
Now, in getting back to what Jesus was telling
Nicodemus, in John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto
thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind blows where it listeth, and thou
hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it
goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Therefore, the benefits of being born again and filled
with his Spirit are as follows:
#1) Unless you are born again you can not understand the
things of God.
John 3: 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily,
verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the
I
CORINTHIANS 2:9 But as
it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the
heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by
his Spirit (therefore if you do not
have His Spirit in you how are you going to have those things revealed to you) for The Spirit
(not a spirit, but THE Spirit, God’s Spirit) searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of
God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which
is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God
knoweth. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the
spirit which is of God; that we might know the
things that are freely given to us of God. So the very purpose of our receiving God’s Spirit is so we can receive
His Mind so we can understand His very thoughts, thus His Word.
“13 Which things
also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the
Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 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.” (In other words it takes the
Spirit of God in you to discern what is going on, and discern
means to recognize and comprehend. And to be spiritually
discerned means it takes the Spirit to discern them.) Notice verse “15 He that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of
no man. 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him?
But we have the mind of Christ.”
Church
Age Book (C.A.B.): 141-1
And to every age we hear the same truth. "He that hath an ear let him hear
what the Spirit saith to the churches." But only a Spirit-filled man can “hear”
the revelation for that age. None
other can. No sir. They cannot because that is exactly what Paul said
in I Corinthians 2:6-16.
Church Age Book: 143-1 If
the Spirit wasn't inside, you wouldn't “hear”
the truth and receive it by
revelation if you heard it every moment of the day. That was the sign of
the indwelling Spirit in the days of Paul. Those who were filled with the Holy
Ghost “heard” the Word, received it and lived by it. Those who did not have the Spirit heard it only as carnal men, put a wrong interpretation on it and
went into sin.
Church
Age Book: 164-3 …The
Word always comes to the truly Spirit-filled. That is the evidence of being filled with the Holy Ghost.
Church
Age Book: 165-2 In every church age we hear these words,
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the
churches." The Spirit gives the
Word. If you have the Spirit you will “hear” the Word for your age,
as those true Christians took the Word for their age.
Key to the door 62-1007 P: 68 No man can understand
the Word outside the baptism of the Holy
Ghost. And when a man says he's got the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and
disputes the Word being right, there's something wrong.
Identified masterpiece of God 64-1205 P:67 How
can a man have the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit wrote the
Word, and a man have the baptism of the Holy Spirit and deny the Word? How can the Holy Spirit in you deny Its own
Word that was set forth for you? I can't understand it. It's got to agree
with the Word, and if your spirit in you won't punctuate every one of God's
promises with "Amen." there's something wrong.
Discerning body of Lord 59-0812 P:16 he said, “Jesus said once, "That
except a man be born again, he cannot see the
Calling of Abraham 55-1116 P:29 Jesus
said to Nicodemus, "Except the man be born again he cannot see the
Mary's belief 61-0121 P:30 "Except
a man be born again he cannot even see the
It Shall Be Even As It Was Told Me 50-0818
23
Anyhow,
"to see" doesn't mean "to look at." The word "see" means "to understand." Jesus
said, "Except a man be born of water and Spirit, he cannot see the
Questions And Answers COD 59-1223 60
Now, Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be born
again he cannot see the
Questions
and answers COD 64-0823E P:106 317. 1040-Q-318 318. What is the evidence that a person is
really filled with the Holy Ghost? John 14:26: He will... "When
the Holy Ghost is come (See?), He will show you things to come."
See? He'll be a... He'll perfect it; man made won't do it; and He is the Word. When He the Holy Ghost is come, He will
identify Himself in you with the
Scripture. And that is the true
sign that the Holy Spirit is in you, because It is the Word.
Hear Recognize Act On Word 60-0221 30
First, faith cometh by hearing, hearing of the Word of God. Then
the believer hears It, recognizes It, and acts on It. The carnal man will hear
It, the sound of It, but never... "Hear"
means to "understand It".
Look at, is looking at something; but to see it, is to "understand it". "Except a man be born again, he cannot see
or understand the Kingdom of God."
Christ
is the mystery 63-0728 P:120 Look, Christ
in you makes Him the center of Life of the revelation. See? Christ's Life in you makes Him the center
of the revelation. Christ in the Bible, makes the Bible a complete
revelation of Christ. Christ in you
makes you the complete revelation of the whole thing. See, what God's
trying to do? What is the new birth then? You say, "Well, Brother Branham,
what is the new birth?"
It is the revelation of Jesus Christ
personally to you. Amen. See? Not you joined a church, you shook a
hand; you done something different; you said a creed; you promised to live by a
code of rules; but Christ, the Bible... He
is the Word that was revealed to you. And no matter what anybody says,
what takes place, it's Christ. Pastor, priest, whatever it might be... It's
Christ in you. That is the revelation that the Church was built upon.
Blasphemous
names 62-1104M P:53 And the biggest part of our faith is mental
faith. By hearing the Word it brings us to a mental recognition of God. But if
this coming from above, oh, brother, if it ever strikes this, there is a Godly,
spiritual faith. Then what does that faith do? That faith recognizes only the Word. No matter what anything else
says, it only recognizes the Word,
because “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God. (And the Word’s still God.) And
the Word was made flesh and dwelled among us.” And when the word Itself is pouring into our faith, our mental faith
becomes a spiritual revelation. “And upon this foundation I’ll build My
Church,” (See?), not upon a mental conception of church joining, a mental
conception of that, but upon the revelation. When them streams of grace has poured into that mental faith that you’ve
got, then upon this, a spiritual revelation, “I’ll build My Church and the
gates of hell can’t prevail against it.” See? That shows they would be against
it, but it’ll never prevail. Oh, what a glorious thing.
Blasphemous names 62-1104M P:56 … Number
one, coming to you, your mental faith, right here, comes the Holy Spirit, coming down into your mental faith making it a
spiritual faith. Then the spiritual faith only recognizes the Word. Now,
and number two: Then you'll have the
Holy Spirit, and will seal all these things into you, as that Holy Spirit
covers this. From your faith up to the Holy Spirit seals you in with Christ; then you become one. Amen. (Get this
thing out of my way. It's hard on your arms.) You become one. See, you and
Christ live together. "At that day you'll know that I'm in the Father, the
Father in Me, I in you, and you in Me." See? Then that's a sealed unit of
the Lord God. Now, and then they are vindicated and placed. When that time
takes place, they become vindicated sons and daughters of God.
Hear recognize act on word
60-0221 P:6 When they were born again, they were filled with the Holy
Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the new birth, we know that. You're begotten of the Spirit; I'll admit
that. But until you're born...
Token the 63-1128E P:74 …When God has give you the true baptism of the Holy Spirit, then the Life of Jesus Christ is
within you. Now, that's true; every theologian will have to admit that to be
the truth; it's
the new birth. You're born anew, of the Holy Ghost…
Earnestly contending for the faith 53-0614A
P:82 Why brother, it's by faith you're saved. Is
that right? But listen. In accepting of your faith, God confirms your faith by the baptism of the Holy Ghost. If you
say you believe, and you don't get the baptism of the Holy Ghost, then you do
not, it, your faith isn't accepted in the sight of God. You've got a mental faith and in the stead of a heart faith. That's
right. When you truly believe God, God's
under obligation to pour the Holy Ghost on you. And then if He does pour
the Holy Ghost on you... You say, "Well, I've got the Holy Ghost
too." Well, if you do, you're bound to believe in the supernatural signs
and wonders, because you're added to it. That's the faith.
Witnesses
54-0303 P:21 You believe God and say you believe God,
and haven't received the Holy Spirit, there's
something wrong with your faith. 'Cause God's under obligation to give every believer that repents and is
baptized, is under obligation to give you the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
And He's more willing to give it to you, than you are to receive it. That's
right. So there's something wrong somewhere. You just got a mental faith and instead of a heart faith. For God's
under obligation to keep His Word. He said, "Repent, every one of you, and
be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you
shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and your
children, to them that's far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall
call." That's true. And God's got to keep that promise. Yes, sir.
Spiritual inspiration
56-0128 P:75 If you don't understand what I mean by
being born again, I mean someone without the baptism of the Holy Ghost. That's the new birth. Would you
raise your hand and say, "I now believe; I want to receive the Holy
Ghost…
#2) You will do
what is right, and that is what righteousness is. 1
John 2: 29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know
that every one that doeth righteousness
is born of him. Every one who
does what is right is born of Him. So
are you doing what is right?
And if
you do what is right you will receive the son of God and receive him in the
same way you would receive the one who
sent Him. John
1:11 He
came unto his own, and his own received him not. 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.
#3) You will no
longer initiate sin. 1 John 3: 9 Whosoever
is born of God doth not commit sin; (does not initiate sin) for His (God’s) seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin,
because he is born of God. O, we might all backslide daily, but we do
not plot and plan to do it.
But like David, who looked down on Bathsheba taking her bath, what he saw
with his eyes, turned to lust and then when sin conceives it brings forth
death.
1 John 5:
18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he
that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one touches him not.
In the Book of James we read, James 1: 15 Then
when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished,
bringeth forth death.
#4) It gives you
power to overcome the world. 1 John 5: 1 Whosoever
believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
5: 4 For
whatsoever is born of God overcometh the
world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5: 18 We know that whosoever is born of God disbleives
not; but he that is begotten of God
keepeth himself, Or more
accurately, watches guard over himself, he makes a constant inventory of his
unbelief so he can deal with it… and that wicked one toucheth him not.
The NIV says, 18We know that anyone born of God does not
continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one
cannot harm him.
Amplified
translation 18We know [absolutely] that
anyone born of God does not [deliberately and knowingly] practice committing
sin, but the One Who was begotten of God carefully watches over and protects
him [Christ's divine presence within him preserves him against the evil], and
the wicked one does not lay hold (get a grip) on him or touch [him].
Message 18-21We know that
none of the God-begotten makes a
practice of sin—fatal sin. The
God-begotten are also the God-protected. The Evil One can't lay a hand on
them. We know that we are held firm by God; it's only the people of the world
who continue in the grip of the Evil One.
In the Book of Peter we also see him use this term born again as coming
from the Word of God. 1 Peter 1: 23 Being
born again, not of corruptible seed,
but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
And so we see that there are those who are born after the flesh and those
who are born of the Spirit. And we know that those born after the flesh always
must persecute those born after the Spirit, That is the law of life, for every
seed must come forth after its nature.
#5) You will
control how you act towards other and you will never persecute those who are
born again.
Galatians
4: 29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him
that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
#6) And if the New
birth gives you power to control your own actions, It will also allow you to
love in the same way God loves. In 1 John 4: 7 we
read, Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God,
and knoweth God. So if you can not love one another, then
either you are not born of God or you do not know God.
#7) The New birth
gets you ready to become Christ-like, to be conformed to the very image of the
first born son.
Galatians
4: 6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of
his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
1 John 3:
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.
Romans 8:29
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed
to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Let us pray…