Spoken Word no. 226

“Galatians 4”

Understanding and Belief

Brian Kocourek, Pastor

February 13^th, 2011

This morning we will speak again from The Spoken Word is The Original Seed and we will pick up at paragraph and tie it into Galatians 4:21 “Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?” And I think if he were living today, he might say, “tell me you that hear the message, do you not hear the voice of the Messenger? Do you not understand the example the Messenger left for us?” Do you not understand the great personal sacrifices he made so that we might live like he lived, and walk as he walked and talk as he talked?

Now verse 22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.

Now, in getting back to Galatians chapter 4 and picking up at verse 24, Paul says,   Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which genders to bondage, which is Agar. 25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.

Now, this Greek word “douleia” translated as “bondage” speaks of slavery and obligation to man through service. In other words, that covenant which leads to death is laced with works programs and service.

26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. 28  Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. So we see the children of promise are free, and thus they are free to do as they wish. But as brother Branham said, I can do whatever I wish to do, but all I wish to do is to serve Him. That is the difference.

As I pointed out a week ago, Martin Luther said, Martin Luther in His Preface to the Book of Romans said, "God judges according to what is at the bottom of the heart, and for this reason, His law makes its demands on the inmost heart and cannot be satisfied with works, but rather punishes works that are done otherwise than from the bottom of the heart, as hypocrisy and lies. "The law is spiritual," For if the law were made for the body, it could be satisfied with works; but since it is spiritual, no one can satisfy it, unless all that you do is done from the bottom of the heart. But such a heart is given only by God's Spirit, who makes a man equal to the law, so that he acquires a desire for the law in his heart, and henceforth does nothing out of fear and compulsion, but everything out of a willing heart. That law then is spiritual which will be loved and fulfilled with such a spiritual heart, and requires such a spirit. Where that spirit is not in the heart, there sin remains, and displeasure with the law, and enmity toward it, though the law is good and jut and holy.

  20   Sin, in the scripture, means not only the outward works of the body, but all the activities that move men to outward works, namely the inmost heart, with all its powers. Faith on the other hand is a living, daring confidence in God's Grace, so sure and certain that a man would stake his life on it a thousand times. Faith is not that human notion and dream that some hold for faith. Faith, however, is a divine work in us. It changes us and makes altogether different men, in heart and spirit and mind and powers, and it brings with it the Holy Ghost.

Now, in getting back to Galatians chapter 4 and verse 29 The Apostle Paul says, But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

Now, in order to understand how this comes about, this warfare, we must first understand what causes these who are born after the flesh to war with those who are born by promise, and remember to make a promise is to give your Word, and so those born by promise are those who Receive the Promise which is to receive God’s word.

Jesus said, 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; but is passed from death unto life. 25  Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

Now, we know that brother Branham taught us that when the Scriptures uses the words “hearing”, “heareth”, or “to hear”, it is speaking of being able to understand. In fact that is what the Greek word “Akou” means that it was translated to the English Word heareth from, it means to understand. So the translation is not a very good one in this verse.

It should read, “he that “understands” my word and believes on Him that sent me (and who sent Jesus? God did, so this is to believe on God) has everlasting life.”

So there are two important things that this passage is telling us. Not only to believe but you must understand what it is that you believe. Too many people quote brother Branham in other places as saying, you only need to believe, but that is not what he is told us. He said you must understand then believe, for if you do not understand then you will not know what to believe. From his sermon, Seed shall not be heir 65-0429B P:25 Now, if you'll take Saint John 5:24, listen to this, "He that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, has Everlasting Life." Now, how would that be so much different from many of our theologies? Now, I could walk out here and say to a drunkard, "Do you believe?" "Sure." A man with another man's wife, "Do you believe?" "Sure." "Did you set in the meeting last night to hear the Word?" "Sure." "You believe It?" "Sure." He's just saying that. But the original interpretation of this Word, "he that understandeth My Word, and will believe on Him that sent Me... He that understands," that is to who It's made known to. Jesus said, "No man can come to Me except My Father has drawn him. And all that My Father hath given Me, they will come. My sheep, My doves, hear My Voice. A stranger they will not follow." And what is the Voice of God? Is the Word of God. What's any man's voice but his word? It's the Word of God; they'll hear the Word of God.

Let’s read from John 5:24 again,   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; but is passed from death unto life.

Seed not heir with shuck 65-0218 P:30 There is no judgment to the royal, spiritual, predestinated Seed of Abraham, for they are predestinated to Eternal Life. They have accepted God's provided Sacrifice, and that Sacrifice which is Christ, the Word. "And there is therefore now no condemnation, Romans 8:1, if you want the Scripture)... There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh, but the Spirit." And John 5:24, "He that heareth My Word (the word there is 'understandeth.' Any drunkard anything else can hear it and walk away.)... But he that heareth My Word (understands My Word) and believeth on Him that sent Me hath Everlasting Life and shall not come into the judgment, but's passed from death unto Life." Yes, sir. He that this great mystery of the God made known, understand, how that God was in Christ reconciling Himself to the world, how that He and the Father were One, how that the great mysteries of the fulfilling of God taking and bringing Himself, manifested in the age of human beings, and in the strain of human beings, and in the company of human beings, to make His Word manifested in the day in the eastern rising of the sun and to do the same thing as the sun sets in the west, to make Himself manifested in a Bride church, the Word made manifest. See? It will to... "He that understandeth (that is, to know), that's been revealed to him of Him that sent Me, has Everlasting Life and will not come into the judgment, but's passed from death unto Life."

That is why the Doctrine of Christ is so important and it seems that is also why the devil fights so hard in his church to attack the elect who have this revelation. I get email many times from my friends in Africa who tell me that they are in a warfare over there, and the opposition is throwing everything they can at them. Well, I have news for my brothers. The warfare is everywhere that there is an Elect and a church spirit in a church people.

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."

QUEEN OF SHEBA 61-0119E 32 He knew God was able to keep that which He had performed. And we're supposed to be children of Abraham. We're children of Abraham if we have the faith of Abraham. Everything else but God's Word is a lie. Look what God said. We look at the unseen. You look what your mortal eyes don't see. You don't see with your eyes anyhow. You only look with your eyes; you see with your heart. You look right at it, say, "I don't see it"; you mean you don't understand it. Your seeing is your understanding, so you understand with your heart.

MARK OF THE BEAST 61-0217 73 But if you hear the trumpet... See, hearing, faith cometh by what? Hearing. Now, not just listen with your ear, but if you hear that means you understand it, you accept it. "I hear you; I believe it." See? It's hearing. Stephen said, "You stiff-necked, uncircumcised in the heart and ears..." See, uncircumcised... They could hear it with the ears but uncircumcised, they couldn't believe it. See? Uncircumcised in the heart and ears, understand it. "Oh, it's all a mystery to me, like Cain. Take it or leave it. I joined church, that's as good as I can do." All right, Cain. You'll mark with the beast and go right on off in your denomination. But you can come to Christ and be sealed by the Holy Ghost. You can take your choice. Now, watch. You hear the Gospel trump... What is the Gospel trumpet? The good news, the Holy Ghost is here. How do you know it is? Watch It work; see what It does. It's the good news.

From his sermon called Hear recognize act on word 60-0221 P:18 brother Branham said, 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."

Look at the warfare that Jesus had with the religious zealots of his day. You know there were three kinds of believers, and did you know there are also three kinds of make believers as well?

The Pharisees were those who had there act together as far as doing the law in their flesh outwardly is concerned, and they believed in the supernatural, but they were very legalistic in their approach to the Word of God. And they had a hateful spirit about them. Always looking down at those who did not live up to the standards they imposed on the people.

Then there was the worldly bunch called the Herodians. They were a group that lived just like the world, and yet believed in the resurrection, and the supernatural. How many of them follow this message, it blows the mind to see the comparisons today.

And thirdly we have the Sadducees, those legalistic law abiders who were so starchy that they didn’t even believe in the Supernatural. Oh, “we have the Word” they say, the Word the Word the Word, but when the Word was right in their midst they didn’t even know it, they didn’t even recognize it. And that is what brother Branham said,

From his sermon, 'A DECEIVED CHURCH' brother Branham said, "But as Israel was bound by their Kings that they could not follow the real King; and the real King, when He came, they didn't recognize Him. So is it today, oh, Lord. The King of Glory has appeared in the form of the Holy Ghost and Lord, They don't know it. They don't recognize it. They're so organized so tight, that they do not understand it, because It's not in their organization. Lord this is a work of the devil that's done this to the people. May the Samson of God, may the True in heart, Those who are longing and crying and pleading and holding on, may they stay with It, Lord, until this new crop grows out. Until there comes forth a joy in Zion, and there comes forth a group that can recognize and understand. That can see the Messiah and the hidden power that's hid from the world, that they will not understand now. Grant, Lord, that they'll see this, for we ask It in Jesus name, a-man."

Now, don’t think we don’t have this right here in the message, because we do.

So it is their organizational focus that blinds them to the reality of the Living God in the midst of the people. But God gave us a true Five-Fold ministry to breakdown the Word of God and bring forth an understanding to the minds of God’s elect.

Notice what Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:11 And He (He’s talking about God here) He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12  For the perfecting of the saints, (that means for the maturing of the saints) for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: (that means for the building up of the body of Christ, not the tearing down as so many do, but building them up in the Word so that they can stand in this greatest battle that has ever been fought. And for how long is the five-fold to do this? ) 13  Until we all come in the unity of the faith, (Not until we all become unified. That is not what it is saying, but until we all come into The Unity of The Faith… And there is only one Lord, One Faith, One Baptism as he said in verse 8. So the very same Paul who said there is only One Faith now says until we come into the unity of that One Faith, the Revelation of Jesus Christ.)

And not only that we come into the unity of The Faith, the Revelation of Jesus Christ, but notice also until we come into the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, (That’s a mature man,) unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:

In other words this Five-fold ministry is to take us right up to the place of being conformed to the Image of the first born son as Paul also said in 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. 30  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Now, in getting back to Ephesians 4, let’s pick up at verse 13 again…13  Until we all come in the unity of the faith, And what is the purpose of God in all this? Paul tells us when he continues in the next verse…14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

Now, why is it that we no longer are tossed about by every wind of doctrine? Because when you know the Doctrine of Christ, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, nothing else matters. Your focus is set, and you are on you way to the image and stature of Christ. anything else maters very little. There is but one focus and that is to be conformed to the Image of the first born son.

15  But speaking the truth in love, (not with an attitude, not with a chip on your shoulder, but speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. 17  This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18  Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

Now, notice that there are three things here. The separating of the soul from Life and eventually separating down and down until there is nothing left of it. This is the alienation from Life, which goes into death. Notice Paul tells us that the blindness is ignorance, and this ignorance is darkness that shuts off the Life of God to them, and thus they perish.

Now, in II PETER 1:9 we find those who lack an understanding of the Word, are considered blind to it. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

And again we hear Jesus Himself tell us this in JOHN 12:35 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.

JOHN 8:12 Jesus said, Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Ephesians 4: 17 Having the understanding darkened, they being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

Romans 11:10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.

Romans Chapter 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. And remember the heart represents understanding, so we see their understanding becomes darkened. So we see then that there results a spiritual warfare as we saw in

Galatians 4 where Paul said, 27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.28  Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. 29  But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

And Jesus said, "Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word." In other words they couldn't understand what he was saying. In closing let’s examine this warfare with the religious verses the Son of God and see how he handled himself in it. Let’s turn to St. John the 8^th chapter.

John 8:17 It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true.18  I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.19  Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.20  These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come.21  Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.22  Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come.23  And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.24  I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.25  Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.26  I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.27  They understood not that he spake to them of the Father.28  Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.29  And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.30  As he spake these words, many believed on him.31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.33  They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?34  Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.35  And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.36  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.37  I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.38  I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.39  They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.40  But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.41  Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.42  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.43  Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45  And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.46  Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?47  He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.48  Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?49  Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me.50  And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth.51  Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.52  Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.53  Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? 54  Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:55  Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. 56  Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. 57  Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?58  Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. 59  Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.