The
Doctrine of Christ no 43
“The Life of Christ no. 6”
Status and Standing
Brian Kocourek, Pastor
January 15th, 2012
This morning I would like to address the thought of
state and status or status and standing. Your status which comes by election
and fore ordination, which is what God saw you before the foundations of the
world. Ephesians 1:3-4 and Romans 8:29-30.
Romans 2:5 But
after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath
against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7 To them who by patient continuance in well
doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 8 But
unto them that are contentious, and
do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth
evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10 But glory, honour, and
peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11 For
there is no respect of persons with God.
Notice that verse 8 speaks of those who are
contentious. The translation of the Greek word “ek” doesn’t speak of what we
would use the word contentious for. It speaks more in line with some one who is
striving or contending for themselves. In other words, it speaks of those who
are out electioneering. They are trying to make a name for themselves. They’re
trying to be the big shot at the expense of others.
Before we go on I could point out the fact that this
contentious attribute was from a given source. Satan was the first one who
contended or strove for greatness. He contended with Michael to make a better
kingdom for himself.
7 To them who by
patient continuance in well doing seek for glory (Doxa. God’s opinion, God’s Values) and honour and
immortality, eternal life: 8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth,
but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9 Tribulation and
anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of
the Gentile; 10 But glory,
honour, and peace, to every man that worketh
good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11 For there is no respect of
persons with God.
Now, before we go further this morning, Paul said
that every man will receive the reward for what he does in his flesh. It all
comes down to motive. Some men spend their entire lives electioneering for
position and they are never satisfied with that position that God has given to
them. That is the mark of their father Lucifer who did the same thing in thre
beginning, when he was called on by God to lead in the worship alongside of
Michael. But he wasn’t satisfied with leading the angels in worship. And so he
began to direct the worship to himself.
Now, as I mentioned we will be addressing the topic
of status vs standing.
Websters dictionary tells us the
word “state” means the “condition or mode of being, as with regard to
circumstances. 2. A
condition of being in a stage or form, as of structure, growth, or development: in other words, it speaks of where you are currently at.
Now, contrast this to what is called your status:
which is defined as One’s position as
regards to law. Your Position
relative to that of others;
So you see your status is what God has declared
concerning you through His Word or His Law. Where as your standing is actual
current condition which can be based upon your present circumstances which you
are facing.
One speaks of election while the other speaks of the
current progress in your path or predestination toward that rightful position.
In other words, where are you at right now.
And so we can diagram this. And we are looking at
your Status vs your state or standing.
Now, your status is what God said about you, it’s
your position, in Christ. what you are ordained to which you can not affect or
effect in any manner.
Romans 8:28 “all things work
together for the good…” This is state,
all things
working together for your good. The he says, “To those who are the called,” this
speaks of your status.
Your status is out of your control. It
is what God ordained you to be, but your state is under your
control, it’s where you are “standing”, and that speaks of where
you are right now in this predestined path towards achieving the image of your
status that was in God’s mind before the world was framed.
To them that love God to them that are thee called
according to his purpose. His purpose speaks of status. But when we are looking
at state we are long at all things all circumstances sowing and reaping the
trials of your faith, those things which affect your movement towards the
status God called you to.
Remember when Saul went to the witch of Endor? He
wanted to see Samuel. And when the witch conjured up his spirit he was still a
prophet. Brother Branham said a prophet is always a prophet.
A prophet is born a prophet, and his status
is that of a prophet of God. But his growing into that role is what we call his
state or standing. But he was born a prophet and
will always be a prophet just like Samuel was a prophet on the other side.
Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew
thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I
ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
Now Look, God ordained each of us to a certain role or
position in the family. We see here that Jeremiah was ordained a prophet even
before he came from his mother womb. So how can some of these ministers out
there think just because someone lays
hands on them that now they are a 5-fold minister. Yeah, they think that if
they can just get a certain brother who has respect in the community to lay
hands on them that this will make them what they are not.
That’s like the guy who was grilling a steak on a
Friday evening in neighborhood that was predominantly catholic. Well, when the
catholic men smelled that steak, the got pretty irritated because they are not
allowed to eat meat on Friday. So they grabbed their baseball bats and rakes
and shovels and they walked over to that man’s back yeard, went up onto his
deck, and said, listen here buddy, this is a catholic neighborhood and you
can’t eat steak on Friday here. But the man protested, “but I’m not a catholic”
so they grabbed him, took his water dripper he used to douse his hot coals to
make them produce smoke, and they dropped
a few drops of water on his head, and said, “thou were a protestant, but
now thou art a catholic.” And then they left him with these words. Now, that
you are a catholic, if you eat meat on Friday we can kill you as a heretic.”
And so the next week he was out on Friday again and put his steak on the grill
and the men smelled it again, and went running over to his house with their
baseball bats and shovels and rakes and as they come running up to his deck to
kill him, he took his water dropper, and sprinkled the steak and said “thou
steak art no longer a steak, but thou art now a fish”.
So just because you go get someone to lay hands on
you to make you what you are not, doesn’t mean that God accepts what you have
done. If God did not ordain you a 5-fold minister or a prophet before you came
into this world, you never will be one in His eyes.
Moses knew from his childhood what he was called to.
So was William Branham at a very young age. I knew since a very young Child my
calling as a missionary, because as a young Catholic boy God gave me dreams of
myself coming home from
But here is the thing,
although we may all have a different role to play we have one thing in common,
we are all sons of the same Father and we all have one who is the eldest
brother in this vast family of brothers. That is our status.
Romans 8:29 for 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. 31 What shall
we then say to these things? If God be for us,
who can be against us?
Your status
in Christ brother sister can not change. It cannot change. No matter how much
your state changes your status can not change. No matter how much the devil
rides you and taunts you, he can not change who you are. So we are looking at
the blending of your position in Christ with the blending of your actions
concerning the current circumstances you are going through. In other words, our
focus should be on what God sad about us. And that should be what motivates us
in our actions each and every day, and with each and every trial or
circumstance we go through we should always keep in mind our status in
Christ.
Remember when we spoke on the
Now, remember when we spoke about the Garden of your
mind we brought out various thoughts which depicted the way in which God uses
certain circumstances in our life to
show us the present condition or the state in which we are currently standing.
And since our thoughts are words, and words are seeds, and the law of
reproduction tells us that every seed must bring forth of it’s own kind, which
is it’s own nature, then the life that is in each seed that we sow, will have
to make itself known. Then when each seed thought, gives way to a life
expression, in the form of an action or deed, which we can an experience, it
will then cause other things to happen as a response. And as the law of physics
states, “there must be a reaction for
every action.” Therefore we can see what Peter had in mind when he said we
shouldn’t be so shocked or surprised when your actions cause other
circumstances to happen that you have no control over.
Now, if you are wise you will know that you really
can control the circumstances around you by not causing them to happen in the
first place. Because every action that you take, there is a reaction to be
returned. Therefore it behooves us to be
careful how we do things.
Titus 3:8 This is a
faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they
which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works.
These things are good and profitable unto men.
I Corininthians 10:12 Wherefore
let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
Galatians 5: 15 But
if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. So if you bite and devour one another, what can you
expect? If you sow in that realm you will also reap in that realm.
In fact Jesus told peter to put away the sword,
because he said, “He that liveth by the sword shall also perish by the sword.” In
other words, you want to use words to kill, expect words to kill you.
1
Corinthians 8:9 But
take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to
them that are weak. So I hope that you can see how that your life, and the
way that you live unit can have an effect upon other people. Brother Branham
said, the attitude you take toward others could determine their eternal
destination.
Luke
21:34 And
take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with
surfeiting, (that’s over excess, indulging
your self) and
drunkenness, and cares of this life, (that’s the anxieties of this
life) and so that day come upon you
unawares.
State vs status.
The things that you do, the things that you say are
reflections of your current standing. They are reflectors of your predestined
path and where you are along that path. Are you well along the path to the
place that your Life is so Hid in Christ that people think you are Christ?
Then you are getting close to that predestined
conforming to the image of the first born son. Or are you some where up towards
the beginning of the journey, and still struggling with basic tenets of the
Christian walk.
Now, you had better be aware that everything you sow
will eventually bring forth a reaping. Then when we sow hateful speech, or un
called for criticisms, we should not be surprised when the criticism comes back
our way. Therefore we should be able to see by now, how that the outer world of
circumstances actually shapes themselves to our inner world of our thinking.
And both pleasant and unpleasant external conditions are factors which make for
our ultimate good or work together for our good. That is what Jesus said, when
he said “all things work together for our good.” And that is why we learn by
both suffering, and by receiving blessings. Each of these outward stimuli help
to further our growth towards that image
of Christ we so long to be in our soul.
Therefore we should see that our actions are only an
expression of our thoughts. Circumstances then just do not happen. They grow
out of the conditions of our heart. Just as our spiritual lives are progressive,
where we must pile Word upon Word, to bring forth the glorified body, so to do
our circumstances and our suffering, help shape our character, to help it grow
and develop. Every situation we face in life is like the pieces of a large
puzzle, that once fitted together gives purpose and meaning to each of the
other pieces.
The circumstances and conditions we face each day are
only reflectors that help us to know how far we are along the path from the new
birth to our predestined image that God saw before the foundations of the
world.
Therefore you may now always receive what you pray
for, but know one thing for sure; you
will always receive what you have sown for.
Therefore our desires and prayers are only gratifying
when they are in harmony with what we are actually sowing in the recesses of
our mind. In other words when you are praying and your prayer is actually a
reflection of what you are sowing. Then
you have harmony. And you will reap what you pray for. Why?, because you are
sowing for it.
When we fight circumstances we are only revolting
against the effects of what we have been sowing. We see circumstances which are
without out and we may not like what we see but they are there only because we
keep nourishing them in our minds. And we keep feeding them and thus we keep
preserving them in the Garden of our minds.
Don’t ever forget the little illustration br. Branham
gave us concerning the Indian Chief when he said, “since I receive the Holy
Ghost, there are two dogs warring within me, black dog and white dog,” and
brother Branham asked him who was winning, and he said, “the one I feed the
most.”
Matthew 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory (Doxa)
of his Father
with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
Notice, and then…after he has appeared, the reward
shall come. And every man shall be
rewarded according to the deeds he has
done in his flesh.
Now, the question is who hands out the rewards? Look
at this picture up here on the wall.. That white wig signifies what? It
signifies the Supreme Judge. So we see the Judge shall hand out the rewards.
Then what are these rewards?
They are Eternal life for those who believe, and the
judgments. And where do the judgments begin? Peter told us, 1 Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what
shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
Now, if it comes first at the house of God then it
comes in response to what we have done with the Word of God. Let’s turn to 2
Thessalonians 1 to see this scene where He comes and brings rest and Glory to
those who believe and condemnation and separation from His presence to those
who do not believe.
2
Thessalonians 1:7 And
to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed
from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming
fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel
of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished
with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory
of his power;10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be
admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed)
in that day. (Notice judgment to
one while he comes to be glorified in the others. That word is endoxazo which
means to manifest express the values and opinions of God in our vessels) 11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that
our God would count you worthy of this calling,
and fulfill all the good pleasure of his
goodness, and the work of faith with power: 12 That
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him,
according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus said in John 12:48 He that rejecteth
me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have
spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
We also read of this in Acts 13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said,
It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but
seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life,
lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
Notice by putting away the Word of Life they are judging
themselves unworthy of eternal life. Therefore we see to receive the Word of
God brings forth rewards of eternal life and to reject it, or turn away from
it, brings rewards of tribulation along
with the plagues and eternal separation and damnation.
We find in Revelations 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and
my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. 13: I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the
first and the last. 14 Blessed are
they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life,
and may enter in through the gates into the city.
Now, if he brings the rewards with Him, then it takes
His presence to bring them into manifestation. Can anybody tell me why? Because
Paul said in Ephesians
5: 13 everything that is manifested is manifested by the Light.
Because it takes light to bring up the seed into manifestation.
Therefore, it takes the presence of God who dwelleth
in the Light, to bring into manifestation our status, the life of the predestined seed into full
manifestation showing its status of who it is and what life is in it.
Therefore, the standing must one day come to the place
of crystallization where one day your state will be a reflection of your
status. But mind you, for some it will be a rough and rocky road, because they
are not sowing for their status, they are not sowing for their position in the
family, and so their predestinated path will be rough and rocky.
Something might have to take you out of here to get
you there, whereas others will receive a change in the moment and twinkling of
an eye.
We are looking at your state. We are looking at your
sowing and reaping.
Br. Branham said, “Did you know that
the actions that you do, the things that you think on, and the words that you
say, are only a reflection of what that other body is doing?”
Questions and answers COD 54-0103M P:32 Your
very life proves what you are. As I said in the beginning, what
you are somewhere else is what you reflect here. What you are, what your celestial or terrestrial body is
up yonder, what your celestial body is somewhere else is what you're reflecting
back here. In the spirit land, what
you are, is what you are here. If you're still vulgar minded and so forth
in the spirit land, you're vulgar minded here. If you still got malice, envy,
and strife, you're in the spirit land with that, it reflects back here. But if your whole innermost being has become
cleansed and purged, it shows that you've got a body out yonder waiting, that's
been cleansed and purged, and it's
reacting back in the flesh. Don't you see? See, there it is. "If this earthly tabernacle be dissolved, we
have one already waiting.”
See?
Explaining healing and Jairus 54-0216 P:37 “What
you are here is a reflection of what you are somewhere else. "Those who He called, He justifies." Is
that right? "Those who He justified, He has glorified." Already
in the Presence of the Father, we have a glorified body. Whew! Wasn't that
deep? All right. We'll find out whether it's right or not. "If this earthly tabernacle be dissolved, we
have one already waiting.”
Is that right? That's right. So right
now, and what we are there, is a reflection. Here, what we are here, is a reflection of what we are somewhere else. So
if your deeds are evil, you know where it comes from. You know where your other
body's a waiting.”
Questions and answers COD 54-0103E P:18 You cannot be here a spiritual being,
sinner or saint, without having an influence from the underworld or from the
above world. If you're influenced from here, you're from above. Your celestial
body is waiting up here. But if you're
wicked, and hypocritical, and indifferent, your celestial body is down
here, regardless of how much you think it's up there; because the fruit that you bear before people
proves where you're from. So you are
here what you are somewhere else. Your life that you live here is just
reflecting what your inheritance is when you leave here. Do you understand?
Hebrews Chapter 6 and 7 57-0915M P:32 And your life reflects what you are on the
inside (See?), not your emotions.
We would see Jesus 57-0226 P:21 Then if His Spirit is with us, He will act
just exactly like He act when He was here on earth. It'll make you act the same way, because it's not your spirit any
more; it's His Spirit in you, Christ's Spirit in you." The things that I
do... He that believeth on Me (
So you see, unless you’re Royal Seed you’d never have
God-Life in you. And it matter snot what you say about it. It’s not your
bearing witness with God and His Word, but Paul said in Romans 8:10 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.
Paul tells us in Romans 4 that only Faith gives you access to this
Status, to know your position in the family. Faith doesn’t give you this
position or this “Status”, because that is solely given by the foreknowledge
and election of God, but by faith you have an entrance to see what God ordained
you to be, and you use faith to bring about a conformance to what God saw you
as before the foundations of the world. Now,
if you do not have your standing reflecting your status, God doesn’t toss you
aside and say you are no longer a son, but you know one thing, if you sow to
the flesh you will of the flesh reap, and your life will be constantly up and
down, up and down as Paul says in Romans 8.
The Apostle Paul said in Romans 5:2 By whom also we have access
by faith into this grace (This unmerited favor)
wherein we now stand, (see that is our
standing, our state where we are now standing he says, but he also says, faith
will bring us to the place where we can rejoice) and rejoice in hope (and hope is an earnest expectation, something we
are earnestly expecting to happen, and that is Paul says,) of the glory
(the doxa) of God.
So Faith helps us to look at
our standing, our current state where we are at in comparison to what God has
promised us by His Word. In other others, the Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 3:18, when we look into the mirror
of God’s Word we are changed from image to image, and from glory to glory. In
other words, when we look into the mirror of God’s word we are looking at
ourselves, but we do not see our current standing, we do not see our current
state, we see what God see, and that is our predestined image conformed to the
image of the first born son. And it tells us that we are changed from our opinion
to God’s opinion, and from our values to God’s values.
2 Corinthians 3:16 Nevertheless when the heart shall turn to
the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. 17 Now the
Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is,
there is liberty. 18 But
we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are
changed into the same image from glory to glory, even
as by the Spirit of the Lord. 16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye
shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
2 Cornithians 1:3 Blessed be
God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the
God of all comfort;
Ephesians 1:3-4 Blessed be the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen
us in him before the foundation of the world, that (notice this word
“that” gives direction and purpose to our election,) that we should be holy and without blame before
him in love:
Ephesians 3:11 According
to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the
faith his him., by the faith of Him.
1
Peter 1:3 Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope
by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible,
and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved
in heaven for you,
Romans
5:1 Therefore
being justified by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
This brother, sister is what I am talking about
right here. Knowing this, your position, your status, ought to bring peace to
you in your current state. And this peace to your current state causes you to
quit sowing conflict. It brings you to rest, relaxation under the seventh seal.
See? So he says, being justified by
faith, having the revelation by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ. 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace (This unmerited favor) wherein we now stand,There’s your standing in
Christ, that’s your status. and rejoice in hope
(the earnest expectation in receiving) of the glory
(the doxa) of God. 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that
tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience works experience
which is character; and experience, brings forth hope earnest expecation: 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.
In other words brothers and sisters as we focus on
our status in Christ it brings in line our standing. It gives you the
understanding that when you have a trial, that what is actually happening is
that all things are working together for your good to bring you closer to your
status, your end goal. In other words, when we enter the trial knowing that God
is working in us something, then we are not focused on the trial but what God
is using the trial to work into us.
Am I learning submission to God, am I learning to
trust our Father completely. Jesus Himself learned obedience by the things that
he suffered. By the trials given to him. Obedience to what? To the Word.
Hear ye Him 58-0209A P:37 if
the new life that you think you've received doesn't pattern with God's Word,
you've got the wrong life in you. The
life of Christ will produce the works of Christ, will produce the faith of
Christ, will make you act as Christ, make you love Him. He will be first in
your life. Your objectives, your motives, and everything will be all-together
different. It'll be for the glory of God.
Investments 63-1116B P:94 I
wonder this morning, with all sincerity now, without any disturbance, think
just a moment. Have you got this great blessing? Do you hold this policy of
Life, the witness of the Holy Spirit that your life has turned in to Christ,
and Christ is in you? As I said in the message; if Beethoven was in you, you'd
do the works of Beethoven, you'd live the life of Beethoven. You couldn't do
nothing else. You could do nothing else but compose songs. And you'd be the
great writer, Beethoven, 'cause he's in you. That's who you would be. You would
be a reincarnate Beethoven. And if
Christ is in you, the Life of Christ you will be, the lover of the Word.
Nothing can stand and take the place of the Word, 'cause He is the Word. He
can't deny His Own Word and remain God.
How can I overcome 63-0825M P:27 And then, now you take a
Christian that's supposed to be a Christian, let the Life of God go from him and the experience the joy of
serving Christ, and living in the church where such is going on, he rots twice as quick (See? Right.),
living right under it. So if we are
trying to follow the Message of the hour, or at least this part of the Message,
we should live constantly in the Life of Christ. See? 'Cause if it don't,
you lay around, and know that these things that you're supposed to do and don't
do it, the Bible said, "He that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him
it's sin." And he becomes dotie, rotten when you're separated from the
Life of God. So strive with all that's
in you to stay in the Life of Christ, that you'd be fruit-bearing.
In
closing I would like to read something brother said in his sermon, The Spoken word is the original Seed beginning at paragraph 118. we
will pick up where he is reading from Ephesians 1:3 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from
the Lord Jesus Christ. (All right.) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
hath blessed us... (Now, he's talking to the
church now. This is not the outside; this is church)... with all spiritual...
(spiritual)... blessings in heavenly places... (like this morning, those who love it is just eating it up.
See?)... heavenly places in Christ:
119 According as he hath chosen
us...Did we choose Him? Huh? "Oh, Brother
Branham, I beg your pardon, I did." No, you... According to the Word, you
didn't. Jesus said, "You never chose Me; I
chose you." Oh, yeah. When did He choose
it? When did Jesus say He chose His church? Before the foundation of the world.
According as he hath chosen us in him... (at the last revival that doctor So-and-so had? No, no. You
might read that in the creed, a text book, but not in this One. See?)... According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation
of the world,... (When were we chosen? At the
last revival? The night we got saved? Why, when there wasn't no world, wasn't
no stars, there was no atoms, no molecules, that's when we were chosen. Amen.
Oh, don't let me start preaching on that now. I'm just trying to explain
something here. All right.)... before the
foundation of the world, that we should be... (What?
Members. "No, we should... Oh, after we are saved we just do as you want
to." Hmm.)... we should be holy and without
blame before him in... (Membership? Oh, no.
It's love ain't it? That's right. All right.)...
in love... (Excuse me, I'm just cutting up I
guess now. I shouldn't do it, All right.)... in love.
Having... (What? P-r-e-d-e-s-t-i-n-a-t-e-d... Oh,)... predestinated us unto the adoption of children... (the seed from the beginning... See?)... of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good
pleasure of his will,
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Who did it? God. When did He do it? Before the foundation of the world. Then if
we come in a illegitimate birth through Eve's corruption, making us all her children
and subject to death, then the sovereign God has to make a way to redeem His
children, "And all the Father hath given Me will come
to Me. And no man can come unless My Father draws him."
Oh, my. Now, where's your great big thing you done? You never done nothing. You
ought to be ashamed. God, Who done all things... The wheel's a working just
right. Someone come the other day, said somebody had said something bad about me and accused
me of something that was wrong. And I said, "Oh forget it."
Said, "How can you take it like that? That
involves your family. That..." I said, "Oh, my." I
said, "That was predestinated
before the foundation of the world to give me a trial. I said, "Why,
my, my, my. Sure, so that's all right." Said, "How do you do
it?"
I said, "If I looked right down this way, I'd be falling all the
time."
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That's the way with the people today. "If I accept the Truth of
God's Word, Brother Branham, they'd kick me out." Why, what are you
looking here for? Look out here at
the end of the road. See, a man who looks like this, he don't know
where he's going. He's looking this way. But if you look out yonder, you don't care what's going on now; you
know where you're going. See? That's it. Look where you're going. Stay lined up
with the Word.
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All right. Predestinated us now unto the adoption... Now, do you believe we
were predestinated? Now, was Jesus predestinated? He was the Lamb of God already slain before there was a light, before
there was a meteor, before there was a molecule, atom, anything. He was the
Son of God slain. Oh, the greatness of God.