The Doctrine of Christ no 46
“The Life of Christ no. 9”
You
believe it then act like it
Brian
Kocourek
Romans
2: 5-11 5 But according to thy hardness and unrepentant 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,(well you get) eternal
life: 8 But unto them that are
contentious, (and as we mentioned a few weeks ago, this is those
who are always contending to be somebody, numero uno, the top dog. ) and do not obey the truth, but obey un-right-wise-ness,
(what treasure are they storing up?) 1. indignation, 2. wrath, 3. tribulation and 4. anguish,
upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the
Gentile; 10 But 1. glory, 2. honour, and 3. peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also
to the Gentile: 11 For with God there is no respect of persons.
We spoke on our status with God vs our
current standing in which we now find our selves. We saw here that although God
had chosen us in Him before the foundations of the world that we should be holy
in His presence, yet we do not always see this reflected in our present
condition. Therefore, not seeing what God sees we can get discouraged.
Therefore, a couple Sunday’s ago we
looked at our status with God vs our present condition or standing that we now
find ourselves in. We then can see that if God chose us to be a certain way
then He had to have a plan for us to get there. This the Bible calls “predestination”
and it is different from election in that election is the choosing out and
positionally placing as sons whereas predestination is the plan to get you their
and the implementation of that plan. Now, this evening I would like to continue
in our study of the Book of Romans and we shall begin at verse 12 of Romans 2.
Romans 2:12
For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as
many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; 13 (For not the
hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. 14 For when the Gentiles,
which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these,
having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 15 Which shew the work of the
law written in their hearts, their
conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or
else excusing one another;)
Here Paul is teaching us that it is the
Jew who would say, we know the law and therefore we do the law and they go
before God with an attitude that says, we are the seed of Abraham and therefore
we should reap the inheritance of Abraham and anything contrary we do not think
that we should reap. Now, the gentiles have a different argument against
receiving the judgment of God and that is the gentile would say, we never knew
the law therefore we can not be guilty of breaking the law.
And Paul's answer to both of them is it in not what
you know or don’t know, but it’s what you’ve done that matters. In verse 6 he said that God will render unto every man according to the deeds that
have been done in the flesh. He is telling them that although they
have never received the revealed law as did the Jew, they did however receive
the law of God written in their own hearts and they can not escape thinking
they didn’t know better, because they did.
Look, people don’t have to
be Christian or Jew to know thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not bear false
witness against thy neighbor. They know it, because in heir heart God placed
that law there.
You can go into heathen countries like
Let's turn to John 3: 18-21He that believeth on
him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because
he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the
condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather
than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that
doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should
be reproved. 21 But
he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest,
that they are wrought in God.
Notice also in 1 John 2: 19-23 They went out from
us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that
they were not all of us. 20 But ye have an unction
from the Holy One, and ye know all things. 21 I
have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know
it, and that no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is a
liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that
denieth the Father and the Son. 23 Whosoever
denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he
that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
This goes for all the Truth. They leave it because
they do not believe it, and thus they say no to it and turn against it.
Brother Branham
told us that when God gave him his commission it was 2 Tim 4:1-5 it shows that the people
would turn away from the truth.
2
Timothy 4:1-5 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ,
who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove,
rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For
the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their
own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their
ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 5 But
watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist,
make full proof of thy ministry.
Notice that at the end-time they shall turn away their
own ears from hearing the Truth. I don't see anyone out here twisting arms. People
leave the message all the time and I don't recall one person being told to
leave. A few I might have been blessed subtractions by leaving, but none was
forced to leave that I have ever heard of.
But men and women willfully turn away
from the Truth every day. It is in their will to do so or not do so and they
choose to do so, therefore they will reap what they have sown, and no one is
responsible except for themselves. Now, in 1 Tim 4:1 we are told that at the end-time some
will depart from THE FAITH, and we know it is because they will take heed to
seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. But they are not forced to do so.
Seduction is not rape, seduction is a willful thing, you go along with it
willingly. You are not forced.
Notice in brother Branham’s commission
verse 3
the scripture says that they will heap to themselves
teachers who have itching ears. Now this does not tell us that
the teachers have itching ears, but the people have itching ears and they heap
to themselves teachers who will scratch their itch. The Wuest translation says, "For the time will
come when they will not endure our wholesome doctrine in that they will hold
themselves firmly against it, but, dominated by their own personal cravings,
they having ears that desire merely to be gratified, shall gather themselves
together an accumulation of teachers. In fact from the truth they also will
avert their ears, and as a result, they shall receive a moral twist which will
cause them to believe that which is fictitious.”
The Weymouth
Translation says, “For a time is coming when they will no longer tolerate
wholesome instruction, but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will turn
away from listening tot he truth and will turn aside to fables.”
And the Amplified version says, “For the time is
coming when people will not tolerate sound doctrine and wholesome instruction,
but having ears itching for something pleasing and gratifying, they will gather
to themselves, one teacher after another to a considerable number, chosen to
satisfy their own liking and to foster the errors that they hold.”
In the book of Hosea 4:9 we read, “And there shall be
like people , like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward
them their doings.”
The scripture plainly tells us here that God will
allow to be raised up a ministry that will speak to the people the things they
like to hear. You know, that is everywhere you look today.
And let's face it, when brother Branham
said, "How we ought to love one another, you that love thins Word."
He was just speaking of the principal or the law of reproduction. Like things
gather together with like things. Birds of a feather will flock together. And
that is every where. There are hardly any wars which are not brought on by
religion. The Baptist love Baptists, and they call one-another Brother. The
Methodist love Methodists. The Pentecostal love Pentecostals. The Muslim loves
Muslim, and the Catholic loves the Catholics. Why even the agnostic gathers
around other agnostics. Why? Because every seed must bring forth after their
own kind.. They are comfortable with people with the same mindset. Liberals
with liberals and conservatives with conservatives. There really is no mystery
here
And why are we
here tonight. Let's face it. You are here because you believe that God is here.
We believe this message the same way. We find ourselves hearing brother Branham
telling us things in a way that we don't hear repeated in the other local
churches. You go to
Does that make us something? No, it
doesn't. We believe we have the Truth, and they believe that they have the
Truth. The Catholic believes that He has the Truth, and so does the Muslim. But
then who is right? And that is why we are different. we focus on vindication.
Yes, vindication. Not as others teach it that we are vindicated. But we believe
that God Himself does the vindicating by His very presence, and that He has
spoken through a vessel, a prophet who was so yielded to His Divine Word that
He spoke Thus Saith the Lord. Now the Muslim believes they are following a
prophet of God, but they do not understand vindication. The Pentecostal
believer in this Message believe they are following a prophet, and so they are
and yet because they do not understand vindication, they do not know what to
believe except that God sent a prophet.
In Moses day
the Egyptians followed their priests and their leader pharaoh, which brother
Branham called him pastor pharaoh, but the children of
For you see, they had to first depose
Moses in front of the people in order to elevate themselves. Lucifer had to
exalt himself above the stars in order to make himself more important and give
himself a position that was beyond what he was called to do.
Faith is of the heart, and therefore invisible to men,
obedience is of the conduct and may be observed. Therefore, when a man obeys
God he gives the only possible evidence that in his heart he believes God. Of
course it is persuasion of the truth that results in faith, (we believe because we are persuaded the
thing is true) and therefore a thing does not become true just because it
is believed.
In other words, just because you believe it is so,
doesn't make it so. But we believe, because we have been persuaded that the
thing is true and therefore we believe. But Obedience, in the NT suggests an
actual and outward result of the
inward persuasion and consequent faith. That is why Paul could say, I have not
been disobedient to the heavenly vision. He was fully persuaded, and therefore
he obeyed. And that is what vindication is all about. Therefore, obedience has
to do with a Word being presented, and a following that word. Again, Jesus
Learned obedience by the things that He suffered. and the word obedience use
hear is from the root word ...
Romans 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it
in the lusts thereof. Don't be persuqaded by unbelief, that you might follow
after it. Follow God.
Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield
yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of
sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? don't allow yourselves to
be persuaded by the wrong voice.
In Galatians 5:7-9 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye
should not obey the truth? This persuasion [cometh] not of him that calleth
you. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
Romans 6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the
servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart (You have obeyed from your
understanding) that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Romans 10:16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For
Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? And this brings us to
[Matthew 13:10-17 and Acts 13:48] In order to really obey you must have it in
you to obey, to hearken and listen and understand. Therefore those who hear but
do not understand what is being said, how can they obey? They can't. For if
they do not understand what is being said, then they will like the rich young
ruler try to wor out things for themselves. Then what are they if they do not
obey but they are disobedient, right?
Look, to obey
shows ownership of the command is other than yourself, but shows a trust in the
command of that other, and a submission to it.
So what are we trying to get across this evening? That
when you do, you are showing outwardly what is on the inside, and just because
you might talk the Message doesn’t mean that you believe it.
FF Bosworth in writing on Christ the Healer said,
until you act out your healing, you are denying it done by your inactivity. In
other words, when you believe you then act like you believe, and when you act
like you don’t believe is because you don’t believe.
From his sermon, Time is at hand 56-0408E
P:67 You
see, if you believe it, then you've got to act like you believe it. You see? If
you do believe it, you will act like you believe it. Everything will be all
right for you.
Let us pray.