The
Doctrine of Christ no 60
“He that believeth on Me no 14”
Overcomes the World
A few weeks ago
brother Hoffman spoke from Brother Branham’s sermon “A
Thinking Man's Filter”, and
we know Brother Branham spoke in that sermon how the Word of God must become
our filter for all the inner senses, and he let us know that he himself had to
forget his own thoughts in order to catch what God was trying to show him by looking at that
cigarette package which he refused to touch.
Remember, how he said,
something spoke to him, "Turn back and pick that up." And he thought, "Pick up a cigarette pack, not me."
But that voice was persistent and said, "Turn back and pick up the cigarette pack."
And he said, “I
went down; there was an old empty pack, and I seen something.” And
that something he saw became a sermon called a Thinking Man's Filter and it
really opened our eyes to how God wishes for His Word to become the filter in
which we see everything and hear everything, and in fact even our conscience
needs be filtered through the Word of God, and so we saw how Br. Branham’s
conscience wanted nothing to do with this Pack of cigarettes, but the Word of
the Lord spoke and he listened bringing his conscience to bear record of the
Word of God.
In
fact in 2 Corinthians 1:12 we see the apostle
Paul speak of what he calls the testimony of our
conscience, and if it is a testimony then that testimony is
actually a witness, and the making known of that witness. Let’s read it
together
2 Corinthians 1:12 For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that
in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of
God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to
you-ward.
So we see how brother
Branham had to subject His own thoughts and conscience to the Lords thoughts in
order to receive this teaching himself. And this story tells us that we don't
always understand the direction that God has for our life, but we must surely
come to know that He will never let us down, and therefore we can see how God
used brother Branham's conscience to direct him into a
greater understanding.
For if we testify to
an event without any understanding of what that event is, our testimony won't
really make any sense at all. And if he had rejected that leading without
looking at what God was showing him, there would be no understanding of this
great principle of God.
Just as the Cloud that
appeared over the
The same thing applies
to the time when Brother Branham was preaching the Rapture and he said, "The Shout is the
Message." Brother Vayle was sitting there in that service and
he thought, "Now, brother Branham,
I've heard you say some very strange things, but this is one of the strangest."
And as he was thinking that thought something interrupted that thought and
spoke from within him, and said, "when
has he ever been wrong". And then he heard himself thinking, "The shout is the
message." In other words, a filter came through for him and
spoke out and said, "When has he
ever been wrong?"
I believe that filter
was his conscience bearing record by the Holy Ghost.
That’s what 2 Corinthians 1:12 is all about, For our rejoicing is
this, the testimony of our conscience,
that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the
grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to
you-ward.
Therefore, this verse
reads like this, " Therefore our rejoicing comes from the witness of our conscience
bearing record with God’s Word," So we see that Paul said
because his conscience bore record with the word and thus his actions and
speech bore record the same, he could thus rejoice within himself for being
obedient to the heavenly vision.
Now, when we
speak of this “witness of our own Spirit” or the “witness of our own conscience”,
this is not the same thing as we have taught concerning Romans 8 where God
bearing witness with our Spirit that we are the sons of God. But
this is our own conscience bearing witness within us of God’s Word living
itself out in our very own lives.
Unless we can identify
with the things that God has manifested openly in this hour, we have no hope.
In fact Brother Branham said in his audio letter to brother Vayle, “God then, in order
to proclaim this, has to send a prophet in order to inject this, make this real
again, to show the people the hour that we're living in? Because if they only
see it in the hour past, then there's no hope for the church. The church must see
it in the present tense. So God sends His prophet to manifest, present tense of
it. You see? And then, after it's over, then history is. Now, you might inject
that, Brother Lee.”
So you see, a witness
is no good if they don't have the right filter or understanding of what they
have witnessed. That's why it was important that Brother Branham said, "My ministry is to
declare Him, that He is here." That ought to tell us that He was
a witness to something, and that something is the presence of the Lord.
That is why in the message “False Anointed Ones at the End-Time”, Brother
Branham could say, “Now, I want you to know this is sure. And you that listen
to this tape, you might have thought today that I was trying to say that about
myself, being that I was packing this Message. I have no more to do with it
than nothing, no more than just a voice. And my voice, even against my better
judgment...”
Now,
remember, Jesus Himself said in John 7:31, "If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not
true." And if a person’s witness is not true, then what is it?
It's a false witness. That's why I have trouble with the people today who want
to just soft peddle every thing, and all this so called phony love. Love
is Corrective and it's based upon the Truth.
In Ephesians 4:15
Paul taught us that the Five fold ministry was to “Speak the Truth in Love that we might grow up...”
And in Hebrews
12:6 He said, "For whom the Lord Loves, He chasteneth, and scourgeth...”
And to chasten and scourge means to teach or instruct, and to discipline when
you’re not getting it.
So you see, brother
Branham was a true witness because he had no ulterior motives. He just said
what He saw, and He knew what He was speaking about. That's why Brother Branham
said, "I
wasn't the One that appeared down on the river; I was only standing there when
He appeared. I'm not the One that performs these things and foretells these
things that happens as perfect as they are; I'm only one that's near when He
does it. I was only a voice that He used to say it. It wasn't what I knew; it's
what I just surrendered myself to, that He spoke through. It isn't me. It
wasn't the seventh angel, oh, no; it was a manifestation of the Son of man. It
wasn't the angel, his Message; it was the mystery that God unfolded. It's not a
man; it's God. The angel was not the Son of man; he was a messenger from the
Son of man. The Son of man is Christ. He's the One that you're feeding on.
You're not feeding on a man. A man, his words will fail, but you're feeding on
the unfailing Body-Word of the Son of man."
I hope by this point
that you can see how important it is for a witness to not only see, but to
understand what he sees. Because, how can you be a true witness if you do
not understand what it is that you claim to be a witness to. It’s not enough
for a minister to say "I am a Witness" and yet not
understand what they were a witness to? How can you call yourself a witness to
something if you know nothing about the thing you claim to witness? To me, if a
man comes forth to declare himself a witness of something, he had better be
able to tell you not only what he saw, but what it is that he saw, and if he
doesn't understand himself what he saw, then he’s not only a poor witness, but
potentially a false witness as well.
Brother
Branham said, from Lean not to Your Own Understanding "You know, the Bible
said you can believe a lie and be damned by it. See? That's exactly the truth.
They form, no matter what the Word of God says, they lean to their own
understanding. They lean on it; they believe it; they think it's the Truth. You
can keep believing a lie over and over and over till it's the truth to you.
That's right. But how do we know whether it's Truth or not? God proved it's
Truth, 'cause it's in His Word and He a-vindicates It. He does His own interpretation
of It.”
And
again from his sermon Israel in the Homeland 53-0329 82 Brother Branham said, “the Pillar of Fire
has begin to move again. But Pentecost is so organized, it can't go...?... It
was so organized, crystallized until it can't go. That's right. That's true.
But the Pillar of Fire is moving out, brother, and there's people that's going
with It.
Anointed Ones at the
End-Time Notice! Come up to the borderline and quit. 195 Going to their home, and when they come
up to the place to cross over, they doubted the Word!........What happened?
They perished in the wilderness. They stayed right there and organized
themselves, and died, every one of them,........
198 "Where the carcass
is there will the eagles be gathered......Where the fresh meat is, the Word of
the Season, there the eagles will gather." But after it's rottened then the
vultures will swarm to it. See, see? See what I mean? When a kill 's made here
comes the eagles, but after it lays there and rotten, then here come the
vultures. The eagles won't have nothing to do with it. Jesus said, "Where
the carcass is, where the manna fell, the night the manna falls fresh, there
the eagles will gather for it." That's the manna for the day. See?
214 Notice! But after it gets rotten, maggots
get in it, then here comes the vultures. They can't smell it till it gets
rotten.
215 Said, "I AM sent me." I AM, not
I was, or will be, I AM, present tense, the Word now. Not the Word that was or
Word that will come, the Word that's now.
219 "For it is impossible for those which
were once enlightened and didn't move on with the Word as it come to
pass..." They're dead, gone.
Then if our witness is
not true, then what hope have we got? Therefore what I propose evening is to
help us to see the importance of God’s Word upon our own conscience, that it
might rule the conscience and bring our conscience into captivity to every Word
that proceeds from the Mouth of God.
Now,
Sunday we mentioned how Brother Branham listed the conscience as one of the
five inner senses of the spirit that man uses to make contact his soul, in
order to bring the body into subjection to the soul.
The five inner senses
are, #1) Imagination #2) Conscience #3) Memory #4) Reasoning #5) Affection. Now
of these five senses there is only one that actually controls the Soul, and
that is conscience. Imagination allows the Soul to conceptualize and
reason allows it to weigh out and discern, but the conscience is that seat of
control that actually causes the Soul to either accept or reject the Word and
therefore bring forth a right-wise-ness to the individual. Memory, imagination
and reasoning are all passive, and affection is the outlet that brings the
Spirit into an active state, but the thing that ties the passive together with
the active is the Conscience, because it is the seat or control. No action can
take place until the conscience has filtered the situation and gives forth it's
approval. Therefore the conscience is the most important of our inner five
senses.
Now, The reason we are
looking at this idea of how our conscience bears witness is because that is
exactly why this whole discussion of John 14:12 came about. For years we thought
brother Vayle had taught that John 14:12 was only one person, William Branham.
And that is because brother Vayle always spoke of the greater works of John 14:12
as being only one man. He was speaking
on vindication, and so he was not interested in our works with are hardly
anything in comparison. But that didn’t do away with the fact that there are
works of Christ in the church. It is just he was emphasizing the greater works
being that God did more in one meeting of Br. Branham’s than he did in the
entire 3 years ministry of Jesus.
Yet when I was preaching the sermon Spoken
Word is the original Seed I come across where brother Branham said “I will prove
whether you are a believer or not”,
and then he read John 14:12. And I knew he was not talking about himself because
he said “you”. And he was talking about the believer, and the evidence of being
a believer.
Then my conscience
said, “go back and look at that again”,
and I did. And when I saw something there that was contrary to how I had taught
it myself, I had to back up and look at it again. Just like so many times, when
the Angel came to brother Branham and corrected him on a particular aspect of
his teaching, and being obedient to the heavenly vision he made the correction
when it came to him.
And this is the point
I am trying to make. Our conscience will bear record by the Word, and the Word
has got to be our filter. Not what others might say, but what did God say about
it. And if our conscience does not bear us record by the Word then we do not
have the Word as a filter over our conscience.
Sunday we read from
brother Branham’s sermon Christ Revealed in His Own Word pp. 130e where brother Branham
said, “Notice, we cannot; we must not, listen to any other man's word. We don't care how
smart, how educated. The Bible in Proverbs says “we must cast down
reasoning”.
See? Now, here in this second realm... First
realm is your senses of see, taste, feel, smell, and hear; that's in your outer
body. On the inner body, which is
the spirit, is reasoning, and thought, and so forth. We must cast all that down. Can't
reason, say, "Now, wait, if God is a
good God..." And we're told so much today
that He is. "If He is a good God, then
if I be sincere, though I can't see that in that Bible being right, though I be
sincere, I'll be saved." You'll be lost. "If I go to church and just do the things that I believe
it's right and try to hold up for what I think is right, well I..." You're still
lost. “There is a way that seemeth right
unto a man, but the end thereof is the ways of death”. See? You won't be
saved; you'll be lost. See, see?
It must be that inside control man.
So it’s not how sweet
you can be, and it’s not how loving you are although those are admirable
qualities, but it’s what Does God’s Word say about it. And is His Word the Filter
over your conscience or is it not? Then if it is then when the conscience says,
I have always believed the Word meant this, but here I see it may mean
something else, then what do you do about it? If you stay with the same meaning
because your church espouses that meaning, then he said you are lost. That’s
all there is too it.
If your filter over
your five inner senses is your church, you are lost. It must be God’s Word or
we are lost. And that is why I am hammering away at these things. Not to be
different, but to get us to stop, and look at what the prophet taught
concerning it.
So when brother
Branham says, Perseverance
62-0608 P:101I couldn't even stand one of them if He didn't say, "The works that I do
shall you also, and more than this shall you do." I know the King James says "greater" but it's actually "more."
See? Greater, He couldn't do no greater. He raised the dead, stopped
nature, done everything. See? So
it's just more of it, because there'd be more people. The Spirit was
just in one man there. Now, it's universal around the world in all of His
people. Believe.
And what are we going
do when brother Branham defines the greater works three different ways?
1)
Creation from
nothing, whereas Jesus in his ministry created fish from fish and bread from bread,
and wine from water.
2)
The greater works
means more of the same or in a greater measure, not greater in quality but
greater in quantity.
3)
The greater works
is imparting life to others.
Now, I can show you
quite a few quotes in each of these three categories, so what are we going to
do if our doctrine says different from a vindicated prophet? Are we going to back up and say, “it
could mean all three since Scripture has compound meaning?” You are better off saying that, than to hold
to your dogma and go to hell doing so. And that is what I have done. My
Conscience bearing me record in the Holy Ghost by God’s Word bringing
correction to my own error.
Now, look, it is not
wrong to say what we taught that William Branham is the Greater
Works of John 14:12 but what is wrong is when we say and John 14:12
is only William Branham. Then we have added to
and placed limitations upon God’s Word.
In my discussion with
brother Vayle he said a few things that are very definitive to me. First he
said “I never
said much about John 14:12 and when I did, I used brother Branham as an example
of the greater works in our day”.
Now what this told me
is that Brother Vayle had not spoken concerning John 14:12 to start a doctrine that William
Branham alone was John 14:12. But what brother Vayle said was “I used brother
Branham as an example of the greater works in this day”, and then he went on to say, “I can see where a 5 pound pail and a ten pound
pail are both greater than, and it could be said that the church as a whole combined
is greater than what Jesus as a man had”.
So by his own words he
never relegated John
14:12 to just one individual as some thought. And this tells me that
any time we place a period after what we believe instead of a comma, we are in
danger of denying the Word of God when God interprets it by His bringing it to
pass. He also said “Scripture has compound meaning,” and when we deny
this we deny a whole lot of what God has for us to know and do.
In other words, if
brother Vayle himself admitted that he was never making a blank take
it or leave it statement that William Branham and he alone is John 14:12 then why should we? And if our conscience hears statements by
William Branham and we just pass them through without even thinking about their
meaning, then do we even have the Word of God as the filter of our conscience?
How many people say
they believe William Branham and yet they haven’t got a clue as to what he
said. Even he said when people say, I believe every word you say brother
Branham, his reply to that is that he said, “that only means you can read”.
So, Sunday we defined
the Conscience and how it operates within the Spirit and how it influences our
soul. But what I want to really drive home this evening is what makes the
Conscience that you might have a good conscience.
Paul
said in Romans
9:1 "My conscience bearing me witness
by the Holy Ghost?”
Again in Acts 23:1
he said, "I
have lived in all good conscience before God until this day;"
And if our conscience is directed by the Word, then have we as Peter describes,
"the answer
of a good conscience toward God." " And in Acts 24:16 Paul
further defined a good conscience as "a conscience which is void of offense."
Now,
the word offense here is the Greek word, ap-ros-kop-os and it
means to lead others into error. Therefore to have a conscience that is
absolutely void of all offense, we must know and possess....
First, a right understanding of the Word of
God, of his "holy, and acceptable, and perfect will" concerning us, as
it is revealed in Romans 12:2. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that
ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable,
and perfect, will of God.
And how can you prove
the will of God if you do not even know what His Will is?
For how is it possible
to walk by a rule, if we do not know what it means.
Hebrews 5:14 But
strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even
those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and
evil.
Hebrews 12:11
Now no chastening for the
present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth
the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
1 Timothy 4:7
But refuse profane and old
wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto
godliness.
2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is
given by inspiration of God, and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
Secondly, there is required by
God that which very few men have attained, and that is a true knowledge of ourselves; a
knowledge both of our hearts and our lives, of our inward tempers and outward
conversation: Seeing, if we know them not, it is not possible that we should
compare them with our rule.
1 Corinthians 2:11-16 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. 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. 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.
15 But 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.
Romans 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my
flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
1 John 3: 2-3 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it
doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear,
we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And
every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
Thirdly, there is required
and there must be an agreement and a conscious effort within our hearts and lives,
and tempers and our conversation, and our thoughts, and our words, and our works,
that we willingly wish to blend all these with the written Word of God as our
absolute and filter. For, without this, if we have any conscience at all, it
can be only an evil conscience. As Job said, Job 31:1 I made a covenant
with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?
And Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Christ constraineth us;
because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And
that word constraineth means To compel by
physical, moral, or circumstantial force; And for us to do that it shows a
willing effort to do so.
Mark 12:29-30 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:30 And
thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and
with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
Fourthly, there is required, an inward perception
of this agreement with our rule: And this habitual perception, this inward
consciousness itself, is properly a good conscience; or, in the other phrase of
the Apostle, "a conscience void of offense, toward God, and toward men."
Therefore, whoever
desires to have a conscience that is void of offense, must first make sure that
he lays the right foundation. He must remember what Paul said, "other foundation can
no man lay, than that which is laid, even Jesus Christ," and we
know that He is the Word. And we must also be mindful, that no man can build on
this revelation of Christ without having a living faith, or a faith which has
been made alive. In other words, once you can truthfully declare, “The life which I now
live, I live by faith in the Son of God;” then you may stand in this
faith knowing that it works mightily in you.
John Wesley in quoting
from Hebrews 11
said, "Faith
alone is that evidence, (Faith alone is the conviction) whereby the eyes of our understanding being
opened, and divine light pouring in upon them, allows us to see the wondrous
things of God's Word". It is by faith that we behold "the light of the
glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ," as we look into the
mirror of Gods Word and no longer see ourselves.
By this alone the
blessed love of God can be "shed abroad in our hearts," which enables us
to love one another as Christ loved us. And by this is the gracious promise
fulfilled unto all the seed of God, where God said, “I will put my laws into their mind, and I will
engrave them in their hearts”
Let's read Hebrews 8:10-12
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of
Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind,
and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be
to me a people: 11 And they shall not teach every
man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all
shall know me, from the least to the greatest. 12 For
I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their
iniquities will I remember no more.
Therefore, by an act
of God in this hour, He has come down to produce in our soul, by His Word made
manifest, a fulfilling of His Covenant, which is a "bringing into captivity every thought to the
obedience of Christ."
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling
down of strong holds; 5 Casting down imaginations,
and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and
bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Notice, the weapons of
our warfare are through God a pulling down of every strong hold or death grip
that has us beaten down. And Notice also in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 we have a
promise from God that we are to be at rest and peace and it will only come at
His Appearing when He places His Doxa in us.
That is also what we
hear Peter tell us in 2 Peter 1: 2-4 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge
of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3 According as his
divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain
unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to
glory and virtue: 4 Whereby
are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might
be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the
world through lust.
Therefore
as Jesus said, "an evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit, so a good tree
cannot bring forth evil fruit.” therefore as everything we have need
of pertaining to life and Godlikeness comes from God's Word, then, even our Grace and Peace are
multiplied by that very same Knowledge of God, therefore, we can
rest knowing that as the heart of a believer, and therefore likewise his life,
is thoroughly conformed to the rule of God's commandments in a consciousness
whereof, he can give glory to God, then we can also come to the place where
Paul was when he said, "This is our rejoicing, the witness of our conscience,"
that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the
grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world."
And this conversation
that we have in the world means more than just the things that we say, because
the actual meaning of this word means to take in our manner of conduct or
behavior. In other words, every inward as well as outward circumstance, whether
it relates to our soul or body. It includes every action from our heart, or
tongue, our hands, or any bodily member. It extends to all our actions and
words; and to the setting in motion of all our mental faculties and talents; to
the place where we utilize the same with respect either to God or man. In other
words, we are consistent in our attitude and in our conscience whether we are
dealing with God or the devils own children. And I think that is where we so
often fail. We are one way with God, but we change colors and act contrary when
it comes with those who are not one with us.
He
said, "We
have had our conversation in the world;" even in the world of
the ungodly: Not only among the children of God, but among the children of the
devil, among those that lie in wickedness. As our God is good, and doeth good,
so the God of this world, and all his children, are evil, and do evil to all
the children of God. Like their father, they are always lying in wait, or “walking about,
seeking whom they may devour;” using fraud or force, secret wiles or
open violence, to destroy those who are not of the world; continually warring
against our souls, and, by old or new weapons, and devices of every kind,
laboring to bring them back into the snare of the devil, into the broad road
that leads to destruction.
But he said,
"We have had
our "whole manner of conduct," in such a world, "in simplicity and
godly sincerity."
First, in simplicity: This word simplicity
doesn't mean simple minded as though you are ignorant, but it means single-mindedness,
as Jesus said, in Luke 11:34 The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is
single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when [thine eye] is evil, thy
body also [is] full of darkness. And the meaning is this: If therefore this
eye of thy soul be single, or singly focused, having one focus, then all our
actions and conversation shall be "full of light," and a true witness
of the light of His Glorious Presence, of love, and peace, and joy in the Holy
Ghost. We are then simple of heart, when the eye of our mind is
singly fixed on God; when in all things we aim at God alone, as our God, our
portion, our strength, our happiness, our exceeding great reward, our all, in
time and eternity. This is simplicity; when a steady view, a single intention
of promoting his glory, of doing and suffering his blessed will, runs through
our whole soul, fills all our heart, and is the constant spring of all our
thoughts, desires, and purposes.
Secondly, "in Godly sincerity." The difference
between simplicity and sincerity seems to be chiefly this: Simplicity regards the intention itself, and our sincerity; the execution of it; and this sincerity
relates not only to our words, but to our whole manner of behavior. It speaks
of actually hitting the mark, which we aim at by simplicity.
Therefore,
Godly sincerity implies that all that we speak and do, as Paul said, "we
do as unto the Lord and to the glory of God" that all of our words will
not only be focused toward his presence, but actually conducive to receiving
His Presence, and knowing that all of our actions will flow in an even stream,
uniformly subservient; and that, in our whole life, we shall be moving straight
toward God, and that we shall be continually walking steadily on in the highway
of holiness, in the paths of justice, mercy, and truth, and as we walk in the
light, knowing that He also is in the Light, it not only brings us into
fellowship, but into the Presence of the Supreme Judge as well.
This sincerity is
termed by Paul as a Godly sincerity, or the sincerity of God; in order to
prevent our mistaking or confounding it with the sincerity of the Heathens; For
as soon as the grace of God, (his pardoning love), is manifested to our souls,
the power of his Spirit, takes place therein. And now we can perform, through
God, what to man was impossible. Now we can order our conversation aright. We
can do all things in the light and power of that love, through Christ which
strengthens us. We now have "the witness of our conscience," which we
could never have by fleshly wisdom, "that in simplicity and godly
sincerity, we have our behavior ordered in the world."
This
is the only grounds for True Christian joy. Therefore he that hath this testimony
in himself rejoices evermore. "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God
my Savior." I rejoice in him, who, of his own unmerited love,
of his own free and tender mercy, "hath called me into this state of
salvation," wherein, through his power, I now stand. I rejoice, because
his Spirit witnesses to my spirit, that I am bought with the blood of the Lamb;
and that, believing in him, "I am a member of Christ, a child of God, and
an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven." I rejoice, because God's love to
me brings forth in me a desire to love him, and to love for his sake every soul
he hath made. I rejoice, because he gives me "the mind that was in
Christ:" - Simplicity, a single eye to him, a focus that is not my own, in
every motion of my heart; he gives me power to fix my loving soul on Him who
"loved me first, and gave himself for me;" to focus on him alone, -
Purity, desiring nothing more but God; "crucifying the flesh with its
afflictions and lusts; "setting my affections on things above, not on
things of the earth" - Holiness, a recovery of the image of God, a renewal
of soul "after his likeness:" - And Godly Sincerity, directing all my
words and works, so as to produce for a reflection of his glory. In this I will
rejoice, because my conscience beareth me witness in the Holy Ghost, by the
light he continuously pours in upon it, that I "walk worthy of the
vocation wherewith I am called;" that I "abstain from all appearance
of evil," fleeing from sin and as I have opportunity, to do good, in every
kind, to all men; that I may follow my Lord in all my steps, and do what is
acceptable in his sight. I rejoice, because I both see and feel, through the
inspiration of God's Holy Spirit, that all my works are wrought in him, yea,
and that it is He who worketh mightily in me". My rejoicing comes because
He allows me to see by the light of God, which shines in my heart, with the
purpose of giving me strength, to walk in his way; and by his grace, I will not
turn from the right hand or to the left.
1 Peter 1:3-9 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, 5 Who
are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed
in the last time.6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice,
though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:7 That the trial of your faith, being much
more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might
be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though
now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice
with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9 Receiving
the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
This joy doesn't come
from natural causes: It doesn't come because you have good health or a bed of
ease;: Because it's equally strong whether you're sick or in pain. In fact
suffering actually makes it grow stronger. But, most Christians have never
experienced this joy, which fills the soul when their body is worn out by pain.
And this joy never comes by outward prosperity, or the favor of men, or of
having plenty of worldly goods; Because the scriptures tell us that when our
faith has been tried as with fire, which is all manner of outward afflictions,
it is then that the children of God begin to rejoice in Him, whom not seeing we
love, even with joy unspeakable. And never have men rejoiced like those who
were treated as "the
off-scouring of the world;" who wandered to and fro, in hunger, in cold, in nakedness;
who had trials, not only of "cruel mockings," but, "moreover of
bonds and imprisonments;" who "counted not their lives dear unto themselves, so
they might finish their course with joy." 1 Peter 4:12-14
Secondly, the joy of a
Christian does not arise from any blindness of conscience, because this joy
doesn't come until the eyes of your understanding are opened; and you know it
not until you have spiritual senses, fitted to discern spiritual good and evil
and you have never been so sharp-sighted before: You receive a perception of
the smallest things, and you don't close the eyes of your conscience any more:
Your joy does not come
like the sleeping virgin who does not know what is happening. But your joy
comes from knowing that you are in the day of the Lord.
Neither
does the joy of a Christian arise, Thirdly, from any dullness or callousness of
conscience. A kind of joy, it is true, may arise from this, in those whose
"foolish hearts are darkened;" whose heart is callous, unfeeling,
dull, and without spiritual understanding. Because of their senseless,
unfeeling hearts, they may rejoice even in committing sin; and this they may
even call liberty! - which is nothing more than a drunkenness of soul, a fatal
numbness of spirit, and the stupid insensibility of a seared conscience. On the
contrary, a Christian has the most exquisite sensibility; such as he could not
have conceived before. He never before had such a tenderness of conscience as
he has now, since the love of God has reigned in his heart. And his glory and
joy comes from the fact that God hears his daily prayer: -
In conclusion, I would
like to say that our Christian joy comes from the love of God that is shed
aboard in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, and therefore we are happy to keep his
commandments and we rejoice in walking according to His covenant of grace, in
holy love and happy obedience. We rejoice in knowing that, "we have
already been justified through his grace," and we have "not received
that grace of God in vain:" And that God did this freely, (Not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but through the blood of the Lamb) His own
Son, He has past tense already reconciled us back to himself. Therefore this
becomes our strength and our joy and this is what sustains us through the trial
of our faith, and we gladly "fight the good fight of faith." We
rejoice, through him because He lives in our hearts by faith, and it is through
Him that we may "lay hold of eternal life." This then, is our
rejoicing, that as our "Father worketh hitherto," so (not by our own
might or wisdom, but through the power of his Spirit, freely given in Christ
Jesus) we also work the works of God. And may he work in us whatsoever is
pleasing in his sight! To whom we shall praise for ever and ever!
If we could have the
musicians come forward while we bow our hearts in a word of prayer...Now, let's
sing that Scripture song together, "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my
spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior, for He that is mighty hath done unto me
great things, and holy is His name...My Soul doth magnify the Lord, My soul
doth magnify the Lord, and my Spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior, for He that
is mighty hath done unto me great things, and holy is His Name ."