Unveiling of God no 23

Fully Persuaded

May 23, 2018

Brian Kocourek, Pastor

This evening I would like to talk of the assurance  that the Word of God brings, and our knowing that we are part of the Word of God for the hour that we live. And there4fore I wish to go back to read from paragraphs 15 through 17 of The Unveiling of God preached by Br. Branham.

The Unveiling of God 15 And there was a ministerial association with Him, of seventy that had been chosen. And He turned to them, and He said, "What will you think when you see the Son of man ascending up from where He came from?" Now, He didn't explain that. He never explained how. Paul did that later on. He just said it. See? And then when this... He said, "What will you say to these ministers when you see the Son of man ascending up from where He come from?" No doubt them men said, "Now, just a moment. Oh, we eat with Him. We fish with Him. We sleep with Him. We know where He was born. We seen the cradle that He was rocked in. And how does this Man... This is a hard saying." And the Bible said they didn't walk with Him any more; they left Him.

16 Then He had twelve left. He chose twelve, and one of them was a devil, He said. So He turned to them. And there's no one could explain what He had just said. "How are they going to eat His flesh and drink His Blood? And how did He come down when He was born right here on earth?" See? They couldn't understand it. And then He turned to the apostles and He said, "Do you want to go also?"And that's when the Apostle Peter made that great statement, "Lord, to whom would we go? (See?) For we are satisfied. We know assurely that You and You alone have the Word of Life at this hour. (See?) And we're satisfied of that."See, they could not explain it. They... You can't explain faith. It's something that you believe, and it's so solid that there's nothing else will take its place. Therefore, they knowed that the Word that was written for that age that they were living in, the Messiahic age, that He fit that place exactly. And what could they do to go back in them cold, formal churches that they come out of? Said, "Where would we go to? (See?) We are fully persuaded that You have the Word of Life." See? And they couldn't explain it, but they believed it. See?

17 And Jesus said that to weed down His crowd (See?), till He could get the group together. And out of all those people, they, only eleven of them then understood actually Who He was. They knowed that He was God and God alone. Now, my subject this morning is to reveal or unveil that God. God has always, in every age, has hid behind a veil: all ages. But He's been God all the time. See? But He's kept Himself hid from the world, and reveals Himself to His elected, like the apostles at that day. Now, that was God speaking in Christ. Now, man has always; it's been the nature of man; he sought to see physically that God. He's always wanted to see It.

So when the apostle understood that it was God who was speaking through the veil of His Son, that is when they said those most notable words, We are fully persuaded that You have the Word of Life.

This evening I would like to look at this being "fully persuaded", and to see how one can become fully persuaded, to know and to understand who has the Words of Eternal Life.

In Hebrews 10:22 the Apostle Paul tells us Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

Now, notice he uses this word heart several times in this sentence. And we know from our studies that when the Scripture refers to the heart it always refers to the understanding. that we "have a true heart (which means a true understanding, and then he adds) in Full Assurance of faith". And then he says, having our hearts (having our understanding) sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

Now, this same apostle tells us how we are to be washed in our consciences, when he tells us in Ephesians 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.

And Paul is speaking of the church which is cleansed by the word. But when he speaks of the church he is not speaking of a building, but a people, whose minds, and hearts are made clean by the washing of water by the Word.

So what does he mean when he says, " have a true heart (understanding) in full Assurance of Faith"?

If you will notice he first told us that we have a true heart or a true understanding and then he adds in full assurance of faith, and we know that faith is a revelation. And since faith is a revelation we then have a true understanding in full assurance because this revelation leads to a full or complete assurance. And if it is a full assurance, it is a complete assurance, and you cannot receive anything beyond this assurance. You can't get a greater measure of assurance because what you have when it is full means it is complete. So this coming to an assurance that is full is the ultimate assurance we can receive. A completed assurance.

Now how much more assurance could you receive than at this Revelation of Jesus Christ when you actually seeing yourselves responding to this great revelation and not only receiving it but you are also preparing yourselves by it.

That is what the Apostle John told us in 1 John 3:1-2 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.  

Notice verse 3 is the response God expects from us. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him (this earnest expectation in Him, God) purifieth himself, even as He (God) is pure.

Now, in Hebrews 10: 22 this word assurance that Paul uses is the Greek word "Plero - phoreo"   and it used in the scriptures as to  "fully believe",  to be  "fully persuaded",  to "show full proof" and to be "fully known".  The word actually means "to fill one with any thought or conviction or inclination and hence to make one certain. To persuade, convince and be assured."

We see this word used in Luke 1:1 where he tells us the purpose of his Gospel. "Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, 2 Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; 3 It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, 4  That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.

So you see that Luke was telling us that the purpose of his Gospel was to portray to us with a clear understanding, a perfect understanding those things which took place in the life of Jesus Christ that we also might come to a clear and perfect understanding which brings with it rest and a completed assurance.

Because after all the word "assurance" means full confidence; and a freedom from doubt; in other words a certainty:

Now, there is nothing worse than not being certain of anything. Because that is where fear get's its start is in a lack of knowing. When you do not know then all you have left is to guess, and surmise. And that brings fear. A lack of understanding, and a lack of knowing brings fear and then doubt. So the opposite of fear is rest. And you cannot rest unless you know and are sure, and that is where this full assurance of Fait, of revelation is to brings us to.

The Apostle Paul tells us of this confidence which brought rest to Abraham in Romans 4:18-22 "Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 19  And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: 20  He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

Let me read from the Wuest Translation what the Apostle Paul said here. Wuest: Romans 4:18-2 Moreover, in view of the promise that God had made to him, he did not vascillate in the sphere of unbelief between two mutually exclusive expectations but was strengthened with respect to his faith, having given glory to God, and was fully persuaded that what He had promised with finality He was able also to do; wherefore also it was put down in his account, resulting in righteousness.

Now, when it speaks of two mutually exclusive expectations, one is his dead body no 90 years old and the other is the deadness of Sara's womb her being 75 and her womb never having shown any sign of life in her 75 years of life. And yet in view of these two mitigating evidences he believed God above his own circumstances which the five sense could see, taste, feel, smell and hear, but he had that sixth sense which was faith, and he believed God's promise regardless of what any and all circumstances showed. And Because He believed God above all evidence which looked contrary to the promise, God rewarded him with not only receiving the promise but with a crown of righteousness.

As Paul said in Romans 4:20  He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;  Now, this word glory is the Greek word doxa, and we all know that it means the opinions, values, and judgments of God. Yet how is it that His belief brought glory to God? Because he accepted God's Glory and thus reflected it back to God by his walking in that belief.

Notice his assurance of faith responded in his not only receiving the promise, it but you are also preparing himself for it. Abraham heard the promise, and then Abraham recognized that promise was his and then Abraham acted upon that Promise by walking in it, and preparing for the child to come.

21  And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 22  And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

Although the word righteousness comes from the words right-wise-ness, yet it does not speak of a mental right-wsie-ness, but a life that lives what is right. Righteousness is not just believing what is right, but righteousness is actually showing in your life that you believe God's promise by doing what God has revealed to you.

Remember the scripture teaches us, "it is God working in you both to will and to do". So the only way you know that God is working in you to will and to do is when you see yourself doing.

And that is righteousness. Too many people think that just being right is righteous, but that is not what the Bible teaches. Righteousness is when that which is right is expressed or manifested in your life.

1 John 3:10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

So no matter how much you know what is right, and no matter how much you talk about what is right, if you do not do what is right John says you are not even of God, because only those who have been born of His Spirit can live a righteous life in Christ.

That is why the apostle John said 1 John 3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as He (God) is righteous.

Therefore in 1 John 3 we see John tell us, "he that doeth righteousness is righteous," and then "whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God".

And the only way you can do righteousness is if you are born of the same Spirit as Him. That is 1 John 2:29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

Romans 10:5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. So we see the doing is the living, it is the righteous life.

And not just once in a while, because David said in Psalms 106:3 Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.

2 Timothy 4:5  But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

Now, what does Paul mean by making full proof of thy ministry?

The Greek word for proof is the same Greek word that described Abraham's full assurance of Faith. plerophoreo: and it means to carry out fully (in evidence of), i.e. completely assure (or convince), entirely accomplish:--most surely believe, fully know (persuade), make full proof of.

So how does a minister make full evidence of his calling? How does he entirely accomplish or persuade? Well, that is where John 14:12 must come in.

Be certain of God 59-0708E P:49 If I had the Spirit of Christ, I'll do the works of Christ. Jesus said, "If I do not the works of My Father, then believe Me not." And if the church does not do the works of Christ, then don't believe that church. Jesus said, "These signs shall follow them that believe." And we've perverted it by works of man, doctrines of man. The Bibles said, "In the last days, they'd be heady, high-minded, and lovers of pleasure more than of God, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, and despisers of those that are good." You say, "Them's communists." No, them's Christians, so-called, and church members. "Having the form of godliness, but denying the power thereof." Saying, "Oh, God did that in another age, not this age." The Bible said, "From such, turn away." We're living in that day.

Stature of a perfect man 62-1014M P:60 And now, we're supposed to do His work. He said, "He that believeth on Me..." (St. John 14:7) "He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also." You're beginning to reflect the works of Christ. But so many of us try to do the works of Christ before the reflection of Christ is in us. Now, there's the trouble. We find those things happening. You know it. I know it. We see these stumbles along the road. We find the scrap heaps of ministers, of Christians, piled along the road. Is because they didn't go into it right. And that's why I'm here this morning, is to try to teach this little church, and myself, how that we can become the dwelling place of the living God. How many'd like to be that? The dwelling place of the living God...

Go wake Jesus 63-1103 P:70 If Beethoven lived in you, wouldn't you be a composer of songs? the great composer Beethoven? Say, "Beethoven lives in me." Then you'll do the works of Beethoven. You'll write his music. Certainly. If it lived in you, you would certainly do that, because the spirit of him lived in you. Then if Christ lives in me... My. If Christ lives in me the works of Christ will be done through me. Certainly. If Beethoven lives in you, the works of Beethoven will be made known. If Christ lives in you, the works of Christ will be made known, for He is the same: same. He can't change. Remember what I said? He's eternal. He can't change He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. Oh, then call Him on the scene. A re you afraid to? Is men of this hour, is men of this day afraid to call Jesus on the scene, to say, "Lord, You promised it. Now do it."

Show me a Five-Fold minister today who has walks in the supernatural power of God and there are signs following his ministry and I will show you a ministry that fits the pattern of the early church. That is the ministry God is backing up with signs and wonders like he backed up the Apostles in the book of Acts.

So br. Branham says, John 14:12... What is it? It's God in the church in these five predestinated offices, backing up every Word that He said with the Holy Spirit Himself in there, which is the Word made manifest, proving His resurrection, proving that He lives.... Christ is a living in the church of Christ (Amen.), making His word manifest, for He is the same. If it's the same Word, It'll do the same thing, and show the same works, and the same signs.

Now, why isn't this being taught in Message churches today? Because it's not manifesting in their own ministries or in their own church circles and camps. If it was they would most certainly be teaching it. Because they would have that assurance of faith that Paul taught us that Abraham had.

In The Messiah 61-0117 P:62 brother Branham says, “They look like him. They act like him. They are his flesh, his blood, his spirit. Amen. That's the way God's church is, His Eaglets, His Messiahettes. They look like Him; they act like Him; they preach like Him; they do the works that He did. "The things that I do shall he also. More than this shall he do, 'cause I go to the Father." Amen. "These signs shall follow My eaglets." Amen "They'll do just as I do. If My Spirit's in them, then they'll do the works that I do. If they don't do the works I do, it's because that My Spirit's not in them."

Isn't that what the Apostle John said in 1 John 2:29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

And again in 1 John 3:10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God,...

Therefore, John 14:12 is not a mystery, if you have His Spirit you will act like him, talk like Him, live like him and do the works he did.

From his sermon, God identified by His Characteristics p:31 "John 14:12, "He that believeth," Jesus said, "on Me, the works that I do shall he do also." Now, look, "He that believeth on Me (a true believer), the works that I do shall he do also." Notice. In other words, like this, "He that believeth on Me, shall be identified by My characteristic, the works." Now, that's what He did. He said, "If I don't do the Father's works, then don't believe Me." And the Father spoke to the prophets, and that was their characteristic, identification. So was it with Jesus. And promised it "to him that believeth, My characteristics shall do in him just as it did in Me."

Return and Jubilee 62-1122 P:39 Before I could act as a human, before I could walk like a human, before I could talk like a human, I have to be born a human. How would a knot on a tree know how I acted? How could he ever say, "I don't act like that." The only way he could be that would be to be born like me. That's the way organization is dead, drawn people away, because it went after a creed. But in order to be a son of God you've got to be born of the Spirit of God, then you become Christ-like and do the works of Christ; then you're not funny to them people. A human acting like a human's not funny. And a Christian acting like a Christian, born of the same Spirit... You see the Pentecostal group at the beginning, that same Pentecostal group acts the same way if it's born of the same Spirit, 'cause it's born. That's why, today, that people doesn't understand the church. And the church has begin to grow cold and formal, getting after creeds and things and leaving off the following of the Holy Spirit. All right.

Letting off the pressure 62-0609E P:64 If I told you I had the spirit of John Dillinger, you'd expect me to have guns, and be an outlaw. If I told you the spirit of an artist was in me, you'd expect me to paint some pictures. If I told you the spirit of some great soldier, you'd expect me to know all the arms and everything, 'cause his spirit is in me. If I tell you the Spirit of Christ is in me, then I should do the works of Christ, live the kind of Life that He lived, a sacrificed Life for the people. That is right.

From his sermon, Hear ye Him  58-0126  P:24 brother Branham said, "Now, there's where the Church ought to be today. Jesus said, "These things that I do, shall you do also. Ask anything in My Name, I'll do it." Why we scared of that? What's the matter? If Christ has clothed us with the Holy Spirit, and been adopted into the family after being born again, and been baptized into the body by the Holy Spirit, if it's a true witness of God, ask what you will and it'll be done for you. Then we set like, say, "Oh , well, that was something else."

That's the reason the church is dying today. And that is the reason we do not see faith among the people for healing much less a promised of a body change. Because the people don't have that full assurance of faith because they are not focused on the promise alone, but rather they are focused on all the circumstances around them.

People ask me why I preach on John 14:12 so much. For one simple reason. You preach for results. If you want people to be saved you preach salvation. If you want the people to be healed you preach on Divine Healing.

And if you want people to be conformed to the image of the first born son, that is what you preach on, and how can you be conformed to the image of the first born son if you don't even know what that image of the first born son is?

The image of Christ is not the beard, long hair, tunic and sandals. It is the character, the attributes and characteristics that made him a son. And he always did that which pleased the Father.

Brother Branham makes it clear that John 14:12 is for every believer as we see in 59-0628E - "Questions And Answers" 172  88b. Brother Branham,... Can any man do the works of Christ unless he was Christ? That's what it is, "Unless he was Christ?" Sure. Let's take Saint John, just a minute. Saint John the 14th chapter and I want you to look at this, now, if you can catch it right quick, Saint John 14:12, I believe it is. We'll get it right quick, and look what Jesus said about this. All right, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He," "whoever it is", "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also." Any man, The man himself can't be Christ, but the works of Christ will follow every believer. See? He'll do the works of Christ in any man. "He that believeth in Me, the works that I do, he shall do." Not, "I shall do," "he shall do, he shall," not, "I." "But he believes in Me and has confessed his faith in Me and died out to himself and My Spirit dwells in him and he becomes a part of Me." Now that don't make him Christ. It makes him part of Christ with the rest of the Church. All right. He is not Christ, because that would be anti-Christ, you see. He would be taking away from Christ. But he can be, do the works of Christ, any believer. All right.

Notice he says, but first you have to die to self, and let the Spirit of Christ dwell in you and become a part of you.

The Apostle Paul said in 1Thessalonians 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

But how you going to prove all things if you won't die to self and let "God work in you both to will and then to do"?

The Apostle Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:16-17 At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. 17  Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

What he is saying is that your ministry is not fully known by how many people stand with you. Your ministry is fully known when God stands with you.

So many people today are afraid to call on God to come and stand with them. Brother Branham preached Anointed ones at the end time, and people are afraid that if they call on God to show his supernatural presence among them they will be branded false anointed. Seems to me people have no clue what that sermon was all about. He taught us in that sermon that if you are preaching false and there is an anointing anyway, the anointing does not prove you are true, but what you teach proves whether you are true or not. And so they are in fear to call out to a supernatural God to stand with them. And how contrary that is throughout all the ages where men of God called out to God to stand with them and God willingly came down and shown His presence among them and fought their battles for them.

The Apostle Paul said in Colossians 2:2  That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

But look also what this same Apostle write in 1 Thessalonians 1: 5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

So God sent with them the power of His Holy Spirit that the people might know that this was not just a man with some head knowledge or an ability to speak that was among them, but the God that sent them had went with them.

And where are those men of God today that God goes with then in the demonstration or power to heal the sick, raise the dead, change the weather, stop the raging seas or the roaring storms? Where are these men today that come with this full assurance of faith?

Finally we see in Hebrews 6:10-12 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have shown toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. 11 And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: 12  That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

So we see by all of  these scriptural proofs that our assurance comes as a result of not just receiving a certain understanding or a certain knowledge, but we also receive the supernatural presence of God manifesting in our lives. When we receive the Faith of Christ and the knowledge that comes with it, and then we see ourselves responding to this Revelation of Christ in our Midst, and then we see God step on the scene to vouchsafes His presence with us, that is when we come to the place where we just know that we know, we have come to the place of full assurance of faith because not only do we hear, but we recognize what we have heard and to show that we have recognized what we heard, we then act upon what we have heard, and when God sees that, He steps on the scene and confirms it all back to us. Then we can say we are fully persuaded.

Let’s pray…