1 Peter 2: 20-21,

20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

 

In principle, we should be able to recognize a person's character by what she represents. What she is, the way she talks, how she expresses herself. What interests him in general. His lifestyle. All of these things are what characterize a person. Even the nature of a person characterizes him.

 

We find in nature, in creation, whether vegetation or animal, different characteristic features that help us to differentiate certain species. We could spend hours on this subject.

 

Just like in men and women, they are both human beings, but each has characteristics that make them different. Each has something they cannot hide, a characteristic that makes it clear that it is a woman, or a man.

 

What is impressive are the hands of a person. No human being has the same footprint. But the prints of both hands of the same person are identical. What characterizes the imprint is what differentiates it from the left or the right. Really impressive, all of these characteristics.

 

64-0311 - God Is Identified By His Characteristics
   Rév. William Marrion Branham

29 Now, that’s just like looking at a right hand and a left hand. They both got thumbs, fingers, nails, small fingers, middle fingers, so forth, index, all are different fingers. They, both the thumbprints, only one’s just turned one way and one the other, both the same print, made the same way, the thumbprints. Everything is identically alike, the only difference is the characteristic of it. One is a left hand and one is a right hand, that’s the only difference.

 

All of these aspects are so important and should help us to recognize that God is perfect in all of His Ways. Not only is HE PERFECT, but HE wants us to learn a great lesson that should help us to RECOGNIZE HIM in HIS CHARACTERISTICS.

    You see, God has characteristics that allow us to identify him. As we come to the end time, we know there will be two spirits at work. The Spirit of TRUTH, and the spirit of error.

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If we cannot recognize the characteristics of God, it will be impossible for us to detect, or even to recognize the one who is true from the one who is false.

 

    64-0311 - God Is Identified By His Characteristics
   Rév. William Marrion Branham

30 And that’s just the way the spirits will be in the last day, they will, just the characteristic of it will detect whether it is of God or not. One of them will be right and the other one will be wrong, you’ll only know it by the characteristic of God. Just perfectly, it’ll have to be that way.

 

But there is another characteristic that is so wonderful and that every true Believer would love to be imbued with. It is the Character of Jesus Christ. CHRISTLIKE CHARACTER.

 

This DIVINE NATURE that makes us different from the rest of the world.

 

2 Peter 1: 3-4

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.

 

But how can we become participants of this DIVINE NATURE, we are totally insufficient. So how can HE build that character in us. He wants us to be like HIM, to act and speak like HIM. This is how the CHRISTLIKE CHARACTER is forged in us.

 

61-1119 - Perfect Strength By Perfect Weakness
   Rév. William Marrion Branham

120 And that’s the way God wants us. Realize that we are totally insufficient, then God takes that person and begins to mold Himself into that person; make his hands do what God would have hands to do, make his lips speak what God’s lips would speak; because they’re not his, they’re God’s. He begins to build a character, begins to take this weakness and to make His Own Self.

 

Thus, your CHARACTER becomes the CHARACTER OF GOD, you no longer accept anything, you walk straight without any instability. You are like the Heavenly Father, because you possess HIS CHARACTER.

 

63-0901M - Token
   Rév. William Marrion Branham

332 Your character is God’s character. What is it, a little pushover? No, sir! God is a God of judgment. He is a God of correct. It must be on the line. Nothing else will do. That’s the kind of character you are, because you’re the character of your Father. See?

 

Jesus suffered and this is how HIS CHARACTER was forged. Through suffering. And if we ever want to reign with Him, then it's only normal that we have to go through the trial, by the way of Faith. Because we have to overcome. We must achieve the Victory and the Victory that triumphs over the world, is our Faith.    

 

1 John 5: 4

4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

 

If we truly desire this CHRISTLIKE CHARACTER, it is only formed through VICTORY. For you see, without suffering, we cannot have that genuine CHARACTER.

 

THIS CHARACTER is a VICTORY, not a gift, but a VICTORY. And it is THAT CHARACTER that makes us fit to rule. The CHRISTLIKE CHARACTER, forged through suffering by the VICTORY that overcometh the world, even our FAITH. That produces POWER in us.

 

An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages (4 - The Smyrnaean Church Age)
   Rév. William Marrion Branham

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Unless we suffer with Him we cannot reign with Him. You have to suffer to reign. The reason for this is that character simply is never made without suffering. CHARACTER is a VICTORY, not a gift. A man without character can’t reign because power apart from character is Satanic. But power with character is fit to rule. And since He wants us to share even His throne on the same basis that He overcame and is set down in His Father’s throne, then we have to overcome to sit with Him. And the little temporary suffering we go through now is not worthy to be compared to the tremendous glory that will be revealed in us when He comes.

 

We want to reign with Our Lord Jesus Christ. This VICTORY is given to us by God through Our Lord Jesus Christ.

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1 Corinthians 15: 57,

57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

And this is that VICTORY that will make us reign and sit on His Throne, as HE overcame and sat down with His Father on His Throne.

 

Revelation 3: 21,

21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

 

May God bless each of you and let us praise HIM for having made us participants of His DIVINE NATURE and for having forged HIS CHARACTER in us so that we might be a genuine representation of the CHARACTER OF OUR LORD JESUS ​​CHRIST.

 

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