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THE CHRISTIAN LIFE Compiled by Ron Millevo

Brother Branham, God's prophet to this generation, has restored to us salient issues concerning the way Christians ought to live by. These include the following:

(1) not forsaking the assembling of the saints, (2) the conduct and proper order of a church service (3) the difference between works and grace, (3) the correct attitude and outlook of a true Christian, (4) the sin of unbelief, (5) the truth on backsliding, (6) how to approach discord with brotherly love and kindness, (7) the conditions on disfellowshipping and excommunication and (8) being unequally yoked with unbelievers.

This page deals with what the prophet of God taught us about these things.

CHURCH ATTENDANCE IS A “MUST”

Brother Branham spoke:

“We feel that every person is duty bound to attend some church and belong to some church as a Christian. Many people say, “Oh, I stay home and read my Bible. I’m just as well off.” No, the Bible said we shouldn’t forsake to assemble ourselves together. We’ve got to do that; we’ve got to stand together, and all the churches.” (WHAT VISION ARE; SPINDALE.NC 56-0421)

“A man that’s borned of the Spirit of God loves to go to church, better than he loves to eat his dinner when he’s hungry. The spiritual man on the inside has got to be fed. If that man isn’t fed, he will die. The outward man isn’t fed, he will die. And so will the inward man. He’s got to be fed on...” (I.WILL.RESTORE.title DES.MOINES.IA 54-0620A)

“We so love all of our activities. We can go out a-riding. We can go shopping. We can go hunting and fishing, or whatever we might do in pleasures, but oh, when the church opens, we want to meet our Lord. That’s greatest of all things. (HOW.CAN.I.OVERCOME.title JEFF.IN V-4 N-12 63-0825M)

“Every man ought to have a church home. You ought to have a place, not just to float about from pillar to post, but have somewhere that you go to church and you call it your church, somewhere you pay your tithe, and somewhere that you help support the cause. Take your choice, but then don’t never disfellowship the other man because he don’t belong with your group. See? Discern his spirit and see if he’s got the same purpose in heart, then you got fellowship one with another. You’re working for one great cause. That’s the cause of Christ. I think that that is absolutely true.” (DISCERNMENT.OF.SPIRIT.title PHOENIX.AZ)

“Don’t stay home. If God is in your heart, you can’t hardly wait for them doors to open out yonder to get in here to fellowship with your brothers.
If you don’t—don’t feel that way, then I tell you, it’s time you got to praying, ‘cause we’re in the last days where the Bible exalted us—exhorted us to—to much more as we see that day approaching, to love one another with Christian love and Divine love, to assemble ourselves together in heavenly places in—in Christ Jesus and love one another. “This will all men know you’re My disciples when you have love one for the other.” (CHRIST.IS.THE.MYSTERY.title JEFF.IN V-3 N-7 63-0728)

People say, “I can stay at home, be just as good a Christian as I can at church.” You can’t. The Bible said, “Not forsake our assemble ourselves together, and that much more as we see the time coming.” If you’re a Christian, you long to go where other Christians are, and fellowship with other Christians. So you cannot stay away from church and live the same life. You—you can’t do it, because it’s like, “I’m hungry, but I’ll never go to a table. I just... I’ll never eat. I just—I ain’t going to do it.” See? You’ve got to go and feed on the Word of God, and fellowship one with another. We need one another more now than we ever did need each other, is now. When you get yourself singled out from the rest of them making yourself just a little different, you don’t want to associate with them because they believe this, and don’t want to associate with that, you’re getting on dangerous ground, right then, keeping away from church. Find the one of your choice, and remain there, and be a Christian brother to all of them. That’s the way to be a real Christian. Then we’ve got fellowship, protection; people love you and pray for you. (CHRIST.IS.THE.MYSTERY.title JEFF.IN V-3 N-7 63-0728)

You say “You have to love the Lord; you ought to go to church.” You don’t have to tell them people that. They go anyhow. They’ll walk through rain. They’ll go to... They’ll go through death to go to church. Sure. They love it. They just got to get there. That’s all there is to it. It’s their life. If they don’t, they—they feel like their perishing. Sure. Yes, sir. You just got to get there. (GOD.KEEPS.HIS.WORD.title JEFF.IN 57-0407M)

“Oh, I know there’s many rise up, and go out, and say, “Oh, I don’t need to go to church anymore. Praise God, the Holy Ghost has come; He’s the teacher.” When you get that idea, you’re just wrong. For why did the Holy Ghost set teachers in the church if He was going to be the teacher? See? There are first apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists, and pastors. The Holy Spirit set teachers in the church, so He could teach through that teacher. And if there’s—it isn’t according to the Word, God doesn’t confirm it, then it isn’t the right kind of teaching. It must compare with the entire Bible, and be just as alive today as It was then. There’s the real thing made manifest.” (HEBREWS CHAPTER 5.AND.6.title JEFF.IN HEB 57-0908M)

“You go to church. Don’t sit at home, go hunting, fishing and so forth on Sunday, dishonoring the resurrection of Jesus Christ… Go to church wherever the Church door opens, you take off as hard as you can go. Don’t join, go on down there.” (Question and Answer Book, 08-23-64M)

“We must love in our hearts to come to church. If we don’t love church, love God, coming together... What we call “church” is coming together to worship. See? If we love Christ, we worship together.” (ORDINATION.title JEFF.IN 62-1104E)

“It’s a joy to go to church, under any circumstance. Whether it’s hot, cold, indifferent, whether the people are fussing, growling, whatever they’re doing, it’s still a joy to hear the Word of the Lord. Then you’re in love then with Christ (See?); you love to go to church. (EVER.PRESENT.WATER.title JEFF.IN V-14 N-6 61-0723M)

“Love, not a duty; Christ is not a duty to serve Christ; it’s a love that serves Christ. It strains you, constrains you, till every pulsation of your life beats with Him.” (STRAIT.IS.THE.GATE.title JEFF.IN CH 35-66 59-0301M)

“God wants you to go to church, and He wants to manifest something to you through His Word, through some move that He’s making. You fail to go, you’ll miss seeing something.” (HEAR.YE.HIM.title CHICAGO.IL 56-0930)

“God must have first place in your heart, first place in your life, first place in everything that you do or what you are. God must be first. He doesn’t want the second place. He doesn’t deserve the second place. He deserves the best, and the first, and all that we got. He deserves it. Blessed be His holy Name. Oh, we need to seek the will of God, not the favor of your neighbor, not the favor of your children, not the favor of your husband or your wife; but seek the will of God. You do that first. Then everything else, the will of the wife and the will of the children, will fall right in with it. But place God first.” (HEBREWS.CHAPTER.2.PART.2.title JEFF.IN HEB 57-0825E)

“A real born again man or a woman that’s got discernment of the Holy Ghost will find his place in church, worshipping, and crying out and doing all that’s in his life to try to bring sinners. Certainly.” (DISCERNING.BODY.OF.LORD.title CHATAUQUA.OH V-2 N-25 59-0812)

“I’d rather you belong to church and be a sinner, than to not go to church at all. You’re doing well with what you’re doing. But now, why not come and be a real Christian? Why not get that real Love of God in your heart, that drives you to the—to the post of duty.” (HEAR.YE.HIM.title YAKIMA.WA 60-0806)

“For if you love God, you can’t—you couldn’t wile you away from church. They couldn’t chain you away from it. They can’t hide a believer from God.” (ABRAHAM.AND.HIS.SEED.AFTER.HIM.title CHICAGO.IL 61-0423)

“But if a man loves God, he will fill his seat of the church every time.
He can’t stay away from it. That’s right.” (INVASION.OF.THE.USA.title JEFF.IN V-26 N-1 54-0509)

“Today we have to beg and plead, and pat and beg, and persuade and promise Christians to come to church, “If they come to church, we’ll do so-and-so.” Jesus, when He was on earth, He had too many with Him. He looked around and seen the congregation; He wanted to get rid of them, He said, “Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His Blood, you have no Life in you.” Could you imagine a doctor setting out there? “Why,” said, “this man wants us to be a human vampire. Drink his blood? Nonsense. All you people walk away and leave that crazy man alone.” They walked away. He never explained It. He didn’t have to explain It. He shakes your faith sometime to see what you’ll do. And He’s doing the same thing in this day. Yes, let it seem spooky to you a little bit to see where you stand, whether you really believe. (GOD.IDENTIFIED.BY.CHARACTERISTICS.title BEAUMONT.TX V-13 N-1 64-0311)

CHURCH ORDER AND CONDUCT

“The first place, if you want Scripture, the people are supposed to come to the house of God for one purpose; that is to worship, to sing songs, and to worship God. That’s the way God expects it. He doesn’t expect us to come into the house of God to talk about our—or something else, or talk about one another, or talk about what we got to do through the week; He expects us to come to worship Him. It’s a house of worship. “And everything should be done decently and in order,” said Paul in the Bible. Everything’s supposed to be right. There’s supposed to be message.” (QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS; JEFF.IN COD 54-0103E)

“Now, sheep will only grow as you give them sheep food. Now, if you’d fry up a big hamburger and give it to a sheep, he couldn’t grow on that, ‘cause (See?), that’s not sheep food. See? And—and if I would fry up or be a—have a nice T-bone steak fixed up, give it over to a sheep, it—it’s not sheep food. He just couldn’t eat it, that’s all, because he’s a sheep. But sheep like sheep food. Well then, when you’re to feed the flock of God, don’t feed them on some manmade theology; feed them on the Word; for that’s where the sheep grow from. Feed the Word. (QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS.title JEFF.IN COD 61-1015M)

“We don’t come to church to occupy a pew. We do not come to church to hear a good sermon or good music, though they all have their place. But what we better do is come to church to check up with God and our soul’s salvation, for the day of redemption is here. The church had better be examining themselves by the Word. It is time we took inventory of our purity, loyalty and devotion.” (SECOND.COMING.OF.THE.LORD. JEFF.IN V-9 N-2 57-0417)

“This is worship. We don’t come to church just to hear a message. We come to worship. Just forget the person next to you. Just worship Him. Oh, how beautiful, how wonderful. Just tell Him in your... You don’t have to tell Him loud. Just tell Him in your heart, “I love You, Lord. Forgive me of my sins.” Oh, my. “ (HEBREWS.CHAPTER.3.title JEFF.IN HEB 57-0901M)

“The beauty of the church is the character of the people. By a consecrated life is the only way we can do it.
We should never buy or sell in the house of the Lord. It should be a place of worship, holy, consecrated for that purpose. It’s not a place to visit, it’s a place of worship. We should never murmor a word inside of here, outside of worship, to one another unless it’s absolutely necessary. We should never rally around. We should never run through the building or let our children run through the building.
We do not come into the sanctuary of the Lord to meet each other, we come here to worship God. This sanctuary is dedicated to worship. Stand outside; talk anything you wish to as long as it’s right and holy. Go to one another’s home. Visit one another’s place. But when you enter that door, keep quiet.
If you desired to, silently you come to the altar and pray silently. You walk back to your seat, open up your Bible. What your neighbor done, that was up to him. You had nothing to say. If you want to talk to him, say “I’ll see him outside. I’m in here to worship the Lord.”
Of course, somebody worshipping the Lord, that’s expected. That’s what it should be. That’s what you are here for, is to worship the Lord. Yes, if you feel like praising God, or shouting, just go right on, because that’s what you’re here for, is to worship the Lord in your own way of worshipping. As soon as the service is dismissed, leave the auditorium. If you’ve got something to talk with somebody, to see them, why, you go with them to their home or whatever it is, but don’t do it in the auditorium. Let’s dedicate this to God. This is His meeting place where we meet Him. And the law goes forth from the sanctuary of course. And I believe that would be pleasing our heavenly Father.” (“God in Simplicity”, March 17, 1963, pp. 3-8.)

WORKS VERSUS GRACE

“Grace is what God did for me; works is what I do for God. Now, they’ll make a doctrine out of it; they think that works is what wins your merits. If it is, it isn’t a free gift. Grace is what God did for you; by grace you’re saved. And works is what you do in appreciation of the grace that He showed to you. And if you love Him, you like to do the works of the Lord, certainly, because then, you—you love Him.” (HEBREWS CHAPTER.6.title JEFF.IN HEB 57-0908E)

“Now works are fine, but they don’t save you. They don’t make you perfect. It is Christ or perish. And it is not even Christ AND works. It is Christ alone. This age began the years of Arminianism that does not believe in Christ as the REALITY. It does not sing of “Nothing but the Blood,” for it sings of “Nothing but the blood AND my own conduct”. Now I believe in good conduct. If you are saved you will do righteously. We have already gone over that. But let me tell you now, salvation is NOT Jesus PLUS. It is Jesus ALONE. SALVATION IS OF THE LORD. From start to finish it is all GOD.” (294-1 PHILADELPHIAN CHURCH.AGE - CHURCH.AGE.BOOK.CPT.8)

“Now works will never take the place of faith in God for our salvation. But works will show forth our faith already placed in Him. Good works won’t save you, but they will come forth out of a saved life as fruit unto the Lord. I believe in good works. Even if a man is not saved, he ought to do good works and do the best he can. Yes sir, if you are a Christian you are going to do what is right. Your works will show that your heart is right. And it won’t be something that you put on, for you will do His will when no one but God sees you, and you will do His will even if it costs you your life.” (222-3 THYATIREAN.CHURCH.AGE - CHURCH.AGE.BOOK.CPT.6)

“Not eating meats, and doing this, and perfecting the body, you’ll never have it. And you’ve got to quit this, and do this, and do this, and do this, that’s law. That’s legalist. We don’t believe in the legal forms of salvation.
We believe it “by grace are we saved.” And it’s not you; you have nothing to do with it; it’s God’s election that does it. “No man can come to Me except My Father draws him.” That’s right. And He... All Jesus come to do was to get these that the Father foreknew and predestinated them before the foundation of the world to become sons and daughters of God. Amen. “Not him that runneth or him that willeth, but God that showeth mercy.” It’s God that does it. You can’t brag at all. There’s not a thing that you did; God, by grace, saved you, not you, yourself. If you do, you got something to brag about. But you haven’t nothing to brag. All praises goes to Him. It’s Him. Then He’s give you this sure hope, swore by an oath, the impossibility for His children to ever be lost.” (HEBREWS.CHAPTER.6.AND.7..title JEFF.IN HEB 57-0915M)

“So don’t you see, brother, sister, the whole thing is grace. All of it is grace. It’s not what you do anyhow. It’s what He’s already done for you. Now, you can’t do one thing to merit your salvation. Your salvation is a gift. Christ became sin that you might become righteous. And He’s the right kind of a Chief Captain for our salvation, because He suffered just like we suffered. He’s been tempted just like we’re tempted. And He’s not ashamed to be called our Brother, because He knows what we go through with. Oh, blessed be His Name. And that’s the reason that Christ, God, had to become kinfolks to us. And He come down and was a man. And He suffered temptation. And He was laughed at, and made fun of, and persecuted, and ignored, and called Beelzebub, and—and scoffed at, and suffered death under capital punishment. See, He had to be kinfolks to us. He had to be falsely accused, because you’re falsely accused. He had to bear sickness, because you’re sick. He had to bear sins because it was your sins. And He had to become kinfolks. That the reason He become this, that He might be sympathetic with you who are—have your ups-and-downs and your little ins-and-outs, and your temptations get so great you can’t hardly stand it. He knows how to sympathize with you. He sets there to make intercessions. He sets there to love you. And though you go astray, He won’t forsake you. He’ll still come after you and knock at your heart. There’s not a backslider in the building but what know that God knocks at his heart daily. And He will do it as long as you’re a mortal on this earth, for He’s loved you. He redeemed you. (HEBREWS.CHAPTER.2.PART.2.title JEFF.IN HEB 57-0825E)

“The law, the legalist (See?), “Aw, you have to do this. If you don’t do this, you’re not a Christian. And if you don’t keep the sabbath. If you don’t... If you eat meat. If you do these things,” all these legal ideas. “You’ve got to go to church. If you don’t, you pay a penalty for it. You have to do a novena.” That stuff is nonsense. You’re saved by the grace of God, by the foreknowledge of God, by His predestination. God called Abraham by predestination, by foreknowledge. He called... He hated Esau and loved Jacob before either one was born. That’s right. It’s—it’s God’s foreknowledge that knows these things.You say then, “What’s the use of preaching the Gospel?” Now, I’ll say to you this: Paul answered that, or Jesus did, rather. Here’s Jesus; He said, “The Kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that went to this—a—a pond or a lake and throwed in the net. He pulled in. Out of there he had turtles; he had terrapins; he had serpents; he had lizards; he had frogs; he had spiders; he had scavengers; he had—he had fish.” Now, the man’s just seining. That’s like the Gospel. Here it is now. I’m preaching the Gospel. I just throw the net out. I pull it; I say, “All that will, whosoever, let him come.” Here come some up at the altar; they all hang around the altar; they pray; they cry. I don’t know one from the other; it’s not my business; I wasn’t sent to judge. But there’s some in there that’s frogs. There’s some that’s lizards. There’s some that’s snakes. It’s some’s that’s turtles. And there’s some that’s fish. It’s not my business to judge. I say, “Father, here’s what I pulled out.” (HEBREWS.CHAPTER.7.PT.1.title JEFF.IN HEB 57-0915E)

THE GENUINE CHRISTIAN

“Christians are known by the fruits of the Holy Spirit. That’s what dominates a Christian’s life, proves what he is. And the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, faith, long-suffering, goodness, gentleness..... patience in the Holy Spirit. Those fruits manifest themselves through Christians.” (END.TIME.SIGN.SEED.title TIFTON.GA 62-0319)

“That’s the way it is with every born again Christian, when he really gets into God, he watches his life with God’s Word and he realizes he’s lined up with every bit of it. He’s got long-suffering, gentleness, quietness, meekness, power, faith, love, joy, peace. He ain’t tossed about like a troubled seas. He ain’t worrying about every little thing. He ain’t jumping here and there like a bottle stopper on a windy ocean. He’s set. His heart’s pure. His thoughts is pure. His intentions are pure. His alternative’s right. And he knows he lines up with the Word of God. All hell can’t move him. He’s lined with the Word of God. He’s got Divine love, purity in his heart for every man and woman. He’s got his... He’s abstained from the things of the world. They’re dead to him. He don’t want them no more.” (ENTICING.SPIRITS.title JEFF.IN DE 79-112 55-0724)

“Your life will bear witness. I don’t know what your testimony is, but your life speaks so loud, your voice can’t be heard. What your—your living, your every day life will testify what you are. God bears witness. Yes, the Holy Spirit is a Seal, and a seal takes both sides of the paper. They see you standing here and see you when you go away, not only in church but at every day work. You’re sealed on both sides: inside and outside. By the joy that you have and by the Life that you live, you’re sealed in and outside. By the joy that you have and by the Life that you live, you’re sealed in and outside. But you know you’re saved, and the world knows you’re saved by the life that you live, for God bears witness. Blessed be His Holy Name.” (HEBREWS.CHAPTER.2.PART.1.title JEFF.IN HEB 57-0825M)

“Lust for money, lust for big things, lust for popularity, these things are dead to the believer.
We don’t care; a tent or a cottage, why should I care? Live or die, sink or drown, this is the thing that I’m interested in: the Kingdom of God. Whether I maintain my home, whether I maintain my family, whether I maintain whatever it is, let me maintain Christ, the hope of glory.” (STATURE.OF.A.PERFECT.MAN.title JEFF.IN V-2 N-18 62-1014M)

“We profess to be Christians. Let us be like Christians then
; not by feeding and things like that. That has very little; that’s—that’s... The ordinary good-hearted person will do that. That’s religion; that’s not salvation. So many people gets religion and salvation mixed up. Religion is to feed the widows and poor and so forth; that’s religion. But salvation is the new birth, being born again. That’s different. Religion, Mohammedan is a religion. There’s many religions. I say, “Are you a Christian?” To be a Christian you must be Christ-like, tabernacling deity in you, with the Holy Ghost like fell on the day of Pentecost. Not some emotion, but I mean a real Pentecost. See? That’s right. (TRUE.SIGN.THAT’S.OVERLOOKED.title JEFF.IN V-6 N-2 61-1112)

“And this life means nothing but a tabernacle to preach the Gospel through. I say this with all sincerity, with these two Bibles laying open before me: if my God was through with me preaching the Gospel, and I could do no more for Him, my children was old enough to take care of themselves, and He wants to take me right now, “Amen.” That settles it. Yes, sir. What difference does it make if I’m eighty or if I’m twenty? I’m only here for one thing: to serve the Lord. That’s all. If I can still preach the Gospel like I do now when I’m eighty, what difference does it make whether I’m forty or eighty? There’s a many man eighty years old tonight. And there’s a lot of children will die, when an eighty-year old man will outlive a-many one of them. What difference does it make? It’s your motives, your principles, and we’re here to serve the Lord Jesus (That’s all.) knowing this, that this life is a vapor that a man speaks about, that once was, and then is not. But if we have Eternal Life, God’s promised He’ll raise us up again. And we’ll take the communion with Him when the days are over, and when He say, “Enter into the joys of the Lord that’s been prepared for you since the foundation of the world.” (HEBREWS.CHAPTER.7.PT.1.title JEFF.IN HEB 57-0915E)

“If you are a Christian you are going to do what is right. Your works will show that your heart is right. And it won’t be something that you put on, for you will do His will when no one but God sees you, and you will do His will even if it costs you your life. “ (222-3 THYATIREAN.CHURCH.AGE - CHURCH.AGE.BOOK.CPT.6)

“For by Christian, you are a sheep; and a sheep forfeits its rights. It lays still and lets you take away from it all the rights it has. But a goat will kick up a storm about it. That’s right. But a sheep forfeits its rights. And a Christian always forfeits their national rights if it’s contrary to your Christian rights.” (JEHOVAH.JIREH.PART.3.title GRASS.VALLEY.CA JJ 107-140 62-0707)

People say, "Are you a Christian?" "I'm a Baptist." That don't answer the question at all. "Am I a Christian? I'm Pentecost." That don't answer the question. If you are a Christian, you are a borned again creature. You are in a mystic Kingdom of God. Your eyes are not on things of this world, but on things above. And that's when you're in the church. That is the church. It is not an organization; it can never be an organization. Take me on record. The church of the living God can never be any certain group. It cannot be an organization. It has to be a mystical Body, the Holy Spirit.”. (FIVE.IDENTIFICATIONS.title JEFF.IN V-9 N-5 60-0911E)

“And I think any borned again Christian is kind of an oddball to—to the world, because you’ve been changed.
You’re from another world. Your spirit’s from across the chasm, and this thing here is such a messed up thing. You’re—you’re not different, there’s something wrong. You’re still too earthbound. You ought to be heavenly minded. Heaven lives by the Word.” (FOURTH.SEAL.THE.title JEFF.IN 63-0321)

“Jesus lived in a world that no one knowed about; He was a odd Person. He lived in a world of perfect faith in the perfect God, in which He was. If we lived in a perfect faith of a Christian, to what we are, we'd be a mystic to the world; the people wouldn't understand you. You'd walk in the Spirit. What the Spirit said, you would do. What It forbid, you'd not do. Then the people begin to say... They... And you'd be a--a mystic person to them. That's the way it is to all believers; they're a mystics. The people don't understand, because they live in a world to themselves. Jesus lived in a world that nobody else could touch. The disciples couldn't understand Him. When He spoke to them, they say this. And then they said, "Why, You--You talk in riddles. We--we don't understand this. How can this be?" See, they wasn't in the world that He lived in. See, they couldn't understand Him; nobody could understand Him. “ And so when a man lives by faith and walks by faith, I mean substance faith, he is isolated from the entire world and becomes a new creature in Christ. There, now you're getting into Bride material. You see, see? You're getting into rapturing condition now. That means for each one of us, not just the pastor, deacons, trustees; that means for the laity, every individual walks in a world with God alone. You're baptized into this Kingdom, and there's nobody in there but you and God. See? He gives the orders, and you pack them out. Whatever He says, there's not a shadow of doubt nowhere; you walk right on. If the Lord says this, there's nobody in the world can talk you out of it; you go right on just the same. Now, you're coming into perfect faith, perfect perfection that cannot fail. That faith never fails. Yes, He was a mystic to them with His perfect faith; and so is it now with those who have perfect faith are a mystic to others.” (PERFECT.FAITH.title JEFF.IN V-6 N-11 63-0825E)

I said, “The mystical Body of Jesus Christ. By one Spirit we’re baptized into this Body, borned of His Spirit, then we belong to a Kingdom. And our lives are not Americans; we’re not Germans; we’re not nothing; we’re Christians. We are settled and walk in the Spirit, a love slave from the things of the world. And our rights to the world we sold out and bought this Pearl of great Price, and walk and let the Holy Spirit manifest Itself. That’s what His real Church is. That’s what you are, or what I am, if we’ll let ourselves go and serve God by His Word and not by what some creed says.” (CHRIST.IS.THE.MYSTERY.title JEFF.IN V-3 N-7 63-0728)

“We are made partakers of His holiness. We, in His image, we are living images of a living God. Then dead to self, raised with Him (Now, listen, listen to this.), His Word made flesh again in us. (O Brother Neville...) Look. What is it? Not the mythical, imaginary god setting out there, but the living God... What is the living God? The Word in you making Itself real. Whew. Glory to God. Oh, I know you think I’m a holy-roller. Maybe I am. But, oh, brother, do you see it? Triumph over every denomination, triumph over all paganism, a living God made manifest in a living temple. And the Word of God, which is God, is made flesh in you. Why? You’re seated in heavenly places, triumphed over all things in Christ Jesus. Amen. Oh, I just love It. (CHRISTIANITY.VERSUS.IDOLATRY.title JEFF.IN V-8 N-2 61-1217)

“We are then perfect through Christ. And we are free from judgment through Christ. We shall never die through Christ. We have lost death and found Life through Christ; not through any church, not through any denomination, not through any fantastic, not through speaking with tongues, not through shouting, not through shaking, not through dancing in the Spirit, but by grace. God calls who He will. And it’s all by election; we find out. We find out that it’s not him that wants to be saved, not him that willeth or him that runneth, it’s God that showeth mercy. And no man can come to Jesus except God draws him first. So what you got to do with it anyhow? You haven’t got nothing to do with it. You’re out of the picture altogether. (HEBREWS.CHAPTER.6.title JEFF.IN HEB 57-0908E)

“Now, here He is among His church today, made flesh in His church, certainly, Elohim.
Now, oh, if you could only realize that you men, you were made to be an amateur god. You’re a son of God. You’re an heir of God, and you have a domain. Genesis 1:26, He give him dominion over everything in the earth. He made him a god over the earth. That’s right. He give him a domain. He’s a king, god. And where he got his fall. He could speak to the trees, “Be changed, be plucked up and set over here,” to the winds and waves, “Be still,” and it’d stopped. He was god, a amateur god, a son of God, like you’re a son of your father. And all the world is groaning, waiting for the manifestations of the sons of God, waiting for the church to get back in its place again, sons of God to be made manifest, waiting for that hour. Hope that don’t hurt, but I just had to say it. See? The church is so far away from its place. It needs to be back to be sons of God again: rulers, governors of the earth, under the spiritual reign it will be someday, when the chief One comes, Jesus Christ, the great millennium. Nature’s groaning for that day.” (FAITHFUL.ABRAHAM.title RICHMOND.VA 61-0312)

“Remember, we are not on a picnic, but we’re in a battlefield
. Many people just think that when they become a Christian that that’s all they need to do, that that settles it forever, as they are a Christian and everything’s going to come easy. Don’t never get that in your head. For I become a Christian to fight, fight the good fight of faith. I become a Christian to get in the battle line. We are Christian soldiers, and we got to be trained, and brought up, and know all the techniques of the enemy, to know how to fortify, to know how to—to fight the fight. And we can only do that as the Holy Spirit will reveal it to us. (DECEIVED.CHURCH.BY.THE.WORLD.title JEFF.IN CH 67 59-0628M)

“Our Armor is Jesus Christ. Yes, sir. All devils slide their brakes when they see that. When they see that full armor of God, the true baptism of the Holy Ghost (Amen.), that seen It coming straight from the throne of God, dressed in the full armor of His resurrection... Amen. Not that you’re strong, you’re nothing. But it’s What’s behind you. Why? You are dead. You joined the army. You’ve joined the police force. You’re going to keep law and control of these devils. That’s right. You’re on the police force; the whole thing’s behind you. See, you’re reckoned dead. You’re nothing. You couldn’t stop nothing. But your authority that’s been given you, because you are raised and setting in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, the Devil recognizes that. Everything slides its brakes when them hands goes up.” (CHRISTIANITY.VERSUS.IDOLATRY.title JEFF.IN V-8 N-2 61-1217)

“There is no halfway Christians. There’s no drunk-sober man, no black-white birds, no, no, no sinner-saints. No, you’re either a sinner or a saint. See? There’s just no in-between. You’re either born again or you’re not borned again. You’re either filled with the Holy Spirit or you’re not filled with the Holy Spirit. No matter how many sensations you had, if you ain’t filled with the Holy Spirit, you’re not filled with It. See? And if you had been filled with It, your life shows It. Goes right up to it. See? Nobody has to tell anybody about it; they see it (See?), ‘cause it’s a seal.” (SIXTH.SEAL.THE.title JEFF.IN 63-0323)

“God is a God of variety. Did you know that? Why does He make red flowers, blue flowers, pink flowers, all different kinds of flowers? Didn’t... Why didn’t He just make them all white or all red? Why’d He make big mountains, little mountains, palm trees, oak trees? Why did He do it? Because He likes variety. You know what I mean? He likes variety. Why did He make the mountains, then the plains, the real dry desert, then the wet sea? He’s a God of variety. But He wants it all to harmonize. That’s why He made me with ears, nose, mouth, you the same way. It all harmonizes for one body. That’s the way we can do, harmonize. Our different opinions, we still harmonize because we are... The taste has nothing to do with it. We are God’s people, all marching together with one great purpose: to win souls for Christ. He’s got big mountains, little mountains, white flowers, pink flowers, yellow flowers. He’s a God of variety. He has little men, big men. He has a black head, redhead, blonds, and all different kinds. He has deserts. He has—He has lakes. He has seas. See? He’s a God of variety. And that’s the same way it is here today. We’re all God’s servants. And after all, brethren, is it all... A rainbow represents a covenant. That’s right. We’re in God’s covenant. That’s right. Together as brothers we stand.” (BEHOLD.A.GREATER.THAN.ALL.IS.HERE.title SPOKANE.WA 62-0715)

“How wishy-washy, that’s what. Too many Christians today are so soft-soaped and everything until they think all they do is join a church,
go in somewhere, put their name on a book, or do a little something, jump up-and-down, shout or—or something like that and call it Christianity. Christianity’s a everyday, rugged life living for God in the—this present world. It’s a constant burning of the fire and love of God in the heart that sets you afire and puts you out yonder with the people and making converts to Christ.” (MAN.RUNNING.FROM.PRESENCE.title JEFF.IN V-5 N-8 65-0217)

“You won’t have to tell anybody you’re a Christian, if you are one; they just see it and know it as you talk. You’re sealed inside and out.” (CHURCH AND ITS.CONDITION.title JEFF.IN CH 1-34 56-0805)

“If you’ve got the Token, you create a spirit around you of power, that when you walk, people know that you’re a Christian. They love for you to say something to them. They believe your word; what you say, they hold on to it. See? That is it.” (TOKEN.THE.title JEFF.IN. V-2 N-19 63-0901M)

“And redemption has two different parts: “come out of” and “entering into.”
First, you have to come out. Some people wants to bring the world in with them; but you got to come out of the world to enter into Christ. You have to come out of unbelief to enter into faith. There cannot be one thing in your way. To really have genuine faith, you must absolutely leave everything that’s contrary to the Word of God behind to enter into faith.” (GOD.WHO.IS.RICH.IN.MERCY.title PHOENIX.AZ V-19 N-2 65-0119)

“No matter how much teaching you got, you can drum that into you. God’s not in big words; God’s in a honest heart. You might sing or speak big words, like I don’t know what; that doesn’t bring you closer to God. You can stand and practice how to repeat your sermon and say these things; that don’t get you closer to God. You could learn dictionaries till you sleep with one, and it still wouldn’t get you closer to God. A humble, submitted heart, in the simplicity, is what brings you to God. That’s true. Amen. A humble heart, God loves. Now, no matter if you don’t know your abc’s, that don’t make any difference. Just a humble heart, God dwells in a humble heart, not in education, it’s not in schools, not in theology, seminaries, not in all these other different places, not in big words, or not in classical places. God dwells in human hearts. And the lower you can break yourself down, the more simple, you can become greater in the sight of God. Let me give you something. I see your fields are full of wheat out here. A full head of wheat always bows. A little old sprig sticks up there, and flopping around like it knows everything, it ain’t got it in the head. That’s the way with a lot of these guys that think they got a whole lot in their head, and nothing in their heart. A holy head will bow to the power, recognize Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and believe His works. (DEMONOLOGY.2.RELIGIOUS.title CON.IN DE 41-78 53-0609)

“I think, character, as measured by man, not by the muscles on his arm or by the callouses in his hands, but the bag in the knees of his trousers where he’s prayed. I think that’s what makes men.” (POWER.OF.TRANSFORMATION.title PRESCOTT.AZ V-17 N-1 65-1031M)

“ Oh, now we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us and give His life for us, being the royal Seed of Abraham with the same Spirit of God in us that was in Him. We are more than conquerors. Every gate has been conquered for us. The only thing we have to do is possess it. It’s already conquered. Sickness is conquered; death is conquered; hell is conquered; the grave is conquered; everything is conquered, and we holds the keys by His grace. Are you afraid to stick them in the lock and say, “I come in the Name of Jesus Christ? Ask the Father anything in My Name. I love Him.” (PATRIARCH.ABRAHAM.THE.title BAKF.CA V-22 N-7 64-0207)

“A messenger, you are a messenger this morning. You’re—you are a messenger of good news or a messenger of bad news.
Oh, isn’t it beautiful to know that we are the ambassadors, that we are angels, the messengers of the resurrection. And we are God’s messengers to the sinful world, that Christ lives; in our hearts He lives; in our spirits He lives. And He brings us from the low debauched life of sin and exalts us up, and gives us a “Hallelujah” in our soul, and makes us new creatures. We are messengers, angels of the covenant. How wonderful.“ (HEBREWS.CHAPTER.2.PART.1.title JEFF.IN HEB 57-0825M)

“And then if God has sent us to be His ambassadors, all the power that’s in heaven, all that God is, all of His Angels and all of His power stands behind our word if we are correctly an ordained, sent messengers to the people. God has to honor the Word, for He has so solemnly written, that “Whatever you bind on earth, that will I bind in heaven. Whatever you loose on earth, that will I loose in heaven. And I give unto thee the keys to the Kingdom.” Oh, such great promises He’s given the church. (EPHESIANS.PARALLELS.JOSHUA.title JEFF.IN AD.1 60-0515E)

“How will people know Jesus Christ? When they—he sees Him in you, when they see Jesus in you. For He said, “The works that I do shall you do also. Greater than this shall you do, because I go to My Father.” Is that right? That’s how they, world knows. Not because that the Pentecostal Oneness is greater than the Pentecostal Twoness, or the Twoness is greater than the Threeness, or whatever you have; not because the Methodists is greater than the Baptists; or the Southern Baptist taking the prize this year for all the—all the Baptist churches, all the Protestants. They got more members this year than any of the rest of them, I understand, by the count. That doesn’t make them any different. God doesn’t know you by numbers. The heathen’s got you outnumbered any time. The Catholics got you all. Mohammedanism got all them. See? You are known when Jesus Christ lives in you by His Life and promised Word of this day reflects itself. See? When men see you living like Him, when he sees your character, your conduct with the Word just exactly like He was, the Word being manifested, then men will see Jesus Christ. If Jesus would come today, would He take sides with the Methodists, with the Baptists, with the Adventists, Jehovah Witness, Christian Science, Pentecostals, Presbyterians? No, sir. He certainly would not. It’s an individual affair: you and God. There’s no two men see eye to eye, together alike: no two thumbs alike. God deals with a individual. Now, how you know whether he’s right or not? Then look back and see if he’s with the Word. If he’s with the Word, then God’s dealing with him; if he isn’t, something else is dealing with him. (SHALOM.title PHOENIX.AZ V-22 N-1 64-0119)

“When you’re borned again of the Spirit of God, you actually love everybody. Now, you don’t love their ways and things like that, don’t want to partake of it. No, sir. Stay away from the things of the world, but you just keep yourself spotless. (YOU.MUST.BE.BORN.AGAIN.title JEFF.IN V-11 N-5 61-1231M)

“Now, when a man’s been redeemed, he don’t care anymore for scholarship. He don’t care for anymore of the things of the world, the wisdom of the world. He don’t want no choice at all. Christ has been his choice, and that’s all of it; he’s redeemed. He just no more wants to lead himself. He don’t want nobody to talk him into where to go and what to do. He just waits and finds out the choice of his Maker. See? Then he goes in the Name of his Maker, when the Maker tells him to go. (BREACH.THE.title JEFF.IN 63-0317E)

“And if there’s still desire in your heart to sin, you have never been baptized into that body, because you are dead and your life is hid in Christ through God and sealed by the Holy Ghost. Christians don’t sin. They make mistakes, but they don’t sin. Amen. That’s the reason they don’t, for he cannot sin.” (QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS.title JEFF.IN COD 59-0628E)

“A man that’s born of God, does not commit sin. He can’t sin. For if you’re borned again, the very Holy Spirit that lived in that Body, lives in you, and It can’t sin. The sacrifice is laying before Him. Then if you willfully do it, shows that it’s impossible for you to be into that Body. Amen. That’s the Gospel. There it is. (HEBREWS CHAPTER 7 -PT.2.CHURCH.ORDER.title JEFF.IN HEB 57-0922)

“I might be a sinner in your sight, but if I’m in Christ, God don’t see it, because his sin’s atoned, His Blood atoned for my sins there. See? I can’t sin. “He that’s born of God does not commit sin, for he cannot sin. The seed of God remains in him.” See? He—he’s willing to, if he makes a mistake, sure he’s right then willing to confess it. If he’s a real Christian, he will do it. If he holds it back, he shows he ain’t got nothing in the first place. That’s right. He hasn’t got nothing to begin with. (DEMONOLOGY.1.PHYSICAL.title CON.IN DE 21-40 53-0608A)

I JOHN 3:9 -Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”


THE “SIN” QUESTION

Hear what the prophet of God preached about “sin”:

”What is sin? Sin is unbelief. Drinking, smoking, gambling, committing adultery, that isn’t sin; that’s the attributes of sin. You do that because you’re not a believer.” (HAVE.FAITH.IN.GOD_  NEW.YORK.NY  54-0900)

"Sin is not a creation." There's nothing created but perfection. God created all things good. Sin is not a creation. Said, "Well, that's the very creation of sin." You've heard that. But that's an error, Sin... There's only one Creator; that's God. God could not create sin, because He's holy and there's nothing in Him to make it. Sin is perversion, not creation, but it's perversion. An adultery is the righteous act perverted. A lie is the truth told wrong. Any sin, any sin is righteousness perverted.” (POSITION.IN.CHRIST.title JEFF.IN AD.3 60-0522M)

“Sin is unbelief. Now, that’s what sin is. There’s no other sin but unbelief. It’s not a sin to do things like drinking and—and smoking and gambling and—and prostitution. That’s not sin. That’s—that’s the result of sin, that the reason you do that is because you are a unbeliever. See? That’s the attributes of sin.” (THE.INSIDE.MAN_  CHICAGO.IL  SATURDAY_  53-1212)

“There never was such a thing as a creation of sin. That didn't go down good, did it? Sin is not a creation. No, sir. Sin is a perversion. There's only one Creator; that's God. Sin is righteousness perverted. What's an adultery? Righteousness perverted. What's a lie? The truth misrepresented. Certainly. What's a curse word? It's God's blessings turned to a curse word, to God, instead of a blessing. Sin is not a creation. Sin is a perversion. So Satan could not create sin; he only perverted what God had created. That's exactly right. Death is only a perversion of life.” (MANIFESTED SONS OF.GOD.title JEFF.IN AD.2 60-0518)

“Like I said the other night about the hog, about the sinner. You can’t blame... A sinner’s a sinner; don’t try to reform him. Don’t try to tell him this, that, or the other. He’s a sinner to begin with. He’s a pig to begin with. He don’t know no different. If he goes to the movies, and he goes on Sunday, and he goes to ball games, and he does all these things; he’s a sinner to begin with. His nature’s like a hog. The old hog stick his nose down in the manure pile and eat all the grains out of it and everything. Well, that’s—he is a hog. You can’t blame him; he’s a hog. That’s the way with sinners. But when you go and call yourself a Christian and stick your nose in with him, then you’re no better than he is; but you’re worse, “Come out from among them.” Let go of the world. Let go. Let God.” (ENTICING.SPIRITS_  JEFF.IN  DE 79-112  SUNDAY_  55-0724)

“Remember, I said, “God does not condemn a sinner for sinning.” He’s a sinner to begin with
. He condemns a Christian for sinning. And then because He has condemned him, Christ took our condemnation. So there’s no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, that walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. And if you do anything wrong, it isn’t willfully. You don’t sin willfully. A man that sins willfully, goes out and willfully sins, never come into that Body yet. But a man that’s once in there, he’s dead, and his life is hid in God through Christ, sealed by the Holy Ghost, and the devil can’t even find him; he’s so far back in there. He would have to come out of there before the devil can ever get in, for you are dead. “ (ADOPTION.4_  JEFF.IN  AD.PT.4  SUNDAY_  60-0522E)

“And I said that I don’t condemn the drunkard for going out and getting drunk. He’s all moody; he don’t know. He gets up the morning; he’s got the blues, a hangover; goes out and gets him two or three bottles of beer; goes out and gets him some whiskey, and all of that kind of stuff. Little old cigarette sucker sets back and smoke and blow it through his nose like he was a freight train. That’s all...?... I don’t blame him; that’s all the joy he knows; that’s all he knows about. He’s a pig by nature.” (ENTICING.SPIRITS_  JEFF.IN  DE 79-112  SUNDAY_  55-0724)

“A sinner doesn’t sin, because he’s a sinner. He’s just a sinner to begin with and that’s all. Here, take the—the back of this book; it’s black, how much of that is black? It’s all black. There’s just no white to it; it’s black. You say, “This much here.” No, it ain’t; it’s the whole thing’s black. It’s all black. That’s the way a sinner is. He’s just condemned to start with. Well, you say, “What about if he commits adultery? What if he ravishes some woman? What if he—what if he—he gambles? What if he shoots somebody?” That’s none of our business. That’s none of our business; we got laws down here to take care of that. We’re not reformers; we’re preachers of the Gospel. We don’t condemn him for what he done; we don’t condemn him for committing adultery. We condemn him because he’s a sinner. If he was a Christian, he wouldn’t do it. That’s right. If he’s been changed, he won’t do that. But because he is a sinner, that’s what makes him do that.” (POSITION.IN.CHRIST.title JEFF.IN AD.3 60-0522M)

“Those Jewish rabbis, oh, they thought... They were starch, and they was D.D.’s and Ph.D.’s. They thought they had it all sewed up in a bag, but they was the worst of sinners. Oh, they might... You couldn’t put a hand on—on their life; they were clean, moral, and just, that way. But they were disbelievers. And you take the word “sin” and find out what it means. The word “sin” means “unbelief.” There’s only two factions; that is, a believer or an unbeliever. That’s a justified person or a sinner. That’s all. If you’re an unbeliever, you’re a sinner. No matter how good you are, how much you go to church, or even if you’re a preacher, you’re still an unbeliever. Those Pharisees were preachers, and they were unbelievers, and in hell today for it. Just as religious as they could be, and pious, but they didn’t believe Him. And they called Him a devil, and disputed His Word.” (HEBREWS.CHAPTER.7.PT.2.CHURCH.ORDER.title JEFF.IN HEB 57-0922)

“And the greatest devil, and the chief of all devils is unbelief. That’s the only sin there is. There’s no other sin but unbelief. All these little morals and things: smoking, drinking, gambling, and committing adultery; that’s just attributes. You do that because you don’t believe. Unbeliever is what makes you do that. If you was a believer, you wouldn’t do it. That’s right.”  (DEMONOLOGY_  OWENSBORO.KY  THURSDAY_  53-1112)

“The church comes in and adopts other things. They have to have a little party where they all lay on the beach to have recreation: a card party to get-together for fellowship. That’s right, have a dance sometime at one of the member’s house, sometimes in the church basement. A dance, adopting, trying to get something to satisfy, what’s the matter? They’re a bunch of pigs anyhow. They’re pigs to begin with. If it ever come in contact with Christ, they’d have so much joy those things would be deader than midnight to them. Gospel, drunk on the Spirit, joy unspeakable and full of glory... Don’t condemn the sinner. Have mercy on him. Let him go ahead and smoke his pipe. Let him drink his liquor. Let him have his card parties; that’s his pleasure. Don’t blame him. Coming home and everything, tired and wore out, he wants some pleasure. The thing for you to do is live such a godly life that you can prove to him that the Gospel holds ten thousand times more than that for him. And if he dies in that state he’ll go to hell on his liquor. That’s the devils intoxication. If he dies dragging on that old pipe, God’s his Judge. If he dies going out here dancing and running around with immoral clothes on, God’s their Judge. But there’s one thing, if you die under the anointing power of the Holy Ghost like Stephen did when he looked up in the face of God, said, “I see heavens opened and Jesus standing at the right hand.” You are heaven-bound like a martin to its box. Amen. (ENTICING.SPIRITS.title JEFF.IN DE 79-112 55-0724)

Shame on you, who profess to be a Christian and rely on such things for joy when the Holy Ghost Gospel is nothing but one great big powerhouse of joy. The Holy Ghost Gospel is a perfect intoxication for every man that’s got the blues. You’ll take a drink of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, be filled with the Holy Ghost you’re drunk until you leave this world. Amen. Joy unspeakable and full of glory... There’s a constant stimulation. It’s a constant intoxication: drunk day and night. Amen. That’s the Word of God. ((ENTICING.SPIRITS.title JEFF.IN DE 79-112 55-0724)

“There is no halfway Christians. There’s no drunk-sober man, no black-white birds, no, no, no sinner-saints. No, you’re either a sinner or a saint. See? There’s just no in-between. You’re either born again or you’re not borned again. You’re either filled with the Holy Spirit or you’re not filled with the Holy Spirit. No matter how many sensations you had, if you ain’t filled with the Holy Spirit, you’re not filled with It. See? And if you had been filled with It, your life shows It. Goes right up to it. See? Nobody has to tell anybody about it; they see it (See?), ‘cause it’s a seal. (THE.SIXTH.SEAL_  JEFF.IN  SATURDAY_  63-0323)

“Then they that are borned of God does not commit sin, for he cannot sin. In the Old Testament each year there was a remembered of sin. But Christ, by one sacrifice He has perfected forever the worshipper. “The—the worshipper once purged (Hebrews 10)—the worshipper once purged has no more conscience of sin.” So you take these people that run in the church and jump up-and-down, and shout, and speak with tongues, and act just exactly like a Christian, and run out, and the next year they got to come back again, next week. They’ve never come anywhere to begin with. They’re only impersonating, for the Bible said that the Holy Spirit seals us into Christ until the day of our redemption. Hallelujah. That’s what makes me rest assured, ‘cause God promised it. No more sin, the sin question’s settled. That’s the reason sin looks so dirty to a Christian. That’s why women out here with these shorts on look so dirty to a Christian. That’s why vulgarity; that’s a lot of dirty things; that’s why smoking, drinking, gambling, all these uncensored programs on television, all that stuff seems filth. Why? You’re of a different Kingdom. You’re borned into the Kingdom of God and sealed by the Holy Ghost until the day of your redemption. He that’s borned of God commits no sin, for he can’t sin. The seed of God is in him, and he cannot sin. As long as that Holy Ghost is in there, He takes every desire of sin away from you. Amen. You can’t sin; there’s no more desire.” (‘QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS’ JEFF,IN CONDUCT ORDER AND DOCTRINE JUN 28th,1959)

DO CHRISTIANS BACKSLIDE?

Hear what the prophet said about “BACKSLIDING”:

“But on backsliding, remember, you backslide every day. There’s no way at all for you to keep out of it. All right. But you backslide to the people in the church, but not before God... See? You backslide on Christ, but you don’t on God. ‘Cause, if you—when you sin, you’re gone. But you’re constantly falling. Paul had to die every day. Is that right? He had to die every day, repent every day, and just constantly repenting all the time. See? And if Paul had to do that, then I’m going to have to too. Aren’t you?” (QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS.title JEFF.IN COD 54-0103M)

“Backsliding’s not lost; I want somebody to tell me where backsliding’s lost, and prove it to the Bible. Backslider’s not lost; he’s just out of fellowship.
Israel backslid but they never lost their covenant; they lost their—their praises and joy. David lost the joy of his salvation when he took Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife, but he never lost his salvation. He never said “restore to me my salvation”; he said, “Restore to me the joy of my salvation.” (QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS.title JEFF.IN COD 62-0527)

“You’ll make mistakes; you’ll fall; you’ll willfully do wrong. You’ll go out sometime and do things; that don’t mean that you’re lost; that means that you’re going to get correction.
My little boy, lots of times... My children will do things, your does too, that you—they know that’s against your—your rules. And they know what to expect when they do it: they’re going to get a whipping for it, sometimes a good one. But it’s still your child, certainly. It’s impossible for that man to ever be gone again, that’s once been born of Eternal Life. God’s not a Indian giver. “He that heareth My Words, and believeth on Him that sent Me, has Everlasting Life and shall never come to the judgment, but’s passed from death unto Life. And I’ll raise him up at the last days.” That’s God’s promise.” (HEBREWS.CHAPTER.6.AND.7..title JEFF.IN HEB 57-0915M)

“And every man that’s borned of God, you might backslide or fall out, but if you’re borned of God, you’re coming back to the ark sure as anything in the world.” (EARNESTLY CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH.title CONNERSVILLE.IN 53-0614A)

“And if your heart begins to stray around, you know there’s something that’s happened; go back to the altar and say, “Christ, renew my—the joy of my salvation. Give unto me that love that I once had; it’s leaking out, Lord. There’s something I’ve done; make me holy again.” Stand, “O Lord, nothing I could do; I can’t quit this and quit that. I’m looking to You to take it out of me, Lord, and I love You.” And walk away from that altar a new person in Christ Jesus. Then you won’t have to depend on your church, depend on your priest, depend on your pastor. You’re depending on the shed Blood of the Lord Jesus, “By grace are you saved.” (HEBREWS.CHAPTER.7.PT.1.title JEFF.IN HEB 57-0915E)

“ And you love the Lord with all your heart; you don’t have to worry about these things. If you make a mistake, you don’t sin willfully, you just done something wrong. See, you’ve slipped back.” (QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS.title JEFF.IN COD 62-0527)

“Now, let me get this. See, temporarily, minor, every one of us backslide many times a day. We know that. We’re all guilty, every one of us; there’s none of us perfected. And as long as we’re in this body, we are still... No matter how much the people try to tell, “I’ve got sanctified; I can kiss this woman or do that,” he’s lying; he cannot. Now, that’s all. I don’t try to say, “Lord, let me see how close I can go.” It’s, “Lord, keep me as far away as I can get.” See? Just stay as far away as... Remember, you are still human beings. See? And... But now, if you make a mistake and do something wrong... You don’t willfully... If you are a Christian, if you’re a borned again Christian, you don’t mean to do wrong. Your intentions and everything is right. But if you do, as she said here, make a mistake and do something wrong, will God let you just go on and go on and die like that and be lost, or will He bring you back to reconciliation? He will bring you back. That’s right. He will bring you back. And if a—and then, if you do anything wrong, it don’t condemn you and you go on like that, on out, remember, you wasn’t saved at the beginning. That’s right. You—you wasn’t—you wasn’t saved; you just had a make-belief; you wasn’t saved. But when you’re saved, you have a different spirit; you’re a different nature. You’re a new creature in Christ, and the old things has passed away, and they are dead and buried in the sea of forgetfulness. You see? And... But being you’re living here in this world here, there’s traps set for you everywhere, and you’re walking with your eyes on Christ. And remember, that when you make a mistake, a real Christian will always come back quickly for reconciliation. (QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS.title JEFF.IN COD 61-1015M)

“And you’re bound to be backsliding constantly, so it takes a constant prayer to God. Paul said, “I die daily.” And if Paul had to die daily, how much more am I going—I’m going to have to stay there dead all the time, if—if Paul had to die daily to stay right with God. And so, we’ll all have to do that, just die out to ourself. And that’s getting God’s way. Now, there’s only two ways of anything: That’s the right way and the wrong way. And them ways are your ways and God’s way. And you can’t be in your way and God’s way at the same time. You’ve got to forget your own way to get in God’s way. And you got to get out of your own way to get in God’s way. For as long as you’re in your own way, you’re out of His way. So forsake your way, forsake your thoughts, forsake everything, and just rely one thing, on THUS SAITH THE LORD. That’s all. Then you know you’re right.” (GOD’S.PROVIDED.WAY.title W.PALM.BEACH.FL 53-1201)

“Every man or woman that’s born of the Spirit of God, sure, you can backslide. But, brother, if you’re a child of God, you can’t stand the things of the world no more, ‘cause your digesting things has been changed.” (DIVINE.HEALING.title JEFF.IN V-26 N-10 54-1219M)

‘”Now, you say, “Well, can’t we backslide?” Absolutely. And when you backslide, you’re going to get it; don’t you worry. Abraham got it, and the rest of them got it, and you’ll get it. Don’t you think it gives you a right to sin; it doesn’t. You’ll pay for everything that you do. You’ll reap what you sow. You do one little sin, and you’ll reap a whole washtub full. That’s right. But, brother, that don’t mean to say that you’re lost. That’s exactly right. Abraham reaped exactly what he sowed. That’s right. But he was still saved.” (HEBREWS.CHAPTER.6.title JEFF.IN HEB 57-0908E)

“You might backslide, but you can’t be lost. And if you stay in that state, it showed that you didn’t have It in the beginning. But if you are a child of God, “The worshipper once purged has no more conscience of sin,” says Hebrews. That’s true. So you can’t—you can’t be a Christian, you can’t have the Holy Ghost and run out and live in the world. “If you love the world and the things of the world, the love of God’s not in you.” So you’re just listening to a false sound somewhere; the Devil got you all puffed up. But if you examine your life by the Word of God, it shows you’re living right down that Bible pages, then you got eternal security. And there’s nothing to be fearing about. What God promised, God will do it. I challenge any person to take that. You just take that and walk with that Word, and watch what happens to you. Brother, It’ll bring to pass everything. God said so. Everything that God promised, it’ll happen.” (REV.CHAP.5.PART.2.title JEFF.IN ROJC 747-793 61-0618)

“And it's Christ that God looks at, not you. It's Christ. So if there's no fault in Him, how can there be fault? How can He find fault when you're dead and your life is hid in Christ through God, sealed by the Holy Ghost? "They that are born of God does not commit sin, for he cannot sin." How can he sin when a perfect Sacrifice is laying in his place? God never looks at me; He looks at Christ; because we're in Christ. Now, if I love Christ, I'll live with Him. He'd never brought me in 'less He knowed. If God saved me today, knowing He was going to lose me six weeks from today, He's defeating His own purpose. Right. He don't even know the future then, if He saved me knowing... What's He want to save me for, knowing He's going to lose me? God doesn't do things and then take it back and too weak to keep His promise. When He saved you, it's for time and eternity.” (HEBREWS.CHAPTER.7.PT.1.title JEFF.IN HEB 57-0915E)

“The Bible said, "He that's borned of God does not commit sin, for he cannot sin, for the seed of God remains in him, and he cannot sin." How can I be called a sinner when there's a Sacrifice laying there to take my place?
How can I die, when death has been paid for me? How can I die when I got Eternal Life? And how can I then, as after Christ has died for me and I become His righteousness, because of His grace and love to me, how can I sin when there's something laying between me and God, a Sacrifice? I can't sin, can't do it. God never sees me; He sees Christ. He stands in my place; and when I do anything wrong, Christ takes my place. I made my confession, "I'm wrong; He's right. Lord, You know my heart. You know whether I mean it or not. And I'm wrong, forgive me." God never sees it; the Blood of Jesus got me covered all the time. Then how can God ever see me? And how can sin be--be counted to me, when He can't do it? Just as soon as I do it, it's forgiven. And that's right.” (HEBREWS.CHAPTER.6.title JEFF.IN HEB 57-0908E)

Remember, I said, "God does not condemn a sinner for sinning." He's a sinner to begin with. He condemns a Christian for sinning. And then because He has condemned him, Christ took our condemnation. So there's no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, that walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. And if you do anything wrong, it isn't willfully. You don't sin willfully. A man that sins willfully, goes out and willfully sins, never come into that Body yet. But a man that's once in there, he's dead, and his life is hid in God through Christ, sealed by the Holy Ghost, and the devil can't even find him; he's so far back in there. He would have to come out of there before the devil can ever get in, for you are dead.” (ADOPTION OR PLACING.title JEFF.IN AD.PT.4 60-0522E)

“There's no need of trying. You're lost to begin with, as long as you look to what you've done. But don't look to what you've done, look what that day on Calvary did to you. It paid your price. It settled the question. Your sins be as scarlet, they're as white as snow: red like crimson, white like wool. Then you have no sin. You are perfectly sinless. No matter what you done or what you do, you're still sinless. As long as you've accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, your sins are forgiven. Anything that's forgiven is remitted and forgot about.“ (THAT.DAY.ON.CALVARY.title JEFF.IN V-2 N-5 60-0925)

“If the Church has been judged, and they have judged themselves, and have accepted the Blood, how can God judge a man that's perfectly, totally sinless? You say, "There's no such a person." Every borned again believer, true believer, is perfectly, absolutely sinless before God. He's not trusting in his works. In the Blood of Jesus that his confession's dropped into...The Bible says so. See? "He that--that is borned of God does not commit sin, for he cannot sin." How can you make a man a sinner when the bleach of the Blood of Jesus Christ is between him and God, that would scatter sin till there'd be nothing left of it. See? How can that pure Blood of Christ ever let a sin pass there? He cannot. Jesus said, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." And how could we even start the thought of being perfect, but Jesus required it. And if Jesus required it, He's got to make a way for it; and He has: His own Blood.” (FIRST.SEAL.THE.title JEFF.IN 63-0318)

“And notice, not only is the Bride washed, forgiven, but she's justified. See? Did you ever try the word "justify" to see what it means? Now, for instance, if Brother Green heard that I'd been drinking, I'd been doing bad things, then he found out that I didn't do it, then he'd come, say, "I forgive you, Brother Branham." "You forgive me? I never done it. What are you forgiving me about?" See? But if I'm guilty, then I can be forgiven, but I'm still not just, because I did it. But the word "justified" is "though you never done it at all": justified. And then the Blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us so from sins, till it's put in the book of God's forgetfulness. He's the only One can do it. We can't. We can forgive, but not forget. I could forgive you, but I'll always remember you done these evil things. Then you're not just; you're forgiven. But in the sight of God the Bride is justified. She never done it in the first place. Amen. Standing there married to the virtuous Son of God, never sinned in the first place. Why? She was foreordained; she was trapped into this. And now when she heard the Truth and come forth, the Blood cleansed her. And She stands there virtuous. See? She's... No sin on Her at all.” (RAPTURE.THE.title YUMA.AZ V-5 N-14 65-1204)

“You are the pure, virtuous, sinless Bride of the Son of the living God. Every man and woman that's born of the Spirit of God, and washed in the Blood of Jesus Christ, and believes every Word of God, stands as though you never sinned at the first place. You're perfect. (INVISIBLE.UNION.OF.THE.BRIDE.title SHP.LA V-2 N-15 65-1125)

“What if you were--had committed a crime and you were going to be tried in a federal court, and you knowed that if they found you guilty, that you were going to die, you were going to the electric chair, or the gas chamber, or whatever public execution they were going to have for you: maybe hung or something, lynched, whatever the penalty was, and you knowed that you had--you were guilty... You know you were guilty, and you must die if you don't get some attorney to represent you that--who can get you out of the thing. And now, you'd want the best attorney that you could have. And then, getting an attorney that was a good, shrewd attorney, you'd feel that your case was a little; you could relax a little bit, because you had an attorney. But still there would be a question whether this attorney could change the judge's idea or change the jury. If this attorney with his shrewd speaking, and the knowing of the laws could change that, and could plead your case, and prove that you should live...But yet in all of his great authority and the great speech that he could make, and the impression he could put upon the jury or have with the judge, you'd--maybe you might get a relax for a few minutes; but still there'd be a question in your mind: "Can he do it?" But in this case, the Judge Himself has becomes our Attorney. God became Man. There was no attorney could do it. We couldn't find one. Moses and the law, the prophets, nothing could do it. So the Judge become both Jury, Attorney, and Judge Himself and took the justice of His Law in His Own hands and paid the price of it Himself, how much more secure could we be? and sent His own Life back upon us as a Witness that He's accepted It. How safely. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I'll fear no evil: for thou art with me..." When He becomes both Judge, Jury, and--and--and Attorney, He pleaded our case. We, found guilty by His Own law, and He come and took the guilty person's place that was in the sanctuary. He took his sin. He took it upon Himself, and died, and paid the price, and shed His Blood, and give back His Own Token: His Own Life. Why, we are perfectly... The case is dismissed. There's no more sin to the believer. Oh, God, have mercy. If the people can't see that--that there's no more case. "He that heareth My words, and believeth on Him that sent Me, has Eternal Life, and shall not come to the judgment, but's passed from death unto Life." There's the case. Case dismissed; no more case to it. Amen. Then safely--safely with the Token applied.” (TOKEN.THE.title JEFF.IN. V-2 N-19 63-0901M)

“To think, that perfect love casts out all fear. You’re not scared about nothing; you’re just resting.
You’re not, “Oh, I may backslide tomorrow. I may backslide next week.” I won’t worry about that. I’m not trying to hold on. I—I... He held on for me. And He put a love in my heart that holds there. It’s Him holding me, not me holding Him. If it was me holding Him, I’d probably turn loose. But as long as He’s holding me, He will never turn loose. He promised He wouldn’t. “I’ll never leave thee nor forsake thee.” Amen. Oh. “He that heareth My words, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath Everlasting Life, and shall not come into condemnation, but’s passed from death unto Life.” I will rest my solemn soul upon that Word of God and stand and say, “As long as I know there’s something in me, making me love the Lord Jesus so well I don’t want to do wrong.” I’m anchored. Amen.” (LOVE.title SHREVEPORT.LA 56-0726)

ON DISCORD & BROTHERLY KINDNESS

“And when one member would talk against the other member; you know that’s wrong. You’re commanded to pray for one another, not to talk against one another, but to love one another.
And if someone is down, let’s pick him up, help him. Now, that makes us a—a—a unified group of believers. Now, when we don’t obey that, then we don’t obey God and we displease God. And therefore, our church, our people cannot prosper, the church cannot go on, is because we’re disunified together. As Jesus said, “A little leaven leavens the lump.” (TOTAL.DELIVERANCE.title JEFF.IN V-11 N-1 59-0712)

“Amongst a lot of people we find, where emotions and so forth, there becomes tattlings, and backbitings, and all kind of ungodly things. Brother, that’s sulfuric acid in the church; it’s demon power. Spirit of men and women who get among one another and try to push off and say, “This one’s not right, and this one’s not right, and that’s not right.” If you’ll chase it down, nine times out of ten, it’s the very person making the stir that’s not right. Amen. God hates discord among brethren. Be reverent. Be holy. Love God. Stand by Him. And as long as you know your life is divvying up with the Bible with purity of heart, purity of thought, love towards your brother, trying your best to upbuild the Kingdom of God and doing those things, dressing right, living right, talking right, going to right places; then you can have all the emotions you want to, and everybody will believe it.” (ENTICING.SPIRITS.title JEFF.IN DE 79-112 55-0724)

“Now, don’t you listen to one foul thing the devil’s got to say. See? If the devil shows you some, or tells you something evil about one of the members of the body of Christ, don’t you believe it. For as soon as you believe it, you mar your experience. And if you see one of the members of the Body of Christ doing something evil, don’t tell nobody else; but go to that member, and with love, and see if you can’t bring them back to Christ again. And if you can’t do it, then tell one person, or let them go with you. Do it the way the Scripture said. See? But don’t... If somebody said, “Sister So-and-so, or Brother So-and-so,” don’t you believe one word of it. You just leave it go. Because, remember, it’s the devil trying to tear you to pieces. Now, just look for him to come in, ‘cause he’ll do it.” (SUPER.SENSE.title JEFF.IN V-20 N-7 59-1227E)

“Any church member that’ll side in with such stuff as that and call themselves a Christian, and go out here and live... And the women bobbing their hair and wearing clothes that the Bible says for them not to; men carrying on the way they’re doing now with form of godliness, taking drinks, and smoking cigars, and married several times, and becoming deacons in the church, and even pastors and so forth; and the people that put up with such as that, that sort of life is not worthy of the Gospel. A woman that’ll walk, and get on the telephone and tattle and start fusses in the church and things like that, that isn’t a life worthy of the Gospel that we’re trying to represent. Any person that’ll break up a church and start a feud between the people and things like that, is not worthy of the Gospel that we preach. That’s exactly. It’s a form of godliness, denying the power thereof, the power of God that keeps you from such.” (IS.YOUR.LIFE.WORTHY.title JEFF.IN V-5 N-5 63-0630E)

“The hottest boiling thing there is to boil sin out of your life is love. And if you can’t love one another, how you going to love God who you haven’t seen? Love hides a multitude of sin. Get in love with God. Then you’ll love one another. Then you’ll love the church. You’ll love the cause. You’ll love everything that’s godly and you’ll keep away from the things of the world. (ENTICING.SPIRITS.title JEFF.IN DE 79-112 55-0724)

“THUS SAITH THE LORD, it’ll take perfect love to put you in that place, for that’s all there was there. No matter how many, how much religious demonstrations, how many good deeds you done, or whatever you done, that won’t count nothing on that day. It’ll take perfect love. So whatever you do, you lay aside everything else, until you are just so filled with the love of God, till you can love those who hate you. I’m just, as I said this morning, I was made... My whole makeup is grace. A lot of people say, “Now, you scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours. Yeah, you do something for me, and I’ll do something for you.” That’s not grace. Grace is, if your back is itching, I’ll scratch it anyhow, whether you scratch mine or not; you slap me on the face, and say, “my back needs itching, needs scratching,” I’ll scratch it. See? That’s it; do something. I don’t believe in works; I believe that works is love. Works is—works is the manifestation that grace has taken place. I don’t live true to my wife because I believe she’d divorce me if I didn’t; I live true to her because I love her. I don’t preach the Gospel, ‘cause I think I’d go to hell if I didn’t; I preach the Gospel because I love Him. Certainly.” (ADOPTION.OR.PLACING.title JEFF.IN AD.PT.4 60-0522E)

“When you’re riled upon, rile not back. Let Him be your Example. When they said, “If Thou be the Son of God, turn these stones into bread,” He could’ve done it and show He was God; but He had temperance. When they called Him Beelzebub, He said, “I forgive you for it.” Is that right? They pulled handfuls of beard out of His face, and spit in His face, and said, “Come down off the cross.” He said, “Father forgive them; they don’t even know what they’re doing.” .. If you still blow up and sass, and fuss, and stew, and carry on. Huh, uh. You ain’t got no... You can’t add that… But when you can really, with the sweetness from your heart forgive every man, hold your peace; let it be gone (See?), then it’ll vulcanize. You can add that to your faith.” (STATURE.OF.A.PERFECT.MAN.title JEFF.IN V-2 N-18 62-1014M)

“Today we got the wrong conception of power. Power is overcoming, returning good for evil, that’s real power.
That can love your enemy, do good to those that do evil to you. That’s real power; that’s God power. Yes. Maniacs can break chains. But it takes a real man to return good for evil, from his heart, not because of religious duty, but from his heart.” (FROM.THAT.TIME.title DAWSON.CREEK.BC 61-0520)

ADMONITION TO THE CHURCH

“Love one another above everything. Love one another. Don’t... No matter what the devil tries to say... Now, you’re all one great, big, sweet group now, but remember my warning. See? Satan won’t let that stay that way. No, sir. He’ll shoot everything, if he has to bring somebody in to make his target. He’ll bring some critic or unbeliever in, set him down, and cause him to fellowship with you under the quietness and things. Then he will shoot that guy with some kind of poison stuff, and he’ll start through the church with it. Don’t you take sides with it. Don’t you have nothing to do with anything else. You stay right loving and sweet and kind to one another. Pray for that man that he’ll be saved too, or that woman, ever who it is. Just pray for them and stick one with another and stay with your pastor. See? He’s the shepherd and you give him respects. He’ll lead you through, and—cause, he’s ordained of God to do so. Now, do you remember that? The enemy will come. And when he does, just cling that much closer together. And the one that the Devil is using for an enemy will either get out or come in and be one of you. That’s all. Don’t never clan among one an—or talk, make yourself clannish; we are one.
I couldn’t say, “Left hand, I’m mad at you; I’m going to take you away ‘cause you’re not a right hand.” He’s my left hand. I want him to stay there. Even the little tip of my finger, I want it to stay right there, every little part of my body stay right there. And God wants us as a Body of believers to stay right exactly with one another, right it with one another.
And now, you’ve got tapes on that. You’ve got tapes on what we believe. You got tapes on discipline in the church: how we behave ourself in the church of God, how we got to come here together and set together in heavenly places. Don’t stay home. If God is in your heart, you can’t hardly wait for them doors to open out yonder to get in here to fellowship with your brothers. If you don’t—don’t feel that way, then I tell you, it’s time you got to praying, ‘cause we’re in the last days where the Bible exalted us—exhorted us to—to much more as we see that day approaching, to love one another with Christian love and Divine love, to assemble ourselves together in heavenly places in—in Christ Jesus and love one another. “This will all men know you’re My disciples when you have love one for the other.”
That’s right. Stay right together. If the brother, you think he’s a little wrong, or the sister, say, “Lord, don’t let me ever have the root of bitterness spring up, ‘cause it’ll—it’ll affect him, and it’ll take the Christ right out of my life.” That poison acids of malice, and jealousy, and hatred, that’ll just take the Holy Spirit right away from you. It’ll run Him from the Tabernacle here. It’ll kill the Spirit of God or drive it away from here, hurt your pastor; it’ll do everything. See? Don’t you do that. You just wax that much closer together. Draw up the... Take the buckle, as the brother testified (a minister here the other night) about having a buckle (seeing it in a vision). Just... That buckles on the whole armor of God; just put it on, tighten up, move right up close to one another. Love one another anyhow. Talk nice about one another. Say nice things about one another, and then God will bless you.” (CHRIST.IS.THE.MYSTERY.title JEFF.IN V-3 N-7 63-0728)

“When a man possesses these kind of things, then the Holy Ghost comes upon him. No matter, you might speak with tongues; you might impersonate any gift that God’s got. You might do that, but until these virtues here go into you, you’re still off the real true foundation of faith. But when these virtues grow in, as you added that to that, then you are a living monument. You are a living, moving idol… Now, that is the house that God dwells in, not a building with a big bell on top of it and a high steeple (See?), but, “a body has Thou prepared Me,” a body that God can dwell in, God can walk in, God can see in, God can talk in, God can work in (Amen.), living instrumentality of God. God walking on two feet in you. Glory. “The footsteps of the righteous is ordered of God,” God walking in you, for ye are written epistles, read of all men. And if the Life that’s in Christ be in you, you’ll bear the Life that Christ bore.” (STATURE.OF.A.PERFECT.MAN.title JEFF.IN V-2 N-18 62-1014M)

ON DISFELLOWSHIP & EXCOMMUNICATION

Reverend William Branham, God’s prophet to this age, never disfellowshipped anybody. He drawed bigger circles that included other people’s little circles in his bigger circle. He’s a friend to the Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal and all. Though he condemned the denominational systems that they are in, yet he never condemned the individual. He reached out to them and placed his hopes upon God that somewhere in these systems, God has got a Bride that he, Brother Branham, was sent for to bring back to the fold of God’s pure Word.
 
Even our very own Lord Jesus Christ in His own words said, “whosoever will, let him come”. Jesus never disfellowshipped the drunkard, nor the prostitutes, nor the tax collector because of them not recognizing His doctrine nor accepting Him as the Messiah. He came to sinners and He had always grace for them. He had longsuffering and patience, thinking that one day these people will give their lives to God in the perfect time alloted if they are really predestinated unto salvation.

God has also, according to the measure of faith, has given us our individual stages in our spiritual walk in life. We should not condemn a baby for stumbling here and there seeing that he or she is still learning how to walk. That should be the case for every Christian brother or sister, too. We ought to help one another instead of putting down the other person just because our level of faith and understanding may seem higher or greater than the other man. Apostle Paul was even given a thorn in the flesh so that he will not be puffed-up by the abundance of God’s revelation that was given to him.

Here are some quotations taken from the sermons of Reverend William Branham pertaining to this issue of “disfellowshipping”:

“I think that everyone ought to take their choice as American citizens to join any church that they want to. And I think that we ought not to disfellowship that person upon their convictions. I think we should all fellowship with one another, asking God’s mercies on us all.” (FROM.THAT.TIME.title  PHOENIX.AZ  60-0302)

“Every man ought to have a church home. You ought to have a place, not just to float about from pillar to post, but have somewhere that you go to church and you call it your church, somewhere you pay your tithe, and somewhere that you help support the cause. Take your choice, but then don’t never disfellowship the other man because he don’t belong with your group. See? Discern his spirit and see if he’s got the same purpose in heart, then you got fellowship one with another. You’re working for one great cause. That’s the cause of Christ. I think that that is absolutely true.” (DISCERNMENT.OF.SPIRIT.title  PHOENIX.AZ  V-9 N-3  60-0308)

“In their wrong... Israel was wrong as wrong could be. They were so wrong, till God give them up, but Moses... I’ve always wondered how that ever come, but It was the Spirit of Christ in Moses. See. See, we’re all wrong. He stood for all of us, when we was in our wrong. No matter how wrong they are, let’s not disfellowship or disassociate ourselves with anything. As long as we can win a soul, let’s go in with “wise as serpent, as harmless as doves” (You see?), and try to win every soul that we can.” (GREATEST.BATTLE.EVER.FOUGHT.title  JEFF.IN  V-3 N-11  62-0311)

And we do not disfellowship any church, any member of any church: Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Catholic, whatever it might be. We believe that the Spirit of God deals with individual. And in every church there is Christians, throughout the whole church world, as so-called today. I believe there’s Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterian, Lutherans who love God. And the only thing that they know about Him... They live as close as they can, as close as they know how, or are taught to live.” (ORDINATION.title  JEFF.IN  62-1104E)

“And I see the Word is the Absolute, and I’m tied to It, and determined I’ll know nothing else but Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. He had a reason for it, and I’m determined to hold that reason. No matter what anybody else says, I don’t disfellowship them or discredit them, but I know what I’m tied to. He wanted me like this. He had me like this. I was made like that for a purpose. I had to be made up of all these qualities, and so forth, and all these no-accounts, so He could dig it out of me, put something in there, that was His Word. And I’m determined I’ll know nothing else but Christ.” (ABSOLUTE.AN.title  SHREVEPORT.LA  V-17 N-10  63-1201M)

“I got a brother that likes apple pie; I like cherry the best, but I ain’t going to disfellowship him. He can eat his apple pie and I eat my cherry pie. And I put calf slobbers on top of mine. If he don’t want it, why, he can have it. You know that... What is it? Whipped stuff they put on it, you know, whipped cream. I like it. Getting too old now to eat it, but it’s a... But I—I—I... That’s what I like. If he don’t like it, he don’t have to eat it. That’s all right; I’ll eat mine. But he’s still my brother. That’s right. And so I—I like that; I like a fellowship. But when we draw lines like this and say, “No, this is our denomination,” and won’t reach over and shake hands with the next man, and say, “Bless God, brother.” My. That’s when you call fellowship. If you don’t, you get that root of bitterness just like the Smyrnaeans got back there, and you cause the same thing. All right, so their name was “bitter.” (SMYRNAEAN.CHURCH.AGE.title  JEFF.IN  ROJC 185-227  60-1206)

GROUNDS FOR DISFELLOWSHIP

“I don’t believe that any deacon board has a right to throw anybody out of church, or any trustee board, or any pastor has a right to do it. I think if anybody was to be disfellowshipped , would be because of immoral living, or something like that, that he wasn’t a fit person, like a man coming in here defiling our girls or—or insulting our women, and things like that, and still professing to be one of us here... See? Now, if he’s out somewhere else coming in, why, we have to do something about it, but, when it comes to a person like that, a immoral person trying to make love to our wives, or—or insult our daughters, or, you know, something another like that, or do something immorally around her, or taking our little boys out and making perverts out of them, or something, those things should be taken up, and then that fellow should be excommunicated from the fellowship and not permitted to take communion with it; because we’re not supposed to do that. We’re not. “If any eats unworthily, is guilty of the Blood and body of the Lord,” on that person.” (QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS.title  JEFF.IN  COD  61-0112)


BEING “UNEQUALLY YOKED” WITH UNBELIEVERS

II Corinthians 6:14-18 -
14  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15  And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

Here are some related nuggets/quotes from Rev. William Branham’s sermons regarding this issue of being “unequally yoked” with unbelievers:

“Now, the first place, the word “church,” itself, means “the called-out.” Now, Israel was not the church of God as long as they were in Egypt; they were the people of God. And then when God called them out of Egypt, they become the church of God, because they were the called-out. Now, that still remains the same today. The word “church” means “the called-out ones,” those that have been called out, separated, made different.”(FIVE.IDENTIFICATIONS.title JEFF.IN V-9 N-5 60-0911E)

“God had ordained that His people act different from the world. They are not of the world and they don’t look like the world and they don’t act like the world. They are crucified unto the world and the world is crucified unto them. II Corinthians 6:17-18, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” (123-2 SMYRAEAN.CHURCH.AGE - CHURCH.AGE.BOOK.CPT.4)

“God calls every man to separation, not one exception.
Every man that comes to Christ must separate himself from the things of the world. To have faith in God, you can’t walk around where people are, and be in people, and associate with people that’s in the wrong thing and expect to have faith. You can’t get around where Thomases is at and—and all of his children, and where they say, “Oh, the days of miracles is past, and there is no such thing as that.” The first thing you know, that spirit will get on you. Come out from among them the Bible says. Separate yourself; be separated. “Touch not their unclean things and I will receive you, saith the Lord.” The trouble of it is we have got to much Hollywood preaching and not enough old time rough preaching. I like the old time kind that really tears the hide off of you, brings it down to a place where it belongs. To much petting around, we need the old fashion Gospel (Amen.) preached in its power of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. That’s what the world needs today.” (JEHOVAH.JIREH_  INDIANAPOLIS.IN  WEDNESDAY_  57-0612)

“When God said, "Separate yourself from everybody," the walk with Christ is an individual walk.
You walk, you stand alone with you and God alone. Not you and the pastor, you and God alone. Not you and the deacon. Sometimes you and your wife, you and your husband, but you and God alone. You stand alone on your convictions. Salvation is not a church affair. It's an individual affair. Church is a gathering place where we come and on common grounds and worship God. But salvation isn't because you've joined the church, it's because you've believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and accepted Him as your personal Saviour, and then you have to do more than that now. It isn't just a make-believe.” (ABRAHAM.title BROOKLYN.NY 56-1208)

“And we've got to the place to think that because we're resting upon what our forefathers did, or what upon our great founders of our churches, what their great sacrifice was to God, which is all right and so much appreciated. But we cannot draw salvation from what they did. Salvation is an individual affair between every person and God. Not with our nation, with our church, but with ourselves before God we answer.” (BE.CERTAIN.OF.GOD.title JEFF.IN V-5 N-12 59-0125)

”Our text tonight takes us back to a little thing to our minds, not to mix with unbelievers.
The Scripture says, “Don’t yoke yourself up among unbelievers. Do not be unequally yoked together.” Many places of the Scripture teaches us that we should separate ourselves. The first thing that God required Abraham to do when He called him, was to separate himself from his people, his kindred, and then He’d bless him. Now, it doesn’t mean you have to leave home; it means just separate yourself from your worldly associates.” (SEPARATION.FROM.UNBELIEF_  PHOENIX.AZ  MONDAY_  55-0228)

“Abraham, it was becoming to Abraham to separate himself from unbelief. Becoming to any believer to separate yourself from unbelief. Abraham, it was becoming to him to walk in a land of his own, him and God alone, ‘cause he was a prophet. The world didn’t understand why Abraham made such a choice. Why did he leave his home? Why did he leave his church? Why did he leave his people? Why did he do such a rashal thing to sojourn in a strange land where there’s no water or food? Why did he go into those bleak deserts where men had not went yet? But it was becoming to him, for he was a prophet, to separate himself from all unbelief and to walk alone with God. God said, “Separate yourself, and I’ll bless you.” When you separate yourself from all unbelief, God will bless you. And it’s becoming to every one of us, regardless of the price, to separate ourselves from the unbelieving world. “Come out from among them and be ye separate,” saith God, “I will receive you.” It’s becoming to us as men and women of God to take our stand in this dark hour that we’re living. (IT.BECOMETH.US.TO.FULFILL.title JEFF.IN V-15 N-4 61-1001M)

“God called Abraham, and He told him He wanted him to separate himself from all of his unbelieving kindred. And when God calls a man to work for Him, He calls you from total annihilation from all the things of the world, and the sins of the earth: separation. God never did bless Abraham till he fully obeyed Him. He took his father. The old man was always a—a hair in the soup or... excuse that expression. But he was always wrong, and Abraham... And then he got Lot. And then he finally went down there. And after Lot separated himself, then God said to Abraham, “Rise and walk through the land. I’ve give it all to you. It’s all yours.” See? He never fully blessed him till Abraham fully obeyed. And you’ll never be able to get anything from God, and have favor with God, my brothers and sisters, wherever you are, until we fully obey the Word of God. You make yourself miserable by just half-heartedly approaching it. Yes.” (FROM.THAT.TIME_  SPOKANE.WA  FRIDAY_  62-0713)

“God, when He calls people, He calls for total separation from all the things of the world: annihilation from the worldly things. Separate yourself, and God will bless you. Come out from among them; be not partakers of their sins. Yoke yourself not up among unbelievers, but yoke yourself with believers, fellow citizens of the Kingdom.“ (GOD.HAS.A.PROVIDED.WAY.title LVL.KY V-25 N-9 54-0404)

 ”You separate your thing—yourself from sin, unbelief. There’s only one sin, and that’s unbelief. Committing adultery’s not a sin; drinking liquor is not a sin; telling lies is not a sin; that’s the attributes of unbelief. If you believe, you wouldn’t do those things. Certainly. Jesus said in St. John 5:24, “He that heareth My Words and believeth on Him that sent Me, has Eternal Life”; that’s Zoe, Holy Spirit, because he believes. Correctly. Now, until you receive That, you’re make-belief; that’s in that group. But when they really believe, separating themselves, then when you separate yourself from all your unbelief, and believe God, walk out strictly, carrying the commandments, doing everything that’s right, then God will say, “Every promise in the Book is yours.” Amen. “All’s yours. Turn from It, from Genesis to Revelations, it’s all yours.” Amen. “If ye abide in Me and My Word in you, you can ask what you will, it’ll be.” What? You got to separate yourself first from your unbelief.” (JEHOVAH.JIREH.1_  GRASS.VALLEY.CA  JJ 37-72  THURSDAY_  62-0705)

”God had ordained that His people act different from the world. They are not of the world and they don’t look like the world and they don’t act like the world. They are crucified unto the world and the world is crucified unto them. II Corinthians 6:17-18, Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (FROM.THAT.TIME_  SPOKANE.WA  FRIDAY_  62-0713)

“You see the one difference between Israel and the rest of the nations was God. Put God to one side and Israel was like any other nation. When Samson cut off his hair he was like any other man. Put the leadership of the Holy Ghost aside and the church is NOTHING BUT THE WORLD WITH GOD’S NAME ATTACHED TO IT. The world and the church are all of the same lump, just like Jacob and Esau were of the same parents, but the Spirit of God makes the difference. It doesn’t matter if you call yourself a Christian. Anyone can do that. The point is whether or not you have the Spirit of God in you, for without that Spirit you are reprobate; you are none of His. Amen.”
(SMYRNAEAN.CHURCH.AGE  -  CHURCH.AGE.BOOK CPT.4)

“ God said, “Separate Me Paul and Barnabas.” Amen. Separation: “Come out from among them and be not partakers of their unclean thing.” God wants separation, total annihilation from sin. Separate... That’s what’s the trouble today, reason we can’t be Abraham’s Seed; we can’t separate ourselves from dogmas, and creeds, and so forth, called Christianity, to the living Word. Separate yourself from your unbelief and believe God’s Word. God will make It manifest to you. Right. Genesis 12, God said, “Separate yourself from all your kindred and from everything around you.” Oh, my, we can’t separate ourself from card-playing. Huh.” (JEHOVAH.JIREH.1_  GRASS.VALLEY.CA  JJ 37-72  THURSDAY_  62-0705)

THE PARABLE OF THE EAGLE

The heritage of God is likened to a great eagle. I read that in Palestine alone, there’s forty different types of eagles. The eagle, the word means “one feeding with the beak,” which is a very beautiful type of how God feeds His children by His mouth with His Word. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” He is the Eagle that feeds His little eaglets with His Word. I believe in the Word. The Bible speaks that the eagle renews its youth. It’s been believed that the eagle every so often, would renew its youth, bring itself back young again, which the eagle, has a long life.
And we will notice that God often likened His prophets to eagles, and He also likened Himself to an Eagle. He is Jehovah Eagle, and we are His eaglets, His little ones. And does not He feed us with His own mouth? God feeds His eaglets with His mouth, His Spoken Word.
In speaking of eagles, I’m reminded of a farmer out west who put an eagle’s egg in with a setting of chicken eggs. When it hatched out it was the funniest looking thing. All the other chickens chirped, and he couldn’t understand what they were chirping about because he spoke in a different language. I hope you know what I mean. He watched them and he didn’t know what to do. They all picked on him because they said he was an odd fellow. The old hen would cluck and the little chicks would cluck. But the eagle didn’t understand that cluck. He didn’t come when the others did because he didn’t know that clucking. He didn’t even like the diet she was feeding him. He just didn’t like that scratching in the barnyard; he didn’t have nothing to do with that. He managed to make a living but he was pretty confused about it all. The old hen gets out in the barnyard on a manure pile, and she begins to scratch. Cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck. He don’t know nothing about that. He’s a eagle. So he’s made fun of, with all the little chickens said, “Look at that holy-roller. He ain’t like us.
In fact a lot of true Christians are like the story of the baby eagle that was hatched out under a hen. You know that the eagle is a type of the true believer. Though you were born under a denominational barnyard, yet you are an eagle to begin with. But a real-born again child of God doesn’t behave like the people of the world. Others say they belong to a church, but you don’t understand that cluck. You were born an eagle.
Then one day, the old mother eagle knowed she had laid so many eggs, and there was one missing. She knew that that eagle was somewhere, so she starts out on the hunt for him. And she circled over the mountaintops, and down in the valleys, and over and everywhere, where he might be. Then the mother eagle happened to fly over that barnyard. As she flew by, Her great shadow swept over the barnyard. She looked down and saw her own child. She swooped down with tremendous speed and screamed at the top of her voice for him to fly up to meet her. And when she did, the little fellow turned his head and began to look upward. He had never heard an eagle cry, but when he heard that first scream something in him stirred and he longed to launch out toward it. But he was afraid to try.
When he looked up, She screamed at him, “Come, you’re not a chicken, you don’t belong there, you are Mine!” She called on him, “Just make the first big jump and flap your wings!” He screamed back that he was afraid. Again that mother screamed for him to arise in the wind and follow her. Once more she called out, screaming that he try. Then he made the first jump and flapped his wings. Again She said, “Son, come higher, give it another jump and I will carry you on My wings!”
Beating his wings he hurled himself into the air, and answering the cry of his mother, he soared off into the blue skies. You see he always was an eagle. He acted like a chicken for a little while but he could not be satisfied. But when he heard the call of the great eagle he came to his own place.
And once a true son of God hears the cry of the Spirit by the Word, he too, will realize who he is and run to the Great Prophet Eagle and be with Him forever seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
And when a man or woman has set under creeds and cold, formal religion, if he’s ordained to be a son of God, and he sees the Word of God preached in Its power, and God vindicate It; he’s an eagle to begin with, he’ll run to It as sure as two twos is four. He can’t help it, because his very nature loves the Word of God. I don’t care what anybody else says, when he sees the Word of God being made manifest, he flies to It because he is a little eagle.
What the church of the living God needs today is to jump away from the barriers of denominationalism, from all the isms, and to cut loose. Nest stirring time has come. But we need another jump. We have gotten so far as the barnyard post. But we need to get free and ride on His wings for a first solo flight.
If we could only take the wings of the Bible, God’s written Word, that God give His Church to fly away with, and have as much confidence in the Word of God, by the Holy Spirit, to furnish the breeze to pack us away... If we’d only had as much confidence as the eagle did in his wings... He knew that he could make one jump, and he’d be in that timberline, above that timber.
If the Church only knew how to set its wings, its wings of faith, into the promise of God, and not beat from here, beat from there, and join the Methodists, join the Baptist, join the Presbyterian, join the Oneness, join the Assemblies, every little ‘ism comes along, to join it. That’s not it. It’s just set your wing in His promise and let the Holy Ghost just lift you up, lift you up, on, on, on.
A seminary preacher always reminded me of an incubator chicken. You know, a little incubator chicken, he was borned all right, but he’s just “chirp, chirp, chirp,” and ain’t got no mammy to go to. That’s just reminds me. They’ll holler, and carry on, and don’t know no more about God, because all they know is the school. I’d like to have a man, if he didn’t know the difference between split beans and coffee, and knowed God as a baptism of the Holy Spirit, and filled with His glory and power, than all the education you could churn into a man, and not know God. That’s the reason our pulpits are weak, because we say, “The days of miracle is passed.” Look where our mammy is; it’s a mechanical incubator, that’s hatched out like by the dozens.
The chicken is a bird too, but he’s never been no where. He ain’t got feathers enough to take him up there. And if he did, it would break his neck. You take an old rooster up, with —with a eagle, and drop him out of a plane one time. What if the eagle took him up there and shoved him off. He’d disintegrate in the air. That’s the way with some of these old crowing roosters around that says, “The days of miracles is past and so forth.” They know nothing about the power of God. Jesus said they didn’t. Educated in the barnyard, they know nothing about the heavenlies where you have to trust God alone. Amen.
And when we see not a denomination, not a Ph.D., not a LL.D., not a good neighbor, but a son of God, molded in the image of God with the dynamic power of God to answer the request of this day that He’s the same yesterday, today and forever, there ain’t no hen going to hold you. He hunts for his mama. He’s an eagle to begin with. He recognizes, this real eagle recognizes the call of God’s Word. Why? He’s an eagle. An eagle to an eagle, the Word before the foundation of the Word to the Word, the Word predestinated to the Word written for the hour. You realize your position. He hunts for it.
And God does the same thing in His Church. When we have got all settled down on something, then God stirs the nest again. He brought Martin Luther from Catholicism, and they got so starchy that He stirred the nest and sent Wesley in. Then Wesley got so starchy, He stirred the nest and sent Pentecost in. It’s nest stirring time again, ‘cause we got so settled down.
I remember one time at the Cincinnati Zoo, in Cincinnati, Ohio, I was looking at an eagle had just been captured. And it was one of the most pitiful sights that I have ever had the privilege of seeing. This great heavenly bird had been captured and netted by someone and thrown into a cage. And that poor fellow was so out of place, that he would jump with all that was within him against the big bars, flopping his wings only to find hisself to fall back on his back. And that poor eagle had beat hisself against those bars until all the feathers was beat from his wings and his head and face, bruised.
And as I watched him again proudly walk back, and with all that he had he poured himself against the bars, to only find hisself knocked backwards again. And as he laid there on that floor and his weary eyes soared the skies, I thought, “What a pitiful sight. Made not to be on the earth here, he’s a heavenly bird. His whole makeup was to live in the blue, way above the haunts and cares of this world. But to see a bird like that made up, borned in the earth, to soar the skies, and yet caged in such a way, that he could never again soar the skies.”
Man was not made to be bound; man is a free man. “He who the Son has made free is free indeed.” He doesn’t have to be bound like that. Oh, it would take me hours to try to express the feeling in my heart, and the different things that cage men and deny them of their privileges. Man’s in the image of God, and he doesn’t have to be a bondslave to Satan. He wasn’t made to be a slave; he was made to be a son. God made man in His own image. He placed in him a immortal soul and a thirst to thirst after God. And he tries to satisfy that blessed holy thirst with whiskey, alcohol, tobacco, big times, and luxury. It is a disgrace to try to quench that blessed holy thirst with the things of this world. You’re... Men and women are only caged and kept away from the real God-given privilege that they have.. bound by sin.
Dear God, we see the handwriting on the wall. We’re at the end time. We know that there’s great things laying ahead; but yet somewhere, somewhere out in this mess out here, is still honest people that’s been ordained to Life. It’d be impossible for one man or two men; but, God, all of us together, let us spread in every corner we can, the good news that Jesus is coming, and (See?), just spread a little Bread along, a little Word. Wherever the eagles are, they’ll follow that Food. Whether It comes by a tape, or whether It comes by a word or a testimony, eagles will follow It to Its headquarters. For It is written, “Where the Carcass is, there the eagles will gather.” (Luke 17:37)
Dear Jesus, we know that Thou art the Carcass that we eat. Thou art the Word, and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. We pray, God, that as we scatter the Word, that the true eagles will find It. Dear Jesus, we know that Thou art the Carcass that we eat. Thou art the Word, and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. We pray, God, that as we scatter the Word, that the true eagles will find It. Let us not be ashamed when we stand before people, wicked, indifferent people, religious, whatever it is. As Paul told Timothy, let’s be instant in season, out of season; reproving and rebuking, with all long-suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they’ll not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall heap for themselves together teachers, having itching ears, and will be turned from the truth to fables.
“Where the carcass is, the eagles will gather.” It’s eagle food. Eagles love eagle food. Sheep love sheep food. And scavengers love scavenger’s food. Buzzards eat buzzards food. And if you love the things of the world, that shows the love of God is not even in you.

(GLEENED from the sermons AS THE EAGLE STIRRETH HER.NEST. CHICAGO.IL 57-0705 AND ASHAMED.OF.HIM.title JEFF.IN V-3 N-9 65-0711)