Romans 8:15-23 15For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 18For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the ADOPTION, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Revelation, Chapter Five #1
June 11, 1961 · Jeffersonville, Indiana
104But now! Now! They did all those years until now! Now we have the earnest of our inheritance! Oh, my! What do we have? We have the evidence that God lives. We have the evidence that God is with us. We have the evidence that God has not forsaken us, that we are His and He is ours, because we (in our bodies), we now tabernacle the Holy Spirit of God that cries out, “Abba, Father.” And there’s nothing can ever take that away. We are anchored in Christ. 105Now, the trees does not have it, nature does not have it, but yet we are still groaning with them because as yet we haven’t received the fulness of our adoption. But we have the earnest of it, that we were picked up from the things of the world and now become sons and daughters of God. What kind of people should we be? Oh, my, when we think of that! Think of it!
106Now we have the earnest, our spirit’s groaning for the full adoption, but now we have the earnest of it. As we receive the Holy Spirit, it is the earnest of our complete adoption or complete salvation. Oh, how beautiful! I just love that. All right.
107We are waiting for the fulness of adoption. This will take place when? At the first resurrection. That’s when our bodies will be changed from these vile creatures that we are and we’ll have a body like His Own glorious body, “For we shall see Him as He is, and we will be like Him.” When He appears, we appear in His likeness. We will have a body like His, a glorious glorified body, and all the trials and struggles of life will fade off into a little mist and blow away to never be no more.
108And these earthly tabernacles which we now groan in, we’re waiting for that earnest—that earnest . . . for the salvation fully in its fulness to come. But now in these tabernacles of clay we have Something that tells us that we have raised up so far. Amen. What is the earnest? It’s the little down payment that holds it, Brother Dauch. It’s the earnest. Now, once when we loved the things of the world, once when we sinned and went about doing things of the world, and cared not for God, we were alienated from Him, without God, without Christ, in the world; now, God sent His Holy Spirit and through that we are lifted up from those things. Now we have the earnest, that we know that we’ve passed from death unto Life. Amen!
109Here, as I was trying to show this like this. Here is where the ordinary sinner runs, down here on the bottom. Now, the Christian goes up a little higher than this, he rises above all that stuff. That’s the earnest of his salvation.
Romans 8:15-16 (AMP) For [the Spirit which] you have now received [is] not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption [the Spirit producing sonship] in [the bliss of] which we cry, Abba (Father)! Father! 16 The Spirit Himself [thus] testifies together with our own spirit, [assuring us] that we are children of God.
Romans 8:22-23 (AMP) 22We know that the whole creation [of irrational creatures] has been moaning together in the pains of labor until now. 23And not only the creation, but we ourselves too, who have and enjoy the firstfruits of the [Holy] Spirit [a foretaste of the blissful things to come] groan inwardly as we wait for the redemption of our bodies [from sensuality and the grave, which will reveal] our adoption (our manifestation as God’s sons).
Galatians 4:1-5 1Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; 2But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. 3Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: 4But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
Galatians 4:6-7 6And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Galatians 4:1-7 AMP 1Now what I mean is that as long as the inheritor (heir) is a child and under age, he does not differ from a slave, although he is the master of all the estate; 2But he is under guardians and administrators or trustees until the date fixed by his father. 3So we [Jewish Christians] also, when we were minors, were kept like slaves under [the rules of the Hebrew ritual and subject to] the elementary teachings of a system of external observations and regulations. 4But when the proper time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born subject to [the regulations of] the Law, 5To purchase the freedom of (to ransom, to redeem, to aatone for) those who were subject to the Law, that we might be adopted and have sonship conferred upon us [and be recognized as God’s sons]. 6And because you [really] are [His] sons, God has sent the [aHoly] Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba (Father)! Father! 7Therefore, you are no longer a slave (bond servant) but a son; and if a son, then [it follows that you are] an heir aby the aid of God, through Christ.
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
The Smyrnaean Church Age, Chapter 4
NOW COMES OUR TRIUMPHAL CAPSTONE on the Baptism with the Holy Ghost. Galatians 4:4-7, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou are no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” There it is. Jesus Christ came forth, died upon the cross, and accomplished Redemption (restoring to original owner by means of purchase, or paying the price) and thereby PLACED US AS SONS. He did not make us sons, for we were already His sons, but He placed us as sons; for as long as we were in the world, in the flesh, we could not be recognized as His sons. We were held captive by the devil. But we were sons, nonetheless. And hear this: AND BECAUSE YE ARE SONS, GOD HATH SENT FORTH THE SPIRIT OF HIS SON INTO YOUR HEARTS WHEREBY YOU CRY, FATHER, FATHER.” Upon whom did the Spirit fall at Pentecost? Sons. At Corinth? Upon Sons while they HEARD THE WORD.
What is the Baptism with the Holy Ghost? It is the Spirit Baptizing you into the body of Christ. It is the new birth. It is the Spirit of God coming in and filling you after you have repented, (having heard His Word) and been baptized in water as an answer of a good conscience toward God.
Jesus an ADOPTED SON
Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
Isaiah 9:6-7 6For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
Hebrews 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
Matthew 3:16-17 16And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Matthew 17:5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
Mark 1:10-11 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: 11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Mark 9:7 (KJVS) And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
Luke 3:21-22 21Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, 22And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
Luke 9:35 And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
Where I Think Pentecost Failed
November 11, 1955 · San Fernando, California
57And then when he become of age, at a certain age, he set a great day. And he called witnesses out into the street, and he took this boy and put a special robe on him, a beautiful robe, and set him out in the street, and had a ceremony of adoption. And the father, the very father of this boy, adopted the boy into his own family (Now, you know that by the Scripture, the placing of the son.), and adopted him into his own family. And therefore, from that day on that boy had a legal right to write his daddy’s checks, or whatever the father had, he was heir to it. He was adopted. He was just equal, had the—the authority over all of his father’s goods. He was no longer a tutor, but he was . . . or cared by a tutor, he was absolutely in possession.
And that’s where the church has gone now. When you got back there and was born again, you think that settles it. You went off at ease. Now, you’re finding yourself with cramps, not enough manna, backsliding from one meeting to another. What it is, is God has watched the conduct of His Church.
58Look. God did the same thing to His own Son. He taken three for a witness. The Bible said, “Three is a witness.” And He took Peter, James, and John (love, hope, and charity) and taken them up on a high exceeding mountain, great high mountain. And there Jesus was transfigured before them, and His garments shined like the sun. And a voice spoke and said, “This is My beloved Son; hear ye Him.” God adopting His Own Son, shined Him out in a glorified, transfigured condition, and proved before witnesses, “This is My beloved Son, hear ye Him.” No wonder Jesus could say “All the power in heavens and earth is given unto My hands.”
Jehovah-Jireh
February 24, 1956 · Sioux Falls, South Dakota
34We have time for a few hours to go into the adoption to show how God pulled His people out, and his son was adopted into the family. After he was already his son, born in the family, He become adopted in the family also. He was adopted, taken out and put a white robe on, and he was adopted into the same family he was borned into, if he proved to be a fine man until he was of age and correctly about his fathers business.
God done the same thing to His Son, took Him apart and put Him up on the mountain and there overshadowed Him. And His garments glistened like—like the sun in its strength like that. And a Voice spoke from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, hear ye Him,” God placing His Own Son.” That’s right. God still places His children in His Church. And the time of adoption is at hand. Separating . . .
Hear Ye Him
December 15, 1956 · Parkersburg, West Virginia
39Notice. Now, when this child become at a certain age, if it’d have been a correct child, had been zealous of the father’s works, had been stable, always abounding in the works of the Lord, not tossed about with every wind and care, not one day a Presbyterian, the next day a Methodist, and the next day a Nazarene, the next day a Pilgrim Holiness, tossed about like a leaf on a troubled sea. If it was stable, its mind, no matter where it was at, set on Christ, his affections, working with one single heart, zealous of getting souls saved and not the church’s fusses . . .
Then in the Old Testament there come a day that this father brought his son out into the public as a witness, put a robe on him, and set him up upon a great place where all the city could see him. And they had the law of adoption. This father to his own son, who had been borned in his own family, and now was of age, and was a child worthy to take his place, he adopted, or placed his own son into position. Any Bible reader knows that: the placing of a son. Then after that ceremony, that son had a right, his name was just as good on the—the check as his father’s was.
There’s where the church should be today. “The things that I do shall you also; more than this shall you do, for I go to My Father.”
40Then God always followed up every shadow and type with the antitype. Notice, He took His own Son before three witnesses: Peter, James and John: hope, faith, and charity. Took them before the translated, the resurrected, and God Himself, and there overshadowed Him. And He . . . The Bible said that His clothes glistened like the sun in its strength. And then God said, “This is My beloved Son; hear ye Him.”
Peter wanted to build three tabernacles. He wanted all the Sabbatarians and law keepers to have theirs. He wanted all the rest of them to have theirs. He wanted to break it up into denominations, but God shut it up, said, “This is My beloved Son; hear ye Him.” And when they looked, they saw Jesus only. Laws and everything had passed away. Let’s look into it just a moment.
41Let’s look at Moses. Moses represented the law. No man can keep the law. And no flesh is justified by the law. I’m glad that it’s not good works that we have done, but it’s by His grace, by His mercy, by His foreknowledge, that He foreknew us before the foundation of the world. Amen. And then I couldn’t be saved by law. You can’t be saved by law. So if the law was weak and could not do, God in due time sent His Son made after the likeness of sinful, by a woman born under the law, that He might redeem us from the curse of the law. So Moses—God shut him off.
42There stood Elijah. What did Elijah stand for? Elijah was the line of God’s justice. Elijah was a stern prophet, set upon the hill under the will of God, and they sent fifty men to him, the captain of fifty. Elijah stood up and said, “If I be a man of God, let fire fall from heaven and consume you.” Away they went. The king sent another fifty. Elijah stands up, “If I be a man of God, let fire fall from heaven.” And away went another fifty. He was the line of God’s justice. Brother, I never want justice; I never want judgment; I want mercy. God’s justice would kill us everyone tonight. He would demand it and we’d die of a shadow.
43But now as we see the law pass away, and we see the justice of God pass away, the sternness of His judgment pass away, then let’s look over here. “This is My beloved Son; hear ye Him.” What was it? God’s love. God’s love stood there represented in Christ. “We’ve all sinned and come short of the glory.” But God’s love is represented in His Son. Said, “Hear ye Him.” No matter what the law says, and what this other says, and what this says, and what the church says, “Hear ye Him.” All other things will pass away. They’re all works and carnal. Man can’t save himself no more than a leopard could lick his spots off. No, sir. He can’t do it. God has to do it.
And it’s the works of God by grace, through foreknowledge that ordains you to Eternal Life and puts your name on the Lamb’s Book of Life at the beginning. “And no man can come except My Father draws him. All that comes to me I’ll give him Everlasting Life, raise him up the last day. Those who he has foreknew, he has called: those who he has called, he has justified: those who he has justified, he hath (past tense) already glorified,” in glory. What you scared about? God calls you, your heart loves Him. “As the hart panteth for the water brook, so my soul thirsts after thee, O God.” There it is.
Hear Ye Him
March 13, 1960 · Pheonix, Arizona
37Now, you see, Jesus had proven to God that He’d been the right kind of Son. And God took Him up on the top of the mountain, brought witnesses out there—heavenly witnesses and earthly witnesses—and He clothed Him in immortality. When they looked up, they said, “His garments shined like the sun.” A supernatural something taken place. His garments glistened like the sun in its middle of the day, as white as they could be. God placed on Him that robe of immortality, showing that He had received Him.
That’s the thing that God will do to His sons here on earth someday. He will call you aside, Church, if you’ll only obey Him and stay on the Word and believe it. And He will place into the Church, before the coming of Jesus Christ . . . He will place into the Church . . . All the powers that Christ had in Him will be in the Church. All that God was, He poured into Jesus; all that Jesus was, He pours into the Church. God wanting His work done, He sent it into His Son; the Son wanting the work done, sent it into the Church. “At that day you’ll know that I’m in the Father, the Father in Me, and I in you, and you in Me.” At that day, because the same power of God, was in Jehovah God, rested in Jesus Christ. The same power that rested in Jesus Christ, rests in the placed sons in the body of Christ.
38Placing of a son . . . Take him out in a certain place, have a ceremony before Angels, and place him positionally what he is in the body of Christ. Then that person has the authority. Let me say this, if you count me a fanatic from this night on. That very same thing that I’m speaking of will be done. There’ll be a power put into the Church, and now is coming in, that the Holy Spirit will so anoint the people, till they’ll speak the Word and It’ll create Itself right there. We haven’t seen powers like’s coming into the Church now. I know it for a fact.
“Say unto this mountain be moved. Don’t doubt in your heart, but believe that what you’ve said shall come to pass, you can have what you have said”: the placing of the Church in position, where the fulness of the power of the Holy Ghost comes into the Church. Then critics’ mouths will be shut. It’ll be a short time. Jesus come right off the mountain, went straight to Calvary. Notice, it won’t last long, but it’ll be here.
Blasphemous Names
November 4, 1962 · Jeffersonville, Indiana
153Do you remember, over in the Book of Matthew, the 17th chapter, the 1st to the 5th verse, Jesus on Mount Transfiguration?
154You’ve heard Hear Ye Him. The sermon I just, here about a year ago, preached, become so popular, Hear Ye Him. The placing of a son, in Ephesians 1:5 also, “God has predestinated us unto adoption of sons.”
155See, a family, when a son is born into it, it’s a son then. But that son had tutors to raise it. And if that son never did come to—to be the right kind of a son, he never become heir. But if he was the right son, and the son that would obey his father, then that son was adopted, or placed positionally. He become heir of what the father had.
156And that’s what God was doing on Mount Transfiguration. When He took His Own Son, after He had been proven to be the right Son, see, and had stood all temptations, He took Him up on Mount Transfiguration and overshadowed Him.
157You know, in the Old Testament, they took a son, dressed him in a nice, pretty garment, and set him out before the public. And they had a ceremony of placing, or we call it adopting. In Galatians there, I kind of think Paul refers to it as adopting sons. Now, but, placing a son, ministers will understand, and spiritual, Bible readers, of placing this son. In other words, the son was a son when he was born.
158There is where our Pentecostal people made their mistake. Being born into the family, by the Holy Ghost, that’s right, but then we must be the right kind of children, tutored by the right Tutor. See?
159Now, if a man, back in the old age, thought of his son, he wanted him to be a right kind of a son, he got the best tutor he could find, the best teacher, ’cause he wanted his son to come up to be like his daddy. See? So he got the right tutor.
160Now, if a man on earth would think of the best tutor, how about God, our Father? Now, He never got bishops, and cardinals, and priests. He got the Holy Ghost to be our Tutor. And the Holy Spirit is our Teacher. And He—He’s in the Church, and He takes message to the Father.
161And then what if the father, or, the tutor come up and said, “Well, Father . . . ” Now, he ain’t going to get some kind of tutor that wants a straw in his hat, you know, a feather, we call it. Say, “Oh, if I tell the father something about . . . That little boy is a renegade, anyhow, but if I—if I tell the father, the father might give me a raise.” That ain’t the right kind of a tutor. A right kind of a tutor is honest, tell the truth.
162And the Holy Ghost tells the Truth when He comes before God, to us. Yeah. So He comes up. What do you think? He’d blush today to say, “Your daughters are all cutting their hair, and You told them not to. Your sons are so organized-minded, they just simply can’t see one to the other. That’s right. And they’re adopting this for This, and this for That.” How He must blush! But how that Tutor would love to come and say, “Oh, my! That son is a real son. He is just like the Father.” Oh, how He’d love to say that! See? Then the Father swells out in pride, say, “This is My son!”
163That’s exactly what God did on Mount Transfiguration. Notice, there appeared Moses and Elijah. And Peter, all excited; the supernatural was done. Peter got excited, said, “Let’s build three tabernacles, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.”
164While he was yet speaking, God shut him up. He said, “This is My beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased. Hear ye Him.” See? God put Hisself in the background, and, “This is My Son.”
165Moses represented the law. The prophets represented His justice. We could not live by His law. We could not live by His justice. I don’t ask justice. I want mercy, not justice. I can’t keep His law, and I can’t meet His justice. But I need His mercy. And God said the law and justice has been met in Him. “He’s My beloved Son. Hear ye Him. That’s Him. That’s the One.”
166Now, in the Old Testament when that son was adopted, or placed into the family, his name was just as good on the check as his daddy’s was. Yes, sir. They didn’t have a . . . They had a ring, them days, a—a sign, signet. And they’d . . . [Brother Branham makes a spitting sound and hits the pulpit—Ed.] Spit on it, place it, there was a signet. That was just as . . . He wore his daddy’s ring, his signet. And that was just as good as his daddy’s.
167Now, when Jesus had been obedient, Jesus to God, God placed Him positionally, “This is Him.”
168Now, when the member is born by the Holy Ghost into the family of God and has proven to have these virtues in him, that God can see virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, and godliness, in him, then God seals him, or places him. And, there, that’s when you see the sons and daughters of God.
Ephesians 1:5 5 Having *PREDESTINATED us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Where I Think Pentecost Failed
November 11, 1955 · San Fernando, California
45Oh, my. I feel religious right now. I really do. Oh, I just love it. It’s the Word, it’s real good. It bathes your soul. Notice, the 5th verse:
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of sons by Christ Jesus.
There’s a great story here of the adoption or placing. Now, my Pentecostal brethren, you may disagree with this, but I want you to listen real close now these next ten, fifteen minutes.
I want to ask you something, and you Bible scholars. In the Old Testament there was a law of adopting or placing a son. You know that, how the Book of Galatians, and so forth, how the tutor raised the child.
What happened, a father had born into his house a child, a boy, and he was a son when he was born. But he was given a tutor. And this tutor raised the child and brought word to the father, all the time, how the child was progressing. And after the child become a certain age, if he had been a worthy child, if he had absolutely been all right . . . if he had not, then there was certain things that had to take place. And if he was unworthy, yet he was a son, he wasn’t given any inheritance of his father.
But if he was a worthy child, and had been found worthy, he was taken out into a public place. And this father . . . Get it. Here it is; don’t miss it. This father of the child . . . He was already born in the family (Pentecost exactly, others beside), already born into the family as a son.
46Now, when the Pentecostal people, and the Free Methodists, and Baptists, and so forth, when they received the Holy Spirit, they said, “We got it; that settles it.” But it didn’t.
The Methodist said, “Brother, when we shout, we had it.” That’s what the Methodist used to say. Every Methodist would shout, “Brother, you got it.” But they found out they didn’t have it.
The Pentecost said when they spoke with tongues, “We got it.” But you found out you didn’t. That’s right. Life proves it.
Seen people speak with tongues like pouring peas on a dry cowhide, and go out and cheat, and steal, and lie, and everything else. You can’t call that the Holy Spirit. But now, wait. I’m—I believe in shouting, speaking in tongues, but I’m trying to place something to you. You may be mad at me now, but you won’t be up there. Notice, it’s true.
47Now, watch what happened. Now, when this father, after this child had been borned in the family, yet, he did not inherit anything until his life proved out to be the right kind of a child. And the tutor, which is the Holy Spirit in our case, brought word to the Father all the time how this child was progressing.
Now, we’ve tried to jump the fence. We’ve tried to stick the cart before the horse. You tried to claim things and do things before God did it, and got a lot of flesh worked up into it. And that’s what’s the matter with the church.
If real Pentecostal faith settled over a audience of this size, brother, all California would know something happened up here tonight. That’s right. There’s something wrong. It isn’t wrong with God; it isn’t wrong with your faith; it’s being placed right, knowing what you’re doing, and how to do it. That’s the secret of the whole thing, and then yielding yourself to the will of God.
48Notice, this son was a son when he was born. When the Pentecostals received the Holy Ghost, was borned in . . . I don’t mean, just certain of Pentecostals, there was the Foursquare, and whatevermore, and all the . . . [Blank spot on tape—Ed.] . . . the people that believes in receiving the Holy Ghost.
And we Baptists down in Kentucky, the only difference I seen between my church and Pentecost, when I come over here, was the initial evidence, speaking in tongues. That’s the only thing I seen different.
49Now, I was preaching here not long ago in a Baptist church, and I said . . . Nobody said, “Amen,” nothing. Why, brother, I’ve seen them old mammies take them old string bonnets, and walk up and down the floor screaming, and shouting, and walk the benches, and everything else. Sure. Listen, I said, “Is this a Baptist church?”
He, the pastor politely bowed, “Yes, sir.” Like a . . .
I said, “It sure don’t seem like it.” I cut loose again as hard as I could. Nobody said, “Amen,” set as stiffly, and starchy as they could be. I said, “Listen, you’re not Baptist. You’re just church joiners. Down to where I come from, when you was a Baptist, we’d get out at the altar and beat one another in the back till we come through.”
I tell you brother, what we need today is some more of that old fashion, back beating at the altar, until we come through. (Hallelujah.), until you die out to self and sin, and are born of the Holy Spirit.
Lose your pocketbook, He will bring it back to you. You get in trouble, He won’t turn you down. He will be a brother, and put His arm around you, help pick you up again, pray for you. Amen. [Blank spot on tape—Ed.]
50Notice, when the child was born, he was a son; but his conduct had to do with his inheritance. Now, I want you to be real honest now. Don’t you think that we’ve tried to push the inheritance just a little bit farther than God—our conduct went?
That’s what’s the matter today. We should be way on up the road yonder. But we’re way back down here. Why? It’s been our conduct; we have no respects.
Even I’ve stood in meetings and watched, and when, if I understand the Bible right . . . I may get some real good hot letters after this, but I guess it’ll be all right. I’ll just keep praying anyhow. But I’ve noticed people who had the gift of speaking in tongues, speak out of order. When the preacher was preaching, somebody would stand up and speak in tongues. That’s out of order. Spirits of prophet is subject to the prophets. The Word of God is first, never secondarily. God . . . This is God’s Word.
Revelation, Chapter Five #1
June 11, 1961 · Jeffersonville, Indiana
97What a beautiful thought this is! Let’s just read on just a minute. I want to get down here especially to the 12th verse, and 13th, 14th: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Him. In whom ye also trusted, after that you heard the word of truth, and the gospel of your salvation: in whom . . . after . . . ye believed, you were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise,
98“After ye believed.” Oh, my Baptist brother, how could you say That isn’t so? You say you receive the Holy Ghost when you believe? It said, “After you believe then you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.” Notice: Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
99Now, we find out then that a seal means that “it is a finished thing with God, it’s already settled.” And every believer was sealed with this promise from the very beginning, because before the foundation of the world we were predestined unto the adoption of sons. Before the world ever began! Oh, what a hope. That makes us rest stedfast and sure. A anchor to the soul that’s not tossed about here and there, but anchored in Christ, a hope that’s sure. “Predestinated us before the foundation of the world, to the adoptions of sons by Jesus Christ.” Oh, how wonderful! I love that: “finished work” with God.
100Now, let me just quote another Scripture to you. “All that He foreknew, He has called; all that He called, He justified; all that He has justified, He hath glorified.” All the way from the beginning, God, in His great infinite mind, foresaw His Church and predestinated it unto the adoption of children through Jesus Christ, to give them Eternal Life at the end of the age. What a beautiful thing! Brother Neville, that just makes me feel lots better. Don’t it you? Oh, yeah. Adoption by the Blood of Jesus Christ!
101Now, notice as we go on. Now, we know it’s a finish- . . . We are predestinated with the Lamb. The Holy Spirit is our Seal. The earnest means “more is yet to come.” We only have the earnest of It now. The earnest is just the down payment (Oh, how beautiful!), just the down payment that holds it and secures it and anchors it so no one else can touch it. It’s the earnest of our adoption. Amen. The Holy Spirit is now the earnest of God in our hearts (sealed), the adoption of sons awaiting us at the end of the road. Sons and daughters of God!
Ephesians 4:13 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Ephesians 4:13 AMP 13 [That it might develop] until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the [afull and accurate] knowledge of the Son of God, that [we might arrive] at really mature manhood (the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the standard height of Christ’s own perfection), the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ and the completeness found in Him.
Adoption
May 18, 1960 · Jeffersonville, Indiana
205The church is supposed to be predestinated unto the adoption of children, where a man . . . God can take a man and adopt him into the family, and give him something. That, first, try that and see if its right. The Bible said try the spirit. This man claims a certain thing, try it and see if it’s right. If it’s as right, move right with it. Then say, “Lord, send us something else.” Keep moving, see, just keep moving till every fellow take his place. Then you’re going to see the church of God begin to get its place. Then’s when the Philistines will go to backing up. The shorts will go off, hair will grow down, faces will be washed; cigars will be missing. That’s right. When the church begins to get into its mighty Power, when we have an Ananias and Sapphira, and a few of them. Yes, sir. You’ll see when that holy Church stands together in His Power, positionally placed as sons of God, adopted into the family of God, powerful Church standing there in its glory. Oh, that’s what He’s coming for.
Questions And Answers On Hebrews #2
October 2, 1957 · Jeffersonville, Indiana
386 Or, as I have went through it, the Catholic call It, “the Eternal sonship of God.” Which, as I have said before, the word doesn’t even make sense. See, there cannot be an Eternal son, because a son had to have a beginning. And so Jesus had a beginning, God had no beginning. See? But the Son was the . . . not Eternal sonship, but the Son that was with the Father in the beginning was the Logos that went out of God.
387 And it was the theophany of God that went out. The human form that didn’t have eyes like you see; a better eye. It didn’t have ears like you hear, but a far more hearing. See, It was a theophany, that, all this rainbow condescended into a—a theophany. Moses saw It when It passed through the rock like that. He saw the back parts, said, “It looked like a man.”
The Maniac Of Gadara
July 20, 1954 · Chicago, Illinois
32 . . . Jesus Christ was God manifested in flesh. Jehovah God, His Father, overshadowed the virgin Mary and formed in her a blood cell which made the Son, Christ Jesus.
And at the baptism . . . He lived as a man until He was baptized by John, at Jordan. And immediately after His baptism, John bare record seeing the Holy Ghost coming from heaven and descending in him, and going upon Him.
And before that time, John heard a Voice in the wilderness that told him, “Upon whom thou shall see the Spirit descending, and remaining, that’s the One that’ll baptize with the Holy Ghost and fire.”
And Jesus said, when He was here on earth, that, “I do nothing of Myself; it’s not Me; it’s My Father, and He dwelleth in Me.” See? Now, the Bible said that, “God the Father was in Christ the Son, reconciling the world to Himself.” See? So He was more than a Man. He was a God Man. He was not a God man, the God Man.
Jesus Christ The Same Yesterday, Today, And Forever
August 6, 1955 · Campbellsville, Kentucky
30 . . . And when Jesus, a carpenter’s Son, physically speaking, when He come to the earth here that’s all He was known of, and the day that when John baptized Him, God a vindicated Him. God spoke from the heavens. John saw Him coming in the form a dove, and said, “This is My beloved Son in Whom I’m pleased to dwell.” The right translation there is, “In whom I am pleased to dwell in.” Jesus immediately anointed with God, He was just a man till that time, but now He becomes the God-man.
Someone telling me here not long ago, as I many times referred to it in this shiftless day, that He was just a prophet, He was a good man. He was more than that. He was the anointed God. The Bible said, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself.” God in Christ. Amen.
31 Notice it. How beautiful. The Father, speaking from the heavens, when He was obedient to baptism, said, “This is My beloved Son in Whom I’m pleased to dwell in.” No wonder Jesus could say, “All the power in heavens and earth is given unto My hands.”
Christ is the Myster of God Revelead
July 28, 1963 · Jeffersonville, Indiana
341 The God Himself, saying, “This is My beloved Son in Whom I’m pleased to dwell in.” God and man becoming One.
What is the Works of God?
April 4, 1959 · Los Angeles, California
20 Now, when Jesus made Hisself known to the Jew . . . Let’s just look into the Scripture and see what He did to the Jew to make Himself known as the Messiah. I was reading out of the book of Saint John. Let’s just take Saint John, the 1st chapter. And as we read, we find out after He was tempted in the wilderness, came out, He was anointed with the Holy Spirit, was in Him. “John bare record, seeing God descending out of heaven like a dove, a voice saying, ‘This is My beloved Son in Whom I’m pleased to dwell in.’” And He dwelt in Christ. God, Jehovah, the Father dwelt in His Son Jesus Christ, tabernacled there, manifesting Himself, showing the world what He was. That’s the reason His disciples couldn’t understand Him. They say, “You speak in riddles.” It was sometime Jesus speaking, sometime the Father speaking.
Expectations
May 7, 1953 · Jonesboro, Arkansas
27 . . . When Jesus was here He was God. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, but He never used any of His gifts. When He met Satan, He brought the Kingdom of God so low, till the weakest of Christian can use it. When Satan come to Him and said, “If Thou be the Son of God, command these stones . . . ”
He said, “It is written.” The Word. He took Him up, tried to whitewash the Word for Him. And Jesus said, “And it is also written.” He took Him up to the top of the mountain, said, he had to look all these kingdoms, “I will give them to you if You’ll worship me.” He said, “It is written.” There it is.
Show Us The Father And It Suffices
August 19, 1950 · Cleveland, Ohio
43 Jesus had all the fine qualities of God in Him. Do you believe it? He had powers upon powers. But when He met Satan, He never used His power. He give an example for the weakest of Christians. When He met Satan, He said, “It is written. Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” The weakest Christian can take that stand. Hold it. Sure, God’s in His Word.
Every time when He would meet the enemy, He said, “It is written.” I believe He had power to do it. But He met Satan on the same grounds with the same Word that you can meet him with, every one, “It’s written.”
Paradox
February 6, 1964 · Bakersfield, California
201 When Jesus was standing there, and upon the shores of Galilee, John looked up and he saw the Spirit of God, like a dove, descending, and a Voice saying, “This is My beloved Son in Whom I am pleased to dwell in.” “In Whom I am pleased to dwell,” the same thing; verb before the adverb, is all, see. See? “This is My beloved Son in Whom I am pleased to dwell in.” God and man becoming one, uniting together for redemption. How God, that covered all space and time, could come down and bottle Himself into a Man, so He could taste death for all the human race! The Creator, dying, to save His creation.
202 Heavens and earth kissed each other, man and God became one (how can a man?) there, that He might dwell in man and fellowship. It’s nothing but God condescending, trying to get to His man.
We Would See Jesus
June 27, 1962 · Santa Maria, California
37 We know now He was born of the virgin. At the age of—of thirty years old He was baptized by John the baptizer; went into the wilderness, and was tempted of the devil for forty days and nights, and came out and started His ministry. The first thing we notice after He come out, well, John saw a sign over Him like a light. A form of a Dove came down from heaven, and a voice coming from that form of Dove (the Spirit of God), a voice coming from the Spirit of God, which the—the Dove was the Spirit of God, saying, “This is My beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased.” Now, that’s the—the King James version. Now, in the original version is something the same thing. It says, “in whom I’m pleased to dwell in,” and God dwelt in Christ. We know that.
He said, “It’s not Me that doeth the works. It’s My Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works.” Saint John 5:19, He said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing in himself, but what He sees the Father doing: that doeth the Son likewise.”