Three Stages to Perfection
February
6, 2002
Notice, there is
still three stages to perfection. Just like He redeems the world; same way He
redeems His church. He redeems the people in three stages. Now, look, first is
justification like Luther preached; second, sanctification like
Wesley preached; third, baptism of the Holy Ghost. That's right. Then
comes the rapture. Now, the world, how did He redeem the world? The first
what He did, when it sinned, He washed it off in water baptism. That's
right. Then He dropped His Blood upon it from the cross and sanctified it
and called it His own. And then what does He do? As He tore all the world out
of you and renovated the whole thing by the fiery baptism of the Holy
Ghost, He also will renovate the world. And it'll be burnt over with
fire and cleanse every germ for millions of miles high, and every thing will be
cleaned off. And then there is a new heaven and a new earth, just like
you are a new creature in Christ Jesus when the Holy Spirit takes a-hold of
you. See, there you are. The whole thing's just as plain as it can be.
Let's stop for a moment and look at this cleansing process of the earth. Notice the first thing brother Branham says is that God has a cleansing process for renewal.
Notice he speaks first of the three stages of perfection.
He says, first is justification and then he ties that with Luther's Message. Then he tells us the second is sanctification, and he ties that with Wesley's Message. Finally he states, the third is baptism of the Holy Ghost.
Now, first is justification.
That means you never did do it. The English word "justify"
means 1. To demonstrate
or prove to be just, right, or valid: 2. To declare free of blame; absolve.
The Apostle Paul said, ROMANS 5:1¶ Therefore being justified by faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we
have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope
of the glory of God.
Now, there are three things the Apostle Paul makes very plain to us in this statement we have just read.
Number one, he tells us tat we are justified by faith. That is the number one thing. That is what begins the whole process of redemption. That is what begins the process of perfection, this being justified by Faith. Now, faith must be an awful powerful thing in order to do this. In fact in His epistle to the Galatians, Paul warns them of turning from Faith, and going back to a form of works. And then tells them that works can never justify, but faith alone can justify.
GALATIANS 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Now, first of all before we get to big for our own good, let me tell you it is not your faith that he is talking about, but the Faith which belongs to Jesus Christ. Notice, he says, a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ,. And the word of speaks of ownership, not our faith but the faith of Jesus Christ. His Faith in God.
Notice again Paul says, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ. Again he uses that word of which means out from. Actually of is an acronym meaning out from. that we might be justified by the faith of (out from) Christ. This is the reason Paul continues with this thought in GALATIANS 2:20 where he says, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."
Notice this faith is the faith of God's Son. The Word of again, showing source, and ownership, and tells us it was the Son of God's own faith. The faith He had in God. And Paul goes on to tell us what that faith of the Son of God produced… the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me So we see that this faith of the Son of God produced two things. Number one: a love for you and me, and number two: his dying for you and me.
Now, notice we are talking about the importance of having or receiving the same faith that Jesus had. And Paul told us we are justified by this faith. Now for us to understand better what he is talking about we must understand what the word faith means. Now, the word used is a Greek word pistis which has a deeper meaning than most scholars will tell you. They want you to believe that it simply means a conviction that you have, or religious beliefs. But it is more than a conviction, and it's more than just a religious belief system. Faith is a revelation. William Branham taught us that in the Rapture sermons he preached in 1965.
RAPTURE THE 65-1204 65 Faith is a revelation, because it's something that's revealed to you. Faith is a revelation. Faith is something that has been revealed to you like it was to Abraham, that could call anything contrary to what had been revealed to him as though it wasn't so. Now, faith... That's what faith is, is the revelation of God.
Not only is faith a revelation, something that has been revealed to you, but since Paul also taught us there is One Lord, and One Faith, then we know that our faith is the revelation of that One Lord. Who He is and what He is here for.
That is why when Paul tells us ROMANS 5:1¶ Therefore being justified by faith, (he is telling us our justification comes by our receiving the same revelation of God that Jesus received. And Notice the benefits of receiving that great revelation of God.) we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (Notice, we are justified by Revelation, and this revelation brings us into a peace with God, THROUGH our Lord Jesus Christ.) Notice it is through knowing this relationship of the Son of God to the Father and the Father to the Son, that brings a peace, because when we see that we also are sons of the same One and Only True God, and we se the hand that He had with His Son, and the obedience of the Son, our older brother, then we realize that our justification, our being made righteous, or rightly wise by this revelation, and our being declared free of all guilt is what brings us a peace which surpasses all understanding.
Then Paul tells us this faith,
or this revelation also brings us, or gives us further access into the grace of
God. 2 By whom also we have access by faith into
this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Therefore, as I have been teaching about the change of the body, and the renewing of the inner man, all begins by receiving the Word of God, that has been made alive by the personal presence of the Life Giver Himself.
Now in chapter 8 of Romans,
Paul tells us more about this justification process. ROMANS 8:29 ¶ For whom he did
foreknow, he also did predestinate [to be] conformed to the image of his Son,
that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did
predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified:
and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Paul tells us that if we are to
be justified at all, we had to be foreknown and predestinated to it, because he
tells us that not only are we then justified, which means to be found
guiltless, blameless, and righteous, but we are to be conformed to the very
image of our older brother Jesus. For whom he did
foreknow, he also did predestinate [to be] conformed to the image of his Son,
that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. or as the
Weymouth translation says, That He might be the
eldest in a vast family of brothers.
Therefore, let me summarize justification, which is the first stage of perfection. Justification. Justification is being considered righteous, blameless, and entirely free from guilt. Not only by the judging party, but you also are set free from any guilt you may have yourself. And this brings us peace. Now, if the accusers stop their accusations, I might have peace if I know I am truly not guilty. But if I think I am guilty, it does not matter whether anyone else knows, I still know. But to have a true peace is to know you are totally and unequivocally guiltless, and guilt free. Not only are you publicly proclaimed to be free of guilt, but you know yourself that you are. And we are told this condition is made possible by receiving the same revelation that Jesus had. And what revelation is that? Knowing your own son-ship, and your relationship to the Father of Glory. And by receiving this revelation it sets you free from all guilt and shame. It sets you free from all accusations of the devil. For your life is hid with Christ in God. That is why a wrong understanding of the Godhead could never set you completely free from your own guilt and shame. But knowing your position in Christ, knowing you are hid with Christ in God, and that God considers you guilt-less brings you a peace which no one can describe with words.
COLOSSIANS 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, [who is] our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. 5 ¶ Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Notice, he tells us that we are hid away with Christ in God. Therefore, we should not fear anything. For he says, when Christ who is our life shall phaneroo, then we shall phaneroo with Him also in Glory. Now we know that the word phaneroo means to manifest in ones true character, and this tells us that when Christ manifests in His true character, we shall also manifest in our true character. And we know our true character is the one that is being molded in affliction by the fiery trials we are ordained to go through. Just think of that, God molding His own character into His children. Therefore we are set free from all guilt, and have set our affection on things above like the apostle Paul said here.
Now the second stage brother Branham speaks of concerning our perfection is sanctification. Sanctification means 1. To set apart for sacred use; consecrate. 2. To make holy; purify. Therefore there is a double meaning. To cleanse and set apart for service. It does not mean that we must put on an act.
It simply means we must separate ourselves from everything which defiles. We must be ready to serve. The first part is to set aside, and the setting aside is what does the cleansing. Now, I want you to understand that. The setting aside is what when the cleasning takes place. And we must understand the reason for the setting aside. The reason for setting aside is to be ready to serve. The cleansing is not something we can do or ourselves anyway. It is not an act, but a washing of water by the Word. Psalm 119 How does a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed to the Word thereof.
What good does it do us if we are set aside and not ready to serve. The problem with sanctification is that men want their own hand in it. Man focuses on the cleansing, and makes it into a legalistic ordeal, instead of the being set aside for service. He wants to do for God when God may not want him to do. That has always been the story with man. It seems, man is always trying to do God a service without it being His will. Again, Paul made it quite clear that our justification is apart from any works that we might do. You cannot buy your way into favor with God, nor can you work your way into his favor. The problem is that people have made sanctification a work rather than a setting apart for service. Setting yourself aside in order that you might heed the call, is not the same as walking in a legalistic form or fashion where you touch not and taste not.
The Apostle Paul said in COLOSSIANS 2:20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, 21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
Notice then the key to sanctification is considering yourself dead to the rudiments of the world. Now, this does not mean that you will have no desire to eat or to fellowship or to do things which are necessary in order to live in this world. But what he is saying here is that if you are truly dead to the cares of this life, then you will be in a condition much like those who are waiting to be raised from the dead physically. These are truly in every way set aside, and they are simply awaiting the call to come forth. They are at rest, or said to be resting in the Lord. And that is the exact same condition we should be in, at least if we truly have been sanctified, or set aside for service. It should not matter to us what the service is that we are called to. The main thing is that we are ready for the call.
Now, how are we sanctified? By
any of our own actions? No, but by the Word of Truth. In fact that is exactly
what Jesus said, JOHN 17:14 Now as we read this Scripture, I want
you to picture this scene Jesus is speaking of in your mind. Notice what He
says to the Father first. "I have given them
thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world,
even as I am not of the world. Notice he mentions to the Father that
He gave these brethren the Fathers Word and the world hates them for it. Then
we should not marvel when you take a stand for the Father's Word and you are
hated for it. You should actually be praising God for allowing you the
privilege to walk in the same footsteps of your older brother Jesus.
Jesus continues, 15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Here we see Jesus identify the source of those who stand for the Word is the same source as Himself. He says, neither of us is from this world, so keep them from evil that the world would love to cast upon them. Then He tells us how we are sanctified. 17 ¶ Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. First of all, I want you to notice that our sanctification is not some great work that we must perform for God. It is simply allowing the Word to come into our hearts and take over.
Now, although the word sanctify means to cleanse and be set aside for service, the main focus is not the cleansing, nor is it the being set aside, but the main focus of the sanctification process is the becoming ready, for service. Yet we see the main action, if you can call it an action, is the being set aside.
HOW
CAN I OVERCOME 63-0825M 46 The people can live a clean, holy life,
not be sinful, adulterers, and drinkers, and liars, gamblers; they can live
above that and still not with it. This is the age of life, personal Life of
Christ, where the chemicals of His Body, what was in Him; first, under
Justification, the water baptism; second, under the new birth of Wesley,
sanctification which cleanses; and thirdly, under the baptism of the Holy
Spirit, putting that sanctified vessel into service... See? The word
"sanctify" means--it's a compound Greek word which means
"cleaned and set aside for service." Set aside for service, now the
Holy Spirit puts it in service. See?
It almost sounds like a paradox, because we think in our minds that to be ready to do service means we are all fired up, and all outfitted and re4ady to go, and the engines are all revved up, and the horses have been all tethered and set into their harnesses and fastened to the cart, but that is not the case at all. The service is not like you think. Jesus explains what the service is in the next verse.
18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. To do what? To receive the Word, and then we give it to others. That's the big assignment. That's the big work. We are to lay in the presence of the son to ripen, and then speak this same word to others that they might ripen in it. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. 20 ¶ Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; Therefore the whole purpose of our sharing the Words of the Father, is not only for the one to whom we share them, but for the others who will benefit through their sharing the Words of the Father as well. Notice what Jesus said here. He says, I came to the world to speak the Father's Word to my family of brethren. They in turn will receive it and share it with the brethren, and the Word of the Father will keep moving forward from one brother to the next brother, and then again to the next brother, and again to the next. And that is what sanctification is all about.
And once we have been sanctified or set aside for service, we are born and then God fills us with His Word, which is His Spirit. Jesus said in John 6:63, My words are spirit and they are life.
Now, you are not filled when you are born again. You are simply born, like brother Branham said, the first cell must be the word and then each cell will also be the Word, word upon word, and cell upon well, building forth that Word body. Now, we are speaking then not of the birth itself, but of the baptism of the Spirit. The new birth comes by hearing the Word. The Word quickens the gene seed and makes it come alive to the Word. Then the word becomes a living reality to the believer in Christ. And the Son is born again. But this does not mean you are filled, no not yet.
COUNTDOWN 62-0909M 37 So if a man sets on the thought of just justification's all you have to have, he's wrong, wrong. He's got to be wrong. And then if the church who believes like the many of the Pentecostals, that the Holy Ghost is it, that's all, "just repent and get the Holy Ghost," that's still wrong, because you've got to get sanctification in there to cleanse it before the Holy Ghost comes in. If you don't, you leave out the Blood. See? And the new birth, as people talks that the baptism of the Holy Ghost is the new birth. Now, that's wrong. The baptism of the Holy Ghost is different from the new birth. The new birth is when you're born again. But the Holy Ghost is when power comes into that birth for service. That's exact. See? The Holy Ghost is, baptized into the Holy Ghost.
QA
HEBREWS PART 2 57-1002 271-373 The baptism of the Holy Ghost is a different act from the
new birth. One is a birth; one is a baptism. One brings you Eternal Life; the
other one gives you power. It gives power into Eternal Life (See?) to operate.
Now, you got it? Okay, all right.
Now, I want you to notice what brother Branham is saying here. He says there is a difference between the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the new birth. Sure, one is the power of God coming upon the believer, and the other is the new Life coming forth in the believer. But although these are two different things, yet you cannot have the one without the other. But it doesn’t work both ways. You can have the baptism of the Holy Spirit without having the new birth, but you cannot have the new birth without the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The difference is that you can be baptized every hour of your life with the genuine Holy Spirit and still never receive a new birth if there is no gene seed in you to be born.
Notice what brother Branham says in POSITION IN CHRIST 60-0522M 66 And then God gave His children new birth by the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
#1. He cleanses it with the washing of water in baptism. Notice, God cleansed the world by the flood and that killed off much of the sin, but not all of it. Just like justification. It begins the process but does not finish it. And as we know when God cleansed the world from sin by the flood, yet sin was carried over in the ark and began again on the other side of the great baptism by water.
Now, this ought to show us that justification is not enough. After all, it is a three fold process. And even then it's not completely over.
Brother Branham warned us that many people stop short at justification, and even sanctification. Notice, the next step God did to cleanse the earth. He shed the blood of His Only Begotten Son upon it and this cleansed it, but did sin stop? Not so. And so neither will sanctification rid you entirely of sin in this body. Then the next thing, there must be a Holy burning fire come into this vessel and purge it further. And brother Branham types the fiery baptism of the Holy Spirit with the fiery cleansing which is to come upon this earth and cleanse it as he said a million miles all around it. But is it over then?
No sire, then there will come a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and earth have passed away. And if you do not truly die out to self you will never complete your journey towards perfection either. There must be a death in order to have a burial. We are not supposed to bury people alive, for if they are living when they go under, they will be living when they come back up from that watery grave.
Brother Branham said what is wrong with the church today, they are baptizing to many sinners. He said they go into the water a dry sinner and come up a wet one. Therefore, they do not change. They only hang around for a period to find fault and when they do they depart in arrogance.
HARVEST TIME 64-1212 107 Remember, the Bible said, "In the mouth of three witnesses, let every word be established." We'll get on that, in a few minutes, on the three temptations of Jesus; the three temptations of ministers today, where they make the fall; three temptations of the church, and where they make their fall; three temptations of an organization, where it makes its fall; and the three temptations in the individuals, and where they make their fall. Now, it all runs in three's, like justification, sanctification, baptism of the Holy Ghost; Father, Son, Holy Ghost. Everything is perfected in three.
I will never forget as long as I live that young man we baptized in the Licking River about 10 years ago. I buried him in that cold and muddy water, and when he came up, he was not a changed man. In fact he had had an alcohol problem, and when he came up out of the water, he stood there, and all of a sudden up popped a beer can right in front of him. Well, it does not take a spiritual genius to know that he went down a dry sinner and came up a wet one as evidenced by the witness of the beer can. Now, do you think that was just a circumstance? Or do you believe that God is real, and had rejected this man's insincere baptism. Well, I believe the beer can was his testimony, because soon after that he left the Message altogether, and went back to drinking.
Do you believe that what you are here is a reflection of what you are somewhere else? You certainly cannot fool God. And God showed all of us who were there and saw this witness of the man's life.
When I walked forth from my watery grave in 1974, I looked up into the sky and saw three stars shoot across the sky one right after another. What does that mean? I don't know. But I do know that three is a witness. When Jesus was born three stars, the stars of Ham, Shem and Japheth came together, announcing the King of Kings. But what about three stars falling? I just don't know. Three is a witness, but a witness of what? Brother Branham said, "three is a witness and a confirmation in the Scripture". So then something was confirmed in the heaven's when I came forth out of my watery grave, but what? I do not know. Three stars coming to earth, what does it mean?
END TIME SIGN SEED 62-0319
E-78 Now, what's happened? We see
a roar in the paper, across the television out across the nations, where five stars
just fell in line with the world. What's five? A number of grace. Every time
those stars come in, something happens on earth. What taken place? Five stars
fell in. What was it, a--a introducing of what?
PATMOS VISION 60-1204E 165 The end of this verse, let's read it. ...
And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the
seven golden candlesticks one like... the Son of man,... My. Did you notice?
Stars, candlesticks, lamps, what does it mean? What does this mean? That the dispensation
that we're living in is nighttime; candles and lights and stars mean night. And
what does a star do? It reflects the light of the sun until the sun returns.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord. And a true minister of God don't reflect some
flashlight, some match stem, some shuck a-burning; he reflects the golden rays
of Christ to the church, that "He's the same, and He's alive, and He shine
on me." Amen. That's the Light he reflects. The star reflects the light of
the sun (See?), so we're reflecting the Light of the Son of God, doing the same
thing He did, giving Light. What kind of light? Gospel light to those...
THIS DAY THIS SCRIPTURE 65-0219 21-4
When I was baptizing my seventeenth person under this Witness (and you know the
rest of the story), and when I was standing there baptizing that seventeenth
person, a Light come down from heaven, a shining down above there like a star
falling from heaven. A Voice said, "As John the Baptist was sent to
forerun the first coming of Christ, your Message shall forerun His second
coming into all the world." This day this Scripture is fulfilled. Thank
You, Lord.
JESUS CHRIST THE SAME 63-0627 111 And when they seen
those three stars come in a line, that was a sign, an old Hebrew sign, that
when those three stars come in line, the Messiah was on the earth. They come
screaming, "Where is He, born King of the Jews? We saw His Star and we've
come to worship Him."
UNITING TIME AND SIGN 63-0818 38 That Light was right
there when John stood there before the multitudes, and thousands out on the
bank there of clergymen, and--and sages, great men. And John said himself he
bore record of seeing the Spirit of God descending like a dove and come down
upon Him, and a Voice saying, "This is My beloved Son in Whom I am pleased
to dwell." And nobody saw It but John. See? It was just for him. Did you
notice how vivid the sign for the wise men? They looked, there was... They were
Hebrews. They wasn't really Indian astronomers; they were Hebrews; because they
were up there in that country studying astronomy to finish their education. And
when they was--looked towards Jerusalem, and knowing that they saw those three
stars from each one of their--their birth path, of Ham, Shem, and Japheth, of
which race they come from, each, and they seen them stars in their birth path.
That was a sign to them, that when those stars were in line, the Messiah was on
earth.
SOULS IN PRISON NOW 63-1110M
13-2 The stars, when they cross their cycles and
so forth, I was born under that sign, and I'd never be a success in the east,
I'd have to go west. And last year I took off west to fulfill what a lifetime's
desire has been (See?) to do it.
INFLUENCE
63-1114 153 Just as sure as
them wise men knew, when they looked down from Babylon and seen them three
stars in line, that was the sign the Messiah was already on earth. That's
the reason they were crying, "Where is He, born King of the Jews?"
And the church didn't have the answer. They haven't got it today. The Bible is
what's got it. God's Word is what's got it. That's right.
SUPER SIGN 63-1129 53 How many wise men
were in Babylon studying astronomy when these three wise men knew that when,
though, in that solar system, when them three stars lined up, it was a sign the
Messiah was on the earth? They knew it. They believed it. And they was the one
who saw the stars. The rest of them didn't see them. They were in their right
constellation, but they saw them in the way that God had presented them to
them.