The Perfection

...and to be here to worship together with you. And now just before the message, I have my good friend here on the platform tonight, Dr. Lee Vayle, from First Baptist Church at Lima, Ohio, who was one of my sponsors at the Lima meeting. I asked him, coming down tonight, if he would just say a word to the congregation, maybe pertaining to the Lima meeting, for the next moment or two. And I'm glad to ... happy to introduce to you tonight, Dr. Lee Vayle, another Baptist that's got the Holy Ghost.

[Brother Lee Vayle testifies of many people being healed.] Amen. God bless you, Brother Vayle, too.

That was all pretty strong for a Baptist pastor, wasn't it? Well, we are very happy to have Brother Vayle with us. And certainly the doors are open for him to come back and visit us at any time he can. And now tonight.... Tomorrow night is The Entombment Of The Lord Jesus.

Sunday morning is the six o'clock sunrise service. And I believe the brother has announced the further part of the service. Now let us pray just a moment.

Blessed Lord, Thy Word is truth, and we are thankful for men who handle it, fearless, as they give it out to the people. And as we open up the Bible tonight, or turn back its pages, may the blessed Holy Ghost come and open the Word of understanding to us. Through Jesus Christ, we ask it. Amen.

Lord, this great night that we are celebrating, of the crucifixion of our blessed Lord. I wish to read tonight from His own precious lips, the words that He had written in His book. In St. Matthew, the 4th chapter, we ... and the 47th and 48th verse, we read this:

And if you salute your brethren only, what do you more than others? do not even the publicans so?

But be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

And tonight we gave out that we were going to speak on the subject of Perfection. Now, that seems like a very strange text to take for the night of the crucifixion of our Lord. But today, perhaps, you've been listening to the radio, and heard the different messages and the messengers, how they presented that great awful day when our Lord died for the sins of the world. So, I have chosen tonight to go around a different way to get to it, so it would be a little different and might refreshen you a little. And may the blessed Holy Spirit inspire the Word now as we take the effort to bring it.

God requires perfection. We want to bear that in mind: that there's nothing just part way can go in the presence of God. It must be perfect; our worship, everything.

Now, in the garden of Eden, God had Adam and Eve in the garden. And they sinned and transgressed the laws of God, by sinning, disobedience. And when transgression comes, disobedience is the transgression of the law. And the law of God, Him being holy, just unadulterated holy, therefore no spot of unholiness can ever stand in His presence. So, if sin came in the world by transgression, then sin must be dealt with before the sinner can ever stand in the presence of God.

Now, if there is no law, then there is no justice. But law requires ... or, justice requires a law. And the law, when it is called on, it projects justice.

Now, by the law, no flesh is saved. Now, the law cannot save us. The law was just the thing that put us in jail, but it has no redeeming power. The law only showed us that we were sinners, and condemned us. That's what law is to do. It's to bring condemnation, or to show you where your mistake is. So the law, in itself, could not save. It could only prosecute.

And God, being holy and just, He had to have a prosecution. He had to prosecute the sinner, because he had overstepped the boundaries of grace, and had become a law-breaking citizen. Then, he must be dealt with.

And every law has a penalty. For, the penalty of transgressing God's law is death. And it had to project death to the human race. And all of the human race is under the penalty of this law.

Now, when Adam and Eve had sinned, there was no way, no other remedy, that they could ever stand in the presence of God again, except this sin be dealt with. And no man can commit a sin of any type, no matter how little or how big, that individual sin has to be dealt with before the one who committed it can ever stand in the presence of the Holy God.

So, therefore, when Adam and Eve had sinned and had transgressed the law, they were subjects of death. And the law had to be executed. Therefore, it put all the human race under the penalty of death. Now, if we can only settle down for a few moments now in our thinking, and look at this great picture, and remember that every person here is included in this. Every man and woman, child, is included in the penalty of death, by the transgression of the head of the human race, Adam. By his transgression, every one of us fell victim to sin.

And sin must be dealt with. And so, God, in His great infinity and His great love.... The law was to separate the sinner from his Maker; then he become annihilated—and totally annihilated. There would be no way for him to ever come back unless that sin was dealt with. And it would be very easy then to believe in a total annihilation of a sinner at the end, for he is completely, forever separated from the presence of God.

Now notice this sin. And how God, being just (and He could do nothing else but be just, for He is the resource of all justice), then there would be nothing else for Him to do but to place the penalty for this transgression. And the penalty was death, for He said, “The day you eat thereof, that day thou shall surely die.” Now, it's a dark picture we have here.

But then, if we go back just a little further and find out the very attributes of God, the Bible plainly tells us that “God is love.” But yet, being love, He has to be just. So, love does not mean just a thing that can be petted and played with. Love is the justice of God.

Now, when God seen that His children had transgressed His law and that they must die the death, then sovereign love stepped in to make a way. For, God seen that these children was to be absolutely, totally annihilated from His presence. There was nothing else to be done, for they had transgressed His law, and the penalty of His law was death.

And then, love of God went out for His subjects. And when divine love is projected, sovereign grace produces the object of the love. And God, by foreknowledge, when He loved His race so well; yet, with the penalty, He caused the substitutionary death to take place in the garden of Eden. That was, He substituted an innocent creature, a little lamb that knowed no sin, and it went for a substitute, to work and to die in the stead of the guilty sinner. And it was a lamb, slain, to hold the life of His subject.

All through the Old Testament they offered the blood of lambs and goats, sheep, bulls and heifers—a substitutionary death. But, all in the great economy of God, there was back in His mind the real object coming, which would be.... Them were shadows of the real object that was to come. And the real object was to come, was His only begotten Son. All the lambs that died was only a shadow. And a shadow is only the negative side of an object. And they only spoke of Calvary coming.

Now for a picture of this, let's turn in our Bibles, to the book of Hebrews, and pick up here what Paul, the great apostle speaking, trying to separate these things for us. In the 10th chapter of the book of Hebrews, we read this.

And I just love the Word. The Word is the truth. And I like to read it before my congregation, because I know that in the judgment I'll stand with them, and I've got to give an account. So if I bring it from the Word, then I'll not be guilty; because it's the Word, and God's responsible for His Word.

We see so much today, of evangelists and so forth, building up around personalities. Oh, it's a disgraceful thing! And we find out, in going into churches ... we go into church and you find a certain pastor; he's got some little peculiar act about him, some little emotion. If you don't notice, the entire congregation will take that spirit. If he's just a little emotional, or jerks his head, or some little odd thing, well, the whole church will take onto that. And we've got today in our modern churches, to where it's sensations and little things like that. And it's got such a confusion. But, oh, my beloved brethren, if there ever was a time that we ought to be on the Word, it's today.

You see, I would hate to stand at the judgment and know that I had some little fickle-something of a little peculiar revelation, and misled people. I don't want them to have my spirit or my action, but I want them to have God's Spirit by God's Word, that produces truth.

So, on this great occasion tonight, I would like to read from God's eternal Word. Now, we realize that the law existed for many years, but the law could never take away sin. As I have said in the past, it was just a jail house; it was the great detective that told you what you had done, but had no remedy to deliver you. It put you in the pawnshop, but there was no redeemer to take you out, with it. It only prisons you, to let you know that you was a sinner. But now notice in Hebrews, the 10th chapter, as we read.

For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image....

Remember, it was a shadow of an image to come. A shadow only introduces that there is a image making the shadow.

A shadow of the things to come, and not the very image [Notice.] of the things. ... the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which were offered, ... continually make the comers unto perfect.

Now, God, in the beginning, required perfection. Jesus, when He come to earth, said, “Be ye perfect, like God in heaven is perfect.” And the law, having a shadow of things to come, could never make the worshipper perfect. You get the picture? Now, let's go it again so you'll be sure not to miss it. God requires perfect holiness. No one can stand in His image, with one little speck of sin. Jesus witnessed the same, and said, “Be perfect, just like God in heaven is perfect.”

And the Bible says that the law could never, with its sacrifices, make the comer perfect. Then, the law could not perfect anything. It was only a pointer. These sacrifices, made every year, could never make the worshipper perfect. So therefore, no one under the law, or keeping of laws, or under the shadows, could be perfect.

For [2nd verse] then would they not have ceased to've been offered?

If there is anything that I can do to make myself perfect in the presence of God, then Christ did not have to die for me. If there is one thing that you can do that would merit anything in the presence of God, then Christ died in vain. No law-keeping, no legalistic ideas of yours, none of your own holiness, no things that you could quit doing, quit lying, quit stealing, quit smoking tobacco, quit going to the picture shows; still you are lost. Nothing can do it! Joining churches, rituals, ceremonies, baptisms, orders of the church, reading of creeds, saying of prayers; all those things would count nothing. You are lost! Not one thing can you do in yourself, for you are a sinner under condemnation. And there's not no way within yourself, or any creed, or anything that you could do or think of, of yourself, that could merit one thing in the presence of God, because you are a sinner to start with.

And the Bible declares that we were all born in sin, shaped in iniquity, come to the world speaking lies. And God could not take one man to die for the other, because one is just as guilty as the other. In the presence of God, the archbishop born in this world was as guilty as the lowest barfly in the city. One cannot atone for the other.

Therefore, he took an innocent life of an animal, a little lamb. And under the Old Testament (the law was), when a man sinned, he brought the lamb to the altar. Say if he transgressed any of the commandments, he brought the lamb and he laid it on the altar, he laid his hands upon the lamb and he confessed his sins, that he was wrong and knowed that he was guilty and the law required death. And he brought the lamb in his stead. And when he.... The throat of the little animal was cut, and it begin to kick its little feet, and bleating. If you ever seen a lamb slaughtered, what a pitiful cry! The poor little fellow trying to bleat, and his little jugular vein is cut. And as he kicks and quivers, and as he straightens out, then quivers again and bleats, and the blood gushes. It bathes his little wool and the worshipper's hands.

And as the worshipper realizing, for committing adultery, for lying, stealing, whatever his guilt was, or even evil thinking, whatever it was in the least shadow, he was guilty, because it was his nature. He was a guilty person, not maybe by desire, but by nature he was guilty. And he had to recognize that this innocent little lamb died in his place. And he felt sorry for the little thing.

But the man, as soon as the lamb finally died, with the blood of the lamb upon his hands, he walked from the building with the same desire in his heart, that he had at the beginning. Why? Because the life that was in the little lamb.... Life lays in the blood. Your life is in your blood. We know that. And the life in the blood of the lamb was animal life; therefore, when its little corpuscles were broken and the life went out of the animal, it could not come back to the worshipper, because the worshipper was a human being.

The blood made a covering, but it could not perfectly atone; for the man left the building, with the same desire to sin, as he had in the first place. But, doing this, he was looking forward to a time when there would be a perfect Lamb come. And he did it on the burnt offering, because it was the only way he knew about.

So, you see, when the blood was pouring, and the life went from the animal, it could not come back to the man; for one was animal, one was man; an innocent animal, to a guilty man.

But, oh, one day, some two thousand years ago, the Lamb of God was born down in a little manger in Bethlehem, and was led like a sheep to its slaughter. Some nineteen hundred years ago, this afternoon, at three o'clock He died. The spotless blemish Lamb of God hung on Calvary's cross and died for every sinner. Now, when the worshipper comes to this Lamb, by faith.... And this is a different type of Lamb. It's not a Lamb like the other.

No man can come to this Lamb, except God draws him first. You see God's sovereignty? Oh, I hope this soaks way down deep now. Look. God knowed He had sheep in this world. He knowed He was going to have people to be saved, and His love looked down and seen those who would be saved; therefore, by foreknowledge, He predestinated a church to meet Him yonder, without spot or wrinkle. And if God required a church without spot or wrinkle, He had to have something to make it that way. He could not required.... His justice, His judgments could not let Him ask such a thing if there wasn't a way to make it.

And man cannot do it in himself. He's a total failure. God let him see that through the law, through the judges, and through all the Old Testament. He sent the prophets, He sent the righteous men, and they found out that every one failed.

So, God, by His sovereign grace, sent, from the portals of Glory, His only begotten Son, to take our place.

Remember, if He would've said for the Pope of Rome to take it, he could not have done it. If He would've said for the Archbishop of Canterbury to do it, he could not have done it. If He would have called on the most holy reverend father or bishop of the world, he could not have done it. He'd have been just as far rejected as Judas Iscariot was. He could not do it, because he was born in sin, shaped in iniquity, come to the world speaking lies, and needed atonement for himself.

Hallelujah! But there came One from the portals of Glory; none other, not a man, not a good man, neither a Jew nor a Gentile. He was nothing less than Almighty God, hid in human flesh. He came, Himself, to offer His own blood, for it did not come through sex. Sex had nothing to do with it. But He overshadowed a virgin, and brought forth from a blood cell that He created, Himself, the innocent One.

Then my salvation, yours, tonight, does not hinge upon the merits of our own acts. It hinges upon the positive sovereign grace of Almighty God who has chosen us in Him. Certainly. I could never be perfect, nor you could never be perfect. And we don't claim to be perfect. But we have this one consolation, that our faith rests in a perfect sacrifice that's already been received.

Then how do we know that we get that? When the worshiper puts his hands, by faith, upon the body of the Lord Jesus, and feels the terror of sin, and the mock of spit in his own face, feels the groanings of Gethsemane, the agonies of Calvary, and knows that he's guilty, and confesses his sins correctly, “O Blessed Lord, I am guilty. And I have no other way but You to help me. And by faith.... You're bidding, the Holy Spirit has come and bids me come. And I now, by faith, accept Jesus as my personal Saviour.” That life that come from Him on Calvary, called the Holy Ghost, which was hid in the blood cell of the Lord Jesus, returns to the worshipper and baptizes him with the Holy Ghost, into the body of Christ.

Then he's already judged. You don't have to worry about judgment. As I turn and look at that little crucifix, I realize that that represents His body. And now that body has already been judged. God can't justly judge it again, for it's already judged. God struck the judgments of death upon that body. And as long as I can find a way to get hid in that body! His judgment was struck for me and for you. We are free! Romans 8:1, said, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, that walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” There you are: No condemnation! I don't care what comes or what goes, you are hid beneath the blood.

Again, how do we get into that body? I Corinthians 12:13, says that by one Spirit! How does the Spirit come? Through the Sacrifice. Where did the spirit lay? Within the blood. Why couldn't the animal come back? It was an animal. The animal spirit could not come to the human spirit and do anything to it, because the human spirit was a higher line of life than the animal. But no other man's spirit could come back. If you've got the spirit of some ancestor, it's spiritualism. But God Himself came, that His own Spirit, which is the highest line of spirit there is, can come back by the form of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, to the worshipper, through the blood of Christ, and take him into the body. He is safe.

Watch. The blood of bulls and goats would not work, seeing it was weak. Now let's start reading, about the 12th verse. All right. The blood of bulls and goats could not work, neither could it atone. Watch.

But this man, [What Man? The bishop? No. The pope? No.] But this man, after he ... offered one sacrifice for sin for ever, sat down at the right hand of God;

From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

Are you ready? Are you ready for the Word? Listen to this; then I want you to let it sink down. Listen closely.

For by one offering [not year by year, not revival after revival, not meeting after meeting, not day after day] ... But by one offering he has p-e-r- f-e-c-t-e-d [They have? He has!] ... by one offering he has perfected [That's God's requirement.] for ever them that are sanctified.

There you are. That's the answer to the death of Christ. That's the answer to Calvary. He absolutely, with His own blood, purchased our sins, and perfected forever His believers. Therefore, in Christ we stand blameless, perfected in the presence of God Almighty. We are underprivileged people, with our own doctrines; we'll been taught that we have to get up to a certain place, we have to do a certain thing. No, my brother, it's nothing you've done; it's what God did for you! We are now, if we are justified by faith, we are perfected forever in the presence of God.

Then Jesus said, “Be ye therefore perfect.” Then, it was perfected forever. God, through the death of Christ, nineteen hundred years ago, today, perfected the believer, that He foresaw before the foundation of the world, forever. And those who He has called, He has justified. “Those who He foreknew, He has called; those who He has called, He has justified; those who He has justified, He has already glorified.” He has perfected His believers.

Now watch, let's go back now to the 1st verse.

...the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of those things, can never with those sacrifices which were offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

Watch “perfect,” is what we're talking about.

For then they should not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshipper once purged would have ... no more conscience of sin.

What do you mean? The word conscience there, and right interpretation is “desire.” And if a man comes (the worshipper.) correctly, before Christ, seeing His suffering, and he offers himself to Christ, and says, “O Lord God, there is nothing in me that can atone, but I'm wholly depending on You.” Then that Holy Spirit comes into the human heart; the very sin question is settled forever, for every desire of sin has been taken from you. For if the law could have done that, them sacrifices would not've had to cease; but being that it could not do it, Christ had to die to make us perfect.

Friends, there is so many things that we could say tonight, about the perfection. We are always trying to gouge the eyes out of somebody else, to make ourself just a little holier than they are. But if we only looked at the picture, it's only God's grace that we are what we are.

Here some time ago, in Ohio, I learned a lesson the hard way. I was having a meeting down in Ohio, and I was staying out in the country. Because of the masses, I could not stay in the city.

We had been eating at a little Dunkard restaurant. And such lovely little waitresses, and decently dressed, and clean as they could be, very ladylike, waited on us. It was a little spot of heaven, to eat in such a place. Their kitchen was spick-and-span. And on Sunday they closed up and they went to their church. I got a little hungry; I was going to preach Sunday afternoon.

And I went over to an ordinary little ... just a common little American restaurant, to get something to eat. And when I walked in the door, what did I hear but a slot machine going. And was standing there a man of my age, which perhaps was a married man, with his arm around a woman, playing a slot machine. Our very law, the protection of our righteousness, of our goods, was standing there violating a thing that he was supposed to be protecting (because, it's illegal to gamble in Ohio), playing a slot machine.

And I turned and looked towards the back of the building. There was a bunch of teen-age boys, and an old rock-and-roll records on the machine, playing. A young lady of about eighteen years old, very neatly under her anatomy as a woman. But she was standing there with her dress hanging low in the front, and one of those boys with his hands on the girl, where they did not belong. And they were smoking and drinking. And I thought, “O God, how can You stand it?”

And I looked over to my right, when I heard someone make out a big groan. And there sat an aged woman, probably sixty years, or seventy years old. She had on those little old vulgar clothes, just about halfway up her limbs, and her poor old wrinkled flesh was just as flabby as it could be. And she had on this here lip makeup, and a great big purple thing on the side of her face, painted; a little pair of shoes on, sandals, with purple toenails, painted; purple fingernails, painted. And her hair was cut real short, and curled up, and dyed blue. And I looked at her.

And across the table sat two men, drunk. One of them (it was summertime) with a big old army overcoat on, with a gray scarf wrapped around his neck, and whiskers all over his face, belching and going on. And they excused theirself, the men did, from her, and started walking out like this, to the restroom.

I stood there. And I said, “God, why don't You destroy the whole thing? Why don't You just sink it beneath the earth?” I said, “Is my little Sarah and Rebekah going to have to grow up under such stuff as that?” I said, “How can You, God, in Your great holiness, ever stand to look at such a thing like that, and not send an earthquake and sink it?”

And as I was standing there, condemning the woman, as I was, I stepped back behind the door. I felt the Spirit of God come to me, and I stepped behind the door.

And I seen like something whirling. And when it was, in the vision, it was the world turning around and around. And as I noticed, around the world was a scarlet streak, around the world. And as I got to the world, I seen myself, just a little boy, doing things that I ought not to do; maybe not like that, but it was sin. And every time I did anything, I seen that great black shadow go towards heaven. Which, God would have killed me at that minute.

Then I seen standing between me and God, stood that perfect Sacrifice. I seen Him standing there with the thorns on His head, and the spit hanging on His face. And every time my sins would start towards God, He would reach out and catch it, like the bumper on the car. He was protecting me from death. And every time I'd do anything wrong, God would have killed me. Certainly, His holiness requires it. His law requires it. And every time I'd do anything, or you do anything, the blood of Jesus Christ acts like a bumper. And I seen that scarlet streak meant then that the blood still holds the earth.

And as I stood, looking, I got a little closer to Him as I noticed Him. And I could hear Him say, “Father, forgive him; he doesn't know what he's doing.” And I looked down, and there laid a book. And there was a recording Angel there, and standing by His side. And every time I sinned, it was put down on the book. And my name was on it. And I realized that some day, that blood streak would be lifted and I'd have to stand in the presence of God, with my sinful life. But, I seen, by His mercy He was holding off my judgment.

I went to Him, humbly. I knelt on my knees, and I said, “O Jesus, Thou Son of God, I am unworthy to come in Your presence. But will You please forgive me for what I have done?”

He touched His side with His hand, took the old book and wrote “Pardoned” on it, throwed it back behind Him, and my sins were gone. Then He looked me stern in the face. He said, “Now I have forgiven you, but you want to condemn her.” Then I seen what it meant.

As I come out of the vision, I walked over to her. I said, “How do you do?”

She was drinking. She looked up at me, and she said, “Oh, hello.”

I said, “Could I sit down?”

She said, “I have company.”

I said, “I don't mean it in that way, lady. I just want to speak to you, a minute.”

She said, “Be seated.”

And I said, “Lady, just a few minutes ago, standing yonder behind that door....” I begin to tell her. And as I begin to look, the tears begin to run down her cheeks. And she told me.... I said, “Lady, you don't mean to do these things. Jesus died, and the judgments of God is held off by His blood. You don't mean to do this.”

And she said, “No, sir.” She said, “My father was a deacon in church. I was raised in a Christian home. My husband and I were charter members, and lived a Christian life.” She begin to tell me, after his death.... She had two young girls, and she went astray. And how the girls had left her, and she had throwed her life away. And she thought there was no more hope for her.

But I said, “God, be merciful! 'Those who He has foreknew, He has called.'”

She said, “Are you Reverend Branham, from there?”

I said, “I am.”

She said, “I'm ashamed of myself, to be sitting here like this.” She said, “Do you think there would be a chance for me?”

I said, “Jesus has His arms stretched out, waiting for you to come, lady.” And the other people begin to take up. And I said, “Would you walk out here on this floor with me?”

She said, “I will, sir.”

I took her by the hand; I said, “You're about the age of my mother. Would you kneel here with me, on the floor?” And there in the floor, we broke up that place that afternoon, to an old-fashioned meeting. And God saved that woman, by His grace. She dressed herself and come to the meeting, and as far as I know, living a Christian life tonight.

What is it? Oh, God requires perfection. He requires your repentance. He requires your loyalty to Him. But He's looking tonight. No matter how much you've sinned, how little or how much, you are still a sinner, and cannot get in no other way but by Jesus Christ, God's all-sufficient Sacrifice. And in Him you are perfected forever. Think of it. It's not nothing you do. It's not new pages you turn. It's not a new life you start. It's a confession of your wrong, and God's grace to you. That brings you to perfection, and then you are perfected in Jesus Christ.

I trust tonight, friend of mine, while we are here at this great crucial moment now, when decisions must be made after hearing this story.... You might have never heard it before. But you can't go out one of those doors the same person you come in; you must go out better or worse.

And while we bow our heads just a moment, I want you to think mightily about it. What about your soul tonight? Jesus Christ died for you.

You say, “Brother Branham, when I can quit smoking, when I can quit drinking, when I can straighten this thing up, I'll do it.” Oh, it will never be done right. You'll never be able to do it. Why don't you just come the way you are? And, by faith, go to that Stream, thy flowing wounds supply, then redeeming love could be your theme, and shall be till you die.

Why take a substitute? Why try to get in by your church? Why try to come in because you quit drinking or quit lying? Come by the way of perfection. “For, by one Sacrifice, He has perfected forever those that are sanctified.”

“How do I get sanctified?”

Confess your sins in the presence of the blood of Jesus; and the Life that come from that blood, comes back to the worshipper, and sanctifies Him from the desires of the things of the world. For, by that all-sufficient sacrifice, He has sanctified us; one Spirit, we are all baptized into one body. “Now there's no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, to them that walk not after the flesh, but the Spirit.” If you're trying to walk by the Spirit and still lusting for the flesh, the sacrifice hasn't been sufficiently applied to you. But the worshipper once purged, has no more desire of sin.

That was Calvary. It isn't a place to sell flowers, or a little place to do this or that. It was a place where God and man were reconciled. It was a place where peace and perfect safety was brought to mankind. Can you go with me tonight, my sinner friend, to Calvary, and by faith apply this blood to your own soul, and let the Holy Ghost come and sanctify you by His great sacrifice?

Before we pray, would you raise your hand to God, and say, “Be merciful to me, God. I now confess all my sins, upon this Good Friday night. And I appreciate the great suffering that Christ did for me. I now surrender my own will, my own motives and everything, to follow You from this day, henceforth.” Will you raise your hand, say, “Remember me, Brother Branham, in prayer; that's the decision of my heart.” Is there any, this great night, while we wait just a moment? Over here on my right-hand side, surely there's one along there. Are you ashamed of your sins? Are you ashamed of what you've done?

The world tonight is looking for heroes. And it has heroes, physically speaking.

One day yonder in Switzerland, when Switzerland was at stake, the little Swiss party had gathered out into the fields, to defend their economy. The great oncoming army was too great for them; they were all trained, had big spears and shields. The Swiss could do nothing but give up. They were backed up against a mountain. Then there was a hero stepped out. Somebody had to die. And if they lost the battle...

.

They had nothing but old sickle blades, and rocks, sticks, to fight with. When, the oncoming army looked like a brick wall. If they were taken, their lovely little wives would be ravished, their young girls would be ravished, their babies would be killed, their heads would be busted, their homes would be gone, everything would be lost.

Then there was a man, whose name is too quickly forgotten, by the name of Arnold von Winkelried. He stepped out, and said, “Men of Switzerland, this day I give my life for Switzerland.” He said, “Just over the mountain yonder is a little white home. I've got a wife and three children waiting for me. But they'll never see me again, for, this day I give my life for Switzerland.”

They said, “What will you do, Arnold von Winkelried?”

He said, “Follow me, and do the best you can with what you have to do with.”

And he looked over the army until he found the thickest of the spears. Then he stuck up his hands in the air; he run towards that big brick wall of spears, and screaming, “Make way for liberty! Make way for liberty!” A hundred spears turned to catch his charge; he threw his arms out and grouped them into his own bosom, which pinned him down, and he died on the end of those spears. Those Swiss followed him with clubs and sticks. That great display of heroism routed that army, till the Swiss beat them out of the land. And they've never had a war from that day, since.

Stand up in Switzerland and name the name of Arnold von Winkelried, you'll see tears run down their cheeks. Why? He saved their land. That was a great hero deed. It is seldom compared with, and never exceeded, in this earth.

But, oh, it was a little thing to what happened one day. When Adam's race stood, demons marching in from every side, prophets had failed, law had failed, sacrifice of bulls and lambs had failed, man's nature had failed, everything. And Adam's little race stood, defeated; outnumbered by devils, superstitions, sickness, diseases. There was One stepped out in heaven, and said, “This day I'll die for Adam's race.” He came to the earth and was made flesh. He looked right down where the midst of the spears was the darkest. The very darkest of all man's dreads was death, and He took death into His bosom. And on Calvary He paid the sacrifice, and screamed, “Make a way for Liberty!”

And He screams to His church, “Take this which I have left you, My blood and My Spirit, and fight with ever what you've got.” We can conquer tonight, through that, friend. You can drive the devil from you. Every old enemy that's in your life, it can be drove out by the blood and the Spirit of Christ, and you can stand perfect in His presence. Christ made the way.

Could you do as much as lift your arm to Him, and say, “Forgive me.”? God bless you, brother. Someone else, “Be merciful to me, God. I now confess my wrongs.”?

Is there some lukewarm church members who go to church every day and maybe try to be as pious as can be, but yet you know that temper and indifference and selfishness, habits cling you down till you don't have victory? Would you want to be cleansed by the blood tonight from all of that? “For the worshipper once purged has no more conscience....” Would you like to lift your hand, you church member? God bless you, lady. Lift your hands and say, “Brother Branham, remember me in prayer.” God bless you, lady. That's right. That's a real.... That's a real thing to do. God bless you back there, sir.

Someone else lift your hand, say, “Be merciful to me, God. I know I profess Christianity, but I don't live it. I know I don't. And in my heart, I'm really not right with You. I want to be one of God's elected. I feel in my heart that I am, but I've never laid aside the weights that does so easily beset me. And I want to lay them aside tonight. And, by God's grace, I will do it. Pray for me.” Would you raise your hand? God bless you, lady. Someone else. Just while we're waiting.

While we're waiting quietly, everyone now with your heads bowed in prayer, softly hum this now.

There is a Fountain filled with blood,

Drawn from Immanuel's vein,

And sinners plunged beneath His....

Lose all their guilty stain, lose....

Won't you think it over just now? Don't try to wash it off. Christ is on your hand.

Pilate tried it, this morning, along about six o'clock; but his hands are still bloody, guilty bloody. You know what happened to him. He went up in Switzerland, many years later, lost his mind, plunged himself to death in a pool of water. This morning, in Switzerland, hundreds of people come to watch the scene: Blue water boils up from the bottom of that big hole of water. They do it every year. It's an old legend, they say, that God refused water to cleanse his hands.

Brother, no matter how many times you are baptized, whatever you try to do, nothing will cleanse your hands but the blood of Christ. God refused it. And the blue water, after two thousand years, nearly, still boil up. God refuses it. Your self-righteousness cannot cleanse your sins. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Think of it now. We're going to pray, just a moment.

I wonder if I could ask something tonight. When He stood there at Pilate's judgment hall, this morning, and said, “If My kingdom was of this world, I could speak to My Father and straightway He would send Me twelve legions of angels.” When, one of them could destroy the world. “I would speak to Him, and twelve legions of angels would be right at My disposal.” He could have done it. But He stood there, meek and humble, to take your death and take your sins.

Will you be grateful enough for that Sacrifice tonight, you who are needy of it, and needy of God's blessings; would you stand to your feet for this prayer? Just stand up to your feet, you who want to be remembered in this prayer, saying, “God, be merciful to me. I'm guilty; I've done things wrong, and I now want to accept my pardoning through Christ Jesus.” Will you come to your feet just at this time? God bless you, young lady. That's the courage. Just remain standing there.

Do you mean to tell me you raised your hand, and then not sincere enough to stand to your feet? What good has the Gospel ever done to you? Oh, such playing with church, playing with God! The hour is soon at hand, one of these days an atomic bomb will strike around here somewhere, in one of these big power plants. There will not be one split second to think it over. It will be too late then, and maybe before next Easter, or even this Easter. Won't you stand now, say, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner. I now accept Christ, by the offering Himself as a propitiation for my sins. And by His grace, and His grace alone, I abide in the presence of God.” Will you confess your wrong? He that will hide his sins shall not prosper. He that confesses his sin, has mercy. It's up to you, He's watching.

Now, our Blessed Lord, in the appropriated number tonight stands three penitent souls, one man and two women.

As I am thinking, Lord, of Calvary, when one on one side, said, “Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom;” the other one said, “If Thou be, let us see a miracle; take us off the cross and save Yourself.” And the other one said, “God, be merciful to me.” And Your head swung to its right side, and said, “Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise.” But You were quiet to the other one, because there was no repentance.

And, Father God, I pray that these maybe.... I'll trust that they are the only three in the building, that feels that they do need to confess their wrongs. But that they have come the all-sufficient way, of the way of the cross. Forgive them, Lord, and bless them. They are standing here tonight; as You stood for them, in Pilate's judgment hall; as You stood for them, between the heavens and earth, when the sun went down and the moon would not give its light, and the veil of the temple was rent from top to bottom. I pray, God, that You will bless them and give them of Thy mercies, and cleanse them with Thy blood. And baptize them by Your sanctifying power, into the body of Your own Son, Christ Jesus, then they are preserved for time and eternity. Bless the others who feel that they are all right, that they have already met this and did so. I pray this blessing to them, in Christ's name. Amen.

God bless you. And you who are standing close to those who raised up, reach over and shake their hands, somebody, and say, “The Lord bless you,” that's right, as the hand of fellowship.

We are now just a little late in our services. How many love the Lord Jesus? raise your hand. I wonder, in silence now, or just quiet as we could, in commemoration of Him who is omnipresent, That's here tonight, if we could softly sing:

It was down at the cross where my Saviour died,

Down there for cleansing from sin I cried;

There to my heart (when you met the requirement,

laid your hands upon it), there to my heart

was the blood applied;

Oh, glory to His name!

Let us sing softly now, as we bow our heads to Him.

Down at the cross where my Saviour died,

Down there for cleansing from sin I cried;

There to my heart was the blood applied;

Glory to His name!

Glory to His name, precious name!

Glory to His precious name!

There to my heart was the blood applied;

Glory to His name!

Now quietly, with your heads bowed. You who are saved, say, “Oh....” Raise up your hand now.

Oh, precious Fountain that saves from sin!

I am so glad I have entered in;

There Jesus saves me and keeps me clean;

Glory to His name!

Glory to His name, precious name!

Glory to His name, precious name!

There to my heart was the blood applied;

Glory to His name!

Now with your hands down, your heads bowed. I just thought: Someone called a few moments ago, and said someone wanted to be remembered tonight in prayer, for their body. They couldn't get back to the meeting for Sunday night, for the great healing service. Would you stand to your feet, you who want to be remembered in that prayer just now?

....to my heart was the blood applied;

Glory to His name!

Glory to...................

Now with your heads bowed. “He was wounded for your transgressions, bruised for your iniquity, the chastisement of your peace was upon Him, and with His stripes you were healed.” Glory to His name!

Now, Blessed Father, as we humbly approach the cross just now, where grace and mercy found me, there the bright and morning star sheds its beams around me. These sick are standing in Your presence. They are believing just now, that by faith, they look at that striped back, yonder. “And by His stripes we were healed.” Most Holy Father, we come confessing our faith, believing that You heal our sick bodies, through the great vicarious suffering of the Lord Jesus. And we offer for this people who is standing, a prayer of faith, that You promised would save the sick. And we, together, as a unit of Your believers tonight. You said, “Wherever two or three are gathered, I will be in their midst.” And we ask mercy for them, that Thy grace may now touch their innermost soul, that something will anchor way down deep; that they'll know that Christ is here and has spoke to them, saying, “Child of mine, I've took your sickness yonder at Calvary. Now just cast all your cares on Me, for I care for you.” And may they be healed, every whit whole, for we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

And as they sit down now, someone close to them, lay your hands upon them, somebody that was praying for them. The Bible said, “They shall lay their hands on the sick; they shall recover.” The Lord bless.

If I am not mistaken, am I not looking at the man that was healed here a couple days ago ... or, couple Sundays ago, that was deaf or something in the ears? I see you enjoying the meeting tonight. You hear me all right now? That's good. Wonderful! Just stand up to your feet just a moment. How many remembers him being here? And he passed through the prayer line, brought him back up to the platform, and the Lord healed him and made him well. Blessed be the Lord! Thank you, brother, for your testimony. It could be through the dozens! But isn't He wonderful?

Now, we want to see you tomorrow night, early. And then Sunday morning, early. Sunday afternoon, and if you can get back for the healing service Sunday night. Until we meet, may we stand and sing our dismissing song, “Take The Name Of Jesus With You.”

Take the name of Jesus with you,

Child of sorrow and of woe;

It will joy and comfort....

(Turn right around and shake

hands now with everybody.)

Take it everywhere you go.

Precious name, (turn right around

and shake hands), O how sweet!

Hope of earth and joy of heaven;

Precious name, precious name,

O how sweet! How sweet!

Hope of earth and joy of heaven.

Now look this way.

At the name of Jesus bowing,

Falling prostrate at His feet,

King of kings in heaven we'll crown Him,

When our journey is complete.

Precious name, O how sweet! O how sweet!

Hope of earth and joy of heaven;

Precious name, O how sweet! How sweet!

Hope of earth and joy of heaven.

Now remember the Neville choir ... quartet broadcast in the morning, WLRP, at 9:00. And Brother Stricker's come at 9:45, Sunday morning. Was just making a tape for him this afternoon, on the resurrection.

And now, until we meet again, the Lord's blessings be with you, as we bow our heads. And I'm going to ask my good friend and brother, Brother Palmer, from Macon, Georgia, if he will dismiss this audience in a word of prayer, while we pray. Brother Palmer.