Questions & Answers
Questions 102 (COD Page 490)
Romans the 7th chapter, the 25th verse.
92 I’ve got to... I forgot, I looked that up the other day when I got it, but I forget just what it is. Let’s answer this dear person’s question if we can. Romans 7:22, all right, or :25, I beg your pardon. Romans 7... I turned two pages at once then. Was the reason it...
I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So that-so then with the mind-with the-the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
Now, wait a minute. I didn’t get that read just right. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind... (Yeah, that’s right.)... I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
93 All right. That’s exactly what Paul said many times over. When I would do good, evil is present. See? That’s exactly what you do too. With your mind, that’s your heart. See? Now remember, you do not think with your mind; neither do you see with your eyes. Neither do you... You-you see with your heart. Did you know that? Did you know your heart has another person in it besides yourself? Science just found that out about four years ago, you know. Little compartment in the heart, they say the soul lives.
94 Did you ever hear of subconscious? You start to do anything, and you think, “Oh, I’m just winding over the top of it,” but your subconscious tells you different.
95 They can take a lie detector... I see my good friend, Attorney Robinson, setting in the back. And I don’t know whether he ever seen it done or not, but I happen to have it-try-it put on me one time, about this Angel of the Lord here. And they put a lie detector on you, and you try in-to confess to the best of your knowledge, the best that you can make it, just so nice and smoothed over, that you didn’t do such-and-such a thing-a criminal. That lie detector will turn right back and say you are lying. See? Why? It’s the vibration of your nerves that they pick up on that lie detector. See? It-it’ll tell you. Because why? Man was not made to lie in his original beginning. It’s sin and the devil that’s on you that makes you lie. See?
96 You wasn’t-your makeup is not to lie. That’s the reason you have to live again, because you was made, created to live forever, live always. But see, sin came in and brought death to the body. And then, when sin comes in and brings death to the body, then course, the body has to die. But it, in there can dwell Eternal Life, when this spirit is changed in you and you’ve got Eternal Life. God will raise that body up again at the last day. He said He would do it.
97 So with my mind-the mind... He said in another place, “I think I have the mind of Christ.” Now, in that mind you serve-with the mind of Christ you serve God. See, the inward part (see?), the inward part, you serve God. That subconscious, there’s where faith lies.
98 I want to ask you. Was there many times that you people in here, many of you have seen times where you would-you just knowed something was going to happen. It looked like
it was impossible for it to, but you just knowed it was going to happen. Did you ever have that? That’s that faith, that subconscious working. Now, if it’s getting a little warm in here, you can turn that gadget down down there, if it’s getting a little bit too warm for you.
99 Now, in there that subconscience (see?), that’s where your mind... Now Jesus said, “Except a man be borned again... ” (Now, that’s not what I wanted.) “Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be borned again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” Now, you couldn’t see the Kingdom of God, because the Kingdom of God is the Holy Spirit. “Some standing here will not taste of death till they see the Kingdom coming in power,” He said. Then, “The Kingdom of God,” the Bible said, “is within you.” It’s within you, the Holy Spirit, and you can’t see that with your eyes. So see means “to understand.”
100 Have you ever looked at anything, looking right at it, say, “Well, I just don’t see it.” See? “I just don’t see it.” You mean you don’t understand it. See, see? You don’t understand it. To see is “to understand.” But with your eyes you look at anything. But with what’s inside of you, you understand with, you see with that. See? With the eyes of God you look.
101 And now, hold your point now. Here’s a good one if you’re ready for it: The Christian looks at things that he doesn’t see with his eyes (see?), for we look at the unseen. See? How do you look at it? With your inside eyes. You see it by faith. And now, to prove that: the whole Christian armor is made up of unseen qualities. What is a Christian armor? Somebody says, “Seeing is believing.” That person would never be a Christian, because the armor of the Christian is made up of this: love. Did you ever see it? You seen it in action, but you never seen love. If you can, pull your part of love out and let me see what it looks like. See? Love, love, joy, peace, long suffering, goodness, meekness, faith-faith, gentleness (see?); the whole Christian armor is unseen with the natural eye, but it is understood by the heart! There you are. There you are.
102 Paul said then, “With my mind... (‘And I have the mind of Christ,’ you see, he said.) I serve God with my mind, but my flesh (how did he word that there at the last?)-but with the flesh, the law of sin.” What is it? My flesh says tonight, “You are too tired. Your throat is too sore. You are-you’ve been out in the wind today. You shall not go to church tonight.” That’s the law of the flesh. “You just might as well call them up and tell Brother Neville that... Send the questions down and tell him to answer them.” But you see, I promised to do it. See?
103 Now, my mind, on the inside the Holy Spirit said, “You keep your promise.” But the flesh said, “You’re too tired.” See?
104 Now, the flesh say, “Now, there’s no need, you pretty little thing, you’re the prettiest little thing in school. Now, don’t you pay any attention to that holy roller mother of yours or that fanatic father. See? You’re the best looking girl in school.” “You’re the prettiest boy, the best looking boy, the best built. You are the most popular there is in the city.” You see? That-that... And you yield your members to that, and where do you come out at? The little end of the horn every time. See?
105 Paul said, “My flesh wants to-wants always to yield to that.” Your flesh does too. See? But the law of the Spirit of God in the heart overcomes the flesh and makes the body obey what the heart says do. Hallelujah!
106 Look, then if it will do that for a sinner, then won’t that work for sickness too? The law of the Spirit of God in the heart that knows that “By His stripes we were healed,” they stand with their power and make that sickness in that body obey them, because it’s a devil. There you are. Whew! That’s got cream on it that deep. I tell you. That’s it. See?
107 Now, the law of sin and death works in your flesh, but the law of the Spirit of Life works in your heart. So your heart, your spirit in your heart will make your body obey what it says do. That’s exactly right. Now, that’s what Paul said. Always the flesh, “I’m too tired; I’m unable; I’m not sufficient; I cannot do it.”
I said to-to Loyce or-or Delores, or somebody that’s been talking to me about the Holy Ghost, about something or other like that, I said-said, “What... ”
Delores said, “What-what made me feel that way just at the time that I should have felt good?”
108 I said, “The devil. He seen you just ready to receive it. He said, ‘I’ll put a little damper on her [Brother Branham makes a sound to illustrate-Ed.], fan her a little bit, you know, kinda cool down a little.’ See? But oh, my, that’s when you rise! Claim your God given rights.” That’s what Paul was meaning. See? The... “Always when,” he said, “when I would do good, evil is present.”
109 Tell you what you do. I’ve noticed this, my wife and I... And I’ll just hurry back, ’cause I’ve just got a few minutes longer, and I got some big questions here. I don’t want to keep you too late, but I want to get your questions the best I can.
110 Notice! I can start in the morning, and say I’m going, the Lord lead me to go to a certain place for a meeting, well, brother, you just watch everything take place. Or you let me get at my home, and some long distance call comes in. Now, I got to pray for the sick. Little Joseph will climb right up on top of my neck. Sarah will want to ask me a question. Becky will start
on the piano. I say, “Sh, sh, sh!” Put my hand over, “Hey, sh, sh, sh, I’m going to-Daddy’s going to pray for the sick.” “Well, Daddy, look; Joe done this... ” You see? Just let it start. And as soon as the prayer is over, they got their toys and just as sweet and playing. It’s the devil. Certainly it is.
111 And then I’ll come around and say, “Joseph, you shouldn’t do a certain thing.” And you know, the first thing you know, he’s got in a habit. And you’ll find in your children, they’ll lie to you. Well, that’s a lying spirit on that baby. There’s only one remedy for it. The gun stick ain’t my idea, you know, the ramrod we used to get the beating with, Brother Jess. When we got-got-got into trouble we used to get the ramrod out of the old guns, the hickory stick, you know, old muzzle loaders. That isn’t the idea. But prayer, cast that evil devil away from that child. That’s right. Prayer does it.
112 If little Martha starts stomping her little foot, and running out, and turning up her little nose, you could beat her till she didn’t have any clothes on her; she’d do it anyhow. But you just lay before God and claim that child’s soul for God. Just stay right there with it. I believe it’s the best thing that I know of. Yes, sir! That’s the best remedy I know of, is prayer.