The Real Baptism With
The Holy Spirit
Spiritual Building-Stone No. 130

St.John 3:3-8, "E xcept a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God."

That Holy Ghost ought to be more important to you than everything else there is in the world: your prestige, your life, your job, your anything that there is. You should not cease until you have It. You must receive It. It must be the most... And you say, "Well, I'm afraid they at my work. I'm afraid that my husband, my..." Don't be afraid; let That be first place. Let everything else go. Let That be first. "Well, I expect to get It one of these days, Brother Branham." Not one of these days: now. This is the time. "Let It be first before I do anything else. Let me have It now." Desperate. That would help answer our question. You get--when you get desperate for It, really got to have It or die, then is when you're going to get It.

As I've said last night about the artesian well, watering your crop. Or if you're standing out here in the middle of a field, and it's black dark, and you'd say, "Oh, great electricity, I know you're in the field. Now, I'm lost, don't know where I'm going. Give light, so I can see how to walk. There's enough electricity to light the field up." That's true. Yes, sir. There's enough electricity in this room to light it without even them lights, without that. But you have to govern it. Now, you might scream to that till you couldn't scream no more; it'd never light up. But if you work according to the laws of electricity, then you'll get light.

Well, that's the same way it is by God. God is the great Creator of heavens and earth, the same yesterday, today, and forever. He's still God. But He'll only work as you follow His laws and instructions. Friends, I say this: I've never seen it fail, and it won't.

Now, let's notice. Jesus in Luke 24:49 had commissioned the apostles after they had been saved and sanctified according to the Word; justified by believing on the Lord Jesus; sanctified at John 17:17 when Jesus said, "Sanctify them, Father, through the Truth. Thy Word is the Truth." And He was the Word.

Now, gave them power to heal the sick, cast out devils, raise the dead; and they come back rejoicing (Matt. 10:1; Luke 10:17-20). And their names were on the Lamb's Book of Life. You remember how we been through that now. But they wasn't yet converted. Jesus told Peter the night of His crucifixion; He said, "After you are converted, then strengthen your brethren." (Luke 22:31-32).

You are believing unto Eternal Life, but when the Holy Spirit comes, It is Eternal Life (John 5:24). You're begotten of the Spirit at sanctification, but never borned of the Spirit until the Holy Ghost comes in. That's correct. A baby's got life in the womb of the mother, little muscles are quivering; it's a life. But it's a different life when it breathes the breath of life into its nostrils. It's a different. That's what it is, it's...

My dear Methodist brother, and Pilgrim Holiness, and Nazarene, the baptism of the Holy Ghost is different from sanctification. Sanctification is the cleansing, which is preparation of life. But when the Holy Ghost comes, It is Life. Preparation is cleaning the vessel; the Holy Ghost is filling the vessel. "Sanctification" means "cleaned and set aside for service." The Holy Spirit is put it in service (I Cor. 12:4-6). You are the vessel that God's cleaned up.
Now, see, justification never put Him in. Sanctification just cleaned the place for Him. But when the baptism of the Holy Spirit come, it put Him in the people.

Let's find out what the Bible says now. We find in I Corinthians 12:13, the Bible said, "By one Spirit are we all baptized into one Body." We're baptized into the Body of Christ by one Holy Spirit. We're not shook in; we're not joined in; we're not baptized with water in. We are baptized with the Holy Ghost into the Body of Jesus Christ.

"There is therefore now no condemnation... (No worldly condemnation; they can't accuse you of nothing.)... There's... no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, that walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Romans 8:1).

That's how to judge your Christianity. That's how to know you've entered into that Rest; the world don't bother you no more. Certainly. You see it, walk away from it. You got something better to think of. There you are, "No condemnation..." That's how we get into the Body. And you're secured forever (Eph. 4:30). The Bible said so.

One of the divine revealed truths of this age is:
0The mystery of the baptism of the Holy Ghost without sensation, but the Person of Christ performing in you the same works that He did.

What? Church, that's the reason I can't take the baptism of the Holy Ghost of crying, shaking, or speaking in tongues, or any sensation. They're all right now. See? Them things are all right, but the devil can impersonate that so real.

But the Holy Ghost is Deity, God tabernacled in men. It's more than a sensation. It's more than speaking in tongues. It's more than shouting in the Spirit. It's more than weeping. It's more than joining church. It's God living in men, Deity, God Himself tabernacled into that person, when he can speak and it's just the same as God speaking; that's the Church of Jesus Christ.

Now, you don't have to be baptized (in water) to receive the Holy Ghost, because you can receive the Holy Ghost when your heart's right. See? Because on Acts 2:37-41 Peter give a formula to "Repent, and be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." But then, in Acts 10:44-48, God turned around and give the Gentiles the baptism of the Holy Ghost before they was ever baptized at all. You see? So, you see, it's the condition of your heart.

Then said Peter, "Can we forbid water, seeing that these has received the Holy Ghost like we had it at the beginning?" You see? So then he constrained them that they must be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ.

He redeems the world the same way He redeems a man. What does a man believe? He believes, then is baptized; then he's cleansed by the Blood, sanctification, which was Wesley's message; then he's filled with Holy Ghost Fire, takes the world out of him, and he's filled with the Spirit, which is the Word (or the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the Word; John 6:63). Do you believe that? Now, watch what. God's going to redeem His world the same way.

God works His place in a trinity: justification, sanctification and incarnate Himself in His people with the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Same thing. The devil's just in a type after Christ. Oh, Satan incarnates himself.
When Jesus incarnates Himself in His people, the very Life that was in Christ is in this person. The life tells what it is. See?

When you hear people say they got the Holy Ghost and deny this Word, there's something wrong. The Holy Ghost wrote that Word (II Peter 1:20-21). And Jesus said this: "If a man has My Spirit in him, he will do My works" (John 14:12).

Now, look. Now, Jesus told them (Luke 24:49), "Behold I send the promise of My Father upon you, but you go up to Jerusalem and wait until..." What was the promise of the Father? Joel 2:28-32, why, we find out He was going to pour out the Spirit. In Isaiah 28:11, how there'd be stammering lips and other tongues and all these things. They went up there, and as we went through it...

Maybe one said, "Why, I believe we've waited long enough. Let's just accept it by faith." That was good Baptist doctrine, but it didn't work with them brothers. So then, the first thing you know, it had to become a reality, and they waited on their ministry for the Word to be vindicated. And when you come to seek the Holy Spirit, you do the same.

Yes, you can accept it by faith; you have to accept Christ by faith; that's exactly right. And you accept the Holy Spirit by faith, but then let the Holy Spirit come and give the circumcision as a witness that He's accepted your faith (Eph. 1:13-14). You see?

See, Abraham believed God and it was imputed to him for righteousness, but God give him the sign of circumcision as a confirmation He'd accepted his faith (Rom. 4:9-12). So that's the same thing we must do. We must wait on the Holy Spirit till It's done something, not necessarily 'cause we spoke in tongues, not because we have danced, or we got emotional, we shouted: until we were changed, until something actually happened. I don't care what form it comes in, just so it happened; that's the main thing.
And I believe in speaking in tongues and all these other things are all right, but just that in itself won't work, and you know it won't work. So it doesn't do it. I've seen witches speak in tongues, seen wizards speak in tongues and dance in the spirit. See? Sure. Lay a pencil down and it write in unknown tongues and somebody interpret it (See? That's right.) and tell the truth. That's right. Wrote just exactly what had happens, and it was just exactly that way.

"Though I speak with tongue of men and angels and have not charity, it profit me nothing" (I Cor. 13:1-3). See? Though I could do it. See? So those things doesn't mean that you have the Holy Spirit. But when He, the Person, the immortal Spirit of Christ becomes your personal Saviour, and changes you, and throws your views right straight into Calvary, to this Word, something's happened. Yes, sir. Something has happened. No one will have to tell you about it; you'll know it when it happens.

And the new wine, when it brings revelation, then it's revealed, and that's the way it was at Pentecost. They knowed that there was supposed to be a Spirit poured out upon them, and they waited till this happened. And when the vindication of the revelation took place, then stimulation was on them.

They sure did. They steamed up too. Right out into the streets, where they was afraid and had the doors shut, and they were out in the street. Where they'd been afraid of a group of people, a-preaching the Gospel to them. That's right. See? Something had happened, because the true Word of promise was vindicated (Acts 2:1-36).

Question: At the instant of receiving the Holy Ghost, or the baptism of the Holy Ghost, is there a difference? Does a person speak with tongues? If not always, what manifestation is known?

Well, could you imagine a mother giving birth to a baby and not knowing it? She'd have to be unconscious not to know it. Neither can you receive the Holy Ghost without knowing it. There's something takes place in you. See? There's something that changes you. Your whole system, your whole spiritual system is made new again, and you become a new creature in Christ, as the Bible puts it, a new creation in Christ (II Cor. 5:14). You know it.

Now, you say, "Brother Branham, then you don't believe that a man should speak with tongues to receive the Holy Ghost." Not to prove he's got the Holy Ghost.

I would that every member of my church spoke with tongues. I would like for them to do that, and I believe if you ask God, God will grant it to you. But let me tell you; I know plenty people that speak in tongues and hasn't got the Holy Ghost. And there's not a minister that's true with himself and with his congregation but what'll tell his congregation the same. The devil can impersonate that. Paul said it in I Corinthians 13:1-10, "... That which is in part will be done away with when that which is perfect is come," or when that which is perfect is made known.

The church has fallen through justification, Martin Luther; through sanctification, Wesley. But it, when it comes to the time of the baptism of the Holy Ghost, they show their colors; they want nothing to do with it. Nazarene, Pilgrim Holiness, Church of God, all those there who believe in sanctification, you can't lay a finger to it; it's truth. But when it comes a borderline, come right up to that spot to receive the Holy Ghost for the new birth, then what'd the devil do? Come around and try to twist it around. Oh, he'll do everything that's in his known power to keep people out of there.

All down through the ages they received the Holy Spirit, but not in the measure that they have It now; 'cause it's a restoration of the first (Mal. 4:5-6). Now, but in this church age the Message is being poured into the church. But the church body itself, in altogether... Like this tabernacle, we'll say; that's where she comes to church. This tabernacle is not a Holy Ghost tabernacle. There's no such a thing. Individuals that come into this church is Holy Ghost tabernacles. They are tabernacles that contain the Holy Ghost, but not the church in the body of group.

The Prophet said at the end of a message: "I love Him..." Sing it with just all your heart, just feel something real sweetly coming into you; that's the Holy Spirit.

Then he prays: Fill me with the Spirit. Give me the Token of Your love upon me, the Holy Ghost, that'll make me live sweetly, gently. Make me live the Life that was in Christ, that my heart will burn for others, that I'll just not rest hardly day and night, till I can get everybody that I can.

The Holy Spirit is a Token that the Blood has been applied to your heart, and it's the Token that the Blood has been applied. If it never has been applied, then the Token won't come (Exod. 12:13). You understand, say, "amen." The Blood must be applied, and then the Token comes. It is the Token that the Blood of redemption has been applied, and your fare is paid. God bless you.

Reference: "Questions And Answers" (59-1223), COD pg. 483 / "Questions And Answers On The Holy Ghost", COD pg. 416 / "God's Provided Place Of Worship" (65-0425), par. 95 / "Hebrews Chapter 4", pg.154, par.209 / "Is This The Sign Of The End, Sir", pg. 31 / "Testimony Of A True Witness", par. 186 / "How Can I Overcome", par. 49 / "Questions And Answers" (54-0103M), COD pg. 65 / "Harvest Time", par. 333 / "The Second Seal", Seal's Book pg. 204-205 / "The Fourth Seal", Seal's Book pg. 289-290 / "Questions And Answers" (64-0823E), COD pg. 1016, Q-No. 289 / "Questions And Answers" (64-0830M), COD pg. 1124 / "Blasphemous Names", pg. 19 / "Token" (63-0901M), pg. 61

Spiritual Building-Stone No. 130 from the Revealed Word of this hour, compiled by: Gerd Rodewald, Friedenstr. 69, D-75328 Schömberg, Germany, Phone: (+49) 7235 76 13, Fax: 7235 33 06

There's coming one with a Message that's straight on the Bible, and quick work will circle the earth. The seeds will go in newspapers, reading material, until every predestinated Seed of God has heard It.
[Bro. Branham in "Conduct-Order-Doctrine", pg. 724]