To Be Partakers of the Divine Nature
Spiritual Building-Stone No. 141

II Peter 1:3-4, "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

Listen what God’s Prophet said about it:

You're not converted until you receive the Holy Ghost. The Bible said so. After Peter had both been saved and sanctified, give power to cast out unclean spirits, and to preach the Gospel, Jesus plainly told him he was not converted, until he received the Holy Ghost. And He said, "After you're converted, then strengthen your brethren." (Luke 22:31-32). That was on the night of the betrayal, that he was not yet converted. And no man is truly converted until he's been changed, and died to himself, and the Holy Spirit has control of that person. They don't want to do it.

Now, the Holy Spirit will not misbehave itself in one person, and behave itself in another. It'll make each person come into Its (godly) character, because it's a Spirit that leads you. It brings you subject to Its nature. You don't bring It subject to your nature; It makes you subject to Its nature. And the Holy Spirit makes you live and love to do it. Oh, how you love to give up the things of the world, when the Holy Spirit comes in. How it cleanses you and washes you (I John 3:3), and puts a desire in you to follow Him, and a thirst, and a hunger for more of it, just bathing yourself. He brings realities.

And you cannot make a man see the Word of God till his nature's been changed. And when his nature is changed from what he is to a son of God and the Holy Spirit comes into him...

Please explain the difference between the spirit and the soul.

Well, now that's a hard one. But the first thing you are, a triune being, just like Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost is three titles going to one Person, which is Jesus Christ. And you're soul, body, and spirit. But it takes those three to make you. With just one of them, you're not you. It takes the three to make you.

Like I said the other day, "This is my hand; this is my finger; this is my nose; this is my eyes; but who's me?" Who is me that this belongs to? It's what's on the inside of me; that's the intelligence.

If this eyes, if this hands, if this body stood here just as it is today, yet I could... My body could be here, but me could be gone, what I am. What--whoever I am inside of me has gone on. That's the part that is the spirit. The soul is the nature of that spirit, that when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, It does not do nothing... It changes or converts your spirit to a different soul. And that soul is a different nature that's on that spirit. So the soul is the nature of your spirit.

First you were mean, and evil, and hatred, and malice, and strife; now you're loving, sweet, kind, and... See the difference? It's your nature. We could... I'll call it that. It's your soul that's been changed. The old soul died (Ezek. 18:20), and the new soul which is the new nature was borned into you.

Your brain is not your intelligence; it's your spirit that's in you is your intelligence. See? Your brain is a bunch of matter and cells and so forth; it has no intelligence in itself. If it did, then as long as it laid there, whether you was dead or alive, it would still operate. See? But it's not your brain; it is your spirit inside of you. And your soul is the nature of that spirit. That's the soul of the spirit that controls--the spirit that controls the body (James 3:1-8). See? There you are.

Now, the soul of man is not the body of man; it's the soul; and the soul is something that's the nature of the spirit, and then when the nature of a man... When He said, "We are dead," the Scripture plainly tells us that we are dead, and our lives are hid in God through Christ, sealed there by the Holy Spirit (Col. 3:1-4). Now, it wasn't that your body died. It wasn't your spirit died. It was the nature of your spirit died. See? The nature, which is the soul. The nature of your soul is God, if you're born again (Titus 3:4-7). If it's not, it's of the world.

Anything that begin, has to end. So therefore the only way that you can have Eternal Life is to have a life that never did begin. And then your life did begin when you were born. When God breathed the breath of life into your nostrils and you became a living soul, then you begin then (Gen. 2:7). But when you... That nature that was in you, by nature you was of the world, alienated from God (Eph. 2:1-3).

But that soul that's in there, that soul is what God's a working on. See, if He can only get that nature of that spirit to agree with Him, then that nature dies. The nature and the love of the world dies and the things of the world is dead; because if you love the world or the things of the world, the love of God is not in you (I John 2:15-17). See?

And a man must be born again, so this nature has to die, and the nature of God comes and lives in you (I Peter 1:22-23). And God is the only thing there is that never did begin or never can end.

That's why we're baptized into His Name that we might come forth in His Name, in His death, in His resurrection, that we rise again testifying to the world that we have new Life, that the old man is dead. We buried that first nature (Rom. 6:3-6).

See, that first nature's gone, and now we are the nature of Him. He lives in us, and we don't do our own will; we do His will (Luke 6:46-49). We don't think our own thoughts. The mind is what thinks. The mind that was in Christ Jesus is in every believer (Phil. 2:5-11). See? There is the soul, and that's what we're speaking of. Now, that's the part that I'm thinking of now, that that's within us, the soul.

Look at Paul, when Paul was a great theologian. But when he come face to face with that Word, Jesus, it quickened (Acts 22:1-16). He come to Life right quick, because he was ordained to be that. He was part of the Word; and when the Word saw the Word, it was his nature. All the clucking of the hens in the orthodox churches, didn't have no effect upon him; he had saw the Word. It was part of him. He was an eagle. He wasn't a chicken; he was just in the barnyard with them. But he was a eagle to begin with.
I heard a similar little story, I hope it don't sound sacrilegious, about a little duck being born under a hen one time. He couldn't understand. A funny-looking little fellow, odd guy, and he couldn't understand the dust and everything. They were playing in the barnyard. But one day the old hen led the little brood out behind the barn, and he got a smell of water. Why, he took out towards that water as hard as he could go. Why? He had never been on a pond before. He'd never been in the water. But he was a duck to begin with. Only thing he had to do was come to himself.

That's the same thing the believer is. There's something in him, that, when he meets God face to face, he comes to himself. That seed is in him, and it's quickened. My, that's right, and he flies away from the things of the world. They become dead to him. My, I remember, we all had our life in the past in those things of the world. But once we got ahold of that real Thing, something that quickened us, a little seed that come to Life (Matt. 13:37-38; Luke 8:11), then all the things of the world rotted right there. We had no more desire of it.

And they've heard me say the evidence of the Holy Ghost wasn't speaking in tongues--and it isn't--but I advised that person to ask God to let them either speak in tongues or prophesy, because it's the nature.
The first thing, I went to that person and found their birthplace, and what sign that they were born under, and could tell what their birth was. Which way it set in their natural nature sets them in a certain line. Then, when they're reborned again, they're over here in another nature. And then, when you find into this nature, that's the inside, in-conscience, inside conscience... The outside conscience moves you in one way; that's your natural birth. Then they'll make up something and it puts them what? Under a four, and puts them in a split condition. They don't know what to do. They'll say, "The Lord wants me to do this."

The inside, "Oh, I just know it lines up with the Scripture." And they'll start to do it, and the first thing you know, Satan on this outside will show them all kinds of defects in it. And then they say, "Well, I guess I..." See, see? They listen to Satan. See? You've got to take that inside something, that what's on the inside of you that's Scriptural. And don't let Satan stand anywhere. That's his duty to stand there and pound at you like that. But don't you listen to him.

And a man that's borned of the Spirit of God becomes a dove of God, his nature, his change, his makeup. Yes, sir. You put the spirit of the dove in the crow, he'd never set on a dead carcass. If he lit down by mistake, he'd certainly get away quick; he couldn't stand it.

And a man that's borned of the Spirit of God, don't in-tolerate. He might light in a barroom sometime, but he'll get out of there quick. A woman might entice him, get him turned around, but he'll turn his head again. He'll get away from there quick. Why? He's a dove. That's right. You ain't going to fool him, because that he knows. "My sheep know My voice, and a stranger they'll not follow" (John 10:27-30). He's a dove to begin with. That's what I'm speaking about, the actual something that anchors in there.

One day Jesus come walking out; he said, "Behold, there comes the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world," the Lamb, the real Atonement (John 1:29-34; Matt. 3:13-17). There comes what every sheep from the garden of Eden down has shadowed, an ordinary Man walking down to the river.

They said, "John, how did you know it? I didn't see one thing different."
"But I bear record; I saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and a Voice saying, 'This is My Beloved Son in Whom I am pleased to dwell in.'"
Watch the Dove and the Lamb. See? Yeah. What if it had been a wolf standing there? Well, that Lamb could not have went upon--or that Dove... God symbolized Himself with a dove, the most meekest of all the birds of the heaven, His Son by a sheep, the most meekest of all the animals on earth. See, the clean bird of the heavens, not a crow, not a vulture, but a dove; not a pig, but a lamb. Any other nature wouldn't have blended together.

And notice when the Dove come upon the Lamb, It led Him. Not the way He would, but the way the Father would lead Him (John 5:19-30). That's the way a real lamb is today. O, don't you know that God only leads by His Word? That's His Staff.

Notice nothing would have took place, but John said, "The rest of them didn't see it, but I bear record; I saw it." Introducing: "Behold, the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world."

Watch the little dove how he flies. What a different bird he is. See? He doesn't have any gall; he can't eat like the crow can. See? He has no gall in him. He doesn't have to take a bath in the water, because he's got something on the inside of him; it cleans him from the inside out.
And that's the way the Christian is. That's the way God represented Himself, in a dove. See? Because in the... Jesus was represented as a Lamb. Always in nature you'll find God. And God likened us unto sheep that has to be led (John 10:1-30). Did you ever notice there, that the Dove coming down on the Lamb, to lead the Lamb, and It led Him to the slaughter that--the Dove? Now, if that Lamb... That Dove could not have descended upon any other type of animal, because they both had to be of the same nature. See? If the Dove would've lit upon a wolf, and he would've snorted or growled, the Dove would've took Its flight.

Well, that's the same way now. And our ill ways, the Holy Spirit just takes His flight and goes away. It's got to have the same nature. The bird of the heavens, the dove; the meekest animal on earth, the lamb, they can agree together. And when the Holy Spirit comes upon us and makes us new creatures (II Cor. 5:17), then He can lead us. But we try to live the same old life, it won't work. It just won't work.

A young man asked me the other day, said, "You think I could--ought to get married, Brother Branham, to such-and-such a girl?"
I said, "How much do you think of her?"
He said, "Oh my, I just love her."
I said, "Well, if you're not going to live without her, you'd better marry her then. But if you can live without her, you better not, so the... But if it's going to kill you, you better go ahead and get married." I said. And so what I was trying to get to him, this: that if you love her so much... Now, right now before you're married, everything's just fine and dandy. But after you get married, then the toils and trials of life come in. That's when you've got to be so in love that you understand one another. When you're disappointed in her, or she's disappointed in you, you still understand one another.

That's the way it is with Christ. See, we've got to be so in love with Him till when we ask for something, and He doesn't give it to us, that doesn't shake us a bit. See? Why? And the only way you can do that is become partakers of His Divine nature. Then you'll understand the reason He can't give it to you: partakers of His Divine Nature. And look here: "having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust": escaped it (II Peter 1:3-4). See who it is to? It's to the church. Them who are in Christ has been exalted above these things, not be exalted himself, but Christ brought him up.

And if you've got the Spirit of Christ in you, you are from above. Then you're a stranger here (I Peter 1:17-23). But you got the nature of the place you're from; that's what I'm trying to say.

A Roman comes over here and he scratches his head; and a German comes over here; a American goes there. Why? You got the spirits of them countries you come from. That's what makes us so much different to the world. You're from above (John 17:6-14). You're born; you're a citizen of another Kingdom (Phil. 3:20-21). You believe it? That's what the Holy Ghost is, is to make you a citizen of the Kingdom of God.

Then if you are a citizen of the Kingdom of God, how does It make you act? Like God does in His Kingdom. Now, what does God do in His Kingdom? It's holiness, righteousness, purity of thought, purity of mind, power, and love, going to the lost, healing the sick, performing miracles, doing great things. Then to the world you look crazy; they say, "Them guys are off at their head." See? But you are a citizen of the Kingdom.

Therefore, we are pilgrims and strangers here; this is not our abiding place. But we are seeking a city to come whose Builder and Maker is God (Heb. 11:10). Therefore, when you are borned of above, you have the Holy Spirit coming down from God, that changes your nature. No matter, your sister, your mother, your best friend could be dressed that way; but the Christian that's borned of the Spirit of God is born from above, and their Spirit is of another Kingdom. Oh, I'm so glad of that. The simpleness of the Holy Spirit, to follow It, to watch It, how It behaves, makes you behave...

Before God can come down in the Person of the Holy Ghost, which is Christ coming down and dwell in the human heart, it first must be repented. It must be baptized in water in His Name to show Who it belongs to (Acts 2:37-41). Then it must be cleansed by the Blood of Jesus. And then the holy fire and Holy Ghost from God comes down and burns out all the desire of sin, all the nature of the world. And therefore, he that sins willfully after receiving the knowledge of the Truth... (Heb. 10:26-27).

Then again the Bible said it's impossible, for a man that's borned of God cannot sin; he does not sin. There's no way for him to sin (I John 3:9; 5:18). How can he be a sinner and a redeemed at the same time? How can I be in the pawn shop and out of the pawn shop at the same time? See? Oh, He redeemed us by His Blood (Eph. 1:7); by His Spirit He cleansed us, and then comes to dwell in us (Eph. 2:19-22), the Church, not the denomination now, the Church.

The holy Blood that was created by God, the Blood, the Life, the Creation of God: Jesus was the beginning of the creation of God (Col. 1:13-16). Oh, my. You see it? God made in creation... He was Spirit. The Bible said He's the beginning of the creation of God. How did He begin? In the wombs of a woman, which is what?

How them blind people can't see the serpent's seed right here. See? Eve was put here on the earth, and before Satan ever touched her or anything else, God said to them, "Multiply and replenish the earth." (Gen. 1:28). It's right. But Satan comes in here, and if that was Adam's son, then where Adam was a direct descent from God, and you only take the nature of your parent. And when you are borned again you take the nature of your Parent of heaven. And your Parent of heaven is the attribute of the Word, or the Word is the attribute of your Parent. And how can you deny It for denominations?

And a man that's born of God, a son of God has to have the nature of God. He has to be like God. He honors God. He's part of the Word of God.

Reference:
"Unfailing Realities Of God”, par. 75-76 / „Broken Cisterns” (64-0726E), par. 65
„Questions And Answers” (61-1015M), Q-No. 157, COD pg. 676
„Souls In Prison Now”, pg. 6-9 / „God Who Is Rich In Mercy”, par. 51-53
„Questions And Answers” (64-0830M), COD pg. 1075, par. 59-61
„Hebrews Chapter 6 and 7”, pg. 266 / „Why It Had To Be Shepherds”, par. 199-204
„Leadership” (65-1207), par. 93-95 / „Stature Of A Perfect Man”, pg. 8-9, 13
„What The Holy Ghost Was Given For”, par. 147-149
„Oncoming Storm”, par. 84 / „Future Home”, pg. 18, 45
„Invisible Union Of The Bride Of Christ”, pg. 34

Spiritual Building-Stone No. 141 from the Revealed Word of this hour, compiled by: Gerd Rodewald, Friedenstr. 69, D-75328 Schömberg, Germany
Phone: (+49) 72 35 76 13, Fax: (+49) 72 35 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]