Is it true that you are not saved unless you have received the Holy Ghost?
43 There could take about a good five hour discussion on that. When you accept Christ as your Saviour and you are then ready for baptism in water, you have not yet been converted; you’re only believing unto repentance. Conversion means “to be changed.”
44 Now, to make this efficient, Jesus said to Peter who had also followed Him for three and a half years… And in the Book of Matthew the 10th chapter Jesus gave Peter power against unclean spirits, to go out and cast them out, to heal the sick, and to preach the Gospel. He had power to do this. And in Saint John 17:17 Jesus sanctified Peter through the Truth, said the Word was the Truth, and He was the Word. And then at-before Pentecost He said. “After you are converted, then strengthen your brethren.” You are only taking steps to conversion as you believe and are acting.
45 Now, I know many of you, my Baptist and Presbyterian friends, disagree with that, because you go back to this Scripture… Now, here’s where I say I have to nail it down. See? You go back to the Scripture: Abraham (Romans 4) believed God, and it was imputed unto him or imparted unto him for righteousness. Abraham believed God, and God imputed it to him for righteousness upon the basis of his faith to believe. But to prove to Abraham, He gave him (the impution, that he was imputed from his sins, then He had-imparted him from his sins), because he had believed, He gave him a sign. And there’s where you, my dear Presbyterian and Baptist friends, fail to see it. See? He gave him the seal of circumcision as a witness, as a proof, that He had received his faith in Him. And that’s why Paul in Acts 19 said to those Baptist brethren, who had Apollos as their pastor, believing the Gospel as John had preached It, “Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?” You see, they had believed but had not yet been converted.
46 Now, we take the wrong-in the word of conversion today. We say that a man that’s converted is a man that’sstopped drinking and everything and goes to church, or joinsthe church. He might join the church, but that’s no sign he’sconverted. He isn’t converted until his old life is dead, and heis buried in Christ, and is risen with Him in the resurrectionof newness of life, when the Holy Spirit has created in him aliving hope of Eternal Life which only comes through the HolyGhost. See?
47 Now, now, I knowed that great Scripture, I use It myself-I’ve got It written here-Saint John the 5th chapter, 24th verse. It’s a pet Scripture to me. For Jesus said this: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, ‘He that believeth on Me has Eternal Life.’” Let me read it, so that I’ll get It just perfectly right. Saint John 5, and I want you to listen close now as we go into this Scripture, 5 and the 24th verse.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my words, and believeth on him that sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
48 “He that believeth on Me.” Now, the Scripture says that no man can say Jesus is the Christ only by the Holy Ghost. So you cannot believe that Jesus is the Christ until you have received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. You’re only testifying or saying what the Scripture says, saying what the pastor says, saying what mother says, or some good preacher says. But you don’t know it yourself until He has witnessed His resurrection to you. No man can call Jesus the Christ until by the Holy Ghost.
49 Therefore, the question is, that a man is saved, I believe, if he’s looking towards to Calvary, and dies in that estate. Certainly, I believe he’ll be saved; I believe he’d go through if he had not the opportunity before. But depends on… You go back to the dying thief at the cross. But remember, that was his first and last chance. You got one tonight. Don’t wait till that time, ’cause it might not be that way with you. You might not have a deathbed confession. I tell you, they’re all right, but they’re too much of a chance to take a chance on. Don’t you wait for deathbed; you let this be your deathbed right now, that you die out now and be borned again of the Holy Spirit. Now, on this next question…
Now, if there’s a question on that just raise your hand. I’d be glad to do the best I can.
William Marrion Branham
59-0628E Questions And Answers