Faith Series #1 (Importance of Faith)

Faith Series # 1

Importance of Faith, Measure of Faith

(Berwick, Louisiana Series)

Bro. Lee Vayle - October 17, 1965

a. …Some just sluff it off on people if they don't catch it what I say. Also, I am not dignifying, because I illustrate in a manner which may be ludicrous, or what you may say is anything to folk would be important. But I have a reason for talking as I do and for preaching as I do, because I know the human mind is tricky. The powers of retention depend upon the impression. And if you don't get an impression that holds you, you are apt to forget what you hear. So, I try my best to teach in such a way, that you will be able to remember at least some of the most necessary premises or principals concerning faith. Because I intend to take a few nights, a few days in teaching on that subject.

Now, I may bring in a little concerning doctrine, in fact there will be allusions to various doctrines, the doctrine as it is laid out according to Bro. Branham you'll be able to get a book pretty soon called the' Church Ages' dealing with the as a commentary on the first three chapters of the Book of Revelation. Also dealing in length on the Church Ages and setting forth not in detail, but in measure, the various major doctrines that are found in those three chapters.

b. The book will be about 360 pages and will be released sometimes in December. It would have released sooner, but there have been difficulties in printing it, and I think that will be helpful. However, the series in faith has never been released except by tape. Someday perhaps we'll have the book on it, but I believe we can tonight and in the days to come go into the subject enough to be of help to you.

Now, this is a continuous message, we will start tonight and we will continue in the days to come. And therefore, it is wise if at all possible you can come regularity. Now, I do not say that this as any gimmick. Many people hardly advertise the services, they attempt to use little tricks to get people to come, but I don't have any moving pictures, and I don't have any ribbons to cut up here, and any prizes to give and there's nothing like that.

c. All I'm here for is to show you the Word, and it would be to your advantage I believe to come. I have never been any anywhere yet, in preaching this Word for what people have been wonderfully liberated in the sense of a true Bible and spiritual liberation. Because remember, that it is a knowledge that gives us power. The reason that I say that is because if you had a million dollars and I knew how to take it away from you, you'd soon be out of luck I'd get your million dollars.

So, if one nation had an atomic bomb, but we knew how to build a better one, we'd soon put them out of business. See? You see, knowledge vastly important. And the knowledge of God is obtained only by knowing His Word. Even as the Scripture says in 1 Samuel, that the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the Word of the Lord. Many people claim visions of God; they claim to know Him by feelings; they claim to know Him by demonstration, but there is only one way that you can really know God, and that is by His Word.

d. So, therefore it is very important that we study His Word together, and believe me we will cover many, many Scriptures which will be a benefit to us. So, every night we hope to be able to take you a little further in a message dealing in faith. Now, let us bow our heads in prayer.

Father, we come to You tonight in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the revelation of Your Word. Knowing, my God, without You we can do nothing, but with You we are more than conquerors. As Paul said, "Who is sufficient for these things, thank God by the Spirit of Jesus Christ our ministries are more than sufficient, for they are of God." [2 Cor 3:5]

Now, Lord, tonight we know every good and perfect gift cometh from above, and we are believing that tonight, Lord, that this gift of revelation shall be given unto us, so that every thought and every Word shall be in the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Not only, Lord, do we pray that Word shall appear, but also the ears shall be anointed, that there may be a liberty to hear. And, my God, we especially pray this prayer in line with Your Word that said, "when the Spirit is come, He will not only lead us into all truth, but He will show us things to come." [Jn 16:13] And above all that, even bring all things to our remembrance.

So, we believe tonight, Lord, therefore as we pray that You swore by Your Own Word, swore by Yourself concerning Your Word and has given us this covenant forever. Then Your Spirit to-night, O God, is duty bound to give us the words, and also the ears to hear, and then indelibly imprints upon our memories that we may use this Word to live by, "because men shall not live by bread alone, but ever Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." [Mt 4:4] And into Your hands therefore we commend ourselves knowing that You have heard, we have the petition already we've desired of You in Jesus' Name. Amen.

1. Now, our one verse tonight is in Hebrews 11:1. And you might find it wise to bring your pencil with you, or pen, and there'll be certain changes I'll ask you to put it in your Bibles. I'm not trying to change the Bible, but I'm trying to give you the words which are better suited. They're not my words, but they come from the original Greek. And by study I have found that the majority of scholars agree with these changes. You understand of course that every year, every so many years, we have further revelation by the discovery of scrolls and artifacts and various other things which help us to clarify the Word of God even more perfectly. Now in Hebrews 11:1

(1) Now faith is the (assurance) of things hoped for, ...

I prefer the word 'assurance'. And I'll prove to you by Scripture that that is the word that should be used. If no translator had suggested it, I would actually show you before this is over that is the proper word. It is not substance. You see 'substance' is a misleading word, because this is an old word. You see, substance comes from two words, sub steko [stáy ko] Sub is 'under' and ‘steko’ means; to 'stand’. So therefore, substance is that which stands under. Would be like a bridge, that might be acceptable. But when you apply to faith, that is not substance. You see, this book is substance. What it is, is 'assurance',

(1) ...faith is the (assurance) of things hoped for, (it is) the (conviction) of things not seen. (It is not evidence.)

Because faith itself is intangible in the sense that it cannot be seen. It is not concrete. But it is a conviction. And so, "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, it is the conviction of things not seen."

2. Now, the importance of God in which we deal tonight, I say the importance of faith rather towards God can hardly be over estimated. Because God and His Word declares in this same chapter in [Hebrews 11:] 6

(6) But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that (God) is, and that (God) is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Now, I suppose tonight that the majority of you are Christians. That is, you are truly born again of the Spirit of God. So therefore, if I were to ask you tonight in all sincerity what do you think is the most important thing in your life as a Christian? And if you are thinking as I am, you would have to say, "I am sure that the most important thing, or the greatest desire I have toward God is that I might please Him."

And that is true, because if you are born again, the Scripture tells us that you want to please God. You don't want to please the flesh, you want to do the things that God wants you to do, and you don't want to do the things that God doesn't want you to do. And that's what the Bible sets forth that we ought to be all pleasing unto God.

3. And so therefore if we are Christians, truly born again, we want to please God. But the Scripture here says, "Without faith you can't please Him." So, if we ought to please God, and the desire of our hearts. The highest desire is to please God. And the Scripture says, "Without faith you cannot please Him." Then it is of the utmost importance to have faith towards God. There is nothing more important. So, there could hardly be any Scripture, or any study which is more important than the study upon which we launch tonight.

However, when I put it that way we are apt to get a chill. We are, because we say to ourselves, "Well, I'm not one who uses his faith very much, and therefore I cannot be pleasing to God." And we take a negative attitude and we don't even know what this verse is actually telling us. Because rather being a verse of condemnation, or a verse of conviction which would perhaps give us a negative expression, it's a verse of great power and consolation.

Because It says, now watch it:

(6) But without faith it is impossible to please (God) for he that cometh to him must believe that (God) is, and that he is a rewarder of (those who) diligently seek him.

4. Now, I want you to notice here the end of faith. The end of faith is a reward. So, you see the Scripture is really saying, that God is not pleased with any people for whom He cannot be constantly doing things. If God is not answering your prayer; if He is not healing your body; if He is not settling your problems; if He is not giving you peace of heart and mind; if He is not fighting your battles, then God is not pleased. Many people don't understand this.

In fact many years ago I was talking to a man in Canada, (from where I come) and he said, "I don't bother God with my problems."

And I said, "Why not?"

He said, "God has too many of His own."

I said, "Don't be ridiculous, God doesn't have any problems." And I said to him that, "He doesn't have any problems, so He wants ours, He wants to solve our problems." And that is true. And this is what this Scripture is setting forth here. That God wants to take care of His people. Now, that sounds strange, because the majority of us are all the time hoping, or begging, or trying to find some way whereby we think if we could coerce God, or somehow get Him in a position that would cause Him to act for us, then we might be in a happy way of getting answers. But, you can see here right now that that's not it.

God is not one who stingily, or very grudgingly gives us some little thing. The fact of the matter is, He is not happy with any people that He is not serving abundantly. Now, His Own Word says, "He that is greatest of all, is servant of all." And Jesus came down, and of course He was the fullness of the Godhead bodily manifested. And if He came down and made that statement and proved it by His actions, but because that He was constantly at the beck and call of people, and wept over Jerusalem, because they couldn't see the day of the visitation. And cried in His heart even rebuked them, because they wouldn't let Him do things for them. Then the same thing comes tonight, God is not pleased with the people when He cannot do things for them.

5. So, you see we're putting it around the other side. Now, we're getting God's view point. We're not seeing a God now tonight who was stingy and somehow, we may hope we get Him to do something. But He is the God Who is so anxious to do things for us. It is actually not a premise, or a principle of you and I wanting God to do something, as God Himself wanting to do something.

And of course, the reason God doesn't do many things for us, is because we don't understand faith. Because this is the crux of the whole matter. And He says here distinctly, "If we're going to please Him, it's going to be on the grounds of faith, and therefore remember, that there must be some way to please God. There's got to be someway whereby we can constantly be in the flow of God's divine goodness constantly giving us good things. Remember, the Scripture tells us that, that God is a good God giving us good things.

6. Now, It says then, "without faith it is impossible to please Him." Now, as I say, that shows immediately that faith is a very, very important subject. It's so important that without using this faith God is not pleased, because God is only pleased when He is God. And of course, when He is God, that means that He is control, and He is doing things for His people.

As the Scripture says, "Happy is that nation whose God is the Lord." [Ps 33:12a] So, we see then tonight without realizing we're off on a wrong foot towards God in the first place. God abundantly wants to give us good things. Now, that's a far cry isn't it from the meetings we have now days, where people bring in big tents and they use everything, gimmick they can do. And they twist every Scripture they can, and they try to get the people all worked up to believe God, and then maybe God will do something. And it's a far cry from our lives when we look at what little we have in the sense of God Himself doing for us.

7. "My God shall supply all, (a-double-l) your needs by His riches and glory." [Phil 4:19] The very first revelation that Abraham had of God was this: "I am your Shield, and exceeding great reward." [Gen 15:1b] Now, a shield means 'protection', and a reward means a 'provision'. So, God said to Abraham the father of faith, the revelation to the father of the faithful. And we are told to follow in the steps of faithful Abraham. "I am your Protector and your Provider.

Tell me tonight is somebody came to you and said, "I am your protector and provider," what else would you want? What else would you want? You would want nothing, you would lack nothing.

And so, God's Words says here tonight, "I am not please with the people who will not let Me do things for them." Now, what do you think of that? That's puts a new light on it, doesn't it? And entirely new light. Here we've been simply hoping that we get please by God doing something, and He says, "I'm not pleased when you don't let me do something for you." (See?) It is, "in Him we live and move and have our being." [Acts 17:28a] And that covers a great deal of territory.

8. Now, that's not only so, but let's turn to Ephesians 6: let us view the Scripture here and we'll begin to see another verse of how important faith is, and this has to do with weapons our warfare. And It says here in [Ephesians 6:]12-17

(12) For we wrestle not...

See, there you are, wrestle, fight, (see?) God wants to be involved in this battle.

(12) ... we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

(13) Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

(14) Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

(15) And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

(16) Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith (you) shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

(17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Now, as we look over the armament which God has given us whereby we protect ourselves, we start of course, with the Scripture that says,

(14) Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, ...

Now, we know that the loins must be girded with truth. In other words, there must be a girdle around there, whereby we are able to fend off the enemy, or find ourselves protected against those soft parts whereby we could be easily destroyed.

And we might say tonight, "What would you think is the most important part of that armament? And some one would say, "Well, certainly that's the most important part, though that soft tissue is." But God does not say so.

9. And then again It says here, "Have on the breastplate of righteousness." And right away, that's the one I think the majority would take. And they say, "Well, there's nothing greater than the righteousness of God." There's nothing greater than that, because that's not what God said. And then It said, "your feet ought to be shod with the preparation of the Gospel." And people say, "Well, if I'm ready for everything, that will take care of it." But that's not it either. And then there are those who might say, "Well, the helmet of salvation that's what really counts."

Now, because salvation is such a great subject, "if we got that helmet of salvation that's what it is." The Bible doesn't say that's what it is. And then somebody else says, "Well, it's the sword, the Word of God, you can't beat that, that is the most important." But you're wrong again. The Bible says that the most important weapon is your shield of faith. It says, "Above all."

10. Now, that's true, but it's not true, because that's the wrong translation. But the real translation is just as important, because the word doesn't mean 'above all', in the sense that we say, "I cherish honestly above all virtue." The word 'above' really means this, 'covering over everything'. So, you see if you don't have that shield of faith over everything, the rest doesn't work. The most important weapon you have tonight is your faith. You see, that's why the rest doesn't work. And remember, there's nothing for the back. If you run you get smitten too. There is only one way that anybody can stop the enemy from throwing the fiery darts at him. And believe me today, I don't doubt that hardly a Christian who isn't nursing the wounds life in his breath. Nervousness, depression, and sickness, psychosomatic diseases on every hand. And they've got everyone of these weapons here.

Now listen, I'm going to show you something right now: there are only two parts of your armament that isn't strapped to your body. The helmet put on with a strap, the girdle is girded on, the sandals are strapped on. But the shield of faith is grasped by the hand and so, is the sword. Those two you can put down at any time, but the most important of all is your faith. If you want to be a strong Christian, if you want protection, if you want to use these things of God as set forth here, you are going to have to do it as God said, get that shield of faith up and hold it there. For many having put that shield down, have become pierced through and through.

11. Now, let me show you exactly why I have placed faith above the Word of God in this particular instance. Now, you notice my language is very careful. I said in this particular instance. Turn with me to Hebrews if you wish in chapter 4:2, It says,

(2) For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

The Word of God itself is valueless, except you believe It. Let me show you how important this Word is. There came the Message of God to Noah. And the Message of God was, "Prepare the ark, because there's going to come a flood which will destroy the whole world." Now, mark this: Noah and his seven only of all the millions believed the Word of God, and only they were saved.

This Message could have saved them. This Message had the power of deliverance. This Message had every element they needed nothing else. But without faith they were lost just the same. And God's Word contains many great and precious promises. God's Word is infallible. God is infallible. And prayer can and should be infallible, because John said, "This is the confidence that we have in Him, if we ask anything concerning His will, we know that He heareth. And if we know He heareth, we know that we have the petition we desire of Him." [1 Jn 5:14-15]

12. That's infallibility, but I want to find the Christian whose got it, and I'll tell you why. Because the Word is not mixed with faith in them that heareth. This Word my brother, my sister, though It is life giving, thought It is literally a part of God Himself in print. Though It is the Spirit, let it be condensed. We may say to a material form whereby men can read, have knowledge imparted. I say this, is of no more value than the Koran, or the sayings of Confucius, or of any philosopher, unless men believe it.

Listen, let me say again tonight, this is indeed the very Word of God. This is indeed the very Word of God. If you doubt it and you wonder for a moment listen exactly to what Paul the apostle said, "For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because when you receive the Word of God which you heard of us, you receive it not as the Word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that (what?) believe." [1 Th 2:13] It does not work where there is no faith.

13. This great Book, this wonderful Book has been cast aside, because men do not believe It. Today we have a prophet in the land, but they do not believe that he is he, of Malachi 4. How tragic it's going to be when they find out in the Mount Zion showdown, when Jesus comes and His prophet William Branham was vindicated as correct.

You will notice then here as the Scripture said, "The Word did not profit in them that heard It." [Heb 4:4b] The preached Word did not profit, because it takes faith in the man to hear It, to receive It, to act on It, put It into action in his life, then God will give him these mighty wonderful promises.

14. Again, in1 John 5:4, It says,

(4) ... and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

People today are crying for victory. This is the Laodicean Age which is spiritually poor. This is the age of certain excess, of gluttonous and drunkenness. This is the age where Christ is cast outside of His Own church. This is the age that is going to end in total eclipse in darkness, when the ecumenical society takes over. This is the age of the complete repudiation of the Word of Almighty God. This is the age when the Bride is going to be forced to quit preaching. This will be the great age of persecution and darkness and the power of darkness, when antichrist is going to be enthroned. This is the age when that man of sin shall be revealed. This is an age where we need victory. And the Bible says, is only by faith.

I'm going to go a step further, I could read you out of this chapter 11, and the Bible says, "By faith Enoch was raptured." [Heb 11:5a] I want you to know that, he was. He was literally taken up. By faith he was taken up. The Scripture said he was translated by faith, he was translated. And brother/sister, we're going to need rapturing faith, before we get up in the Resurrection. We are going to meet Him. Jesus Himself said, "Shall the Son of man find faith when He cometh?" [Lk 18:8b]

15. We need to know about faith tonight. We need to know about faith. If there is one subject we've got to know about, it is about the subject of faith. And the Scripture here says, "There's no victory apart from it." There isn't any, there just can't be. There isn't any man can have a victory. Why? Because I've already told you why. It says, "Without faith it is impossible to please God." [Heb 11:6b] He wants to be a mighty warrior raised, (at it were) out of His fief, and is angry to come and do battle for us. He wants to fight our battles. He wants to protect us, He wants to provide for us.

And I'm going to tell you tonight there's coming that day very shortly when we're going to need God. We're going to need it, you won't buy and sell without him, or, you’ll take the mark of the beast. And the mark of the beast on the forehead means you're going to have to accept the dogma of the Roman Catholic church, and the Protestant ecumenical council, they'll be one. And the make on the hand means that you're going to have to do the bidding. And the image, erected to the beast, which is the antichrist is the ecumenical worldwide organization, which is already shown by the pope coming to America, they're going to take over the UN. [United Nations]

16. Because when the UN breaks into this, (which it will) only the Roman Catholic's have got the gold. And remember, you'll never get off that gold standard. You say, "I'm on a silver standard." I don't care what you say you're on, when they bring in all paper and all the old bonds, and all the currency, they're going to say, "We've got the gold." And you're going to...not you, but when I use the word 'you', I don't mean you people here, I mean you as a principle.

I say, "The world and those outside are Jesus Christ, are only going to be too glad to sell their souls for a mess of pottage just the same as Esau did, that profane person." And the word 'profane' in the Bible means 'idolatrous'. We’re going to need this faith.

Well, hallelujah, I believe we're going to get it, so I'm not going to kneel down. Just got the feeling, I just can't think in negative terms, I got to be happy, because my God reigneth. And after all, He's just what I said He is, our Protector, and our Provider, He'll work this out for us too. But I'm here to help you to see the truth of it, and to help you work on it now.

17. Again, the Scripture says in 2 Corinthians 5:7

(7) For we walk by faith, (and) not by sight:

We walk by faith, and God wants us to walk in Him. Remember, that walk speaks of vocation, not avocation. Why, somebody's…one brother said tonight...meeting him at the back, Bro. Andrew Allen always saying, "Now he spoke literally oyster fisherman." Well, that's fine, that's an avocation. And maybe even tonight he's not an oyster catcher, now I don't thing, or fisherman. But if he were, that's his avocation. His vocation is to walk in Jesus Christ. That's his real calling. And then one day the Lord will call him higher, so that you can walk with Me now.

And so, we walk by faith. And if we're going to walk, I mean walk, not stagger, not reel, not fall, not go down in defeat, but to literally walk, it's going to be by faith. Because brother/sister, only faith will make God, or cause God to fight your battles. Only faith within God, will cause you to you to have the strength whereby you can walk.

18. Again, It says in Romans 1:17b

(17) ... the just shall live by faith. (That's the justified ones.)

You know, many people aren't living these days in victory. They don't have any power, it's simply because they will not let God do it. They simply won't put their faith in Him. They just don't know how to use their faith. And then in Romans 14:23b, and there are many more verses I could use, but listen to this, It says,

(23) ... whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

You know that makes me to believe tonight and understand? There is only one sin in this world, that's one major root of sin, unbelief. That's exactly what Eve didn't do, she didn't believe God. She believed the devil's lie. She did, she believed the devil. She didn't believe God. And every single sin in this world comes out of unbelief. And I'll tell you what you do, I won't give you a clue tonight, except this one: Why does a man steal? "Thou shalt not steal." Is because he doesn't believe that God can provide and give him the necessities in the abundance of life that God said he could have.

You take every other sin in the catalogue you know, and just for something to do tonight, or tomorrow, someday you just begin to trace where that sin came from. You name it, and trace it back, and it'll all go right back to unbelief. Every sin comes out of the root of unbelief. "And whatsoever is not of faith is sin." So, you see how important it is to use faith? It's so necessary, He will keep us from doing evil, and it will keep evil from us. (See?) That's our Bible.

19. Now, thus we see, tonight we're launching into a very important study. And as we launch into it, I am struck of the tragedy that have enveloped us as a Christian people. Because we are all the time asking God for faith, rather than studying ways whereby we might use faith.

Now, someone would say, "Bro. Vayle, why do say it is tragic to ask God for faith?" I will tell you why it is tragic to ask God for faith, because we already have it. We merely insult God by asking what we already have as though we have it not. How insulting it is to God Who has given us actually a great gift, and the majority of us do not even know that it is an actual gift of God and what the Scripture has to say about it. Then was ask as though we do not have it. And we go to God... and say, "Lord, increase my faith. Believe me, God does not increase your faith. If you only read two Scriptures you'd know that, because Jesus said, "If a man hath the faith of a grain of mustard seed, he'll move a mountain." [Mt 13:20b] But Paul said, "Though I have all faith to move a mountain." [1 Cor 13:2b] So therefore all faith big or little, is just faith, it must be the way we use it that determines the values that comes out of it.

20. So, we see therefore tonight that we are literally insulting God if we only knew the truth. And I will give you that truth tonight and show you that you do possess faith, and then we'll learn what to do about it.

First of all, let me say to you that everyone has normal faith. You are born with faith. I can prove it, because if I were to ask any man or woman here tonight over the age of sixteen to raise your hand if you've ever been swindled. You'd say, "Bro. Vayle, I was took, I was took." That proves your faith. You had faith in something and they took you for it. I've been beat out of so much, I'm glad I don't have any more to get beat out of.

But the fact remains that there isn't one of us who hadn't been took. We had faith. Many a woman has literally lost her morals and corrupted life, because she had faith in a man who said, "Yes, honey, we'll go through and we'll marry and all that." Oh yes, I know what's all about. She's lost everything. She had faith, though, it was human faith. And let me tell you that human faith will not work.

21. There's a man who had human faith, and that man's name was Agrippa. And over here chapter in 26 of the Book of Acts. We'll read about this man Agrippa. And here's what the Bible says concerning him. In[Acts 26:] 27-29

(27) King Agrippa, (said Paul) believest thou the prophets? ...

Now, king Agrippa was an outstanding historian and a student of world religion. And having studied the world's religion he concluded that the Judaic religion was the most perfect religion of all, and the God of the Hebrew certainly must be the most High God. Now, so Paul said,

(27) King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? (And he studied the prophets) I know that thou believest.

(28) Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

(29) And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.

22. You can see here tonight that king Agrippa had faith. There's no doubt about it, but it was human faith. And it was faith that accepted the prophets and yet for all that he was not saved, but he had it. You and I have human faith. Those who go to the witch doctor have human faith. They believe that he was literally approaching the most High God, and many of them are healed. Many receive help.

Right today in America you have people who are not worshipping God in spirit and in truth. They do not even have a revelation of the Father through Jesus Christ. Such people are Christian Science and Unitarian. A man Unity people, not Unitarian, beg your pardon. But Unity, silent unity such as transit, that was brought in America here by the Fillmore's brothers trials, and whatever his brother's name was. Those people had human faith, and thereby they do reach out to God and even they get wonderful results. But that is not what we have in mind tonight.

23. What we have in mind tonight to express it a little more fully, is found in 2 Thessalonians. And if you want to write It down, or you want to copy in you Bible, it's 2 Thessalonians 3:2. It says:

(2) ... that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.

According to this verse of Scripture there is a group of people who do not possess a certain faith as laid out in the Word of God. Therefore, this must be apart from human faith. It is not a faith you are born with, it must be something else. It says wicked and unreasonable men do not have this faith.

24. What is this faith? Turn to Romans 12:3

(3) For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

This would sound like a contradiction. This would sound as though I admit an error. I didn't, neither did Paul who wrote both epistles. In Thessalonians, he is talking about wicked and unreasonable men who don't have faith. But in Romans 12:1, he says,

(1) ... therefore, (what?) brethren, ...

Brethren, everyone of you, every single born again Christian, from the first one born again on the day of Pentecost till the last elected member of the Body of Jesus Christ comes in. I say, "Everyone has been given the measure of faith.”

Let me suppose tonight that this bottle represents the measure. Here is the first one at Pentecost to come before God, (actually there were a hundred and twenty) who all at one time received the measure of faith. [Bro. Vayle demonstrates with a bottle] And after then here is Paul, the measure of faith. And here is Timothy, the measure of faith. And here is Silas, the measure of faith. And here is Phillip, the measure of faith. And here is every single child of God has been given the measure of faith. You tonight, if you've been born again, you positively have the measure of faith.

25. Now, when did you get this measure of faith? In Ephesians 2:

(8) ... by grace are (you) saved through faith; and that (faith is) not o of yourselves: it is (a) gift of God:

Human faith cannot bring God into any man's life. Because to be born again means that God comes into a temple not made with hands. That God Himself will literally, comes in and indwells the man, and tonight you are the receptacle of God. And you don't get in by the pre-solemnizing a bit of bread and eat them. You get It, by Jesus Christ in Spirit coming in. "It is Christ in you the hope of glory." [Col 1:27b] "It is God in you willing and doing His good pleasure." [Phil 2:13] It is Christ or perish. "And except a man have the Spirit of Christ he is none of His." [Rom 8:9b]

In fact, the Bible says He is reprobate. There isn't anybody tonight who by human faith could possibly believe that God would come in to a criminal defiled vessel. There isn't one who could believe that distinctly in their heart. There isn’t one who could have God to condescend and come in. When the Spirit of God draws a man convicts him of his sins, and show him the way of justification through the Spirit and by the cleansing of the Blood of the Word, then God drops into that man's heart the measure of faith and thereby he knows that he knows, that he knows, that he knows he has passed from death unto life. That's why we find people today are filling the churches that are nominal Christians.

26. Now, listen carefully, "He that believeth that Jesus is the Christ." [1 Jn 5:1a] That's what's laid down is, he that overcometh and he that is born gain, in a sense in that particular area we use those words. But listen to me, there is hardly a man in North America who does not believe in Jesus Christ. Speaking again without pride to be discourteous to the Roman Catholic's, I know as well as you do, because I suppose many of your ancestors and your near relations right now, and some of you even were of that church. I know tonight as you know that Mary is not claimed as Savior. They claim her as an intercessor, but she's not Savior.

And when I say to anybody who believes that God in God, who believes that God manifested Himself in flesh and came down here to reveal Himself as Son. And I say what do you believe about Him? They say, "I believe He's Savior." They are not born again. If it were human faith every single one would be born again, but they're not. "He that believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God." It's not that kind of believing, not that kind of faith. Because if that were true then, every single one who says, "I believe that Jesus is the Christ,” must be born again." But it is not so.

27. But you know, that's not just bad enough that we have people today, (the evangelical so called) the so called, fundamentalist. Those who use what we call proof text salvation.

And the sinner comes to church and the preacher says,

"Now, you would not like to go to not go to hell, would you?"

And they say, "No I don't want to go to hell, who does?"

And they [preachers] say, "Well you want to go to heaven?"

"Certainly, who doesn't want to go to heaven." (Huh?)

Certainly, and then they begin dealing with them.

And they say, "Now look sir, you're a sinner?"

"Yes, I'm a sinner."

"Now, I want to show this, the Bible says that Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world. Are you part of the world?"

"Yes sir, I'm part of the world."

"Then did Jesus Christ die for you?"

"Yes sir, He did."

And they may say something like this:

"And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned every man to his own way. But the Lord has laid on Him, (Jesus) the iniquity of us all." [Isa 53:6]

They say, "Then where are your sins laid?"

And the sinner says, "They've been laid on Jesus."

Then the preachers says, "If they're laid on Jesus, then they're not on you."

And he says, "That's right."

Then he says, "Shake my hand you're saved." Hogwash!

28. Sold him a bill of goods. Sold him a bill of goods. He is no different, though he criticizes the Methodist, Presbyterians and Baptist and Catholics and all the rest for putting his name on a church book, going through a rigmarole and shaking the preachers hand. He has done a filthier job. Because they have deluded those men into salvation, where the others simply joined a club and they knew it. Turn around and use Scripture on him show him he's born again. He was not more born again, bless my heart, then was Esau or was Pharaoh.

But he came in by simply saying, "I agree, I agree, I agree." That's why your church is filled with goats. That's why I understand you had some trouble not long ago, too many goats. They weren't sheep. No, they weren't, sheep don't cause trouble. I can prove to you by Scripture my brother, my sister a Christians never starts anything. That's right, God warned them," don't kick back." Christians never start anything, sometime they stop it. They never should, let God stop it. That's why you turn the cheek and all.

You find a man going around starting things and you know that he was never born again, he's a liar from the hips down, and from the hips up. And he's got not a thing in his heart. I know that by Scripture. We fill the church full of goats. The only way that you're ever going to keep the goats out my brother, my sister, and you'll never really keep them out, but you'll keep a lot out. And when the preacher stops preaching about heaven and hell, and begin to say what Jesus did, "Take up your cross and follow me." [Lke9:23b]

29. Come and suffer with it. Come and esteem the things of this world of no repute that you may have something in glory. They won't come around too long. That's the real Gospel, anything else is a sham and contrary to the Word of God. Proof text salvation based upon human logic will never save a man. The Bible says, "Only those are born again who have the measure of faith." And that measure of faith according to God's Word we found It out, by grace are you saved is though faith and not of yourselves, it is a gift. The faith is not human that saves you. Human faith cannot save you. Because God... the Scripture says, "Salvation is of the Lord." It's from start to finish, all of God.

So therefore, you didn't have a thing to do with it. People says, "I was lost, and then I found the Lord." I never knew anybody who was lost who could find the Lord. It was the Lord that was lost, that's the way they make it. But if we're lost, then it's God who found us. Now, I want to tell you, when you're lost you're going to need finding. Never say, "I found the Lord." You didn't find, and He found you. You never found a lost sheep ever saying, I found the shepherd. It's the Shepherd that finds the sheep.

It's the sheep that hears His Voice, "Come home!" And ninety and nine so called self righteous there in the fold never had anything. That was the Jew. But the little sheep who knew was lost heard the Shepherd's Voice and crying. The Shepherd found him, because the Bible says the Shepherd doesn't rest till He goes out and brings him back. Yes, you know you were all little old lost sheep, one at a time God brought you.

30. Now then, listen to me, this measure of faith is a gift from God. Now, let us find out exactly what this saving faith is. Turn with me first of all to the Book of James in chapter 2:1, we find James giving a little exhortation.

(1) My brethren, have not the faith of ...

The word is not in (i-n) but o-f, it is in the genitive case. It hasn't got a thing to do with being faith in God, it is the faith of Jesus Christ. Like I were to say tonight, (and maybe not the best expression) this is the wrist watch of Lee Vayle. If it's not my watch, I don't know whose it is, because it's mine. It's got a new bracelet on it too. Kind of scratched on the surface, but that's my watch. If it's beat up or otherwise, it's still my watch. This is the watch of Lee Vayle.

Now, the Bible says, "My brethren, (just what Paul said) as God has given the measure of faith to every brother, (every sister of course, means the same) my brethren have not the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ with respect to persons."

31. Don't you know that these people who are carnal, they were buttering up the rich folk. Some rich man would come in and say, "Now, that's ought to be good for a check for several dollars, maybe hundreds of thousands, he'll build us a new church and put an addition on the parsonage and put in a pipe organ, get the kids a recreation room."

“Oh yes, go ahead”, said James, “shame on you”. Shame on you going to that level of politics when you've got the faith of Jesus Christ Himself. When did Christ ever do anything except what the fathers showed him, or say what the father's said. And yet, with the same faith He gave that He had, and you've got, now shame on you, acting like a bunch of politicians. I'm going to say tonight that any true people, any true sheep of God, with the measure of the faith of Jesus Christ will not stoop to do these things. They will be convicted, if any politics they'll be convicted of chicanery, [deceit] or anything else that they may try to pull off.

32. Now, this is not only so, but turn also now to the Book of Galatians, because in the mouths of two witnesses it shall be established. Is this indeed a measure of Jesus Christ's own faith? Now, in the Book of Galatians 2:20

(20) I (have been...)

Now, there again is a change. It's not I am crucified, it's a finished work. Just like Christ was a finish work.

(20) I (have been) crucified with Christ: neverthless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life (that) I now live in the flesh I live by the faith 'of ' the Son of God, ...

James said it was the faith of Jesus Christ. But who is Jesus Christ? He's the what? Son of God. So now Paul, and remember, in the mouths of two or three it is established. Paul said that there is such a thing as the faith of Jesus Christ the Son of God literally residing in a human vessel. Is that, correct? It's correct.

33. All right, let's try the third witness. Turn now to the Book of Acts 3:16. And here is what Peter said when they asked him about the man at the Gate Beautiful.

(16) And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom (you) see and know: yea, the faith which is by him (or from him) hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

Let me read It to you the way I'll make sense."

(16) And (Jesus') name through faith in (Jesus') name, has made this (former weak) man strong, whom you see and know: yea, the faith which (is of, or from Jesus himself,) hath given him this

perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

Peter was explaining how the man was healed. He said it was Jesus' Name, and Jesus' faith used by them that did it. Human faith my brother, my sister, will accomplish certain things as we've already said; but, if you want a ministry in the Holy Ghost, it's going to be His faith that does it. It's got to be beyond human faith.

You see, other people who get answers apart from being born again, they use a reasoning human faith. And because they believe in God, that He's the Creator, they also know He's the maintainer, and by that human faith they can get certain things. But, you'll never get born again brother/sister without that faith. You've got to have God's Own faith, and here tonight we're seeing it. Peter called it "God's faith." James called it... rather Jesus Christ's faith. He is God, but I'm trying to keep these terms right now. Because I have something else in mind to bring you. But, Peter called it, the faith of Jesus. Paul called it, the faith of the Son of God. And James called it, the faith of Jesus Christ.

34. Now, let me show you something here in the Book of Ephesians 3:12, Now, before I read you this verse, let me ask you tonight a question: Of course, this is what we call a hypothetical question, when you won't have to answer it at all, or rhetorical question rather, you don't have to answer it, we'll get into it. But, supposing I were to ask you this question, and I were to say to you tonight, what would you like to have as a Christian experience continuously in the Lord in your relationship to Him as concerning this revelation of God being your Protector and Provider?

And you would say something like this: "Bro. Vayle, I'd like to have the liberty to go in the Presence of God at all times, and know that when I'm reaching out toward Him, I've got access to be in His Presence and then leave with assurance."

Now, if I had what that takes. Now, hey now, that's pretty good thing isn't? Oh, would you like better concerning this revelation of God's Protector, and Provider and you've got a need. and you know that you can boldly go out to God and say, "My God."

He said, "Yes son, I'm listening."

"Well, here I am, Lord, and I've got to have it."

"That's yours son, go ahead."

You say, "Bro. Vayle, oh I wish I had it."

35. You know something, we've already got it. You know that? Listen to It:

Ephesians 3:12

(12) In whom we have boldness...

That word in the Greek is 'parrhesia', which means 'freedom of speech'. I can to right to God and say, "God." He says, "Here I am."

(12) In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

By the faith of Jesus Christ right now. We have boldness and access. We have in our possession right now the basis of what makes this experience live, as Paul said, "I've live by the faith of the Son of God." [Galatians 2:20] Wouldn't you call that living? By what standard? We've got it.

You know what Jesus said to Jerusalem? "Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem if you only knew what belongs to your peace." [Lk 19:42] God's Word inhabits... It said, "My people perish for a lack of knowledge." [Hos 4:6a] Solomon said, "Wisdom is the principle thing, get it, for all thy getting, get understanding." [Prov 4:7]

36. You know, tonight we`re rich, we will be richer than we can possibly imagine, and yet we seem to be poverty stricken. Why? Because we don't even know what we got. As Dr. Kenyon said, "No man can ever become a strong stalwart Christian until he knows who and what he is in Jesus Christ." And he said, "Until the day came that I realize my rights and privileges in God that belongs to me, by my identification with Jesus Christ, I would lay hands on the cancerous people they would die. I could not cast out devils, so when the day came when I received the revelation of my identification with Him, (I'll explain it to you when we come to it. He said,) every devil trembled, and (said) every cancer died in its track."

People will try to tell you Dr. Kenyon died a crippled old man, diseased, don't let them kid you, He died an old man well, full of years, he just went to sleep one night and woke up on the other side. I guess he felt a little bit like he didn't want to wake up on this side, so he woke up on the other side.

37. But, here we have tonight God's Own Word declaring that we have this life which we feel we crave for, and yet it's already ours. Because It says, (now notice) "According to the eternal purposes which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord in Whom we have boldness and access with confidence, by His Own imparted faith." [Eph 3:12]

You say, "Bro. Vayle, doesn't that mean that's the kind of faith I got it, just get it once in a while?" No sir, if you live by it brother/sister, you've got it all the time with you. You've been dead most of the time and I've been dead. Right? No, we don't fool God's gifts are never, never take taken back. "His gifts and callings of God are without repentance." [Rom 11:29] And they're perfect, every good and perfect gift coming down from the Father above.

38. Now, not only is that so, but notice in the Book of Galatians, (which Book we looked at a moment ago) in chapter 2:16, (notice these sixteens)

(16) Knowing that a man is not (not watch this:) knowing that a man is not (declared righteous) by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, ...

Not faith 'in' Jesus Christ brother/sister, no sir, the faith 'of ' Jesus Christ makes that man declared righteous. You weren't declared righteous tonight because you had faith in Him. You were declared righteous because you've got His faith. Because believe me, it's not just believing my brother, my sister, it's getting Him right in here. You got to get it inside.

A man says, "I've got faith for a pair of shoes." And then never gets the shoes, don't make me laugh. If a man has got faith for a pair of shoes, his shoes will appear. That conviction there will literally brings those shoes to come to pass. And when you've got the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ, Christ comes into your heart. He may dwell in your heart by what? Faith!

39. Now, oh, we might as well look a little further here. We've talked about this being the last day, the opening of those Seals, and the opening of the Ages to us by Bro. Branham, so let's turn to Revelation 2:13, It says:

(13) I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, ...

He doesn't say you haven't denied faith in Me, He says you haven't denied My faith. Here is the last Book written in the Bible. The last great revelation, and Jesus Himself was saying to those people, you haven't denied My faith. Tonight, most of us are, but by the grace of God we won't continue doing that, because we believe we're going to live in this faith daily even as Paul said.

40. Go back to the Book of Romans for a second, just to show you just there are many Scriptures, other than what I brought you.

Romans 3:22, and again the Scripture says here:

(22) Even the righteousness of God which is by (the) faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: ...

In other words, you really can't believe without the faith of Jesus Christ.

So, what have we got tonight? You've got a measure of the faith of Jesus Christ. That's exactly what the Bible teaches. Is that, right? How many are born again? Let me see your hands. All right, that's good. Now says with me: I have a measure of the faith of Jesus Christ.

"I have a measure of the faith of Jesus Christ." [Congregation repeats]

Now, you see the thing is, you raised your hand, you don't say this, somebody's wrong…it's not Lee Vayle. Remember what John said, the Scripture said, "He confessed and denied not saying, 'I am not the Christ'." [John 1:20]

Tonight, we will confess and deny not, I have a measure of the faith of Jesus Christ. Say it:

[Congregation repeats] "I have a measure of the faith of Jesus Christ."

Now, let's go further, let's make it 'the measure', because that's what it is. Not just 'a' measure, it is 'the' measure.

[Congregation repeats] "I have the measure of the faith of Jesus Christ."

Say it again:

[Congregation repeats] "I have the measure of the faith of Jesus Christ."

Let's put it this way, some of the faith of Jesus Christ is in my possession.

[Congregation repeats] "Some of the faith of Jesus Christ is in my possession."

46. Now, that helps you, doesn't it? You see, here's the thing, you’ve got to learn to confess. If you never learned to confess which we'll take a whole night on, this will not become real. But we must learn to confess it. We have the measure of the faith of Jesus Christ.

Now, are you satisfied that you have the measure of the faith of Jesus Christ? Let me see your hands. Oh, let's put it this way, are you satisfied I taught you the Word? Are you satisfied this is the Word? All right, in other words, if you never got born again on your own faith. (See?) That's why many, many people will go to your altars. Now listen, I don't believe in altars. You know why? Because Christ is our Altar. Why would we now go back to a type when we've already got the real thing? Why put a board up here and say, "Come to this?"

You know, you could be wrong in doing that. I say people are wrong in doing that. Because somebody may put his faith in having come up. You say, "Bro. Vayle not so yet." I asked a man once, when were you born again? He said, "I went to the altar twenty years ago."

I said, "I didn't ask when you went to an altar, I just said when were you born again."

If you should put your faith in one step you took down this aisle, you're lost, you're going to hell. That's right, you may mean it, let's not fool, we're not here to fool with me. You don't put one bit of faith in any step you took. It's Jesus. Let me tell you when His faith came into your heart, you knew, that you knew. The Bible says, "We know we have pass from death to unto life." [1 Jn 3:14a]" And we shall not come into condemnation." [Jn 5:24b] Isn't it strange, the Armenians want to scare that out of you. They say, "If you do so and so, you'll not come in." My Bible says, "He'll none but raise Him up and none shall pluck you up." [Jn 6:39b]

Thy say, "You can pluck yourself out." Oh, then you're bigger than God. Well, isn't that a joke. And if I'm [you’re] bigger than God, then you tell God what to do. Let's not be foolish, hey… let's honor God tonight. If He said it, let's say, "Hallelujah." if you're truly born again.

People say, “Yeah, if I believed that terrible doctrine, and eternal security, I'd be in sin."

My brother, my sister, how ridiculous. If you're born again the Bible says, "How can you live in it?" If you've been saved from it, and you've got a new nature, how then can you get into it? My you don’t see a sheep acting like a hog. It's that old Armenian doctrine that doesn't glorify God, but, somehow puts man up here. But tonight, I'm going to put God up here, and I'm going to bring us all down where we belong. It's the faith of Jesus Christ Himself that caused you to believe, it wasn't you at all.

You say, "I believe." You did not believe. Shame on you. Shame on anybody saying that, as though he were somebody helping God. "He that is greatest of all, is servant to all." [Mt 23:11] Now, is He going to come and say, "I need your help?" You know what God wants of all of us tonight? Just one thing, to act like God does that's all. And it's going to take all of His help to get us doing it, too. We won't add a thing to it. The best we can do is just get crucified and let Him live through us. So, that's how much we’re involved with it. Huh? You know what the Bible said about evil? [tape ends]