William Branham and the Doctrines of Grace
In this article, we will examine the biblical Doctrines of Grace and compare them to what William Branham taught in his Message. Each of the five doctrines of grace have historically been represented by a letter which spell out the acronym, TULIP. May the Lord use this page to open the eyes of those who follow the Message to sound biblical doctrine as it corrects the errors in William Branham's Message.
Here are the 5 Doctrines of Grace in the word TULIP:
Total Depravity
Unconditional Election
Limited Atonement
Irresistible Grace
How did you come to do this [need to be justified]? You were deceived into it by your first marriage, to your adulterous parent, Eve. It's no fault of your own. By your natural birth, you come after Eve, who committed adultery. That's the reason you was born an adulteress. You're a sinner, to begin with. That's right. You was deceived into it. You had no... No, you, it ain't your fault. You never did it.—William BranhamHere, WMB places the cause of our sinful nature on Eve. He says we are sinners not by any fault of our own, but because we are the victims of Eve’s sin. But the fault doesn’t lay with Eve alone. WMB was clear that the union between Eve and the serpent led to a strain of humanity that was inherently sinful, having the characteristics of the devil by way of the serpent:
("The Invisible Union of the Bride of Christ," sermon #65-1125)
Today science is looking for a bone of some animal that connects man and monkey together. The closest they got is a chimpanzee. They can't find a bone. They'll never, because it's a serpent. It's a revelation of God. Watch. The serpent was a--like a prehistoric man, something next to God--or next to man. And that's the only thing. If any other animal would've happened to--Satan would've got on them, the seed would not have mixed with the woman. You can't mix a human seed with any kind of an animal seed. It won't work. But this animal that will mix the seed is complete; it's extinct. God turned him to a snake. But remember when... Said, "Why did you hide? Why did you cover yourself with fig leaves?" Then they begin to pass the buck as the army is. "Well," Adam said, "the woman that You give me enticed me to take of the fruit." And the woman said, "The serpent beguiled me." Now, what does "beguile" mean? "She--he beguiled me." And God said, "I'll put enmity between your seed and the serpent's seed." Seed, the serpent had a literal seed, and it come through Cain. Through Cain come all the smart, educated people down to the antediluvian flood. And behind that come Abel who was killed, and Seth was raised up in his place to represent the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. And from him come the humble people, sheepherders and so forth, but the God-fearing people. And Jesus said the children of this world are wiser, smarter, than the children of the Kingdom. That's right. We can't compare with them. Don't try to put yourself up to be like them. Humble yourself before God. Don't desire to be smart and wise; just desire to know Jesus and let it alone, for there lays the seed of the serpent today. And people are glorying because scientists, and smart men, and educated, and great scholars belong to their churches.The doctrine of Total Depravity says that because of Adam's Fall in the Garden of Eden, every human being is born in sin and unable not to sin. Because of this, every single human being deserves to receive the wages for their sin, and those wages is death. But even though we are born totally depraved, it does not mean we are utterly evil in every respect or totally unable to do good things to and for one another. But none of the good we can do is sufficient to rescue us from our debt of sin against God our Creator.
("Questions and Answers," sermon #59-0628E)
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned . . .Here are a few verses from Scripture that make clear the doctrine of Total Depravity:
(Romans 5:12)For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
(Romans 1:18-21).
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6)Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. (Romans 8:7)
For I know that in me(that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. (Romans 7:18)
And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled. (Colossians 1:21)
When God created me, William Branham, I was before the foundation of the world; He made my being, my spirit. I wasn't conscious of anything as far as I know of, but the... I was there. Oh, I--I don't believe you're getting it. But now, just a minute, Jesus told the disciples that He knew them before the foundation of the world; and Paul said here that He chose us in Him before the world began. Now, there was some part of me, Orman Neville, and the rest of you all here, that's in Christ Jesus before the world ever began.William Branham suggests that we all existed in God's thoughts before we were born. However, the Bible doesn't teach that (see "What does the Bible say about the pre-existence of souls?"https://www.gotquestions.org/pre-existence-of-souls.html). WMB's statement contains hints of various verses of Scripture, none of which were quoted correctly:
("Questions and Answers," sermon #53-0729)
WMB: "Jesus told the disciples that He knew them before the foundation of the world". The Bible: Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." (Matthew 25:34) "Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world." (John 17:24)WMB's view suggests that we were elect before the foundation of the world because God created us before the foundation of the world. However, neither these nor any other verse of Scripture suggests that we existed before or even when God created the heavens and the earth.WMB: "...Paul said here that He chose us in Him before the world began."
The Bible: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved." (Ephesians 1:3-6)
"Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" (2 Timothy 1:9)
"In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began" (Titus 1:2)
WMB was correct that we were chosen by God from the foundation of the world, but not on the basis that we were created back then as elect. It was entirely according to His own purposes in grace, not according to what we would do. He predestined a specific elect few whose names He had written on the book of life from the foundation of the world, among all of fallen mankind, to show mercy to and save. (Romans 9)
The biblical doctrine of grace known as "Unconditional Election" says,
Salvation is accomplished by the almighty power of the triune God. The Father chose a people, the Son died for them, the Holy Spirit makes Christ's death effective by bringing the elect to faith and repentance, thereby causing them to willingly obey the Gospel. The entire process (election, redemption, regeneration) is the work of God and is by grace alone. Thus God, not man, determines who will be the recipients of the gift of salvation. (CRTA)http://www.reformed.org/calvinism/Bible verses on which this statement is based include:
"In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-- to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves." (Ephesians 1:4-6)."And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified." (Romans 8:30).
"And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed." (Acts 13:48)
"For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” (Acts 2:39)
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. (John 15:16)
"Then Isaiah is so bold as to say,
'I have been found by those who did not seek me;
I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.'” (Romans 10:20)
The doctrine of grace called Limited Atonement states that Jesus Christ came to die for the atonement of a particular people, an elect few whom the Father had chosen from the foundation of the world. However, according to William Branham, everybody in the world is born saved. If a person dies and goes to hell, it's because they lost their salvation by not having faith that they were saved. WMB said: "Every sinner inside this door, and every sinner in the world is already saved and been saved since Jesus' death at Calvary.
You say, 'Brother Branham, I was saved ten years ago.' No, you accepted it ten years ago. He took away the sin of the world nineteen hundred years ago. But it's your personal faith in a finished work that brings the results. If you never accept it, you'll die and without mercy because you judged the Son of God thus. If you are sick tonight, 'He was wounded for our transgressions and with His stripes you were healed.' It's the past tense. It isn't that I lay hands on you, or any other minister lays hands on you; it's your personal faith in a finished work that Christ has did. Certainly."But the Bible says that Jesus came to die for His people, not that He would die so that people could become His people:
("The Queen of the South," sermon #58-0208)
"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." (Matthew 1:21)The Bible says that Jesus came to die for His sheep, not to make it possible for sheep to be saved:
"I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. " (John 10:14-15)Jesus died for specific people called the Church, not for people who might or might not become part of the Church:
"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her." (Ephesians 5:25)Jesus died for His friends, not so that people could become His friends:
"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)If Jesus died for the sins of everyone, then WMB would be right; everyone would be saved. If He died so that people could be saved, then He didn’t really die for the actual salvation of anyone in particular, but for the potential salvation of everyone in general.
The Bible is clear. Jesus didn’t die for everyone, and He didn’t die that people could potentially get saved. He came to die for His own, for His sheep, for those who the Father gave Him, for His Church. He came to die for those whose names were written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world!
While reading John chapter 3 one day, a thought occurred to me, particularly relating to John 3:16. Jesus had just been talking to Nicodemus and told him that unless he was born again, he could not see the Kingdom. Then He told him that a person must be born of water and the Spirit. Being born of water and of the Spirit is to be cleansed from one's sins and made new by the Spirit, as symbolized in Ezekiel 36:24-27. Jesus then goes on to say that just as the wind blows where it wishes, so does the Spirit as He gathers those to be born in the Spirit. As Jesus is explaining this to Nicodemus, He says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him."
The thought I had while reading John 3:16 was that it could be understood by the following analogy. Let's say a man's Dad had a 1939 Ford sedan that was deteriorated beyond any usefulness. It was rusted out, the upholstery was rotted, the engine was totally seized, etc. He loved that car because it had once been a prized possession of his own father's, but now it wasn't worth anything but sending to the junkyard to be demolished. He knew his son was a awesome car restorer, so he made a deal with him and said if he would restore it for him, it would be his. So, the son got to work, taking it apart and discarding everything that was beyond repair and keeping everything that could be fixed up. Eventually, the car was restored to showroom quality. A pile of junk that was discarded was hauled away in a rollaway dumpster, and the Dad didn't ever have as much enjoyment with it than when his son took possession of the beautiful car.
I know it's not a perfect analogy, but John 3:16 seems to be saying that God so loved His creation, the pinnacle of it being mankind, that rather than completely destroy it, He sent His Son to redeem it. But in redeeming it, many would be condemned while He chose a select few to be used in His restoration project. Like the car in which the son took the whole thing but only saved and restored those parts he had use for, God saved the whole world from destruction for the sake of His elect. As "many are called, but few are chosen," most of mankind are condemned and few are chosen for restoration. He will eventually take that world He saved and make it anew for our benefit and His glory!
Those who obtain the new birth do so, not because they wanted to obtain it, but because of the sovereign discriminating grace of God. That is, men are overcome by grace, not finally because their consciences were more tender or their faith more tenacious than that of other men. Rather, the willingness and ability to do God's will are evidence of God's own faithfulness to save men from the power and the penalty of sin, and since man is so corrupt that he will not decide and cannot be wooed to follow after God, sovereign efficacious grace is required to convert him. This is done by the regeneration of the Holy Spirit whereby a fallen man who has heard the gospel is made willing and necessarily turns to Christ in God-given faith. (https://www.theopedia.com/irresistible-grace)Some say that Irresistible Grace means that God drags some people who have no interest in being saved kicking and screaming into heaven against their will while others who truly want to be saved are left to die in their sins. That’s probably the most often used straw man argument agaisnt this doctrine of grace. In reality, according to Scripture, nobody wants to be saved on God's terms because of original sin. There is no interest in the heart of fallen man to repent of his sin and submit to the gospel. But God, for His purposes, chose some whom He draws to the Son by His grace and that in this drawing He actually changes their disposition so that they now willingly repent and call on the name of Jesus Christ by faith.
Did William Branham teach “Irresistible Grace?” Yes—and no! Recalling WMB’s view of Unconditional Election, we learned that those who were predestined to accept the Message were part of God before the beginning of creation. They were what WMB called, “Predestinated Seed.” Each and every Message Believer who was predestined to accept the Message had God’s “Seed” laying inside him from birth. When the Message was preached to that person, it quickened that Seed and he became born again. It was only by God’s grace and nothing that person did that caused that Seed inside him to come to life when he heard the Message. That is WMB’s version of Irresistible Grace.
On the other hand, the Bible teaches that we were all born dead in our sins and trespasses. The elect of God who were chosen from the foundation of the world were not elect because they were part of God in the beginning. They were not the elect of God because they had some sort of divine “predestinated seed” laying inside of them waiting to be quickened. They were not elect because God knew they would sometime repent and believe. The biblical elect were foreknown by God and were on that basis chosen by Him from before the foundation of the world to be born again. However, the elect, like everyone born of woman since Adam, were born dead in their sins and trespasses. We were no different than any other sinner. But since we were chosen by Him, He caused us to be born again by His grace. Our disposition went from being a sinner interested in our own corrupt desires to a repentant sinner, calling out to Jesus Christ our Savior. Once He called us by His grace, our nature became unable--that is, unwilling--to resist His call to eternal life!
Below are a series of statements that WMB made that help us understand his view of Irresistible Grace:
You said awhile ago you were a Christian. What made you a Christian? Because God called you before the foundation of the world to be a Christian, and you become a Christian. Then you got saved, filled with the Holy Spirit; you got Eternal Life. Why did He give you the Holy Spirit? As a Seal of your faith. You had faith first.
("Israel And The Church #1," sermon #53-0325)There's nothing that a man can do to save himself. You are already saved by grace. That's right. You can't stop eating meat; you can't stop doing this; you can't stop. There's nothing you can do. Christ saves you and that alone. And that's right. You can't even come to Him unless He chooses you first. He said, "You never chose Me, but I chose you. And no man can come to Me, except the Father draws him first. And all that comes, I'll give him Everlasting Life and raise him up at the last day." Amen. That settles it.
("Faith," sermon #56-0815)We are all borned in sin, shaped in iniquity, come to the world speaking lies, by nature a child of disobedience, without God, without a hope, the wrath of God abiding on us. And by the loving grace of Christ, God in His sovereign grace and His omnipotence knocks at your heart and gives you the blessed opportunity, and turned you around and sent you up the road. How could you turn that down? Changes your whole desire, turns you around, and starts you the other way. Oh, you'll be silly to the world; but you'll be blessed in the sight of God. "Blessed are they that do hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled," said our Lord Jesus Christ. God by His amazing grace… Notice, it was what God did, what God called. You had no will to call. You could have had no desire to call, because your nature was completely contrary to it. But God by election called you, and turned you around, and set your affections towards Christ and the things above. How could we turn it down?
("The Communion," sermon #57-0418)Every son of God and every daughter of God was in God at the beginning. You don't remember it now, but you were there. He knowed it. And He wanted you to become so He could contact you, speak with you and love you, and shake your hands.
("Satan's Eden," sermon #65-0829)That's what the attraction is. The predestinated Seed of God who can't do nothing else but follow It, means more than life to us. Take our lives, but you don't take That. What is the attraction? God, as usual, fulfilling His Word. He is fulfilling the Word of Zechariah again, of prophet Zechariah.
("What Is The Attraction On The Mountain?" sermon #65-0725E)There was those well-trained scholars looked upon that sign that He done and called Him a devil. But here's a prostitute, but in her laid that predestinated seed of God. She'd never seen nothing like it. And as soon as that Light struck the seed, Life sprung up. Why? It had Life in it to begin with.
("Convinced And Then Concerned," sermon #62-1125M)Has it slipped by us in humility and we've missed it? Is it gone and the church is left in her sins? If that be so, then it's later than you think. If not, then 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. None of them will come unless the Father has drawed them, and every one the Father has drawed will hear it and come. That'll be the predestinated Seed will hear the Word.
("Questions And Answers," sermon #62-0527)
They, whom God hath accepted in His Beloved, effectually called, and sanctified by His Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved.And R. C. Sproul says,
Writing to the Philippians, Paul says, “He who has begun a good work in you will perfect it to the end” (Phil. 1:6). Therein is the promise of God that what He starts in our souls, He intends to finish. So the old axiom in Reformed theology about the perseverance of the saints is this: If you have it—that is, if you have genuine faith and are in a state of saving grace—you will never lose it. If you lose it, you never had it. (Ligonier.org http://www.ligonier.org/blog/tulip-and-reformed-theology-perseverance-saints/)Message Believers cannot find such confidence in their salvation if they listen to what their prophet, William Branham, had to say. He has made some very startling statements that have rightly caused many of his followers to experience great fear and doubt about their salvation. He’s said things such as,
[M]any of you think, 'I got the baptism of the Holy Ghost; I'm going to heaven.' That don't mean one thing that you're going to heaven. No, sir. You can have the baptism of the Holy Ghost every hour in your life and still be lost and go to hell. The Bible says so. See? It's exactly right.WMB seemed to think one could actually be saved by faith, but eventually lose their salvation and end up in hell. How could any true Message Believer enjoy a real assurance of a saving relationship with Jesus and receive eternal life, that is, a life with Christ that will never end?
("Leadership," December 7, 1965, message #65-1207)Somebody says, "How does Divine healing... Is it... Does it last all the time?" It lasts just as long as faith lasts. And salvation lasts the same way, just as long as faith lasts. When you feel that you're not saved anymore, you're not saved.
("Ministry Explained," July 11, 1950, message #50-0711)
In contrast to what WMB believed and taught, here are some wonderfully comforting passages from the Bible that assure us who are in Christ that He will never let us fall from His love and care:
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. (John 5:24)If God chose us from the foundation of the world, and gave those He chose to Jesus, and all those who the Father gave to Jesus are assured of coming to Him, and Jesus died for their sins, and they have received eternal life (that means life that can never be lost) then how could it possibly be that any one of them would fall from such an amazing grace? It’s not, and we who are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for the glory of God alone, can rest assured from the Scriptures alone that we will enjoy God and glorify Him forever!My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. (John 10:27-29)
But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.” (2 Timothy 2:19)
But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. (2 Thessalonians 3:3)
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30)