62-0721 - BEHOLD, A GREATER THAN SOLOMON IS HERE: [Rev. William Marrion Branham]

WHAT IS INIQUITY?

86. … "But if I regard iniquity in my heart, then God will not hear my prayer," said David. What is iniquity? Iniquity is something that you know that you're doing that you ought not to do and still won't repent of it. If I regard iniquity in my heart, knowing that I should do it, and don't do it, then God promised, the Bible promises that God will not hear your prayer, if you know you should do it and won't do it. That right, brethren? That right, brother ministers?It's true, if you regard iniquity…

This is not directed to any minister in particular, but in the above quote, Brother Branham gave this warning to all ministers about iniquity. I am included in this warning. I am only sharing it with you because it is a very valuable counsel of God to us; and yet carries serious repercussions.

The first time, iniquity was ever committed, was by Lucifer, in heaven: [Ezek. 28:15, 18]

15. Thou wastperfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

 

18. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore, will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.

• He knew what he was forbidden to do but he did it anyhow.
• The price was high. He lost is estate in heaven and was cast down to earth with all of his angelic accomplices.
• Hell had to be created for him and all subsequent unrepentant sinners.

The first sin committed by a human being was iniquity. God gave his first family only ONE COMMANDMENT.

[Gen.2:15-17]

15. And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

16. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

17. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

[Gen. 3:1-5]

1. Now the serpentwas more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

2. And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

3. But of the fruit of the tree whichisin the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

4. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

5. For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

59-0125 - BE CERTAIN OF GOD: [Rev. William Marrion Branham]
20. Sometimes faith will do great miracles and still doesn't come from a spiritual heart. Did not our Lord say, "Many will come to Me that day and say, 'Have not I did this and that in Your Name?' and I will confess to them, "Depart from Me, you workers of iniquity."

What is iniquity?It's something that you know to do right and don't do it. "I never knew you," He will say. And we're living in that day.

• Same thing, Eve knewwhat not to do, but still turned around and did it.
• That as iniquity.
• The repercussions were obviously, severe.
• Death indeed came upon humanity and everything that had life.
• Sickness was set loose upon all living creatures.
• Suffering came upon humanity.
• Adam lost his authority and power of having dominion over the creation on earth.
• She lost her co-equality with her husband
• Child bearing by Eve, was, from henceforth, going to be accompanied with pain.
• Through her iniquity, she introduced a breed of life into humanity which became Satan’s tool in perverting everything God originally made right.
• A perverted form of worship also came into competition with the original true worship.
• The choice between right and wrong became a daily responsibility, man has to make.
• It cuts off God from hearing our prayers.

[Psm. 66:18-19]

18. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.

19. But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.

62-0318 - The Spoken Word Is The Original Seed: [Rev. William Marrion Branham]
What is iniquity? Something that you know that's wrong, and you do it, anyhow. And you know that God's Word is right. Why do you play the hypocrite?

THE TRAGEDY OF INIQUITY UPON PREACHERS:

[Matt.7:21-24]

21. Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23. And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

24. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

• Do not judge yourself by the gifts of the Holy Ghost being manifested through you, though that is still God’s way of manifesting them.

 DO NOT JUDGE YOURSELF BY THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY GHOST BEING MANIFESTED THROUGH YOU,

57-0125 - Hear Ye Him: [Rev. William Marrion Branham]

37. And as long as you love the Lord Jesus, you will do what He wants you to do and do nothing to harm…?… It's love that the world looking for. "Though I speak with tongues of men and Angels," said Paul, "I am become as a sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. Though I have power to do miracles, to move the mountains, though he can do all these things and had not love, I am nothing

." Don't judge a man because he can pray a prayer of faith for the sick and they get well. Don't judge a man because he might do some supernatural miracle, as being a sainted person. But the only way that you can judge is by the love that they have for Christ and for each other.

• Take heed to all other things written and spoken about you as a Preacher / Minister; that is, the Qualifications as Bishop / Pastor / Elder / Shepherd / Deacon etc. Read and check up 
  [1Tim.3:1-7]; [1Tim. 3: 8-15]; also in [Titus 1:5-9].
  
  
• God does not treat INIQUITY lightly. let us all take heed.

 [2Tim.2:19-21]

19. Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

20. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.

21. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

 

• It is your personal duty and responsibility to deal with iniquity in your own life.
  
  
• Do not turn them into your enemies who remind you of this good counsel. It is the truth being placed in your hands.

[Ezek.3:18-21]
18. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

19. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

20. Again, when a righteousmandoth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

21. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteousman, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also, thou hast delivered thy soul.

INIQUITIES ARE TO BE CONFESSED AND REPENTED OF: [Dan. 9:3; 5; 16]

3. And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:

4. And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;

5. We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:

16. O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy peopleare become a reproach to all that are about us.

 

ANSWER TO DANIEL’S PRAYERS:

 21. Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.

 24. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

• INIQUITY by prayer, repentance, confession, supplication, can be forgiven.

 But first, it must be acknowledged, accepted and dealt with.

INIQUITY IS THE CAUSE OF THE LOVE OF MANY GROWING COLD; AT THE END TIME: AND THE SUBSEQUENT FALLING AWAY.

 [Matt.24:11-12]

11. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

12. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

• Notice the Luke warmness of Laodicea; many had abandoned their first love
• Also take note why there is a falling away as prophesied by the Apostle Paul according to:  [2Thess 2:3]

3. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

• Many who are already deceived, and don’t know, will deceive others in turn, in their ignorance.
• They are blinded by the God of this world, and do not know they are blind.
• They will resist correction, because of lack of humility and high mindedness.
• They cannot help being who they are, because they are ordained to do so as vessels of dishonour.
• As for you ELECT OF GOD; flee from such wolves in sheepskins.

Let us be reminded again; of what INIQUITY is, as we wind up and settle down to ponder over our lives and  these things:

2-0721 - BEHOLD, A GREATER THAN SOLOMON IS HERE: [Rev. William Marrion Branham]

86. … "But if I regard iniquity in my heart, then God will not hear my prayer," said David. What is iniquity?

Iniquity is something that you know that you're doing that you oughtnot to do and still won't repent of it.

If I regard iniquity in my heart, knowing that I should do it, and don't do it, then God promised, the Bible promises that God will not hear your prayer, if you know you should do it and won't do it. That's right, BRETHREN? That's right, BROTHER MINISTERS? It's true, if you regard iniquity… “

 GOD BLESS YOU.
Pastor Martin Tombe.
RESTORED BIBLE TRUTH ASSEMBLY.
(APRI – 22 – 2017).