The

Letter of the Law

Video available here: http://youtu.be/VhaqKdbLRjY Think of how chaotic the congested interstate systems of America would be if there were no speed limits. Or how the traffic in the big cities would come to a dead stand-still if all of the traffic lights in the city went out. Without these things, travelling would be a complete mess. Traffic laws, and all of the tools associated with them, are there for a reason. They are there for our good. To the farmer carrying loads of grain, there is no intention of breaking the speed limit; his load would be spilled. To the elderly couple with failing vision, they have no desire to even meet the speed limit. But the younger, wilder, generation, not yet experienced in life would literally kill themselves without these laws. At the same time, these laws are legitimately broken. A mother going into labor is rushed to the hospital to welcome the newborn sometimes even with police escort. If the flow of traffic is ten miles above the speed limit, the poor soul who sees the law as a rigid, hard-lined set of rules may kill himself trying to drive the speed limit. In this case, the officer might ticket the driver FOR obeying the speed laws, because he is disrupting the flow of traffic and is a danger to the group of drivers as a whole. The problem with this last example is that he is living by the letter of the law. To him, obeying the clearly defined rules is more important than the reason the rules are enforced. In fact, he is breaking the very motive behind the creation of the rules! He is creating danger by following the letter of the law! Works-righteous, legalistic cults, like the cult of William Branham is no different from this example. Like the Jews at the time of Christ, the focus becomes so intent on the words in the scriptures that they overlook the message that the writer is trying to convey. And while they know that we are no longer under the Mosaic Law, they see the entire book as a Law, thinking that the letters of the book are the Word instead of the combination of letters and instructions given by God through the writers. This presents a problem, because many portions of the book are no longer in effect or no longer part of our culture. For instance: we would never stone our children for disobeying yet under the Old Covenant, we are instructed to do so. Pastors no longer wash their hands in brass basins before entering the congregation. Countries with tennis shoes no longer have sand to wash off their feet. Men do not gird up their loins there are shorts and other apparel pre-girded. Copyright 2013, www.seekyethetruth.com 1

The Letter of the Law

To create a religion that lives by the letter of the law, as these cults have, you have to compromise. You literally have to go through the book, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, and decide which verse applies to our culure and society. Which ones are the vilest of sins, that must be obeyed even though it breaks our society? Sadly, like other false religion and pagan religions of the past, the women are typically the ones who suffer most from works-righteous faith. The Muslim women are veiled in public. The Catholic nun wears long black. The Branhamite woman dresses like the catholic nun, without the hood and with colors. Cults that try to sever themselves from the body of Christ, to some extent, also try to sever themselves from society. Many do not care what goes on in the world around them, because theyve been falsely taught their little group is better than the other Christians and will be given a special pass to exit before the rest. Branhamism is prime example, because the little bride is supposed to go into the rapture before the other Christians who are kind to the little bride. How many resurrections are in the Bible again? 1 Timothy 2 is a good example of the balance that Christians should have in their lives. This single chapter combines culture, peaceful living in the society we live in, balance, and Truth. First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. Paul does not instruct us to sever ourselves from the body of Christ, ignoring all that is going on around us. He does not tell us to belittle and mock our president, even if we disagree with his actions. We are to intercede for these people in prayer from the devout Christian to the ungodly kings. Our peace and comfort in the world we live in revolves around the things that we ask God for and cult leaders have promoted the idea that we should stand firm against these things rather than interceding in prayer. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. While cult leaders of Gnostic faith teach that God is hidden in mystery and that mysteries must be revealed to bring rapturing faith, Paul says that God is pleased by our intercession for others. He says that God wants ALL people to be saved. He wants ALL people to have the knowledge of the Truth. This is in direct contrast with cult leaders. Some sermons they preach are only for the bride, such as William Branhams sermon on Marriage and Divorce. If this were Copyright 2013, www.seekyethetruth.com 2

The Letter of the Law

such a substantial truth as the cult claims, why would God not want it spread to the entire world? Why would a man, claiming to be a prophet of God, only speak the Word of the Lord to a specific little church in a specific little city of one single state in only one country of the world? For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. Notice, we have two separate points here, both of which are God: There is ONE God. Paul says AND there is one mediator between God and men, which is the Man, Christ Jesus. Many cult leaders try to limit the Godhead. Some, like William Branham, lie to you about what other churches in the Christian faith BELIEVE about the Godhead. While Branham claimed that Trinitarians believe in three Gods, Trinitarians will stand firmly on the foundation of One God. Their hymns are even stating the words, these Three are One! But the strongest point that Paul makes here is that he, Paul, is telling the Truth. He firmly stands on truth, and does not lie. How does this compare with William Branham, who lied even about his own birthdate and childhood? Paul says that the men should spread peace: I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; Afterwards, in the same sentence, Paul makes the statement that is twisted out of context in many cults and even in many sects of the Christian faith: Modesty. Women in these cults are taught that modesty means to dress from cultures and days gone by. They are taught that modesty means dressing in a way that does not look like the culture. Yet, with some of the form-fitting dresses and tops that these women wear, if they were to travel back in time just a few years, sinful men would grab cash from their wallets thinking they were prostitutes! There is a good bit of culture in the statement Paul makes, and these cult pastors do not read the scriptures to teach it in its fullness. While staying with the letter of the law in one aspect, they are breaking the letter of the law in another:
[a]

Copyright 2013, www.seekyethetruth.com 3

The Letter of the Law

likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godlinesswith good works. The word used here in the King James Version translates modest apparel. This part is ground down into the dirt, sermon after sermon, but with each individual pastors idea of modesty. One Branhamite cult pastor in Arizona speaks against open-toed-shoes. Do the men in his city have foot fetishes? Others speak against slits in the long skirts functional dresses that allow women to move about without tripping on their own skirts. Yet their wives wear skirts shorter than the top of the slits! But notice: Paul also says, not with braided hair! Not with gold! Not with pearls! When we study the culture Paul was speaking to, we find that women in pagan worship were deeply involved with the worship. Large, braided hair, gold, pearls, and expensive clothing were part of the worship of the false gods and Paul wanted them to know that worship of the One True God did not require these things. He did not want others to see their worship and think they were following a false god! Yet, we find MANY women in these legalistic religions braiding their hair. We find many wearing gold or pearl necklaces. Some of their wardrobes cost twice what other women in other churches wear, and quite frankly are less modest than even some of the women wearing pants and modest tops! Why do these cult pastors apply limited culture their own culture to a God who has no culture? Can the Eskimo woman survive the arctic temperature wearing a dress? Can the Amazon woman survive the intense heat wearing long, hot clothing? Does God even WANT them to? If a Northern Alaskan woman converted to Christ, and a cult pastor tried to enforce a thin skirt with no pants underneath, what would happen? Would the woman laugh at the pastor, whos wife braided her hair? Would she point to the gold necklace and double over with deep belly laughs? Shouldnt we do the same?

Copyright 2013, www.seekyethetruth.com 4