Ministry Prayers Questions — Hattie Hammond

Christ in Us and the Quality of Eternal Life

Now, this afternoon time is for ministry, personal ministry, praying one for another, or counseling, or answering questions. If you have any questions relative to the truth that has already been given, we just want to stay in God, in the truth, where we are.

If there are any questions, let's open up this wonderful subject, Christ in us, because it's just fathomless. It's our life in Him from the time that we're born again, not only until we see Him. Our eternity has already begun.

Shall be life. That's not just speaking of time, time element, or no time limit, but a quality of life has been imparted to us. And we live by the very same life that God Almighty on the throne has, the very same life that is in Jesus right now.

Because our life, it is marvelous. It is no longer you. If we live outside Christ, that becomes carnal. And then go back and just live in carnal Christians, and that's how we become carnal. We're no longer living the Christ life, or letting the Christ live His life through us, but we have become carnal.

Yielding to Christ Rather Than Religious Activity

...follow Him, or if we will get in the yoke. ...is wonderful and beautiful, but when we carry a Bible, they may be engaged in all kinds of religious works. You know, we can preach, we can pray, we can sing, we can teach things, and they're baptized in the Holy Ghost.

And I said, Honey, I don't want you to. At one time, they were going right, else they wouldn't have the baptism of the Spirit. But they have turned every man to his own way, through disagreeing with Christ.

Don't your eye on Him. Amen? Yes. You know, you, that was... ...God churches, because there's nobody, there's nobody here but family of God people and family of God sympathizers, who are one in spirit with us, so we can talk about ourselves.

But I, I, just now one church comes to me, it was so dead and so barren in that place, I could hardly get my breath. They had all the doctrines. They had all the doctrines, they had all the ways, all the expressions.

Praise the Lord, hallelujah, glory. Say glory and there's no glory in it. You know, you can say hallelujah and a holler has gone out of it, and a holler. The ground has only been prepared for grass. You ever plant grass seed?

How deep does it kill the soil? You just rake, just rake it, that's all. Just rake, skim over the top and just rake it. And just, that's all you have to do. No turning old soil in surrender, in surrender to God.

Spiritual Transformation Must Occur Before the Rapture

And I know at one time they had to be going straight or they wouldn't be there. It's impossible for anybody to backslide. And there is no, that will mature, even the rapture won't change what you are on the inside.

Do you know that? Sure. What will be changed to the rapture? The body, only. But what we are on the inside cannot change to be done down here. Has to be done now. Now. As we make our decisions and our commitments and let the Lord deal with us and we follow him in obedience to what I want.

And there are things you have to say, no, I'm not going that way. You know what I'm talking about? No, I don't want that. I'm not going that way. No. There are religious meetings that I wouldn't attend.

I wouldn't. I'm going this way. I want to, when he comes, give him something for the price for which he is. The price. But we're not expected to. We just let him live. And you just put that bulb out there and say what's going to happen.

Because the light is there and it just leads to that nature. And so we just surrender to him the beauty for flowers to bloom. Takes all forces to come forth. I sometimes use a little apple seed. Little into my little finger.

But potentially it is a whole. It's all. And it just needs to be released. Uh-huh. Is it released? I want to take that subject. Is it released? You remember Mary? Mary? When the Holy Ghost, she would yield herself to become the mother of our Lord.

The thing happened to Mary physically that's happening in you and me in this place. It's a pain that Mary went through. What she had to surrender to. The misunderstanding. And God himself didn't vindicate.

And every time she went down to that well. Have you been to Nazareth? Every time she went down there. There she is. Holy Ghost. And she's never straightened out that tail. Why doesn't she tell the truth?

There he is. He's a handsome little thing. But she says he's a bully. Mary lived under that for 30 years. And God himself didn't vindicate. Has to do it. Privilege. What? Of bringing light to the world.

Bringing the Life of Christ Into the World

When I talk like this, people say, you know, the younger. Well, a lot of younger preachers. I'm glad when they come. I had a hope. Come on, I love you. There's hopes for you. You're still young. Come on.

Come on. But there's another crowd today. That just don't have time for this. And they're going to put it over there. They're going to come back with their poor little heads cracked. You know, and wonder.

Where did we miss us? What didn't we do right? Honey, you didn't do anything right. But they won't let you tell them anything. Brought the life of God into the whole world. Didn't you? Well, now, this is what God's asking of us.

Our world. And this life is in you. And just let it come forth. And then if this life of Christ in us comes forth. Breakdowns and heart attacks and kidney stones and moral collapses and everything else.

Because we've gotten out of God and tried with natural means. And it's absolutely in the flesh. His flesh. And it always will be flesh and never will be anything else but flesh. But before we make this decision, which way we're going and what we're going to do.

We have this marvelous treasure in the life. What can we do to get this life moving in us? Holy Ghost will come upon thee. The power of the highest will overshadow thee. Finish it. And that holy shall be called the Son of God.

Spiritual Growth Through Seasons of Testing

This is God's season. Beautiful spring rain. We have to have the summer sun. The gentle. I don't know. I don't know what happened. But the devil. The devil. He did this and the devil he did that. And the devil and the devil and the devil.

Until people are more devil conscious and lose sight of what's going on. And who we. The devil got into this and the devil did this. Honey, you just leave the devil alone. And have your dealings with God.

No matter what happens to you. No matter what comes in your life. You are no match for the devil. The devil is real. He's real but you're no match for the devil. You have your dealings with God. When the devil gets out.

And he gets out of the cage once in a while. He really does. And when he's out. And I know he's out. And he's around. I say Jesus. The devil's out. You take care of it. You take care of it. No matter.

Hmm? You agree? Oh, that's good. I didn't hear your beginning. Rebuked you. Yes. Now that was Moses. Yes. You said Moses. Yes. The Lord rebuked you. He didn't contend with him at all. No matter what touches you.

No matter what happens to you. If it's a physical thing. Will you please settle. If something physical touches you. Would you please settle it first with God. Before you see the doctor. Settle it first with God.

You will save yourself. All kinds of anxiety. Well, it's terrible. It's terrible. What the devil can do to you. When you give him room. If you give him room. And start talking to him. And start arguing with him.

Start arguing with him. You're getting on losing ground. That was Eve's trouble. Eve kept up the argument with him. You know. And in his rationalizing and reasoning with her. Until he finally got her.

Don't ever argue with him. Don't talk with him. Don't have anything to do with him. But recognize. You talk to God. And let him know that you recognize that he's out. And when he's exposed. He's defeated.

Guarding the Holy Life Within

So that you know. You know who he is. And you know what he wants. He wants. Wouldn't he love to blight. Wouldn't he love to blight this. Wouldn't he love to blight. The holy child within you. Wouldn't he love to bring a blight over that life.

Honey. We have this treasure in earth and vessel. The most sacred thing. The most holy thing. The most wonderful joy. Treasure. That you could have. Millions. Right inside of you. Right inside of you.

And just hold him this way. Just hold him. Just take care. Just take care of what's going on inside. And pray constantly. That that little life and spirit will be kept. By the power of God. Amen. And you yield just as fast as you know how.

Christ's Victory Over Temptation

But. But when. When the devil's out. And he comes. To tempt you and to tempt you. Because listen to me. Growth and development takes place. Growth and development can only take place. Through a process of test and trial.

We have our cross. To have our trials. A new life. Every time we overcome. This is what happened in the life of Jesus. When the devil came after him. Jesus just kept the word on him. Just kept the word.

It's written. Just kept the word. He wasn't arguing with him. He was just living in the word. Living in the truth. And that's our place of life and victory. Yes. Yes. And Jesus was going through the identical thing.

That Adam went through back in the garden. Only Adam failed on the first test. But Jesus suffered the temptation. Through and in his body. And came through victoriously. And overcame the devil. So that he could rebuke.

Went from him and left him alone. He had power over him. Never ever did he want to yield to him. Or bow down to him in any way whatsoever. And you never see him arguing with him. But he hounded him. Every step that he took all of his life.

But Jesus let live this perfect God, man. That Jesus wants in every one of us. Amen. This is why you are tested. This is why you are tempted. It just has to be. That's all. It just has to be. Why? Why does it?

Why? Why? This is the only way we can overcome. Through this testing fruit. He doesn't test us to destroy us. He tests us to prove us. And then we are strengthened and strengthened and strengthened. And grow and put on the Lord Jesus Christ.

And come into this beautiful thing. And this is why every test that we have. And we have to have them. And I wonder what's in his life that he's so tested. He's always in a trial of some kind. He's always going through something.

I wonder what's in his life that he's always in a hard place. Well, God can just trust him in a hard place. And he's just taking him from glory to glory. And God will take us on just as fast as we can go.

He will. And you know this crowd, I wonder why they're always tested. The presence of Jesus is always with me. I'm going to have all those trials. Honey, you couldn't. Above what we're able to bear. But the Lord will lay it on just as fast as he possibly can.

Possibly can. All right. We hear folks say in testimony sometimes. And I lost the victory. But I prayed to forgive men. He forgave men. And I got the victory again. Would you please pray for me that I don't lose the victory?

I said, well, honey. Honey, you don't have the victory. Oh, yes, I do. I pray. I confess. And I pray. And I ask Jesus to forgive me. And he forgave me. And I have the victory now. No, you don't, dear.

You don't have the victory. You have forgiveness. And there's a difference between having forgiveness and having the victory. And you won't have victory until you go through this thing all over again.

And have victory at the beginning of it. And victory all the way through. And victory at the end. Then you'll have victory. But you lost the victory, so you just got forgiveness. Right? Yes. You just have forgiveness.

Refusing Temptation and Standing in Christ

Do people in your church or in your congregation ever say, you know that old devil? I was so blessed in the meeting, but that old devil. Well, he will if you let him. If you let him. But, honey, that thousands upon thousands don't know anything about living.

And they're up and down, in victory and out of victory, carnal, and then come back at the altar and weep and come back. Oh, at her head. Honey, what are you saying? Don't answer that prayer. Don't answer that prayer, Jesus.

That's what's the matter with her. And now she doesn't have temper enough to stand up against the enemy and refuse a temptation, but blows off in this carnal thing, completely outside of Jesus Christ.

What she needs is temper enough to just stand still and say, Satan, I know what you want. I know what you're trying to do to me. Christ and Christ is in me, and I refuse. I refuse. I refuse. That's the kind of temper we need.

I refuse. One church I was in, this man, he loved the song The Joy Bells. And if a song leader would ask for a song to sing, he was always number 13. And he'd get blessed, and he would get going. And he loved to shout, get out in the aisles and shout.

This night he had The Joy Bells sung, and he had his shout. He was shouting all over the place. And when we left the church, his car was parked right in front of the door. And when we got out there, here he was.

Now, just as I saw that, I want enough of it to get you away from the church door. You come out here, you have Joy Bells, and you get blessed. Why, of course, that old devil will try to steal that away from you.

But why didn't you come out here and say, uh-huh, Jesus, the devil's loose. And I know what he's up to. Now, Jesus, you just live in me, and you're in me, Jesus. So you and I will get this pump out and get this.

You and I are going to get it. And Jesus, you and I are going to get out this pump. And Jesus, I'm going to sing to you. I know what he's up to. Now, you're going to let him do that. What kind of weakness is that to the angel?

You know, each one of us have a guardian angel. What kind of a weakness is that to your angel? There are angels who are ministers to those who are heir of salvation. What kind of a weakness is that to the angel?

What kind of a weakness is that to the folks, everybody around? What companions we make of ourselves. We have to testify for what we're going to be in the ages to come. There's no development going on as long as we're up and down and in and out and carnal.

Stay in the full expression of Jesus. Now, I'm going to let, does anybody have any questions?

The Incorruptible Seed and the Problem of Willful Sin

Yes? It isn't the Christ in us that commits sin.

He doesn't sin. He won't sin. He can't sin. This is the incorruptible seed. Here is another scripture of the proof that he is the incorruptible seed, which means in which there is no death, in which there is no sin.

This doesn't mean, it really doesn't mean that the one who possesses this seed cannot sin. But it's the seed that won't sin. I know. Well, if he does, he's a backslider if he habitually commits sin. He's a backslider.

Yes. But it's a willful thing. If we are born of God and willfully commit sin, we take ourselves out of God. This is a terrible scripture. It's a terrible scripture. We cannot willfully sin and get away.

That we actually plan to do this thing, it's a conceived, willful thing. And when we do that, we do to us exactly what Adam did, or what Eve did when she partook that fruit. In the day you eat, you die.

The first part of Husserl's reply is that sin is not. Now, to me, the reply is that sin is not as long a year as he has to go.

Do you understand what I'm saying? Yes, I understand what you're saying. But this scripture goes a little bit. Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin. That's the part that we're dealing with. Whoso is born of God does not commit sin.

You're in God. It is that you don't do it over and over. You're either in or out.

You were first John of 89. This is referred to as Christian also, isn't it? First John. We say that we have no sin. We deceive ourselves. The truth is not in us. Well, no.

No. Now, this is the unregenerated man. Well, he's coming down tonight. I've heard it many times. Yes. Yes, this is. If we confess our sins, he's faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

But this is not a willful thing. Do you still have... Deliberate sin is one thing. To be trapped and fail is another thing. This sin that he's talking about here is the frailty of human nature. Now, let me...

Human Frailty, Confession, and Christ's Intercession

Now, this will take care of both of these scriptures. This is why we have to have a high priest who makes intercession. He ever liveth. His life is intercession for us. He ever liveth to make intercession for us.

Jesus does not condemn us for what we are when he finds us and when he picks us up. And we have this treasure in earthen vessels, in this human thing. And here is this constant battleground, these two dogs that I was talking about this morning.

All right. Now, the sin that this is talking about, if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. Now, this is the sin which is the frailty of human nature. There isn't one of us who lives an absolutely sinless life in one...

In this context. In this context. How many of you... Well, in... Let's... Today's what? Tuesday? Today's Tuesday? How many of you since Sunday have had to say, Father, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Father, forgive me.

I'm sorry. Come on. Tell the truth. Tell the truth. But what we're talking now... Now, in the frailty of human nature. Now, let's look at it this way. How many of you wish you were more broken in spirit than you are now?

All right. Then unbrokenness is sin. Right? Do you see this? Do you see this? Unbrokenness is sin. All right? More of the tenderness of Jesus in you. Eh? All right? Then not to be tender is sin. That's in the...

This is what John is dealing with and what he's talking about. So if I... If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. I still have this. You say... Now, let me say here, you know, some of our friends, we all have friends who believe in entire sanctification, and they believe that old nature has been taken out root and branch.

You know about this, don't you? Well, how many of you found out it didn't go? Eh? And it's not pulled out. And we have this. Now, if we didn't have the sinful nature, we wouldn't have. But see, this is where the test and the temptation comes, and we have to constantly decide which nature we're going to live in.

But if we slip back into that old nature, not willingly, but we have been trapped for a minute, and maybe said something that we're sorry we said, then this is if I confess. Jesus will forgive. He ever lived for me.

And, oh, honey, this is so beautiful. When I'm not broken, Jesus says, Father, accept my brokenness for her hardness. This is the ministry of a high priest. Father, accept my love where they haven't expressed love.

And he prays for us. And because we have this high priest, I can confess my sin. And he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. But this is talking about the frailties of human nature.

This is not talking about going out and committing adultery. But this thing over here says, if he that is born of God will go out and do that, if he's living in God. But if I concede in my heart to do that, then I take myself out of God and I'm cut off and cast out.

There's two different things that John is dealing with. Do you see this?

Different Capacities, Maturity, and Christian Perfection

Well, I don't see two, Lord, but I see one.

Sounds like he didn't know much about the Lord.

Well, the word that you're reaching for is capacity.

Yes, different people have different capacities. And it is true, God does require of me. Now, I know we're living in a time when people don't want a distinction between the preacher and the layman, but there is a difference.

And God requires more of the preacher and the ministry. He does, there is a difference, but there's a trying to break down today everything that God has established. There is a difference in requirement.

There's a call, ministers, and so on. But in this area, God deals with the capacity. God knows my capacity. And if you have six children in your family, they're all different, they're all different. And you don't expect of one, you know not to expect of this one the same as this one, because they don't have the capacity that this child has.

Now, he understands every one of us. All right, now here is this time element too. Sometime in teaching like this, folks will say, I just got sent. Take us on just as fast as he can take us. Now, he says, he uses the word more often than he uses maturity.

He uses perfection. And there is a difference. Won't performing be perfect? And then in his Sermon on the Mount, when he finishes the Sermon on the Mount, what did he say? The very last thing that he asked for in the Sermon on the Mount is that we be perfect.

It bothered me for a while. And be ye therefore perfect, as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect. That bothered me for a while. I held that before him and got that straightened out. How many of you have ever seen a perfect?

You had four. Yes. Yes. You had four. Yes. Now, yes. And so I can easily comfort these newborn babes and say, Honey, there's a terrific responsibility on me and it scares me when I think I have known the Lord for more than 50 years.

That frightens me. But all he asks of you is that you just be a perfect baby. That's all he's asking of you now. He's not asking you to put on high-heeled shoes and try to live in some preacher's uniform and act like Pastor Joshua.

Just be a perfect one-year-old. If you're two-year-old, just be a perfect two-year-old. If you're three-year-old, just be a perfect three-year-old. He's just, isn't he? He is just and perfect in all his ways.

Repentance, Sanctification, and Final Perseverance

Yes, dear. I don't hear you, dear. Where does it leave us? Oh, honey, we need a revival, don't we? Yes, we need. And preaching of repentance. Never leave repentance out of your ministry. And sanctification and holiness, the requirements of God are still that you're supposed to be.

On the way up in the rapture, he'll change you so that when you, by the time you get where he is, God is love and he is so loving and he understands there's certainly none of the word of God in that. The soul that sinneth, it shall die.

And the carnality in the life of one who has been born again, every explosion of carnality instead of progression, there's withering and withering and withering and withering. And finally death and they're just out of God.

That's where they are. And the promise of, well, I see in the rapture, I see the overcomers. You can't fool around with this thing. I'm going to be raptured when he comes. I'm going to have a crown and sit on the throne and rule and reign.

That's not the word of God. So the only thing to do is to confess our sin, confess that and give ourselves to this holy seed. I walk in him, as Brother says, abide in him. I walk along the way, talking about deliberate, willful sin.

But this carnal, if unwillingly, untested and fail, I can confess my sin and he's faithful and just to forgive me. Well, then the fellowship is restored and we just go on, we go on. That doesn't mean that there's a break in the fellowship because soon as we're conscious of sinning, we confess it, don't you?

Yeah, we confess. Come on. There was no repentance in Judas at any time. But Peter got restored and the other disciples weren't even conscious of what was happening. Jesus did it so perfectly.

Heavenly Development and Qualifications in Christ

Brand new in the law. There's no way to his capacity. Is there further development in heaven?

Well, Brother, we have the countless ages to learn God and go on in God. But in this thing, as far as the Church and the bride of Jesus Christ is concerned, we qualify for a position in Jesus. Well, now, when we leave this world, what we have qualified for, that's the rank that we will be in.

That will never be changed. But we can, we, of course, we've got the eternal age where there's life, there's growth, and we will constantly go on. But if you miss, the Bible says, if we don't yield and let Him deal with us and pay this price here and now, it says they shall suffer loss.

Well, we're either saved or not saved, you know.

We're either the dead in Christ. We're either in Christ or not in Christ. And the promise is only to those who are in Christ. And it's this life element, you see, that is the eternity, the eternal part of us.

And if I'm cut off from that eternal thing that comes in when Jesus comes in, I have no hope. There's a, well, there's a, no, well, yes, yes, you can, you can use these terms. I can, I can be out of fellowship.

I can be saved, but be out of fellowship. You, you just, you can be saved, but if you stop praying and stop feeding on the Word, it isn't very long until you're out of fellowship. And that fellowship, we come back into fellowship and fellowship is restored again.

The relationship will be broken. The day you eat, you die. The day you eat, yes, we're all tempted. It's not a sin to be tempted. The sin is when we, the act, when the act is committed, that's when the sin is.

We're all tempted.

It's not a sin to be tempted. The sin is when you eat, you have to eat.