Adultery is Restitution to mate Necessary

Questions 288 (COD Page 1013)

 For Sunday services: If a woman commits a wrong with a…(Now, wait a minute; I better read this first to myself. You see? [Brother Branham reads the question to himself–Ed.] All right. This is all right.) If a woman commits a wrong with a–a married man, repents and makes it right with her husband according to the Scriptures, does she need to go to the wife of the man involved, even if this wife doesn’t know anything of it; or is it the man’s duty to tell her first; or does she need to be hurt at all? How far can we go with this restitution when it is over and done, and when friendship is involved?

83  Well, my dear Sister, there’s only one thing that you have done which is right. You were involved, I guess, or somebody that you know of was involved, in a wrong act, that you took another woman’s companion and had a social act. And when you did, there you fell from your grace. Then you repented, and you could not repent until you go back to this man and make it right. You’ve got to take your husband and go to that man, which you did. And that was the thing you should have done; that’s Scripture–you should’ve done.

84  A lady come to me not long ago from right here in Louisville, that she, as a young woman, she run with a man and–and then she…She knowed she was doing wrong. And she left the city, and went to another city way away, and changed her name, lived with some people. And this man followed her and told her when he got over there, he had the goods on her.

She’d still have to remain to being a common-law wife to him or he would tell. (And when she was over there, she got married to a fine Christian man.) And said if she didn’t, he would explode the whole thing–threatened her; therefore, she had to live with both man, which she done wrong, instead of showing her colors at the beginning. And she had a baby, and now, the girl’s about eighteen years old and don’t know which one of them really is her father. Now, she comes into menopause, and it’s caught up with her. Now, what can she do?

I said, “There’s only one…”
She said, “If I tell my husband, he’ll leave me; and if I–my daughter knows it, she’ll commit suicide.”

85  And I said, “If you hold it in your heart, you’ll go to hell. Now, suit yourself.” There’s only one thing to do, is clean your slate. That’s exactly right. Be honest.

86  You know, many times in the visions, how the people come, women and man; the Holy Spirit digs up them things that they’ve done down in life and (you’ve heard of it and you seen it, you know. See?)–and tell them things that they’ve got to do it.
They say, “Well, I–I’ve already made it right with the Lord.” But you owe it to your husband or to your wife to go tell them. That’s right. You’re supposed to confess that.

87  Now, this person, if she’s the one that’s guilty, she has did it; she went to her husband. Now, you’ve cleared yourself, Sister, because between…You–you committed adultery against your husband. You went to your husband and cleared yourself to your husband, then you went to the man and the husband and cleared yourself there. You are clear.

If your husband continues to–to want to live with you, that’s up to him. He don’t have to do it now, but he–but if he wants to live with you and forgives you, then you be lady enough to never be guilty of such a thing again. But if he doesn’t forgive you, then that’s his–that’s his own business. He can put you away. Exactly right.

88  But now, the man that you had the act with, now, he’s the one’s got to go to his wife and take his wife and come back to you. You’ve done your part, now it’s his time to do his part. See? The second party…

89  This woman had the act with the man, and she took her husband, confessed it, and went to the man and confessed it, and made it right. Now, the next man was a married man also; now, he’s got to go to his wife and take the wife and come back to this wife. Then it’s all right. See what I mean? It’s made up then. But outside of that, you’ll still be guilty, and down in your heart you’ll be condemned.

90  I had a woman not long ago up there that had that since the First World War. And she said, “Oh, Brother Branham.” She’d spent hundreds of dollars on psychiatrists and everything. I was setting there watching her in that room. Meda brought her up there. She was setting there wringing a handkerchief through her hands like that, said, “I feel the world’s going to burst, and I…” all like this. I just kept setting there. I said, “Now, there’s something about…You’ve got something in your life somewhere?”
“No, I’m a Sunday school teacher.”

I said, “All right.” Set there a little bit and watched. I said,
“I see a little green car, and you’re with a blond-headed man, and a train almost hits the car.” …?…She said, “Don’t you tell nobody that!”
I said, “Your husband was in the army at the time.” She started crying, jumped up, “Don’t you say that to nobody.” See? That was way down in her subconscious. She said, “I’ve confessed that to God a long ago.”

91  I said, “But wait a minute. You never done a wrong against God. You done a wrong against your marriage vow. You’ve got to go back to your husband and make that right first.” She said, “He’ll leave me.”
I said, “God has left you anyhow. So now, which one do you want to leave you?” I said, “Go to him.”
And she said, “Oh, I–I…He’d do this, and I got two children.”
I said, “Well, that’s all I can tell you. Psychiatrist never pulled that out of you, but the Holy Spirit has revealed; and I never seen you in my life.”
She said, “That’s exactly right!” Said, “Well, I–I just can’t tell him.”
I said, “Well, I…Glad I met you.” Went on in the other room, and she come back in there.
Meda said, “She wants you in there again.”
I went there; and I said, “What do you want?”
And she said, “Brother Branham, I can’t tell that to my husband!”
I said, “Your husband’s a black-headed man.”
“Yeah!”
I said, “He’s got the same thing to confess to you.”
She said, “Oh, not my husband!”
I said, “You’d better go get him and come here.” I said,
“Do you know a certain woman, that wears a pink dress, that
works in the office of a certain kind of a automobile company?”
She said, “Sure!”
I said, “Don’t they call her a certain name?” “Yeah!”
I said, “Two weeks ago they set under a beech tree with a–setting in a little brown Chevrolet car with license number so-and-so, and was in the same act.”
She said, “Not my husband!”
I said, “All right, you go get him and come here.” She left. A few minutes, here they come back. He said, “It’s the truth!”
I said–I said, “You see? Now go tell God!”

92  But first, when you come to the altar and remember there’s ought, go first and make that right. And as long as this other party here is guilty of not telling his wife…This wife has made herself clear.

Now, it’s up to her and her husband. But this other man and his wife has to come clear in it. And you cannot…No matter what you do, it’ll haunt you as long as you live until you wash it clean. There’s only one way to do it: Confess it. If it takes the skin off of you, do it anyhow. Tell the truth, then you’ve got it right. Amen!

93  I can hear plenty on the tape saying, “That’s wrong.” But you just try it one time and see if it isn’t. All right.

William Marrion Branham
64-0823E Questions And Answers 2