Righteous Invasion of Truth

Dr. Abel Damina: Begin to give Him praise. Begin to give Him praise tonight. Begin to worship Jesus tonight. Give thanks unto the Father which has made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance. Give thanks unto the Father because of all that He has done for us according to His abundant mercy, wherein He has begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection from the dead.

Father, we give You praise and glory in the name of Jesus. Father, we rejoice that tonight we have this another opportunity to fellowship in the light. We walk in the light even as You are in the light, so we have fellowship with one another. Our fellowship is with Jesus Christ.

So tonight, as Your word comes with clarity, our minds are illuminated. We declare that nobody leaves here the same way they came. Whatever is not planted by God is rooted out. We rebuke sickness, disease, and pain in the name of Jesus. We command sick bodies to be healed. Father, we rejoice tonight that You watch over Your word to perform it. We are excited that by the end of this service, we will all be the better for it. In Jesus' name, we pray.

Lift your right hands to heaven. Let's release our faith together as we say these words. I am born of God. I am born of the word. The word of God is my nature. I do not struggle to do the word. I do the word naturally. Therefore, today, I will understand the word of His grace. I will be built up. By the end of this service, I will never be the same. Never, ever be the same again. In Jesus' name.

Grab your pen, your notebook, and your Bible. You can be seated with your sweet, smart self tonight as we get into the word of His grace. Let's get in the word tonight, everybody. Second Timothy 3:15 and 16.

Guest (Female): And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

Dr. Abel Damina: All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and the inspiration of the scriptures carries with it a message, which is salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. That is the inspiration of the scriptures. Jesus, speaking to the Jews in John 5:39, said to them, "You search the scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life, but they are they which testify of me."

So, the scriptures are centered on the person of the Christ. In Luke 24:25 to 27, when Jesus rose from the dead on the way to Emmaus, He met two disciples of His, arguably Cleopas and the wife, discussing the events of the past three days. Jesus turned to them after He discovered they never understood the essence and the relevance of scripture.

He said to them, "O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself. So we say the scriptures are Christocentric in nature. They are Christ-centered.

Which means every branch of theology, because the Bible is a theology. Theology means the study of God. The Bible is a theology. The theology of Christianity is Christology. Our God is seen and known in Christ. Our God is seen and known in Christ. We have other concepts of the scripture, concepts like pneumatology, eschatology, bibliology, soteriology, hamartiology, which is the doctrine of sin.

All of the biblical concepts can only be understood via the binoculars of Christ. Christology is the foundation of all ologies. Christology is the platform and the basis. Christology are the lenses with which we are to examine every biblical concept. In First John 5:20.

Guest (Female): And we know that the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

Dr. Abel Damina: And we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. Our God is Jesus Christ. Outside Jesus Christ, there is no God. Our God is Jesus Christ. First Timothy 3:16.

Guest (Female): And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Dr. Abel Damina: Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. Our God is manifest in the flesh. We see our God in a man, the man Christ Jesus. Outside Jesus, there is no God. Isaiah puts it like this in prophecy very beautifully, "His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace."

It is so disheartening when Christians who go to church still argue that Jesus cannot be God just because they read scriptures where Jesus said, "My Father is greater than I." He didn't say God is greater than I. He said, "My Father," because in the Godhead, we have God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. One God.

One God, three equal persons, equally powerful, equally present everywhere, co-equal but one God. Three persons for the concept of redemption. Because man sinned, man must die. God loves man, and it would take the death of the sinless to save the sinful. All of man is condemned under sin, but God loves man.

If God comes into the earth as God, nobody can kill God. But God has to come in a form where He has to be killed because the wages of sin is death. Therefore, God removed God and descended into humanity and took on flesh for the purpose of death.

In flesh, He is not God. As God, He is not man. He is one hundred percent God as though not man, and one hundred percent man as though not God. The term is "theanthropos," the God-man. So after stripping Himself of God, He is still retaining Godship but descended at the same time into humanity and took on a form that He could die.

That is why He came. He came to die. He had to take on a form that He could die. Men die. It is appointed unto man once to die. So God became a man and took on a form for the purpose of death. Because man's ransom from sin would be death.

The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and give His life a ransom for many. He that spared not His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how shall He not also with Him freely give us all things? For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. So Jesus came in a form to die.

When we say Trinity, it is a concept of redemption. That God, the Creator, the God of all flesh, for the purpose of redemption, became a man. So as God, He is Creator. As man, He is Redeemer. Then after He rose from the dead, He gave you the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God Himself coming into a man without a physical body.

The Holy Spirit is God Himself coming into a man to make an abode without a physical body. So this is the way it is. Jesus and the Father come into the believer by the Holy Spirit. That is why Jesus said, "I and my Father will come into you and make our abode in you." So Jesus is our God. Jesus is God manifest in humanity for the purpose of salvation. He is God manifest in humanity as an expression of the love of God towards man.

He is God manifest in humanity for the purpose of reuniting and reconciling man with God after the separation of man with God in Eden. He brought the reconciliation. He met all the demands of justice on man's behalf. So He is God who became a man for the purpose of redemption. Our God is Jesus Christ. Outside Jesus, there is no God. John the 14th chapter, verse 6.

Guest (Female): Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

Dr. Abel Damina: If you had known me, you should have known my Father also. But henceforth, you know Him and have seen Him. Put your finger in John 14:7 and flip over to John 1:16, 17, and 18.

Guest (Female): And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

Dr. Abel Damina: No man has seen God at any time since time began. No man has seen God in flesh. The only begotten Son, which is in the "kolpos," the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him. God is revealed in the Son. So since no one has seen God at any time, God became a man so man can see God. Because you can never know a man whom you have not seen.

God became a man so man can see God and know God. Flip back to John 14, verses 7 and 8.

Guest (Female): If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

Dr. Abel Damina: Jesus is speaking to the disciples. "If you had known me, you should have known my Father also. From henceforth..." What is "henceforth"? From now forward. "You have known Him and have seen Him." Philip said, "Hold on, Jesus. This is not a time to play. For once, Jesus, get serious. Are you trying to tell us that you are the Father? What do you mean? Are you trying to tell us that you are God Almighty? Show us the Father, and it sufficeth. We will not trouble you again because we know you are hiding something from us."

They couldn't fathom that it was God that was sleeping with them and eating with them. Emmanuel, God with us. Our God, we don't travel to meet Him. He came to us. Christianity is the only faith where the worshipped lives on the inside of the worshipper. From henceforth, you know Him. Before now, no one saw Him, but from henceforth, you have seen Him and you know Him. Read verses 8 and 9.

Guest (Female): Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?

Dr. Abel Damina: Philip, there's no Father elsewhere. Philip, there is no Father anywhere. I am the "pleroma." I am the fullness of the Godhead bodily. There is no Father you will see anywhere. I am the embodiment of deity in humanity. He that has seen me has seen the Father. How sayest thou then, show us the Father? There's no Father elsewhere, Philip. Next verse.

Guest (Female): Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

Dr. Abel Damina: Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me? Inseparable. The words that I speak unto you, I speak not of myself, but the Father that dwelleth in me, He doeth the works. My Father that dwelleth where? In me. Where is the dwelling place of the Father? In Christ. Where is the dwelling place of Christ? In the Father. Where is the dwelling place of the Father and Christ? In me.

The Father is in Christ. Christ is in the Father. The Father and Christ are in me. How are they in me? They are in me by the Spirit. The Father and the Son are in me by the Spirit. Second John 1:8 and 9.

Guest (Female): Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

Dr. Abel Damina: The doctrine of Christ is where we abide. Doctrine is the teaching, the content of Christ. The doctrine of Christ. So whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God because Christ is God. He that does not abide, that is our mainstay, should be the teaching of Christ. That's the only way we know we have God. Anyone that does not abide in it is a transgressor.

He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, He hath both the Father and the Son. The Father and the Son must be seen together. They cannot be separated. He had both the Father and the Son. That's the doctrine of Christ. The doctrine of Christ is the Father and the Son and their family. Verse 10.

Guest (Female): If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

Dr. Abel Damina: It would be evil not to focus on the Father and the Son as the doctrine. And anybody that does not teach that, who comes to you with entrepreneurship from the pulpit, ten keys to success, or "tap for blessing," don't tell him farewell. Don't wish him well. Don't receive him into your house. Flush him out.

If he's on TV, change the channel. If he's on the radio, go to a Davido song. It is more beneficial to you. He says don't wish him well and don't receive him into your house. At least if Davido is singing, you know where that one is coming from. Next verse.

Guest (Female): Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.

Dr. Abel Damina: Because the matter is a serious matter. The rest when I come, it will be face-to-face interaction because we are dealing with the fundamental of the Christian faith. Now, for the purpose of salvation, God became a man. The word salvation is the word "soteria," which implies deliverance, rescue, preservation, and safety.

For a few days now, we've been examining: can a believer lose salvation, or can salvation be lost? We've taken time to look at a number of things, and I want to proceed from where we stopped last night. We've established that salvation is the sole work of God. One hundred percent of God. And if God is the Savior, then I am not going to bother about losing what God is doing.

If God is the one saving, the question should not be: can a believer lose salvation? If God is the one saving, the question should be: will God be faithful? Will God be faithful to save forever? And the book of Hebrews answers that quickly for us in Hebrews the 7th chapter, the 25th verse.

Guest (Female): Therefore he is able also to save to the uttermost, completely, perfectly, finally, and for all time and eternity, those who come to God through him, since he is always living to make petition to God and intercede with him and intervene for them.

Dr. Abel Damina: Therefore, He is able also to save. He is the Savior, and He saves to the uttermost. What is "uttermost"? Completely, perfectly, finally, and for all time and eternity. He saves forever. He is the Savior, and I am the saved. I do not keep Him; He keeps me. I do not keep myself; He keeps me. He is the Savior.

I was not a party to negotiating my salvation. While I was yet a sinner, Christ died. So salvation is God's initiative, God's idea, God's plan. It was planned when nobody was yet created. Salvation is not a reaction; salvation is a pro-action of God. God already planned before man was created that He would be the Savior of man. And He demonstrated that love and demonstrated that commitment in the death of Jesus Christ.

Yesterday we began to talk about Ananias and Sapphira. That's where we rounded off last night. I want to look at Hebrews, another scripture that people use for loss of salvation. We've said there are no contradictions in scripture. If you read any scripture that sounds contradictory, then it is in your understanding, not in the scriptures.

Don't forget we have looked at the fact that the Bible is an ancient material that was not written to your world. It was not written in your vocabulary, in your language, in your culture, or in your day. So you must sit where they sat, hear what they heard, understand the grammar, understand the vocabulary, understand the language, and understand the construction of sentences in their day. Then come over to our day and interpret.

Beyond that, you must also look at scriptures in context. How do you arrive at a context of a scripture? You look at the pre-text and you look at the post-text to understand the context of a scripture. You do not take scriptures out of their immediate environment in Bible teaching. If you take any verse in isolation, you will end at a destination that was not implied by the author of that book.

A scripture taken out of its immediate environment dies. The life of a verse is only within its immediate environment. You cannot take any verse of scripture out of the body of verses that gives that scripture credibility and establishes the truth that is within that scripture. So you've got to study scripture in context. Hebrews 10:38 and 39.

Guest (Female): Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Dr. Abel Damina: So people say, "But people can draw back." But look at the next verse. "But we are not of them who draw back." There is no backsliding in salvation. We do not draw back. You can't be saved and draw back. We are not of them that draw back. So he was not talking to Christians. He was not talking to believers about drawing back because he immediately told you, "But we are not of them that draw back."

Christians can stray. Christians can stray from the faith. Believers can stray from good doctrine, but it does not mean they lose their salvation. Salvation is the faithfulness of God, not our faithfulness. Salvation is the faithfulness of God, not our faithfulness. Very critical. Now, let's look at a few things in the book of Hebrews tonight. Hebrews 2:11 to 14.

Guest (Female): For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.

Dr. Abel Damina: Through death, He destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. The devil has been destroyed. Destroyed doesn't mean to quench. Destroyed means rendered inactive and inoperative. He has been rendered inactive and inoperative. Hebrews 4:3.

Guest (Female): For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

Dr. Abel Damina: Although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. In the mind of God, the death of Christ and the salvation plan of God was not a reaction but a pro-action. He finished before life started from the foundation. So how do we enter the rest since the works finished from the foundation of the world? We enter the rest of God by faith. We that believe have entered into rest.

We have entered. So salvation is rest. It means ceasing from works. Salvation means I have ceased from efforts. I have ceased from trying to make God happy. God is already happy with me before I did anything. He is happy with me in Christ. I don't have to try to make God happy. No man can please perfect. Perfect pleases Himself.

Nobody can please perfect. If you've ever worked around people that are called perfectionists, there's nothing you do that is ever enough for them. They must always find a fault in something. That is how perfect God is. So since God is that perfect, He knows that no mortal man can be perfect.

So God became a man, and in Christ, God has been pleased. "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." So the moment you receive Christ, Christ in you makes you please God without any performance. The presence of Christ in the believer is the pleasure of the Father. It gives God pleasure without any performance.

Before you prayed, before you sang, before you gave, before you evangelized, before you studied the Bible, before you allowed the fruit of the Spirit to find expression in you, the moment you received Christ, the Father is satisfied and pleased with you because Jesus is the pleasure of the Father.

How many of you realize down in River Jordan, when the heavens opened and John was baptizing Jesus, and He said, "This is my beloved Son," Jesus had not done any miracle? So He pleased the Father devoid of performance. He had not done anything. He pleased the Father without performance. It is not performance that pleases the Father; it is Christ that is the pleasure of the Father.

So Christ in you gives the Father pleasure. So to enter into rest is not talking to the believer. The believer has already believed and has entered into rest. We are not going to enter rest; we are already in rest. We entered when we believed. So salvation is to rest in the work of Christ. Salvation is to rest in what Christ has done. Look at Hebrews 4:14.

Guest (Female): Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Dr. Abel Damina: He is not asking the believer to come boldly to the throne. The believer is already in the throne. So this is a scripture for the unbeliever to come. Come boldly because we have a high priest. Come boldly. Don't be afraid to come. Come the way you are. Don't try to be nice before you come. "Come boldly" is a scripture for the man that is unsaved because we already have a high priest.

So anywhere it says to approach the high priest, this is not to me because I already have a high priest. Now look at Hebrews 6:19 to 20.

Guest (Female): Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

Dr. Abel Damina: Look at this. Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul. Anchor. Both sure and steadfast. What is the job of an anchor? An anchor is something that steadies the ship to hold the ship down. We have an anchor, something that brings stability to our minds. Jesus is the anchor. Jesus is our anchor, the anchor of salvation.

The anchor holds on to the ship. It is not the ship that holds on to the anchor. It is the anchor that holds the ship. The wind and the water will try to drag the ship away, and the anchor will keep the ship down. Nothing takes you out as long as I'm anchoring you. Jesus is our anchor. We're not the one holding Him; He's the one holding us. We have an anchor. Hebrews 6:19.

Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil. Whither the forerunner is for us entered. Who is the forerunner? Even Jesus. Jesus is the anchor of our hope. That's why He saves forever. He saves finally. He saves for eternity. Glory to God. Hebrews 5:9.

Guest (Female): And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.

Dr. Abel Damina: He is the author of eternal, eternal salvation unto all them that believe Him. That word "obey" there is believe in the original. Hebrews 8:1.

Guest (Female): Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.

Dr. Abel Damina: We have such a high priest. We have a high priest. Jesus is our high priest. So now the writer of Hebrews in chapter 8 begins to make a distinction between the Old and the New Covenant. Look at verse 6. Hebrews 8:6, 7, and 8.

Guest (Female): But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.

Dr. Abel Damina: So he began to make a distinction between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. He talked about "better." We have a better covenant. Better had to do with comparison of old and new covenants. It's not good, better, best. Better means eternal, eternal. So what we have is eternal.

Now, please, this is very important. The Old Covenant did not have fault, but the Old Covenant found fault with people. For finding fault with them. So the Old Covenant was a fault-finding covenant. That is why it is in the Old Covenant you will see how that David was promiscuous. You will see how that Samson was sleeping all over the place.

You will see the failures of Abraham. You will see the mistakes of Moses, all well-documented. You will see the harlotry and the prostitution of Rahab and the details of it in the Old Covenant because the mission of the Old Covenant was to find fault and defeat man morally so that man would see how bankrupt he is and look forward to the coming of the Messiah.

That is the spirit of the Old Covenant. To find fault. It didn't have fault, but it was a fault-finder. "For finding fault with them, He saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant." I will make a new covenant. So the Old Covenant and the Ten Commandments were a declaration of God's righteousness which no man could attain unto. They were a declaration of God's standard which no man could meet.

But the New Covenant will not find fault. The New Covenant will not find fault because of the sacrifice of Jesus. The Old Covenant was a fault-finder, but the New Covenant will not find fault. Hebrews 8:11 and 12.

Guest (Female): And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

Dr. Abel Damina: In the New Covenant, I will not remember sins. There will be no record of sins. In the Old Covenant, there will be a record of sins because the Old Covenant is a fault-finder. It's in the Old Covenant you will see how Samson was sleeping all over the place and how that he was shaved on the laps of Delilah. But when you come to the New Covenant, there's no mention of Delilah.

The name Delilah did not appear in the New Covenant. Instead of the failures of Samson, we saw the exploits of Samson. "By faith, Samson, an elder who through faith obtained good report." Instead of the prostitution of Rahab, we see the exploits of Rahab. "By faith, Rahab, the prostitute..." No, not that one. An elder who through faith obtained a good report.

Because the New Covenant has no faults. Oh, the blood of Jesus. It washes whiter than snow. Look at the chronicles. By faith, Abel. By faith, Noah. By faith, Enoch. By faith, Abraham. By faith, Sarah. By faith, Moses. In fact, look at that Hebrews chapter 11. There's something intriguing there. Hebrews 11:23.

Guest (Female): By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment. By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

Dr. Abel Damina: Hold on. By faith, Moses. How many of you remember that Moses killed somebody? You all remember that. Dug the ground and buried him. How many of you remember that? Where did you see that? Because the Old Covenant is a fault-finding covenant. Dug the ground and buried this guy. The next day there was another fight, and Moses got involved.

Moses must have been a street guy, man. There was another fight. Moses is always where there is fighting. He came in again to fight, and then somebody said to him, "Surely you know what you did yesterday." Moses thought he did a clean job. He said, "So you want to do what you did yesterday to me?" Moses now knew that this is not a clean job.

So what did Moses do? He took off. Escaped for his life. That's the way it is written in the book of Exodus. That's the way it's written in the Old Testament. Now, the writer of Hebrews is giving us a chronicle of the men of faith in the Old Testament, how the New Testament views them. Their record before God.

So he begins with Moses and he says, put it up again, "Moses by faith, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter." Why? Look at how the New Testament interprets that running away. The New Testament says he chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

That Moses, the reason why he left Egypt was because he was esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. That Moses had respect unto the recompense of the reward. So because faith was too much in Moses, he forsook Egypt. Oh, the blood of Jesus. It washes whiter than snow. He forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured, seeing Him who is invisible.

That Moses left the comfort of Egypt and went out of Egypt to suffer because he saw Christ. Not because he killed somebody. Because he saw Him who is invisible. Next verse.

Guest (Female): Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down.

Dr. Abel Damina: Something is missing. Something is missing between verse 29 and 30. Something is missing. Look at verse 29 again. Pay attention. "By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land, which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned." The moment that stopped, the next thing you will see in verse 30 is, "By faith the walls of Jericho..."

Forty years missing. From after the Red Sea till the walls of Jericho, forty years in Kadesh-Barnea missing. Because those forty years were forty years of unbelief, so they are not recorded. The next thing that will be recorded is an exploit of faith. "By faith the walls of Jericho fell down." No record of wrongs. No record of unbelief. No record of faults. No record of mistakes.

Why? Oh, the blood of Jesus. It washes whiter than snow. It's not in the records. It's not in the records. And then if you read on, read for me that 31.

Guest (Female): By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace. And what shall I more say?

Dr. Abel Damina: How many of you know when Rahab received the spies, she lied? She lied. The king sent military people to find out where those spies are. They came to Rahab's house, she hid them and told them they were not there. And when they left, Rahab told them, "Give me a true token because I know that your God is powerful."

And they said, "This is the token. When we come to destroy this land, we will save you and your house." And then she took a scarlet rope. She committed them to a commitment. She took a scarlet, scarlet is red, and gave them, and through the rope they went down from her house, establishing that she and them now are in the same covenant of God's preservation. That is faith in action. And what more shall I say? What more shall I say?

Guest (Female): For the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms...

Dr. Abel Damina: Did you see that the only thing recorded for these men is that they subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions? Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword all by faith, out of weakness were made strong. They were made strong out of weakness by faith, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

Women received their dead raised to life again. And others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. They were tortured, even when they had a way of escape, they refused to escape. And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword.

They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented. Of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise. They obtained a good report through faith but didn't get the promise.

But none of them, the Bible didn't record that they killed people by faith. They quenched the violence of fire, they shut the mouth of lions, they received their dead back to life, and all that. No killing. Nobody killed anybody by faith. Because there are no killings in God. No record of killings here. These are just exploits, great achievements.

And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise. What was the promise that they were waiting for? Christ. God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. Next verse.

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. What is the sin which doeth so easily beset us? The temptation to abandon what Christ has done and go back to produce our own works to qualify us. That is the sin that does easily beset us.

That temptation to resign from what Christ has done and produce our own works as our qualifier. He says, let us lay aside, Hebrews 12:1, every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. Looking unto Jesus.

If you check the original Greek, it says, "look away unto Jesus." Look away from who? From all those characters. Look away from them, look unto Jesus, the author and the perfecter of faith. Now, I said all of that to still maintain that the book of Hebrews therefore gives us something to work with when it comes to the New Covenant, that there will be no faults found based on the sacrifice of Jesus.

The Old Covenant was not faulty; it only found fault. Wherever you find fault in the book of Hebrews, the writer is not talking about the New Covenant. Look at Hebrews 9:12.

Guest (Female): Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

Dr. Abel Damina: How many times did He enter? Once. And this word "once" is repeated in the book of Hebrews many times. Imagine when people talk about loss of salvation. Imagine, let me even start before the one mentioned on Facebook there. Imagine Moses. Moses said to God, "If You will not forgive these people, remove my name from the book of life. Blot out my name from the book of life."

God said to Moses, "It cannot be blotted." This is where somebody willingly asks for his name to be removed. God says, "No, once it enters, it has entered." Moses asked for it. Imagine Samson. Samson killed himself, suicide, and never had the time to repent. All these people are going around saying, "God will not forgive you until you repent. If you don't repent, if you don't repent..." Repent. If you don't repent, there is no eternity for you. Wait, hold on. Be followers of those who through faith and patience obtained the promise, right?

So we're following examples, right? Bible examples. Samson killed himself, suicide, and killed people, murder. He committed murder and suicide without repenting. And today, by faith, Samson is an elder who obtained a good report. Deal with that. Anybody whose name you saw in Hebrews 11 is in heaven.

That's why it started by, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of Christ not seen. For by it the elders obtained good report." We understand through faith that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. By faith, Abel. He started the journey. So the first person in heaven among that list is Abel.

By faith, Enoch. These people are in heaven. Number three, by faith, Noah. By faith, Abraham. Through faith also, Sarah. By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. By faith, Jacob, when he was dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph. By faith, Joseph. By faith, Moses. These are all people in heaven.

By faith, the harlot Rahab. By faith, time shall fail me to tell of Gideon, in heaven. Barak, in heaven. Samson, in heaven. Jephthae, in heaven. David, in heaven. Samuel, in heaven. And of the prophets. Who through faith... So this is a chronicle of people in heaven. And Samson is inside, and Samson did not confess. Samson did not repent. Samson did not wear sackcloth and ashes.

He committed suicide. That's why someone said to me, "What about Christians who commit suicide?" They're in heaven. Are you saying we should commit suicide? No. Even you, God has put inside you something, where when you see the suicide, you will run. Somebody tied a rope, wrote a letter, and then when he saw people come he said, "I'm going to kill myself, I'm going to kill myself!" And they're telling him, "I beg you don't kill yourself." He says, "No, I'm going to kill myself, no!" But he didn't climb.

God has put something in every man that is a self-preservative. Something is in every man. That thing only gives way when you become so depressed about life and you lose sight of hope in Christ. It's depression that leads people to commit suicide when they give up all hope. They didn't give up Christ, but they gave up hope in this world.

And nobody was there to remind them. So in identity crisis, they take away their life. And the act of taking away your life makes you a selfish person because you didn't consider everybody that is blessed by you. You're selfish, but you don't lose salvation. Committing suicide is like every other sin, including lies. They're all in the same WhatsApp group.

So that's why Samson is still in heaven. He committed murder; he killed everybody. But remember the people he killed, he didn't just stand up and carry a gun to kill. They held him captive for long. They punished him very well. So the day he had opportunity, he said, "These ones, Father, these ones. Let me retaliate at least these ones." Boom.

Is God for murder? No. What if the army of the country are invaded by another army and a brother full of the Holy Ghost has a gun? Shoot and don't stop until all the bullets are finished. It is called defense. Self-defense and national defense. Papa, what if a thief is coming to your house and he knocks the door and you have a knife? Finish him. Remove the fingers one by one. Give him a taste of eternal damnation. All the fingers one by one. Remove the eye with a knife. Remove the nose.

Damage him beyond recognition before the police arrive. You didn't do wrong; you defended yourself in righteousness and holiness. Don't leave your door open at night. Lock your door because there are fat, fat rats that swallow cell phones at 2 AM. Lock your door. After locking your door, put a stone on the door so that when they touch the door, the stone will fall first. You wake up, you look for your knife, and you wait at the door. Come inside if they born you well.

I was in South Africa to preach, and then when we got to where I was going to do a podcast, they gave me military men, people that were fully armed. They came with me and their guns. So we're doing this podcast and the guy said to me, "Dr. Damina, I don't understand. God is the one that protects all of us, especially men of God have divine protection. Why did you come here with guns and policemen?"

I said the Bible says the horse is ready for battle, then safety is of the Lord. But there is a horse that is ready. There is a horse, sinner. The horse is prepared against the day of battle, but safety is of the Lord. But there is a horse that is prepared. May God give you understanding. Then I now asked him, I say, "In the night, why do you lock your door when you go to sleep? Why don't you leave the door open and say God will protect?"

So if you can lock a door, you can employ a man with a gun to sit in front of the door. It's part of locking. The man with a gun sitting in front of the door is part of the door. After a while, he will shoot three bullets in the sky. He sits there, he's part of the door. Then both with the policeman with the gun and the door is the horse. Then safety is of the Lord.

In Exodus, he says, "I will bless your bread. I will bless your water. Then I will take sickness away from the midst of thee." First of all, there must be bread and water. Then God will take sickness away. Where there's no bread and water, wisdom for living. You know, this church, we teach you the whole counsel of God.

Jesus prayed for Peter's mother-in-law. After praying a powerful healing prayer, He said, "Give her food. Go and bring food for her now so that this thing will not come back. She has to eat. She has to what? Eat." How did we go there? When you start talking about Brother Samson, you have to enter everywhere.

So the New Covenant does not find fault. The New Covenant does not find fault. The New Covenant is based on the sacrifice of Jesus. It is only the Old Covenant that finds fault. So wherever you find fault in the book of Hebrews, he's not talking about the New Covenant. Look at Hebrews 9:12.

Guest (Female): Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

Dr. Abel Damina: How many times did He enter? Once. And this word "once" is repeated in the book of Hebrews many times. Look at Hebrews 9:12 to 15. Take note of the "once."

Guest (Female): Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Dr. Abel Damina: To serve the living God. All right. Now, Hebrews 10:12 to 14.

Guest (Female): But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Dr. Abel Damina: How many sacrifices? One sacrifice. Verse 14. How many times? One. So did you see once, one, one? It's plenty in the book of Hebrews. So this book teaches a believer is saved forever, sanctified forever, perfected forever, and a believer is saved how many times? Once.

A believer is not saved twice. A believer is saved once. Hebrews 10:38 to 39.

Guest (Female): Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Dr. Abel Damina: We are not of them that draw back. So there's no backsliding in salvation. You are saved once and secured forever. Look at Hebrews, where we just read, chapter 12, verse 2.

Guest (Female): Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Dr. Abel Damina: So that word "finisher" is the word "perfecter." He is the author and the perfecter of our faith. So that means we are made perfect in Christ. They were perfected in Christ's sacrifice. We are perfected in Christ's sacrifice. Both He that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one, for which cause He is not ashamed to call us brethren.

Somebody say I'm perfected in Christ Jesus. Somebody shout I am sanctified once, perfected once, justified once, saved once. How many times did Abraham believe? Once. Did he make mistake after he believed? Yes. Is he in heaven today? Yes. Because salvation is eternal. Salvation. How many times did Moses believe? Once. Did he make mistakes after believing? Yes.

Where is Moses today? In heaven. You know, many people think Moses never went to heaven. Many people think Moses didn't make it there, that God got angry and said, "Moses, Moses, Moses, Moses, see the promised land, but you shall not enter." Moses didn't make it? No. To avoid all that doubt and to clear you of every misgiving concerning Moses, on the Mount of Transfiguration, in the New Testament, when Jesus the testament-giver of the new showed up, on the Mount of Transfiguration, Moses and Elijah were standing with Jesus to make you know that this guy is still part of the team.

He believed once. He made mistakes, of course. Even his mistakes led to him not going to the promised land, but he's in heaven today. By faith, Moses, an elder who through faith obtained a good report. Salvation is Christ's work. Jesus said, "I have received commandment from my Father that all that the Father has given to me, none is lost. I have a commandment not to lose any one of you."

I have a commandment not to lose any one of you. Once saved, always saved. Once saved, always saved. O-S-A-S. Someone said to me, "Dr. Damina, are you once saved always saved?" Yes, sir. Raised to power ten. But the Bible says shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Someone was asking that yesterday. Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? What led to that question is in Romans chapter 5. Go back and I close with that. Romans chapter 5, the last three verses.

Guest (Female): Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.

Dr. Abel Damina: Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. Because grace is God's cure for sin. So that's why you can't say all these preachers of grace are giving people a license to sin. No, sir. Grace is God's cure for sin. You cannot say all these doctors are giving people Panadol, that's why everybody has headache. No. Panadol is the cure for headache. Grace is God's cure for sin.

Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound, which means grace is God's cure or God's solution for sin. So they now turn to Paul and they said, "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?" Now observe the grammar. He didn't say shall we continue to sin. He said shall we continue "in sin," in the state of sin, that grace may abound?

And look at Paul's answer. God forbid. Impossible. It's not possible. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Then he explains further. "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?" Don't you know that the day you were born again, you died to sin? Yesterday somebody was quoting First John 3:8 and 9. Put it up as I close this service.

Guest (Female): He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

Dr. Abel Damina: So someone was busy putting that yesterday when we were saying believers can fall into sin, believers can make mistake, he kept saying whatsoever is born of God cannot commit sin. Yes, sir. A man that is born of God cannot commit sin because His seed remains in him. Sin is not his DNA. Righteousness is his DNA.

That's what this scripture is saying. That a man that is born of God does not have the DNA of sin, hence he cannot commit sin because of his seed. Now, how do we know that that man that is born of God cannot commit sin? Because it's not in his nature. How do we know it's not in his nature? That's why when you do wrong, you are restless. Because that's not you. That's out of character.

You are embarrassed, you are ashamed, because that's not you. If it was your character, you would stay in it and be clapping and drinking wine with thanksgiving that you succeeded. But because you don't belong there, you can't stay there. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein? That seed is nature, not acts. You cannot sin. It's not your nature. That's what John was teaching the believers.

Even if you stumble and make mistakes here and there, you will not have pleasure, you will not rejoice in them because that is not your character. That is out of character for you. And then you'll begin to look for how to overcome. And how do you overcome? We all, with open face, beholding the glory of God as in a mirror, we are changed as we keep beholding from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of God.

So the transformative power of God, as we focus on the word, begins to transform us by the help of the Holy Ghost. And things you were struggling with, suddenly you're no more struggling with them. How many of you agree with me that where you were when you got born again, you are no longer there anymore? How many of you can see that you've progressed? That's what we're talking about. You can trace where you were, you can trace where you are. Transformation will have happened because you're born of God.

Somebody shout, "I am born of God." Say, "I have the life of God." Say, "My DNA is the life of God. I have the Spirit of Christ." Say with me, "I do not delight in sin. I have no pleasure in sin. I have pleasure in righteousness. I'm a master of sin. I'm a servant of righteousness. I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus."

Glory to God. Stand on your feet and let me hear your glory in this building. Glory to God forevermore. Turn to your neighbor and say, "Hey neighbor, you are standing by the most holy man on the planet. I am righteous as righteous as Jesus, and I chose to sit with you today because this is a righteous company. Sitting with you made me understand better. Sit again with me tomorrow."

Father, I pray for everyone in this building, online, on television, under the sound of my voice. That the revelation of Your word keeps growing big in our hearts until nothing else matters. Barriers are terminated, obstacles are terminated, struggles are laid to rest in the name of Jesus.

And I ask that the light of this gospel continues to shine in the hearts of men and women. Mindsets corrected, strongholds brought down in the name of Jesus. And we rejoice because so mightily the word is growing and prevailing all over the nations. In Jesus' name we pray, and every believer says that "Amen" with a note of joy and celebration.

Well, go ahead and celebrate that word you received tonight. Is that a victory celebration? Glory to God forevermore. Turn to your neighbor and say, "I am born of God, I have overcome the world." Amen. Grab your honor offerings, let's give. Thank you again for giving to support the kingdom.

Lift up your offerings. Father, we give in faith and we thank You for the privilege to make a difference through our giving. Thank you that our offerings are a sweet smell before You today. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Glory to God. Praise God forevermore.