Reintroducing Jesus, Beyond Religion

Dr. Abel Damina: Father, we give you praise and glory and honor. We bless the name of Jesus, the name that is above every name. And we rejoice that we have access tonight into the deep things of God by the Holy Ghost. Thank you, Father. And we thank you for everyone that is connected to the service around the world. We rejoice that your word is going to go forth with power and grace tonight.

Burdens and yokes be destroyed. Whatever is not planted by God be rooted out. Your people built up, equipped, edified. Veils fall off. Clarity comes by the teaching of your word. And nobody leaves the service today the same way they came. We give you praise and glory for answered prayer in Jesus' precious name. And every believer says a powerful amen. 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. And every believer says a powerful amen.

I want to welcome everybody connected to the service again tonight by way of Kingdom Life Network, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and all of you that are connecting by way of Comfort FM in the whole of Akwa Ibom State. We are so glad to have all of you, the radio audience. Hey, guys, I tell you, we're going to have a blast tonight. You need to invite some people, call some people up to tune into this radio station as we celebrate the word. And all of you that are connected by way of XLFM too, we're just excited that we have the privilege to feed you with the word of his grace. All our house centers and campuses, it's a joy to have all of you tonight. Grab your notebook, your pen, and your Bible as we go into a time of exciting study of the word of his grace. You can be seated with your sweet, smart self tonight.

And I want to encourage everybody on the social media to help us share the videos, invite people, tag people. Let's flood the earth with the fragrance of Jesus' grace. Praise God. All right, we're still on Soteria Season 7, still examining the subject of the legal and the vital work of salvation. The legal and the vital work of salvation. Hebrews chapter 2 from verse 1. Therefore, we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him? God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to the will of God.

So, yesterday, we began to look at the great salvation that God has given to us. Now, we've established that there are two things. The first one is there is the word spoken by angels, which had with it a just recompense of reward for every disobedience. Then there is a so great salvation, which the Lord spoke to us. So, two things. The way to escape the law is to embrace the so great salvation. So, the great salvation given to us by Jesus is the escape from the law.

We also established yesterday that there are two goats in the symbolic or in the figurative communication of Moses that reveals to us the redemptive plan of God. One goat is a sacrificial lamb that has to be killed and the blood smeared in the Holy of Holies. The second goat is the goat of escape that has to be released alive when the sins of Israel are confessed on it. But the big deal about the goat of escape is that the goat of escape was a symbolism of separation.

So, we have the sin offering in one goat, and we have separation in another goat. Now, these two goats were symbolic of what Jesus did for us in his death. He was both the sacrificial lamb in his body; he took our sins in his body on the tree. Then he was the goat of escape in his spirit. So, Jesus' sacrifice was spirit, soul, and body. And on the third day, he rose from the dead as the high priest of the church.

So, Jesus was both goats and the high priest. Look at Romans chapter 3, verse 21. But now, the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets. The righteousness of God without the law is manifested. That is, you have righteousness with God without the law of Moses. Because the law is not of faith, and justification is by faith. The law is not of faith; justification is by faith.

So, now, the righteousness of God, therefore, has nothing to do with deeds. It has something to do with what Christ has done that you believe in. Now, we established that the law of Moses is identification because it identifies with man's state. But then we have one sacrifice, and that one sacrifice, he taught and preached, talking about Jesus, in that one sacrifice which was actually his body. He went about teaching and preaching.

We looked at two verses of scripture. The first one is 1 Peter chapter 2, verse 24. Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness, by whose stripes you were healed. So, brother Peter dealt with the physical body of Jesus. And brother Paul dealt with the spirit of Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5:21. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

So, now, Peter dealt with the physical body of Jesus that took our sins and, by vicarious responsibility, took our sickness. Because sickness came only because there was sin. Death came only because there was sin. And the law was given because of sin. Now, we've established that yesterday extensively. That is why Jesus went about doing good and healing everybody. In Matthew chapter 4, verse 23, look at Jesus' healing ministry, which was an indication of his sacrificial work.

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. All manner. Nothing excluded. All manner. Look at Matthew 9:25. But when the people were put forth, he went in and took her by the hand, and the maid arose. He took her by the hand, and the maid arose. That means whatever he was saying was related to what he was doing.

Whatever Jesus was saying was related to what he was doing. Acts 10:38. How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with him. So, Jesus went about doing good, demonstrating what he will eventually do by virtue of his death in his body, which was by vicarious responsibility offered for both sins and for healing of our physical bodies.

Look at John chapter 9. Something interesting in John chapter 9, verse 1. And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. He was blind from his birth. Look at the next question. And this is how religious people think all the time. Put it up. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?

This is the way religious people think all the time. Once somebody has a particular condition, the next thing they're thinking of is what sin did he commit? Who sinned? Now, this guy is born blind, and they're now trying to figure out whether it is generational curse, ancestral covenant, all those, you know, all those Africanization of the gospel, trying to trace it to somewhere. And they ask in Jesus, "Who did sin, this man or his parents?" Look at the next verse. Jesus' answer to them.

Jesus gave them only one answer. Verse 3. Jesus answered, "Neither had this man sinned, nor his parents." He is not sick because of sin. People don't get sick because they have sinned. Sickness is not by reason of sin. "Neither had this man sinned, nor his parents." Meaning it is not his sin, and it is not his parents' sin. Then look at what Jesus now explained to them. That verse 3. Jesus answered, "Neither has this man sinned, nor his parents."

Then Jesus now said, "But that the works of God should be made manifest in him." Jesus is not saying he's sick so that we can demonstrate the work of God. No. This is, you know, the Bible doesn't have punctuations; these were added by translators. So, what Jesus was explaining is that even though he is sick and nobody's responsible, it is an opportunity for me to make manifest the works of God. Look at verse 4. Now, look at verse 4 of the same chapter 9 of John.

"I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day; the night cometh when no man can work." Look at verse 5. You will like verse 5. "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." When you are under the law, you will always have sin consciousness. A man that is under the law will always have sin consciousness. Look at Jesus' response. Jesus answered just once, like I said. You know, if you take that statement on its own, you will think Jesus was saying that whether the man is a sinner or his parents, he would just heal them.

But that's not what Jesus was saying. Jesus was just saying that it doesn't really matter. It's not about sin. It is not about sin. However, whatever was responsible for the sickness, the only part I will play is to heal that man because he is the light of God. So, sickness is a product of darkness. Sickness is a product of darkness. Healing comes from light. Healing comes from light. So, it's not man's deeds that brought sickness.

It is man's state, the state of man. It is not about deeds. It's about the state of man in sin. The state of man. Remember, wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and death by sin. So, it is as a result of man's state. But Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. The deed and then the vicarious act of sin. The deed and then the vicarious act of sin. Look at Matthew chapter 8, verse 16. When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils.

And he cast out the spirits with his word and healed all that were sick. He healed all that were sick. Then look at the way brother Matthew explains in verse 17. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, "Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses." He took our infirmity and bore our sickness. Isaiah, you will discover that Isaiah wrote, Matthew quoted from Isaiah, and Peter quoted also from Isaiah the same scripture.

Look at where Matthew and Peter quoted from. Isaiah 53, verse 4. Surely, he had borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. Matthew said that it might be fulfilled. He used what we call an "ayhore" statement in Bible interpretation. An ayhore statement. An ayhore statement is a statement you make in the now as if something has happened, but actually, it is an event of the future that you're talking about in the present as though it has happened.

An ayhore statement. Like in John, Jesus said, "I am come that you may have life," but in John, Jesus had not started giving life to anybody. So, that was an ayhore statement in theology or in Bible interpretation. So, when he said "himself took," he took. He had not taken. For him to take will mean he has to die, and at this time, he has not died. So, Peter was quoting like an ayhore statement. He was referring to Jesus' death.

His deeds—I mean Jesus' deeds—were indicative of what he will do. And that is why he came. Because in that Matthew 5:17 and 18, brother Matthew was quoting an ayhore statement in nature. Now, he was saying, "Your sins are forgiven," but it took the death of Jesus to forgive sins. And sickness is related to sin. Sickness is related to sin because if man didn't sin, there would be no sickness. If man didn't sin, there would be no death.

So, sickness is related to sin, and sickness is related to spiritual death. Spiritual death. So, the question is, did Jesus die and take our sickness? Did Jesus die and take our sickness? And the answer is yes. He took our sickness because our sickness was attached to our state of spiritual death. Sickness was attached to our state of spiritual death. Look at Romans chapter 6, verse 1. One scripture that legals like using all the time.

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? That is one scripture people keep asking questions all the time. And sometimes when they ask, you see some people don't take the time to intelligently look at scriptures. They look at scriptures spiritually instead of looking at scriptures intelligently. That's why I said the Bible is not a book from heaven. The Bible is a piece of literature.

So, when you read it, read it like literature. I mean, if you had read, you would see he didn't say, "Shall we continue to sin?" He said, "Shall we continue in?" There's a difference between "in" and "to." That already changes the understanding of that verse. Shall we continue in state, the state of sin? Shall we continue in the state, not the act, not the activities in sin, that grace may abound? Now, hold on, let's look at the pretext to be able to understand this context.

Come back to Romans chapter 5, verse 19, the discourse that led to that question. Romans 5:19. For as by one man's disobedience, many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Adam as a function and second Adam as a function. All right, next verse, 20. I love 20. Moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound. Because I didn't know sin until the law said so. Sin was in the world, but it was not imputed when there is no law.

All right, so put it back again for me. Romans 5:20. Moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. Somebody says, "You know these preachers of grace, they are giving people license to sin." How can the cure for sin be the license to sin? Jesus is the cure for sin. John 1:29. Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the earth. It's like saying Atesunate produces malaria.

It's like saying Quatem, which is the cure for malaria, produces malaria. For you to say that grace makes people sin, what you're simply saying is that the medication that should cure is manufacturing the disease. Because grace is the cure for sin. That's why he says where sin abounds, God's cure for sin is grace. Grace is God's medication for sin. Where sin abounds, grace much more abounds. That is, anywhere there's too much sin, what God does is to manufacture plenty of grace. Why?

Because grace is the cure for sin. Now, watch, watch. He now said, give me the next verse. The next verse there, that Romans chapter 5. Romans chapter 5, verse 21. Romans chapter 5, verse 21. That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. There's no iota of sin. Just like sin reigned to death, so that grace also might manufacture righteousness through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Bible talks of Jesus, he said, he says first of all, he said Jesus full of grace. Then he now says, of his fullness have we all received grace and for grace. So, grace is God's solution to sin and all that sin has done. And the grace of God that bringeth salvation has appeared unto all men. So, grace is God's cure for sin. The next time you hear somebody say grace makes people sin, tell him, "I think you don't understand English."

Tell him, "I think you don't understand English because if you understand English, you will not say Panadol produces headache. If you understand English, you will not say Paracetamol is responsible for headache or any of those medications." Grace is God's solution for sin. And I'm not ashamed to talk about the grace of God. I'm not bothered at all. I don't give a hoot whatsoever. Galatians chapter 1, verse 6. Brother Paul said, "I marvel that you are so soon removed from him that called you." Where?

Into the grace of Christ. Every Christian is called into the grace of Christ. Unto another gospel. So, there is only one gospel, the gospel of the grace of Christ. So, that means anything that is not the grace of Christ is another gospel. Put it up, put it up, that verse 6. Unto, look at it, called you into the grace of Christ unto another. So, there is only one gospel, the grace of Christ. So, anything that is not the grace of Christ is another gospel.

Then look at the way brother Paul categorized it in verse 7. Which is not another. That is, anything that is not grace is not gospel. Which is not another, but there be some that trouble you who will pervert the gospel of Christ. So, anything that is not the grace of Christ is a perversion of the gospel of Christ. And then brother Paul said, "Though we or an angel preach any other gospel to you than that which we have preached, let him be accursed." Let him be the word accursed means anathema.

It means cut him off. Don't listen to him. Don't let him preach to you anymore. He is a pervert. He is a pervert. Don't listen to him if it's not the gospel of Christ. Because the gospel is the gospel of the grace of God. Brother Paul said, "I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to make you give you an inheritance among the sanctified." The grace of God.

So, now, in Galatians chapter 6, verse 1. Pay attention. Shall we continue in sin? Sorry, Romans chapter 6, verse 1. Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Look at brother Paul's answer. Next verse. God forbid. God forbid. The word "God forbid" is not English God forbid. God forbid, God forbid. No, no, no, no, no. The word "God forbid" in Bible language means impossible. Impossible. Impossible.

You know, I was thinking about this, Mr. Bush. I was thinking about this this afternoon. People that are asking, "Can a Christian lose salvation?" You know what they're looking for is like saying, "Dr. Godwin, can you go back to your mother's stomach and tell her not to born you?" Because that's what they're saying. For a Christian to lose salvation means a human being should enter his mother's womb and say, "I don't want to be born again." It's not possible.

Salvation means you are born by God. That's what salvation means. You are born by God. And you can't enter into God and say, "Don't born me." Now, somebody said, "Okay, what about a Christian that is lying and misbehaving?" Okay, in the natural, if your son goes to steal, does he remove the DNA? A son is always a son. It's just that the boy is misbehaving and the father will look for how to discipline the son, but it doesn't change that son from being your son.

The day you were born of God, you were born a son of God with the DNA of God. And even if you do things that are not right, God will discipline you as a father. Because Christianity is a father and his family. It's not a boss and servant. It's a father and his family. This thing is a family. I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. Am I communicating at all?

Can I go back to my mother's womb and be born again? Jesus said, "Are you a master in Israel and you don't know what I'm talking about?" How can you be born of God and go back to be unborn? Born again is to be born of God. James 1:18. Of his own will begat he us by the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruit of his creation. 1 John chapter 5. Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world. Born of God.

1 Peter 1:23. Being born again, not of corruptible seed. The word seed is the Greek word sperma. Sperma is where English got their word sperm. And anywhere you find sperm, you find DNA. You're born of God's DNA on your inside is the DNA of God. And I'm telling you the truth. The prodigal son may take everything from his father and go and waste it and waste it and sit down and eat with pigs and one day stand up and say, "I'm going back to my father."

And when the father sees the boy, the father does not say "Prodigal," the father say, "My son that was lost is back." A son is always a son. A son is always a son. The reason why people are thinking of losing salvation is because their minds are legalistic. They have not understood the love of God and what it means to belong to the family of God. A son is always a son. Always. No matter what he does, he's always a son.

The father can say, "I disown you," but the father cannot extract the DNA. And it is not mouth that determines a son; it is DNA and sperm that determine a son. As many as receive him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God. Somebody shout, "I hear you." Now are we the sons of God. Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God.

The world knows us not because it knows him not. Because to know us, you must know him. Why? His DNA is in our DNA. Oh, I feel like I'm teaching. If you're catching my flow, shout, "I hear you." So, shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Brother Paul answered, "God forbid." Impossible. Impossible. Even if you act a movie and you are barking like a dog—woof, woof, woof, woof—you are still a human being.

That's your DNA. It's not the acting that defines you; it's the DNA that defines you. So, even as a Christian, if you're acting funny, you're still a child of God. That's the truth of the gospel. It doesn't change anything. You're a son of God by DNA. And if you're doing funny things, you're acting beside yourself. The Greek paralogizomai. It means you are acting a script that is not yours. And there's no way you can be comfortable because that's not your environment.

You'll be there, but you'll know that something is not right. You'll be there, but you'll know that what you're doing is not right. And because you're not comfortable, it won't be long, you will find your way back home. Am I teaching good tonight? A son is always a son. Born of God. Born of the—did you hear it? Born of the incorruptible seed by the word of God. Born of the incorruptible. That is, what has given birth to you cannot be corrupted. Glory to God. I say glory to God. I say glory to God.

I say glory to God. Now, look at it. God forbid. Shall we continue in the state of sin? God forbid. Why? Look at that verse 2. God forbid or impossible. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein? Next verse. Know you not? Don't you know that so many of us as were born again—born again is a baptism into Jesus Christ—we were baptized into his death.

Don't you know that the day you got born again, you died? You died. You died to sin. You can't recognize sin again. Next verse. Give me the next verse. Next verse. Therefore, we are buried with him by baptism into death. And that baptism is not water baptism; that baptism is immersion into Christ. Buried with him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we, the same way we are raised up, to walk in the newness of life. To walk in the newness of life.

Look at the next verse. Follow the reading. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. Verse 6. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth, from now forward—that's the meaning of henceforth for the people that may not be able to think through—from now that we're born again, we should not serve sin.

Next verse, verse 7. For he that is dead is freed from sin. That's why it's impossible now. That's why it's impossible. When people say to me, "All these grace preachers, you guys are giving people license to sin," the first question I ask them, "Did Adam hear the message of grace before he sinned? Did Noah hear the message of grace before he sinned? I mean, the people of Noah's day? It's not grace they heard.

So, how can grace, which is the cure, be the producer? It's just that people are perverted in their understanding. And of course, ignorance is playing a major role. Lack of adequate understanding or lack of adequate information. Give me the next verse, 8. Please follow the teaching, the reading. Now, if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. 9. Knowing this, or knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dieth no more.

Death hath no more dominion over him. 10. For in that he died, he died unto sin once, but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Next verse. Likewise, reckon you also yourselves, acknowledge yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So, shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Impossible. How did God forbid it? Christ died for us.

That is how God did the forbidding. Christ died for us. So, we died with Christ. Based on that, based on that fact that we died with Christ, we were buried with Christ, now we are alive unto God. We are alive unto God. God made it impossible. God forbid. How? By the death of Christ. It's impossible for you to continue in sin because Christ took the sin away. So, it's very clear in that context that spiritual death was a state of being that came from sin and death by sin.

Ephesians 2:1. Please follow this. And you hath he quickened—very bad translation—and you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. Next verse. Wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. Among whom, next verse, among whom also we had—we all had our conversation in time past, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature—by nature we were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

So, the death was a state of being. So, we began to produce deeds, deeds because of the state that we were in. It was not the deeds that made man a sinner. It was the state that man was in that produced the deeds. The state. Jesus hung on the cross and said, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" He had died spiritually. So, spiritual death precedes physical death. And Adam was a case study.

He died spiritually first—separation—then he died physically. So, when Jesus died spiritually, that was after that that he died physically. The Bible lets us know that Jesus was raised from the dead. And the Bible calls Jesus the first to be raised from the dead. Now, do you think that the Bible is referring to physical death? Because when the Bible says Jesus was the first to be raised from the dead, was he referring to physical death? No.

Because Lazarus was raised after four days. Lazarus was raised after four days. But you see, Lazarus was raised physically. Jesus was raised spiritually. That first begotten from the dead is from spiritual death. But Lazarus was never raised from spiritual death. He was raised physically; that's why he died again. Because he was never raised from spiritual death. Because he couldn't be raised from spiritual death until Jesus rose. Because Jesus is the prototokos, or the prototype, or the model of all those that believe where resurrection is concerned.

So, that resurrection of Jesus, raised from the dead as the first begotten, was spiritual, spiritual. Now, look at it. Death has two locations: spirit and the physical body. Spirit and the physical body. Spirit is separation; physical body is death. All right. Look at Colossians 1:18. And he is the head of the body, the church. Who is the beginning? Pay attention. The firstborn, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence.

So, the first time, only begotten son. That he gave his only, only begotten son. Second time, first begotten. First begotten. First time, only begotten son. Resurrection, first begotten from the dead. They're different. Look at Romans 8:29. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Not the only firstborn, but the firstborn among many brethren because he identified with all of us that were dead. That's why the Bible says we were raised together, quickened together, made to sit together. It's called identification. Identification. Look at Hebrews chapter 1, verse 5. Look at the way the writer of Hebrews explained that resurrection. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, "Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee"? And again, "I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son"?

To which of the angels said he that? So, Jesus was the son of God by the incarnation. And at that point, he was the only son. Look at Romans 1:3. Pay attention to Romans 1:3 and 4. Give me from verse 1, from verse 1, so we can get the pretext. Romans 1:1. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God. Next verse. Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures.

What is that gospel? Concerning his son Jesus. The gospel is concerning his son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, incarnation. Next verse. And declared to be the son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness. How? By the resurrection from the dead. First begotten. So, Jesus was the first to be born again from spiritual death.

He was raised from spiritual death. That is why the shedding of blood was spiritual, not physical. Because the resurrection was spiritual. So, everything that followed the resurrection was spiritual. He was raised from the dead, spiritual. So, let's look at sickness before we close tonight. Did Jesus die for sickness? Yes, because he identified with man fully in man's state. He died for sickness.

Do you know that sickness is the cause of sin? Because Deuteronomy said it. "If you do, these sicknesses shall come on you, pursue you, overtake you, cursed in the city, cursed in the field." Then he listed a number of curses and sicknesses. Then he said, "Even the ones that are not written in the book." The curse that came from the law by virtue of the state of man. All right. A whole list of sickness. Paul was not particular about non-essentials.

You know, if you study the Pauline theology, Paul was never particular about non-essentials. Things like why do women wear trousers? Why do women not wear trousers? Those are not kindergarten; they are actually they are not even part of the curriculum. They are the things that happen in football field, you know, when children play. Why do women wear—why do women not wear—why did they not cover their head? Why did they cover their head?

Why did they wear make—makeup? Why don't they wear makeup? What about attachment? Why not attachment? They are called non-essentials. Serious people in the Bible didn't talk about it. Serious people didn't talk about it. There's no—there's no—no apostle that took time to be talking about such things. You know, whether your cloth—cloth is white or you wear blue to church, or you wear red, or you wear green. You know, food offered to idol. Why did you eat food offered—offered to idol?

Because I want to eat it. There's nothing about it. Some say, "Ah, if you eat food offered to idol, you will—you will be initiated." Initiated into what? A few years ago in Akwa Ibom, they told me that if I eat Our Lady's Bread—there was used to be one bread back then—that if I eat it, I will be initiated into witchcraft. So, I drove to Onitsha and bought it and ate it and drove back because I wanted to be initiated so I can go there and scatter their operation.

I ate. Till today, I've not seen any initiation. People just talk about things. They will tell you if you eat sardine, that sardine will make you a member of the Queen of the Coast. You will enter water spirit. Ah, what is water spirit? Even vernacular Bible doesn't have anything like water spirit. You know, people just come up with things. There's one they call ogbanje; it's not even in Igbo Bible. You can't find it.

Those things are just Africanization of the gospel. People just talk about old wives' fables, muthos, muthos, fables, you know, myths that have no spiritual relevance and implication. And all these are things that have been taught over the years in the church. They are non-essentials. They don't cause for any issue. You know, all those things. Can women preach in the church? Can women not preach in the church?

And yet women are asked to lead praise and worship. So, they are leading praise and worship, and they cannot preach. What is praise and worship? Praise and worship is preaching now. Can women preach? Can they not preach? Is there female Holy Ghost and male Holy Ghost? So, male Holy Ghost is *speaking in tongues*. Female Holy Ghost is *speaking in tongues*. What's your problem? What's your—what's your problem? What's your problem?

There's no male Holy Ghost. There's no female Holy Ghost. All those are non-essentials. "I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. Your young men shall see visions." There's no male; there's no female. The same Holy Ghost that got men born again is the same Holy Ghost that lives on the inside of a woman. Gender is in the physical; in the spiritual, there's no man, no woman. We are one in Christ Jesus.

And if a man can preach the gospel, why not? Women can preach more. They were the first to preach the gospel of his resurrection. Glory to God. And I believe that in these last days, women are not going to be left behind. Women are going to jump into the front burner and preach this gospel like never before. I thought I would hear a powerful amen in this place. So, when we know what, you know, what to say, it now becomes important that the only issues you should bother about are if somebody now says if you're not baptized with water, you cannot go to heaven.

No, that one is a major doctrinal issue. We confront him frontally. The other ones, we can pretend not to hear what they're saying. But once you now say that if a man does not pay tithe, he will not go to heaven, that one calls for confrontation because that's an insult on the work of redemption. That's an insult on what Christ has done. Or somebody says if you're not baptized in water, you can't go to heaven.

That's an insult. What about the thief on the cross? Was he baptized in water? Jesus said, "Today, you will be with me in paradise." Those ones are core doctrinal issues, and when people say such things, we don't keep quiet. We stand up in defense of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Are we together here? That's why brother Paul did not spare Peter. He didn't spare Peter at all. Now, look at the history. Peter was a big boy, very big boy.

That is why when Paul got born again, they had to carry Paul and go and present to Peter. Peter had to accept Paul. That's how powerful Peter was. Now, so in Acts chapter 11—I mean Paul, you know, Paul was presented to Peter. In Acts chapter 11, Peter's approach, Peter went and preached. Gentiles received the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues in Acts chapter 10 in the house of Cornelius.

And then they called Peter, confronted Peter in Acts chapter 11. And Peter was acting as if he doesn't understand what they're saying. He was afraid of the Jews, so he started pretending as if the Gentiles don't have a right. And brother Paul says, "I withstood Peter to the face. I confronted Peter, and I rebuked Peter." Now, after Acts 11, a meeting happened in Galatians chapter 2 where Paul now took a few of them and taught them his gospel.

And then that was where Peter now said in 1 Peter 3:16, "We know our brother Paul, how that he spake things that are hard to be understood." Peter acknowledged that what Paul was speaking was the truth. Now, you know, I commend Peter because Peter was humble to admit. The problem with some pastors today is that they cannot be humble. They won't even be humble. Even though they are learning from us, they will still be insulting us in public.

But inside their bedroom, they'll be writing notes and learning and learning and looking for how to rebrand our statement. Then when they come out, they insult us. They are not humble enough like brother Peter. Peter said, "We know our brother Paul, how that he spake things that are hard." Peter admitted. And you see the good thing is that when you admit, you honor. When you honor, you get the blessing of the ministry.

You get the blessing of the teaching. You get the grace of that teaching because you are in honor. When you're not in honor, you short-circuit yourself from the blessing. It takes nothing from you to acknowledge that you're learning. All of us learn from somebody. All of us learn from one another. Nobody is the originator of knowledge. We all learn. And it doesn't take anything from you to humble yourself and take grace. God giveth grace to the humble.

Glory to God. Now, so Peter was humble enough to admit that it is brother Paul that is helping them to learn things that are hard. And then he said people should be humble to be able to learn from brother Paul. Now, please pay attention to this. Look at the way brother Peter will talk about brother Paul in 1 Peter 3:15. You will like the way brother—brother Peter commended brother Paul. 1 Peter 3:15. I mean 2 Peter chapter 3, verse 15.

2 Peter 3:15. "And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul"—look at the emotions, our beloved brother Paul, not brother Paul. Our beloved brother Paul—"also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you." Next verse. Look at the acknowledgment. "As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things"—even Peter acknowledged—"hard to be understood."

Peter said the things Paul is talking, even we, were battling with the revelation. Put it up. "Hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction." What Peter is saying is, "Don't be arguing with brother Paul. Calm down and try to understand. If not, if you argue with him, you will do it to your own detriment. You will do it to your own disadvantage. Somebody that has passed you has passed you.

Somebody that is ahead of you is ahead of you. No matter how you throw tantrums, he's ahead of you. He's ahead of you." Peter was humble. He acknowledged. He devoted a portion of his writing to commend brother Paul. And this is the same Peter that it was upon his approval that Paul was accepted. Yet he humbled himself for Paul to teach him the gospel. It was brother Paul who taught all of them. Do you know that it was from brother Paul's teaching ministry that Christianity was born?

Brother Paul came to Antioch and spent one year teaching, and at the end of one year of teaching, the people in Antioch saw the people brother Paul was teaching. They say, "No, no, we must call them Christians because what they have been taught makes them look like Christ." So, Christianity came out of the Pauline theology. It came out of the Pauline theology.

That's why most of the New Testament was written by brother Paul. And the point I'm making here is that when it comes to the revelation of God's word, we've got to be meek and we've got to be humble to be able to catch. And that's what they call the apostle's doctrine. The apostle's doctrine means the apostle's teaching. The apostle's teaching. What was the apostle's teaching? 1 Corinthians 2:2. Brother Paul highlighted it.

1 Corinthians chapter 2, verse 2. "For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and him crucified." So, what was the apostolic teaching? Christ and his crucifixion. That's common to all the epistles, the reality of redemption. What did Jesus do? That's our focus. What Christ has done for us. So, Peter now said he bore our sins in his body. So, Peter addressed the physical death of Jesus.

Matthew quoted the same. Now, in that Isaiah 53, verse 4, there's something I want to highlight. Isaiah 53, verse 4. It says, "Surely he had borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted." The word "grief" there means sickness. The word "sorrow" there means pain. And it is used in plural. Matthew quoted and referred to sickness. Peter quoted and referred to sin.

And both of them are correct because the sickness is as a result of the sin. Now, let's do some thinking as we begin to round up. In the Bible, God uses forms and kinds to show what he will do. We saw two goats, like we started with. One goat was the goat of sacrifice; the other goat was the scapegoat. We also established that Jesus was the sacrifice. All right. Now, please pay attention; this is very, very important. In Numbers 21, verse 5.

Numbers 21:5. "And the people spake against God and against Moses, 'Wherefore have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.'" Next verse. "And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died." So, the serpent was penalty for sin. Penalty for sin, the serpent. Look at verse 7 and see, see what God did in verse 7.

"Therefore, the people came to Moses and said, 'We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against thee; pray unto the Lord that he may take away the serpents from us.'" And Moses prayed for the people. Moses prayed for the people. So, they wanted God to take away the serpents. Let's see how God did it, because that's a pattern, because that will show us how God is doing it today. Verse 8.

Let's see how God did it. "And the Lord said unto Moses, 'Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole; and it shall come to pass that everyone that is bitten, when he looketh up upon it, shall live.'" So, when the snakes bite them, their responsibility was to look. Not to pray, not to fast, not to cry. Look, live. Look, live. That's all. Once the snakes are biting, if you can look up to the brazen serpent on the pole, you live.

Now, that's a pattern of how God does it today. Now, please listen carefully. The way God handles man is that something will take the responsibility for man. That is, there will be identification. You and I know God didn't send serpents; it was sin that sent the serpents. So, the result of that sin, he said you will look at the result, the result. What was the result of the sin? Snakes. So, the cure for the sin will be a serpent like the snakes.

A serpent like the snakes. You know that, in common sense, you won't understand what that means. It will take revelation knowledge. So, look at John chapter 3, verse 14. John 3:14. Glory to God. "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up." Next verse. "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life."

The Bible was written in Christ. Notice, he said you will make a serpent and you will lift it up. That's how it will send serpents away. When you look at what God has done, you live. Jesus bore the penalty, the effect of our sins. So, if you look at him on the cross, if you look at him in his resurrection, you live. So, identification is God's way of reaching all of us. You see the way he spoke about the physical death of Jesus in 1 Peter 2:24, the spiritual death of Jesus in 2 Corinthians 5:21.

Matthew quoted it, and brother Paul quoted it. "He was wounded for our transgressions." Paul said, "He became sin for us." Peter said, "He bore our sins in his body." Matthew said he healed all of them that it might be fulfilled, that which was spoken by prophet Isaiah. So, now, sickness is the condition of being sick. And we just saw that Jesus' ministry had to do with healing sick people.

Observe that when God talks of sin, he also talks of sickness. They are twins. Not your sin, but that sickness is as a result of the fall of man. Now, do you know that like when we talk about 1 Corinthians chapter 11, verse 30, brother Paul gave a reason why people are sick in the church, why people are weak in the church, and why people even die? He said because they do not discern the Lord's body. They do not discern the Lord's body.

Now, I'm going to show you something and then I will stop. Then tomorrow, we will get into the bread, the wine, and we will, you know, we will do some work on this communion because there seem to be a lot of people asking questions on communion, communion, communion. So, we may do a little bit of work on that tomorrow in the course of teaching. But I just want to point out something before I pray for you tonight.

Look at that 1 Corinthians 11. 1 Corinthians chapter 11, verse number 18. Let's start from 18. "For first of all, when you come together"—did you observe together? If your Bible is mine, you will underline "together"—"in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you, and I partly believe it." Now, if you observe, this division thing started from chapter 3. So, the big deal in this church was division. That's been the main subject.

All right. And he says, "I could not speak to you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal because of the division among you." And now, the division is continuing. Then he now says, "For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you." Next verse. "When you come together"—second time, first time, second time—"therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper."

There is a difference between the Lord's supper, breaking of bread, and Passover. They are not the same. The Lord's supper, breaking of bread, and Passover are not the same. But when the Bible is misinterpreted, a truth is lost. So, instead of bringing the revelation out, people stay with the practices, losing the substance, which is the lesson that ought to be communicated. And I'm short tomorrow we will deal with that.

But take note, together, when you come together. Then he now dealt with Lord's supper, which is not the Holy Communion. The Holy Communion is not in the Bible. The Holy Communion is not in the Bible. It is the Passover rebranded. It is the Passover rebranded. You will never find Holy Communion in the Bible. It is the Passover rebranded. So, the Passover is not the Lord's supper. The Lord's supper is not breaking of bread. They are different.

You won't find Holy Communion. So, what the church practices today is the Passover but rebranded. And we shall look into these details tomorrow. But ladies and gentlemen, he bore your griefs. He carried your sorrow. The chastisement of your peace was upon him. By his stripes, you were healed. If he took it, I don't have it. If he took it, I don't have it. If he took it, I don't have it.

What is on him is no more on me. He took my place; I take his place. What, know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit? You are bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your spirit and in your body which are God's. Your body belongs to God. And tonight, we give the devil a notice. He has no right to interfere with your body in the name of Jesus. Stand on your feet, that's all I've got for you tonight.

Father, I pray for everybody under the sound of my voice that this revelation will rise big in our hearts until nothing else matters. In the name of Jesus, the eyes of your understanding be flooded with light. Revelation knowledge like never before. Now, I come against infirmity, sickness, and disease in the name of Jesus. Out of that body, we rebuke you in the name of Jesus. Body be healed. Body be healed. Body be healed in the name of Jesus.

And we command every part of your body, your cells, your tissues, your tendons, your ligaments, your vein, your artery, your blood, your liver, your kidneys, your nervous system, your respiratory system, every organ of your body be quickened in the name of Jesus. We command your sight be restored, your hearing corrected in the name of Jesus. Satan, get your hands off in the name of Jesus.

And we command the healing power of God to flow through your entire body. Every fiber of your body, every cell of your body, come alive. Come alive in the name of Jesus. We speak to cancers: die from the root in the name of Jesus. Wither from the root. We command you out in the name of Jesus. Body be corrected. Body be reconstructed. Body be cured in the name of Jesus.

And those, those, those diseases in the body that has defied medication in the name of Jesus, every disease in your body that is resisting medication, we subdue that disease, and we command that disease to lose potency in the name of Jesus. Your body, we command your immunity to come alive. Your immunity to come alive and push it out in the name of Jesus. Father, we give you praise. Receive healing from your head to the soles of your feet. Receive it now. Take it, take it, take it in the name of Jesus. Thank you, Father, for answered prayer in Jesus' precious name. And every believer says that amen like you believe it. Glory. Amen.

I'd like you to jump and shout and do what you couldn't do before. If you couldn't jump, jump. If you couldn't bend, bend. If you couldn't run, run. If you couldn't scream, scream. Do something crazy tonight. Glory. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Somebody shout, "Amen." Grab your offerings. Every time you hear the word of God, you owe the word of God a responsibility to honor it. You honor the word with your givings. You honor the word with your givings, and you give joyfully.

You do not give out of necessity or by coercion; you give joyfully. You give because you've been given. You give out of the generosity of your heart because you're born of God. God is generous; he loved the world, he gave. Brother Paul said, "You gave once and again unto my necessity." What necessity? To preach the gospel. I'd like you to grab that offering. The banking details are scrolling on the screen, both on social media and on television.

Father, thank you for the privilege of giving tonight. Everyone giving, I ask that our offerings are a sweet smell before you, and the needs of your people are met supernaturally. Favor, ideas, concepts, insights, supernatural relationships. Great grace is upon you, and the blessing is upon you today. Thank you, Father, for every partner and everyone that has been supportive of this ministry; they never lack any good thing. Thank you for the blessing upon your people in Jesus' precious name. And every believer says a powerful amen. Glory to God. Are you blessed tonight? Hallelujah.