Program 138: Christ: Yahuwah’s agent on earth and in Heaven

Christ was Yahuwah’s designated human agent on earth, authorized to speak and act on His behalf. This did not make Yahushua divine.

Welcome to WLC Radio, a subsidiary of World’s Last Chance Ministries, an online ministry dedicated to learning how to live in constant readiness for the Savior's return.

For two thousand years, believers of every generation have longed to be the last generation. Contrary to popular belief, though, Christ did not give believers “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, he repeatedly warned that his coming would take even the faithful by surprise. Yahushua urgently warned believers to be ready because, he said, “The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” [Matthew 24:44]

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

* * *Part 1: Christ: Yahuwah’s Agent

Miles Robey: Hello and a very warm welcome to World’s Last Chance Radio. I’m Miles Robey.

Dave Wright: And I’m Dave Wright. Thanks for joining us today!

Miles: If you’ve been listening to us for a while, you’re aware that sometimes we present topics that are … ummm, a bit on the edge of Christian orthodoxy.

Dave: If not occasionally over that edge.

Miles: Right. And when that happens, we never ask you to simply take our word for it. That’s something we’ll never do, but we will ask you to listen with an open mind and then study it out for yourself.

It’s very easy, when presented with a new idea, to listen without really keeping an open mind. But it’s really important to study with an open mind.

Dave: It really is. Heaven is just pouring out truth, but if we refuse to even consider anything new, we’re not going to benefit from any of the advanced light or even the ancient truths that are now being restored. It’s important, in considering any new light, to be willing to accept it if the spirit of Yah reveals to you that it’s truth. That’s what keeping an open mind entails.

Miles: Have you ever, in your life, received really shocking news? I mean, the sort that, years later, a stranger can ask you, “Where were you when such-and-such occurred?” and you can remember exactly what you were doing and where you were when you heard the news?

Dave: Uh, yeah. For me, it would probably be when the Twin Towers in New York came down on September 11, 2001. If you were to ask my parents, it would probably be when George VI died.

How about you?

Miles: It would have to be that cold December day when Lydia Robertson, in a very superior tone of voice, informed me there was no such thing as Father Christmas and that I was a very foolish little boy indeed to still believe in such fables.

Hey, it rocked my world! I still remember right where we were standing at school. And to have the prettiest girl in class dismiss me as a “foolish little boy”—

Dave: Really took a bite out of your manly little pride, did it?

Miles: Yeah, that really stung. More recently, though, it was when I learned that Yahushua, while Yahuwah’s only begotten son, was fully human. That was a shocker. And for anyone listening and being shocked by this, please don’t stop listening. There’s Biblical evidence that supports Yahushua was fully human.

Dave: Right. This idea that he was divine didn’t come in until the fourth century. It’s part of the trinity heresy adopted from paganism. But I agree—that truth was quite shocking to me, too.

Miles: Oh! It really was! After a lifetime of revering Christ as equal to the Father, to suddenly come face-to-face with the realization that he was fully human left me, well, quite honestly, it left me reeling. It seemed to, I don’t know, diminish the Saviour somehow. You know what I mean? From being the second person of the godhead to fully human was quite the demotion.

And, in talking with others, I’ve found quite a few people are troubled by this, too. So, I was hoping you could shed some light on Yahushua’s role and what that means in his work as our Saviour. You don’t have to get into the evidence that he was fully human. We’ve covered that in other programs, and for those who missed that, I encourage you to watch those, either on YouTube or our website. But, for now, maybe you could explain for us what it means that Yahushua is fully human, yet still Yah’s son and where that truth fits into everything?

Dave: Well, first, Yahushua unequivocally is Yahuwah’s son. Over and over, Yahuwah confirmed that Yahushua was not only His only begotten son, but that He, Yahuwah, was “well-pleased” with him. Yahushua is fully human, but he is not a created being; he is precisely what Scripture says: he is begotten of the Father just as the angel Gabriel told Mary in the first chapter of Luke.

As the begotten son of Yahuwah, Yahushua was fully human, but did not inherit all the accumulative tendencies to sin that had been accruing in the human race since Adam. Like Adam, Yahushua was born sinless—not that Adam was born, but you know what I mean,

Miles: It’s like Yah hit a giant reset button.

Dave: Yeah, okay. Yahushua came to redeem the human race where Adam fell, and so, like Adam, he was also sinless. Yahushua’s mission was two-fold. Yes, he came to redeem us by dying in place of us. But he also came to reveal to us what the Father is like. Now, Yahuwah, as the infinite Creator, is so far beyond the scope of our existence, we can’t grasp what He is like.

Yahushua came so that we could behold the Father on a human level. Turn to John 14, would you please, and read verses 8 to 10. This is an important point and I don’t want to gloss over this too quickly because this is a very foundational understanding we need to have.

John 14, verses 8 to 10.

Miles:

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”

Yahushua said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father who dwells in me does the works.

Dave: Yahushua came to show us what Yahuwah would be like if He were a human being.

• Yahushua refusing to condemn the woman caught in adultery is the Father gently saying, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
• Yahushua, walking far out of his way to raise to life the widow of Nain’s son, is the Father, eager to comfort and help.
• Yahushua, joyfully welcoming and accepting the children, eating with society’s outcasts, healing the sick, comforting the sorrowing, encouraging the depressed is all what the Father would do if He were to take on a human body and live on earth.

Miles: That’s really beautiful. It’s so hard to think of the Father in human terms, you know what I mean? He’s so . . . up there! He’s so far beyond us and our understanding. Speaking for myself, it’s been easy to focus so totally on Yahushua that, well, to be frank, it reaches the point of idolatry. I can relate to Yahushua. But I can’t relate to the Father.

Dave: It’s that way for all of us. That’s why it’s important to remember that Yahushua reveals what the Father would be like, how He would act and, probably even more importantly, how He would react if He were human. How He would treat others. How He would speak to others. The son reveals the Father.

But that’s not all he does. In a very unique, special, and too-often overlooked or misunderstood way, Yahushua reveals the Father’s will for us. And I’m not speaking of just believers, but for humanity itself.

Miles: What do you mean?

Dave: Well, as Yahuwah’s representative on earth, Yahushua can reveal the Father—both His character and His will—in a way that simply isn’t possible any other way.

This is a truth that is explained really well in Scripture, but we don’t really grasp it because it’s not something we focus on very much. Turn back to Exodus chapter 33, would you please?

It’s just after the Children of Israel made the golden calf and Moses, overcome with a clearer understanding than he’s ever had before of the Father’s love, patience, and forgiveness, makes a most audacious request. Let’s read it: Exodus 33, verses 18 to 20.

Miles:

And he [Moses] said, “Please, show me Your glory.”

Then [Yahuwah] said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of Yahuwah before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.”

Dave: This is a key point: Yahushua … accomplishes for Yahuwah … what Yahuwah cannot do for Himself.

Let me say that another way: Yahuwah’s very divinity limits Him from doing for us what He’s longing to do.

Think about it for a moment. If someone were to open the studio door and walk in right this moment, what would you do?

Miles: Well, as the recording light is on, I’d turn around to see who it was that would ignore the light and just barge on in.

Dave: But what would happen if the person who walked in was none other than the Father Himself?

Miles: Well, I suppose I would cease to exist. As soon as I looked at His face, I would be no more.

Dave: Exactly! I would cease to exist, too! Bam! Miles and Dave are no more just that fast. This is why Yahushua’s work as our Saviour encompasses so much more than dying for our sins. That’s very important, too, but it’s not the only work he does. Being fully human, he also is able to draw close to us and reveal both the Father, and the Father’s will, in a way that the divinity of the Father prevents Him from doing.

Miles: Hm. That’s a good point. And it just occurred to me that this is another proof that the doctrine of the trinity is false. Because if Yahushua were preexistent, if he were just as fully divine as the Father Himself—regardless of how you dance around the issue and say he was fully divine and fully human—the fact remains that we couldn’t be near him. We couldn’t see him or interact with him if Yahushua were in any way divine.

It reminds me of John 1:14 which, speaking of Yahushua, says, quote: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Dave: The Father’s “glory” is His character. This is what Yahushua came and revealed, and the only way we could behold it was for Yah to beget a fully human son. That fully human son then can reveal his father’s character and will. What is even more, he can act in his Father’s stead.

And, coming full circle back around to what you said earlier, it is this truth which exalts Yahushua. Far from diminishing him by acknowledging his humanity, this fact elevates him.

Miles: So how did our understanding of this important truth get so messed up?

Dave: Well, it was the doctrine of the trinity. Error always brings in confusion. Truth, on the other hand, is always logical and never contradicts itself. To fully understand, we need to look at what Paul said about the nature, the person, and the work of Yahushua. It was a misunderstanding of some delicate nuances in Paul’s writings that created an environment in which the pagan doctrine of the trinity seemed to make sense.

If we can get a clear understanding of Paul’s Christology—his enlightened understanding of the Saviour’s nature, and person, and mission, then we’ll be able to see clearly where the Trinitarians got off.

Miles: Oh, boy! Paul. You know, I always appreciated the fact that Peter admitted he had a hard time understanding Paul’s writings, too. You know? Makes me feel like I’m in good company!

Dave: Oh, you’re in good company, all right! I think we’ve all struggled to understand Paul at times. But why don’t you go ahead and read that for us. It proves my point. Do you know where it’s found?

Miles: No, but give me just a second . . . Here it is: 2 Peter, chapter 3. Uh, Paul writes these paragraph-long sentences, so to get it in context, I’m going to read … verses 15 and 16.

Dave: All right. Go ahead.

Miles:

Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

Dave: Peter here is acknowledging the danger of twisting Paul’s writings. That’s exactly what was done to support the heresy of a triune godhead. But if you really understand what Paul is saying, you’ll see that Yahushua, as the fully human, only begotten son of Yah, is not diminished at all. Rather, he fulfills a very important role that no one else in the universe can fill.

We’re never supposed to twist or “wrest” the Scriptures from their context or original meaning. We must always keep things in context, as well as take into account everything else on the subject. You can’t take things out of context or by themselves, or you’ll get off.

Miles: You can’t pick and choose what you want to apply and what you want to ignore.

Dave: Precisely.

Miles: Okay, we’re going to take a quick break and when we come back I’d like to hear how the truth of Yahushua’s full humanity actually elevates him.

Stay tuned! We’ll be right back.

* * *

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* * *Part 2: Christ: Yahuwah’s Agent

Miles: Annnnd, we’re back! So. Yahushua, as the fully human, only begotten son of Yahuwah, has a very important, elevated role, but he’s still inferior to the Father. How does that work?

Dave: Throughout Scripture, Yahushua is presented as clearly inferior to Yahuwah, but still of staggering importance. Take the Old Testament. Here, Yahuwah repeatedly promises that one day in the future, He will renew His covenant with Israel, He’ll forgive their sins, and conquer evil. Right? That’s what He’s constantly promising in the Old Testament.

Miles: Right. Right.

Dave: And yet, when you go through the New Testament, it quickly becomes very clear that all of these promises occurred or were fulfilled in Yahushua.

Yahushua renewed the covenant. It’s Yahushua’s perfect life, death, and resurrection that allows Yahuwah to save us and forgive us our sins. It is the victories worked out in Yahushua’s life, death, and resurrection that will, ultimately, conquer evil.

Miles: You’re saying Yahushua kept, or fulfilled, Yahuwah’s promises.

Dave: I’m saying Yahushua did what only Yahuwah could do. The only begotten son of Yahuwah is inferior to Yahuwah because he is fully human. However, as His only begotten son, Yahushua did the work of His father. Consequently, while inferior to His Father, he is elevated.

Yahuwah couldn’t do it. He couldn’t come down and show the world what He was truly like because everyone who came into contact with Him would have instantly ceased to exist. This is the work only the “only begotten” of the Father could do. Yahushua, being inferior, was in a position to do his Father’s work and, having done his Father’s work, was elevated to sit at the Father’s right hand in Heaven.

Paul explains this beautifully in the second chapter of Philippians. Could you turn there for us? Let’s read it. Philippians chapter 2, verses 5 through 11. Go ahead and read it as soon as you find it.

Miles: Philippians, Philippians … Here we go:

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Yahushua:

Who, being in the form of Yah, thought it not robbery to be equal with Yah:

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Wherefore Yah also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

That at the name of Yahushua every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

And that every tongue should confess that Yahushua Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Dave: So let’s talk about this for a minute. Yahushua, although in the form of Yah (as His only begotten son) did not view equality with Yah as something to be grasped after or clung onto. Instead, he humbled himself and “became obedient unto death.” You can almost hear the incredulity in Paul’s voice as he repeats himself: “even the death of the cross.”

“Wherefore,” it is for this reason, that Yahuwah has highly exalted him. Now let me ask you: if Yahushua were already equal with Yahuwah as one part of a triune godhead, how could Yahuwah have highly exalted him? Is there anything higher than equality with Yahuwah?

Miles: Uh, no. That’s about as exalted as you can get.

Dave: So Yahuwah takes His obedient, only begotten, fully human son and exalts him, and the way He exalts His son is by giving him a name which, Paul explains, is “above every name.”

Miles: I’m assuming that’s Yahuwah’s name.

Dave: Right! The only name that could possibly be above every other name is Yahuwah’s own name. The phrase, “name above every name” is a euphemism referring to Yahuwah’s name. Now, in an earlier program we talked about how the Father’s name comes from a Hebrew verb-of-being. It’s a name that is itself a powerful promise. So what Paul is saying is that Yahushua was exalted by being given Yahuwah’s own name.

Miles: Literally.

Dave: No. This isn’t like, uhhh, in much of the English-speaking world, as well as the Philippines and Japan, it is quite common for a woman to take her husband’s last name when she marries. Most of the world doesn’t do that, but it’s very common in the English-speaking world. Paul isn’t saying that Yahushua literally changed his name like a woman taking her husband’s last name at marriage. Instead, Paul is explaining that Yahushua’s status, his function has changed.

See, in Jewish culture, when a person was given a new name, this meant that his function or status had changed.

Miles: Oh! Like after Jacob wrestled with the angel, the angel changed his name to Israel.

Dave: Right! Because, the angel explained, as a prince he had power with Yah and with men and had prevailed. His status had changed from cheater to prince.

So, when Yahushua is given a “name that is above every name,” it is saying that his status, and the work that he does, his function, has also changed. To put it another way, because Yahushua has been gifted with Yahuwah’s own name, he now functions for Yahuwah. He is not equal to Yah, but he functions as Yah.

Yahuwah exalted His son when He gave Yahushua Yah’s own name. In essence, Yahuwah bestowed on Yahushua Yah’s own rulership status and office.

Miles: When you put it that way, my brain starts whirling, making all these connections. I think this is what Paul was talking about in Romans 8. Let me pull that up here really quickly.

Here, Paul’s talking about how much more powerful Yahushua was than Satan, the accuser of the brethren. He says, quote: “Who shall bring a charge against Yahuwah’s elect? It is Yah who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of Yah, who also makes intercession for us.” [Romans 8:33-34]

Dave: Where’s that found?

Miles: Romans 8, verses 33 and 34. Paul’s emphasizing Yahushua’s status, isn’t he? He’s now sitting “at the right hand” of Yahuwah.

Dave: Yes. Though fully human, Yahushua has been exalted to, let’s call it, “throne-ship status.” Peter said the same thing. In his sermon on the day of Pentecost he said, quote: “This Yahushua Yahuwah has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of Yah, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he poured out this which you now see and hear.”

That’s, uh, Acts 2, verses 32 and 33. Now what makes that passage so interesting is the context. Remember, the people on the Day of Pentecost couldn’t figure out what was happening to the believers. They wondered if they were drunk or something. So Peter stands up and says, “Come on. We’re not drunk. Be reasonable! It’s only 9 o’clock in the morning! This is a fulfillment of prophecy!”

Then in Acts 2:17 and 18, Peter quotes word for word from Joel chapter two. Why don’t you read that for us from Acts 2? I’ve got it right here.

Miles:

And it shall come to pass in the last days, says Yahuwah,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.

And on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
And they shall prophesy.

Dave: This is a perfect example of Yahushua functioning as Yahuwah in his new, exalted position at the right hand of Yah.

In Acts 2:17 and 18, Peter quotes the Old Testament where Yah is saying that He will pour out His spirit and His people will prophecy. Then, just a few verses later, He explains that it’s Yahushua, “being exalted to the right hand of Yah,” who has fulfilled that promise by pouring out the Holy Spirit. Yahushua, being exalted to act as Yahuwah’s functionary, has fulfilled the promise by pouring out Yah’s spirit.

Miles: That’s interesting. I’ve never really noticed that difference before. I mean, as a trinitarian, I was used to “God the Son” acting as God. After all, he was God, too! But a fully human, only begotten son … that’s a new thought to me. But now that you’ve pointed it out, I can think of a number of times when Yahushua acts as Yahuwah, functions as Him.

Dave: Of course! There’s going to be some … “functional overlap,” I guess you could call it, between the divine Father and His human son, but by being given the Father’s name, by being exalted in that manner, Yahushua now exercises divine prerogatives.

And there are a lot of examples of this! Let’s take a look at a few. Turn to Joel 2 and I’m going to turn to Romans 10.

Miles: Joel 2 …

Dave: Verse 32.

Miles: All right, it says:

And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Shall be saved.

Dave: Now I’m going to read from Romans 10. I want you to pay attention to just who we’re talking about in Romans 10. It says: “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Yahushua and believe in your heart that Yahuwah has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’” [Romans 10:10 & 13]

Miles: Huh. That’s interesting. Paul’s clearly quoting from Joel 2, but in Joel, “the Lord” refers to Yahuwah, while in Romans 10, it refers to—at least in part—the Lord Yahushua Christ.

Dave: Because Yahushua has been elevated to function as Yahuwah.

Miles: To use a Latin phrase, Yahushua stands in loco Dei, or “in the place of Yahuwah.”

Dave: You’ve got it. And that’s not the only place. Here: read 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 10.

Miles: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”

Dave: The judgment seat of whom?

Miles: The judgment seat of Yah—Christ.

Dave: Right. Not Yah. Christ who is here functioning in the place of Yahuwah. What’s especially striking here is that Paul takes up the common Old Testament theme of the “Day of the Lord,” in which Yahuwah comes to the earth, bringing judgment. But Paul envisions this as Yahushua being the one to come to earth bringing judgment, acting in the Father’s stead.

Miles: Again, “functional overlap.”

Dave: Yes. Go now to 1 Corinthians 15 and read verse 45. Here, a comparison is made between the first Adam and the last Adam. You have it? Go ahead.

Miles: “And so it is written, ‘The first man Adam became a living being.’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.”

Dave: What is so fascinating here is that the function of the “life-giving spirit” is being attributed to Yahushua.

Throughout Scripture, the spirit of Yah, the “Holy Spirit,” is the true “life-giving spirit.” Even in Genesis 1, we have the “spirit of Yah hovering over the midst of the waters.” Yah’s spirit, His breath, was the active agent in the creation of the world.

Miles: Psalm 33:6: “By the word of Yahuwah the heavens were made,
And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.”

Dave: Exactly! The Holy Spirit has always been to give life. It’s not a separate entity. If you do a word-search throughout Scripture, it quickly becomes clear that the Holy Spirit is Yah Himself in His work to reach humanity. And yet in 1 Corinthians 15:45, Paul reveals that this special, life-giving work has been taken up by Yahushua in his exalted state.

This is a key point to understand. Whether you’re looking at Christ’s mission on earth, or his work in Heaven since his resurrection and ascension, the important thing is that Yahushua does work that only Yah can do.

Miles: While at the same time being constantly distinguished as separate from Yahuwah.

Dave: He’s never called “God”! He’s been given the “name above every name” but Yahushua is never “God.” It’s not his by nature. We’ve gotten it mixed up in our minds because of the trinity heresy, but Paul wasn’t confused.

Pull up 1 Corinthians 8 and read verses 4 to 6. What does that say?

Miles:

There is no other God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Yahushua Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.

Dave: Paul was not a trinitarian! He knew quite clearly there is only ever one God, and that is Yahuwah. But Yah’s only begotten, human son, Yahushua has always been acting for Yahuwah. That’s always been his mission. It was his mission on earth and now that he’s been exalted to the “right hand of power” in Heaven, it’s still his mission.

Miles: It’s not blasphemy?

Dave: No! Because Yahuwah has authorized Yahushua to act in His stead. He has commissioned him to be His representative.

Miles: Roman Catholics claim the pope is the vicegerent of Christ. But what you’re showing us from Scripture is that the true vicegerent, the real person exercising delegated power is Yahushua.

Dave: That’s right. It is an extremely exalted position; a position of power and honor. But it does not confer divinity on the Saviour, and the early Christians understood that. Yahushua has always been wholly human, never divine. It was only later, when Christianity became corrupted in the fourth century, that these nuances of truth became confused and muddied with the heresy of a triune godhead.

Miles: This actually makes a lot of sense. When you take out the pagan trinity doctrine and read Scripture just as it’s written, that story of Moses asking to see Yah, takes on a lot of significance. Yahuwah’s patient response to Moses is very revealing. Yahuwah is transcendent. No sinner can ever look upon the divine face or he, she, would immediately cease to exist.

So, of course, then, you’ve got an immediate problem: how is the Father going to reveal Himself? He can’t do it Himself. He needs a go-between. An agent, if you will, to act on His behalf.

Dave: And that’s a problem because who can act on behalf of such a pure, holy being?

Miles: Only His only begotten son.

Dave: This is was a job for Yahuwah himself. So, Yahushua was brought forth as Yah’s only begotten son to be His personal representative on earth, to do for the Father what no one else could do. Yahushua was born for this very purpose. That is why he was begotten without sin, like Adam, rather than created. It is also why he is wholly human. If he were divine at all, we couldn’t behold him, we couldn’t interact with him.

Miles: Yeah, that whole idea that Christ was wholly human AND wholly divine never made sense to me. It’s either one or the other. They’re mutually exclusive. It’s kind of like pregnancy. A woman is either pregnant or she’s not. There’s no such thing as being only a little bit pregnant! Well, same goes: Yahushua is either divine or he’s human, not some confused jumble of them both.

Dave: Paul taught that Yahushua was fully human but exalted to act as Yahuwah’s functionary, His representative. And yet, Paul never crossed over into claiming that Yahushua was “God the Son,” the second entity of some mystical trinity.

He was clear: the Saviour was and is still a human being. He was not preexistent. His existence began when the spirit of Yah came upon Mary and she became pregnant. As a man, he worshipped and prayed to Yahuwah just like any of us. And, if you go back and read his statements, he always deferred to the Father.

Miles: John 14:28: “My Father is greater than I.”

Dave: The only equality Yahushua ever claimed was a functional equality. It was always Yahuwah’s plan to work through His only begotten son. Yahushua embodies Yah’s saving power; he does the tasks Yah would do if humanity could behold divinity. It was always Yah’s plan that His son would complete the work of salvation prophesied in the Old Testament.

Miles: This is beautiful. And clearly, this doesn’t demean Christ at all! His being wholly human was Yah’s plan all along and the fact that He has been elevated to being Yah’s agent is encouraging for us, too.

Don’t go away folks. When we return, we’ll be answering your questions sent in to our Daily Mailbag. Stay tuned.

* * *

You are listening to World's Last Chance Radio.

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

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If I asked you to define “faith,” could you do it? Faith is more than simple belief. Even the demons believe, but they lack saving faith.

It’s important to know what faith is because it is by faith that we access every gift of Yahuwah for our salvation.

Forgiveness for sins is a gift. But it must be accepted by faith. Obedience—which is a prerequisite for entrance into the New Jerusalem—is also a gift which must be accepted by faith.

Hebrews 11 verse 6, states, quote: “Without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to Yahuwah must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”

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Faith is not something you earn or something you conjure up in yourself. However, by cooperating with Yah and aligning your will with His, you can be gifted with the very faith of Yahushua himself and victories will be yours. Look for “Four Simple Steps to Increase Your Faith” on WorldsLastChance.com.

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* * *Daily Mailbag

Miles: All right! Let’s see what we have in our daily mailbag . . .

Okay. No name. No place of origin.

Dave: Guess you’ll have to come up with some trivia about the earth then.

Miles: Huh?

Dave: Well, you often share some interesting factoid about the countries our letter writers come from. So what’s something interesting you can tell us about our earth?

Miles: Uhhh . . . Oh! I’ve got one. The highest point on earth—

Dave: That’s too easy. Mt. Everest.

Miles: Bzzzz! You do not win the free trip to Hawaii! It’s not Mt. Everest.

Dave: What? You’ve got to be wrong.

Miles: Nope! The highest point on earth—notice I did not say the highest mountain, but the highest point on earth—is actually Mt. Chimborazo.

Dave: Never heard of it.

Miles: It’s in Ecuador and, at just 1-degree below the equator, it is the highest point on earth due to the bulge at the equator.

Dave: Interesting. I never knew that. Guess you’re never too old to learn something new!

So what’s the question for today?

Miles: It says: “Dear WLC, I’m embarrassed to ask this so I’m not giving my name, but I really need help. Everything going on in the world points to the Saviour’s return. The problem is, I’m not ready. I know that help is available and if I make a full surrender, Yahushua can live out his life in me so that I won’t sin. But, honestly, I’m no closer to being like him today than when I first gave my heart to Yah years ago. I still struggle with the same besetting sins. Sometimes, I gain the victory, but other times I fail. I don’t understand. Why do I keep sinning and what can I do about it? Is there any hope for me?”

Dave: Well, first I want to say thank you to our letter-writer for such a deeply honest, heart-felt letter. I can really relate to what this person is saying and yes: there is hope for you!

Miles: I can relate, too. I remember hearing sermons telling us that it was a lie of Satan that God’s people would sin and go on sinning until the return of Yahushua. It was always emphasized that with a full and complete surrender, we could reach the point of never sinning because Yahushua, living his life through us, would of course never commit sin.

Dave: So, do tell: did you ever reach the point of having total victory over sin?

Miles: You do know me, right?

Dave: I’ll take that as a “no.”

Miles: You’d be right!

Dave: Here is the thing that makes this situation so heart-breaking. It is never presented as salvation by works. Oh, plenty of Christians will make such accusations, but those who believe that they will achieve a state of sinlessness through full surrender prior to the Saviour’s return are not, actually, trying to work their way to salvation.

They believe in “salvation by faith” because they believe that such a state of sinlessness is obtained only through full surrender and through total faith in Yah.

Miles: “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Dave: Exactly. And I know how they believe, because I used to believe that way, too. Someone might accuse me of trying to “work my way to salvation,” but I would be the first to deny such a charge, saying that it is salvation by faith alone through full surrender to Yah. Only when fully surrendered, I believed, could the Saviour live his life in me: a perfect, sinless life.

Miles: The problem is—and I’m speaking from experience here—no matter how often we surrender, we still sin!

Dave: Right. The problem is not in our desire to surrender or even in the quality of our surrender. Nor is the problem with our faith, or lack thereof. Rather, the problem has to do with our very natures. We all have sinful natures. We inherited those from our parents, who inherited sinful natures from their parents, and so on and so forth back to Adam and Eve.

Paul explained this. Would you please turn to 1 Corinthians, chapter 15. Let’s take a look at this. We usually focus on the fact that Paul’s describing the resurrection of the just here. But interwoven throughout is an explanation that we have now and will continue to have fallen natures until we are gifted with a higher nature at the Saviour’s return.

Okay, uh . . . start with verse 42.

Miles: “So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.” [1 Corinthians 15:42-44]

Dave: When you read the entire passage in context, you’ll see that there is nothing here to indicate that we become spiritual beings prior to Yahushua’s return. Using the analogy of seeds, earlier in verse 36, Paul says, quote: “Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies.”

Okay, go on. Verse 46. And as you read, notice how Paul draws a contrast between us and Yahushua. We’re not the same!

Miles:

However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. [Verse 46-49.]

Dave: That’s future tense. “We shall also bear.” Paul is not saying that experience is available now. Rather, it is a gift given the faithful at the time of the resurrection, whether they die or live to see Yahushua return.

Keep going.

Miles:

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of Yah; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

Dave: Our mortal, physical bodies are an apt symbol of our fallen natures. We retain these until Yahushua returns. At that time, Yahushua will raise those who have died in Yah. They will be raised with higher natures and given spiritual bodies. Those who live to see Yahushua return will, at that time, be gifted with new, spiritual bodies and new, higher natures. But not before.

Miles: So how would you answer someone that says, “Well, if Christ could do it, so should we!”?

Dave: I’d say that’s a misunderstanding based on the trinity heresy which, as we’ve covered in previous broadcasts, is a doctrine adopted from ancient paganism. It’s not based in Scripture.

See, the trinity doctrine teaches that Yahushua is divine. But that heresy didn’t come in until the fourth century! Scripture teaches that Yahushua is the only begotten son of Yah, but he’s fully human. As I think all Christians would agree, Yahushua was born to redeem the human race where Adam fell. Did Adam have a fallen nature?

Miles: No. At least, not before he sinned.

Dave: Neither did Yahushua. And, with that perfect, unfallen nature, he did exactly what he was born to do: he redeemed the human race where Adam failed and he did it without sinning.

Now we, on the other hand, were born with sinful natures. Paul is clear that those sinful natures are not replaced with higher, sinless, spiritual natures until Yahushua returns.

In the meantime, believers will continue to make mistakes, continue to stumble and even fall. But they will also continue to surrender, continue to trust, continue to exercise faith in Yah’s promises.

Miles: But not willfully go out and sin.

Dave: Well, maybe! Who am I to tell Yah who He can and cannot save? Can you honestly say that you have never, not even once, willfully sinned?

Miles: No. I did repent afterward, though.

Dave: Same here. I’m not saying everyone will be saved. Scripture is clear on that. But if it is in the heart to do Yah’s will, if the believer reaches out the hand of faith and grasps the promise, the righteousness of Christ covers him or her and he, she, is saved. It’s salvation by faith, not salvation through attainment—not even attainment of such a complete surrender that you quit sinning even while possessing a fallen nature. Because Scripture is clear that our fallen natures are with us clear up until Yahushua’s return.

Miles: I really appreciate your clarifying that. That makes sense. And it removes that overwhelming feeling of guilt when we sin and we know we’re not supposed to.

Dave: Guilt drives us from Yahuwah. It drove Adam and Eve to hide from him. Guilt is one of Satan’s most effective tools to keep us away from Yah. It is His love that draws us to Him and when you realize that He has taken into account our fallen human natures and is not holding that against us, your heart will overflow with love and you will press closer to Him than ever before.

Don’t let a sense of guilt over the mistakes and sins that are made because of your fallen nature keep you from Yahuwah. He loves you anyway and He wants you to come to Him just as you are.

Miles: Amen! Amen.

Keep on sending us your questions and comments. Just go to WorldsLastChance.com and click on “Contact Us.” We always enjoy hearing from you.

* * *Daily Promise

Hello! This is Elise O’Brien with your daily promise from Yah’s word.

Ruth Schenk and her mother-in-law were in high spirits as they pulled onto the highway in Indiana and began the long 1,200 mile, or more than 1,900 kilometer, trip to San Antonio, Texas. Ruth’s oldest daughter was getting married in a few days and the women were looking forward to the happy occasion. Because her mother-in-law had heart problems and high blood pressure, Ruth had decided to drive her down, rather than fly.

The early March weather was mild as the women began their journey, and the miles flew past as the women visited. This was March in North America, though, and before they made it through the next state, snow flurries were beginning to fall. By the time they reached Joplin, Missouri, just two states over and roughly 800 kilometers into their trek, they were in the midst of a blinding blizzard.

Ruth felt her tension increase as she reviewed her options. Pulling over and waiting out the blizzard was not an option. Midwestern storms are notorious for their freezing temperatures. If they pulled over, their car might get stuck in the deep snowdrifts. In the poor visibility of the billowing snow, another car might not see them and plow into them. Furthermore, people had been known to freeze to death in cars stuck on the side of the road. Ruth couldn’t take those risks with her mother-in-law in the car. Their only option was to keep going.

Driving with limited visibility on icy roads was stressful and the storm did not appear to be abating any time soon.

“We’ve got to stop somewhere,” Ruth said.

“Where?” Her mother-in-law asked.

A large, dark shape loomed out of the driving snow. A billboard! “Holiday Inn,” it advertised. “Next right.” Carefully driving off the freeway, skidding a bit on the icy road, Ruth found herself on a narrow county road surrounded by thick woods. Not seeing the advertised inn, she kept driving. After driving nearly a mile, she saw the motel. What a relief! There was no sign up yet, but it had to be the place advertised.

She carefully parked next to a cement mixer and went into the lobby. A small decal on the front doors let her know that she had, indeed, found the Holiday Inn advertised.

“We’d like a room for the night,” she told the woman at the front desk.

“Oh! Well, we’re not actually open for business yet. We’re still under construction.” Glancing outside at the weather and seeing Ruth’s mother-in-law, she said, “We do have a few rooms ready with beds. You’re more than welcome to use one.”

The women were grateful to be off the roads, safe inside.

The next morning, the sky was blue and the roads were clear. As Ruth returned their room key, the same woman from the day before was at the front desk.

“You’re lucky you weren’t stranded on the highway last night!” She told Ruth.

“Well, I saw your billboard, thank God,” Ruth said.

The woman frowned in confusion. “But . . . we don’t have a billboard yet,” she said. “In fact, we haven’t even put up our sign here yet. Just the decal on the door.”

In speaking of Yahuwah’s watch care for His people, Deuteronomy 32:10 to 12 says:

He found him in a desert land
And in the wasteland, a howling wilderness;
He encircled him, He instructed him,
He kept him as the apple of His eye.
As an eagle stirs up its nest,
Hovers over its young,
Spreading out its wings, taking them up,
Carrying them on its wings,
So Yahuwah alone led him,
And there was no foreign god with him.

We have been given great and precious promises. Go and start claiming!

* * *Part 3: Christ: Yahuwah’s Agent

Dave: We’re just about out of time, but you said something earlier I want to focus on in closing.

Miles: What’s that?

Dave: You said that the fact that the Saviour is wholly human and yet has been elevated to such a high status is encouraging. And it is!

Would you please pull up Revelation 3? The first few chapters of Revelation contain messages for the seven churches. These were literal churches in Asia minor in the first century. The last church is the church of Laodicea and an incredible promise is offered those who will make a full surrender to Yah and, through faith in the atoning merits of the Saviour, accept salvation.

Would you read Revelation 3:20 and 21, please?

Miles: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with me on my throne, as I also overcame and sat down with my Father on His throne.”

Dave: Yahushua was elevated to sit on Yahuwah’s throne. This did not confer divinity upon him. He’s still fully human. But it was a change in status. And here in Revelation, Yahushua—acting as Yah’s agent—says that the same honor awaits overcomers! Can you believe it? Read it again. Just verse 21.

Miles: “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with me on my throne, as I also overcame and sat down with my Father on His throne.”

Dave: What an honor! To be able to sit with the Father and the son on Yah’s throne!

Now, don’t go getting all literal on me here. He’s not talking about some gigantic chair that can literally seat millions of people. He’s talking about throneship status. That is the reward that awaits those who overcome.

Miles: What an honor!

Dave: It really is! And in this, as in everything else, we see that Yahushua is our example in all things.

Miles: Reminds me of 1 Corinthians 2:9. “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
nor have entered into the heart of man the things which Yah has prepared for those who love Him.”

Dave: Is there anything that can compare with what awaits the faithful? Is there any sin too precious to give up? Any truth too difficult or inconvenient to accept?

Miles: Nope. Salvation, living together forever with Yahuwah in His kingdom, will be worth anything we have to give up, go through, or endure in this life.

Listen folks. Don’t put off accepting the gift of salvation. Don’t wait to make yourself better! Yahuwah doesn’t expect you to and, the truth is, you can’t! Not in your own strength. I can’t either. Come to the Father, just as you are. He will accept you as His own son, His own daughter. He is waiting with longing for you to accept salvation.

Join us again tomorrow, and until then, remember: Yahuwah loves you . . . and He is safe to trust!

* * *

You have been listening to WLC Radio.

This program and past episodes of WLC Radio are available for downloading on our website. They're great for sharing with friends and for use in Bible studies! They're also an excellent resource for those worshipping Yahuwah alone at home. To listen to previously aired programs, visit our website at WorldsLastChance.com. Click on the WLC Radio icon displayed on our homepage.

In his teachings and parables, the Savior gave no “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, the thrust of his message was constant … vigilance. Join us again tomorrow for another truth-filled message as we explore various topics focused on the Savior's return and how to live in constant readiness to welcome him warmly when he comes.

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.