"I
believe that what I believe is what makes me who I am. I did not make
it, no, it is making me. It is the very truth of God and not the
invention of any man..." Lyrics from "Creed" by Rich
Mullins
WBVN began
broadcasting the Gospel of Christ the afternoon of January 8th, 1990.
That's considered the "starting point" of this ministry.
However, the real beginning is really associated with a message
rather than a date. Our message started with the simple truth that we
had learned years before 1990, to depend on Christ as the only source of
Life, the knowledge that Christ is "the way, the truth and the
life". He is everything concerning the Gospel, standing
alone as the central figure in the Gospel message, sharing the stage
with no other performer. Christ
is the captain of our Faith and to successfully walk this Faith out,
more than doctrine or denomination, Christ must be the focus of our
daily Christian expression. We
cannot look right or left, but we have to look inside our hearts for
purpose and the will of God. He
alone has been made to us Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification, and
Redemption (1 Cor. 1:30). For that statement to be true it's our
contention that while the Law had a limited purpose, Christ's ministry
is "limitless" and now stands as the only object of our Faith.
Paul taught prior generations were spoken to by Moses and the Prophets
"in many portions and many ways", but in these days He
has spoken to us in "His Son". He not only had the answers… He is that answer!
According to Paul,
simple behavior modification based on the Law will not produce the Power
of God; the Power we all need to have in our lives to change our lives! Romans 1:16-17 teaches us that a revelation of the Righteousness
of God, imparted to us as a free gift, is the knowledge that will
empower us. The Law has two revelations: (1) you don't measure up and
(2) no one else measures up either. John 5:45 shows Jesus accusing the
hearers of trusting in the Law of Moses, setting their hope on
ordinances rather than a "Faith" such as Abraham's. That kind
of thinking was a mistake for believers then and it's a mistake for us
today!
The Law teaches that
if we do well enough, we'll succeed. Grace says, “receive”
Mercy and Peace and you will do well enough! Paul instructed that the teaching of the Law was "the
ministry of death and condemnation" (2 Cor. 3:7,9), contrasting it
with the "ministry of reconciliation", which teaches
"...that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not
imputing their trespasses unto them; and has committed unto us the word
of reconciliation". (2 Cor. 5:18-19) "Wherefore brethren, you
are dead to the Law by the body of Christ; that you should be married to
another, even to him who is raised from the dead...for when we were in
the flesh (under the Law) the motions of sins, which were by the Law....
but now we are delivered from the Law, that (it) being dead wherein we
were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the
oldness of the letter (Law)." "...Not being under the Law, but
under Grace." (Rom. 6:14) "For the Law of the Spirit of life
in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and death."
"For as many as are lead by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of
God. For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but
you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba (Daddy),
Father." (Rom. 8:14-15) "...The Gentiles which followed not
after righteousness, have attained righteousness, even the righteousness
which is by Faith (faith that it is a free gift). But Israel, which
followed after the Law of righteousness, hath not attained to the Law of
righteousness...Because they sought it not by Faith, but as it were by
the works of the Law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone
(Jesus)." (Rom. 9:30-32) "For with the heart (with the heart!
with the heart!) man believeth unto righteousness..."(Rom. 10:10)
That’s our Creed at this ministry, that’s 'the word of
Faith’ that we preach.
Our obligation is
for this ministry to continue in the same way we started this
“Faith-walk” - do it by Trusting in Christ – and to encourage you
in that walk as well. "As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord,
so walk in Him. ...for in Him dwells all the fullness ...you are
complete in Him. You are circumcised with the circumcision made without
hands...blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us
(Law)." The devil wants us under the Law, for under the obligations
of the Law we will always be succeeding at one part, but always failing
at another. We therefore live in 'self-condemnation' as well as the
condemnation of those around us. We'll eventually have to come to the
fact that it's 'nothing but the blood of Jesus'-that no other shedding
of blood or sacrifice will be enough. "Man is not justified by the
works of the Law, but by the Faith of Jesus Christ... by no works of the
Law shall any flesh be justified.... I do not frustrate the Grace of
God, for if righteousness came by the Law, then Christ is dead in
vain." (Gal. 2:16,21) "...the just shall live by Faith and the
Law is not of Faith, but that man that does them shall live in them.
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for
us...that the blessings of Abraham (all of them) might come upon the
Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the
Spirit through Faith.... For if the inheritance be of the Law, it is no
more a promise: but God gave it to Abraham (and us) by a promise...for
if there had been a Law given which could have given life, verily
righteousness should have been by the Law...the Law was our schoolmaster
to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by Faith, but after
that Faith is come we are no longer under a schoolmaster." (Gal
3:11-25) "Tell me, you that desire to be under the Law, do you hear
the Law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, the one by a
bondmaid and the other by a freewoman. But he was of the bondwoman was
born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise...these are
two covenants...now we brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of
promise. But as then, he that was born after the flesh persecuted him
that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now...cast out the
bondwoman for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of
the freewoman. Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherein Christ has
made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. (this
is Paul's comparison between the two covenants) Christ is of no effect
unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the Law, you are fallen from
Grace. For a little leaven leavens the whole lump." (Gal. 4:21 thru
5:9)
Sometimes rightly
dividing the Word is rightly separating the old covenant and the new.
What Jesus provided, the Law could not. Christ in fact made what was
imperfect, perfect. Paul called it "the promise of the Life which
is in Christ Jesus", "who has blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ." Hebrews, Romans,
Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Timothy are all
comparative books; the comparisons being made are between two covenants,
Law and Grace, one an old system of relating to God and the other a new
way to live the “God Life”. Every Law added to the Gospel message
diminishes the Cross and resurrection of Christ. Paul writes in 2 Cor.
3:5, "not that we are sufficient of ourselves; but our sufficiency
is of God; who has made us able ministers of the new testament; not of
the letter (Law), but of the spirit: for the letter kills, but the
spirit gives Life...for even unto this day, when Moses is read (Law) the
veil is upon our hearts, nevertheless, when it shall turn to the Lord,
the veil shall be taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit: and where the
Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty...(and as we see the glory of
the Lord in this revelation of liberty) we all are changed into the same
image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord, therefore
seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy..."
"...Beware of
the concision (law givers) for we are the circumcision which worship God
in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the
flesh (Law)...though I might also have confidence in the flesh.
Circumcised on the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of
Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as touching the Law, a Pharisee;
concerning zeal, persecuting the church, touching the righteousness
which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I
counted loss for Christ...I count all things but loss for the excellency
of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whom I have suffered the
loss of all things, and do count them as dung that I may win Christ. And
be found in him, not having a righteousness which is of the Law, but
that which is through Faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God
by Faith." (Phil. 3: 2-9) "...By the deeds of the Law there
shall no flesh be justified in his sight. For by the Law is the
knowledge of sin, but not that righteousness of God without the Law is
manifest ...the righteousness of God which is by Faith of Jesus Christ
unto all and upon all them that believe...being justified freely by his
Grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus...therefore we
conclude that a man is justified by faith with the deeds of the
Law."(Rom 3:20-28)
We are continually
confronted with who or what we put our trust in. We'll always be trying
to find the right way to “do” the Gospel. Our challenge is to
remember that the right way is not a thing, but a person. Christ is the
way, the truth and the life. All the fullness of the Godhead is in Him.
"For the Law made nothing perfect (complete), but the bringing in
of a better hope did." (Heb. 7:19) "But now hath he obtained a
more excellent ministry, by how much also he is a better mediator of a
better covenant, which was established on better promises. For if the
first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought
for the second. For finding fault with them (people) he said, Behold the
days come says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house
of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant in
the day when I took them by the hand and lead them out of the land of
Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant...for this is the
covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,
says the Lord, I will put my laws into their mind and write them in
their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a
people: and they shall not teach every man his neighbor and every man
his brother, saying Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least
to the greatest. For I will have Mercy to their unrighteousness and
their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that He
says, a new covenant he hath made the first old. Now that which is
decays and waxes old is ready to vanish." (Heb. 8:6-13) "For
it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away
sins. Wherefore when he comes into the world (Jesus), he said, Sacrifice
and offerings thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In
burnt offerings and sacrifice for sin thou hast no pleasure...which are
offered by the Law. Then said He, I come to do thy will, O God. He
taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By which will
we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once
and for all." (Heb. 10:4-10) Jesus taught the Law in a way that
'raised the bar' each time he spoke of it. Each time they thought they
had him 'checkmated' about meeting the obligation of the Law he simply
took the obligation a step further. Finally, he raised the bar so high
that no one could get over it; indicating that even to think of the deed
was the same as performing the deed. To break the Law in any one part
meant we broke the Law in every part. It is simply impossible to satisfy
the Law. It can't be done. We are left with only one remedy: Jesus
Christ. He "fulfilled the Law on our behalf and set us free from
the Law of Sin and Death." (Rom. 8:2)
We're taught in
Hebrews 4 about entering into His Rest. He compares that Rest to the
Israelites coming out of Egypt, 'but the word preached did not profit
them, not being mixed with Faith in them that heard it’; they did not
enter into His Rest because of 'unbelief'. There 'is a rest to the
people of God', "for he that is entered into His Rest, he also has
ceased from his works...let us labor therefore to enter into that
Rest..."(Heb. 4:9-11) Jesus taught that his yoke is easy and his
burden is light. That yoke and burden is to stand in the liberty that he
alone has provided. Paul's letter to the Galatian church describes
people that came "to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ
Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage." The disciples asked
Jesus, "What shall we do, that we might work the works of
God?" Jesus answered and said, "This is the work of God, that
you believe on whom he hath sent." (John 6:27-29) It's a full time
job to believe in Jesus. We're "in the day that God shall judge the
secrets of men by (through) Jesus Christ." (Rom. 2:16) "God,
who in sundry times and in diverse manners spoke unto the fathers by the
prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son…who being
the brightness of His Glory and expressed image of His person.... had by
himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on
high." (Heb. 1:2-3) Something will always challenge that 'work'. It
seems that we are to 'work' at being in his Rest. Our role is to stay
strong, rooted and grounded in His love. Not to be moved away from the
'full Gospel of Christ'. This is our Creed. It's who we are. It's where
we stay. It's what we share. Because we've seen the 'mystery hidden in
Christ' we cannot help but speak. Jesus is our Passover, the fulfillment
of the Law, it is finished, Jesus is our Jubilee: "The Spirit of
the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to
the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach
deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to
set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of
the Lord." (Isa. 61, Luke 4) It's a finished work, we desire to
always remember that and encourage our listeners to rest in it as well! |