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God kept His promise to Jesus

Acts-dicted Posts: 9027 **1/28/17 9:34 am**

"Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Christ." Gal 3:16

God made promises to Abraham "and to his seed...Christ." Jesus believed His Father's promise, pictured in Isaac when was spared, that God would raise Him up and bless all nations through Him.

"One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!”" Luke 23:39

Jesus didn't save Himself. He trusted His Father would make Him alive again.

"Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." Phil 2:5-8

He was "obedient to the point of death". His faith, His OBEDIENCE, caused Him to let go of "equality with God" and believe His Father would raise Him up - even with the sin of world and the curse of that sin on Him!
Adam reached for equality with God - to be like God - and tried to save himself, find life, by his own knowledge of good and evil. His failure to believe His Father's love and generosity, His Father's willingness to freely give Him life and all things, His "DISOBEDIENCE", brought death.

"For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous." Rom 5:19

Jesus' obedience was "not regarding equality with God a thing to be grasped". His faith in a Father who keeps His promises allowed Him to trust His Father for life.

Adam's disobedience was trying to "be like God". He reached for equality with God, tried to exalt himself, tried to "climb up". His unbelief in a Father who exalted him, made him in His image, breathed life in him, told him he could eat freely from the tree of life caused him to disobey, caused him to lose his life.

"Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered." Heb 5:8

We learn obedience through what He suffered. Obedience is trusting the Father for life, that He has saved us...we haven't saved ourselves (Titus 3:5; 2 Tim 2:9).

"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." Phil 2:12,13

As we've always "obeyed", let's obey. Our obedience is faith - our obedience is not seeking our own salvation - not trying to save our own lives, but trusting the Father to raise us up.

"For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it." Mark 8:35

We don't have to save ourselves.

Let's have "this attitude" IN ourselves "which was also in Christ Jesus". Let's have the obedience of faith in a Father that keeps His promises, that saves, that freely gives eternal life to all who believe. Let's have the belief in His love that leaves us confident in the day of judgment.
Let's have the obedience of faith that we don't have to climb up or save ourselves.
Let's "work out" the attitude that we have to produce our "own salvation with fear and trembling". Get this attitude, this belief, out.
Let your confidence that "it is God who works in you" both to will and do what pleases Him, cast out all fear and trembling that comes from you believing YOU have to save yourself, YOU have to "work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure".

Have the faith Jesus had and let His perfect love for cast OUT all fear.
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I'm not saved because I'm good. I'm saved because He's good!

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