I should have stated the obvious, but I assumed that Christians would already know that those who obey the commandments such as Abraham are all born again Christians. We can only obey after we are born again and receive the Holy Spirit, and it is the Holy Spirit who leads us and enables us to obey.
The Jesus "of the Bible" said to "Take Heed" specifically of the teaching of a "Many" who come in His Name, teaching that HE is the Prophesied Christ, and He also warns about "Many", who call Jesus Lord, Lord, but disobey His/His Father's Commandments (He Said said they are One).
Since I was a child, I have heard from the promoters of this world's religions, that God gives men His Holy Spirit first, then we obey whatever of God's Laws that suit our fancy, claiming that it is the Spirit of God that writes on our hearts whatever Laws we choose to honor God in. This is a popular and seductive religious philosophy, as each religious sect of this world promote different Laws, philosophies, doctrines, etc., and we just pick which one we like, and adopt it for ourselves. The Spirit of Christ in Jeremiah warns about this religious system also.
Jer. 23:
16 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD. 17 They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.
So because I am instructed by the Apostles of Christ to "test the spirits" and prove all things, I read what the Bible actually teaches.
Concerning the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Peter said this;
Acts 5:
29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, "We" (The Body of Christ) ought to "obey God" rather than men.
30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. 31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
32 And we are "his witnesses" of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, "whom God hath given" "to them" that obey him.
Imagine my surprise when I read what is actually written. But this is only one verse, so I sought out the Word's of the Christ Himself.
John 14:
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Jesus also told me of a future judgment when many men will speak to Jesus face to face. Here are His Words.
Matt. 7:
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied "in thy name"? and "in thy name" have cast out devils? and "in thy name" done many wonderful works? 23 And then "will I profess unto them", I never knew you: "depart from me", ye that work iniquity.
There is a lot more written concerning being learned of the Father, and examples of Faithful men who were given by God, His Holy Spirit, like Zacharias and his wife in Luke 1, and Simeon and Anna in Luke 2.
So I would caution you concerning the adoption of the popular religious philosophy of this world, that God gives men His Holy Spirit first, "Before" they Yield themselves" servants to obey God as Paul speaks to in Romans 6.
Abraham was no different to me or anyone else, he was born dead in his sin just as the rest of us. God had to regenerate him, and give him the gift of His grace and then give him the gift of faith, or Abraham would remain spiritually dead forevermore. This is what we need to consider when we talk about obedience, only the elect of God will obey because we are imputed with the righteousness of the Lord Jesus.
Again, when a man reads what is actually written in the God Inspired Holy Scriptures concerning Abraham, a completely different doctrine is shown.
Here is the actual exchange as recorded in the Holy Bible.
Gen. 12:
1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 And (Then) I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
And later on, God said this to Abraham;
Gen. 17:
1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and "be thou perfect". 2 And (Then) I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.
And later when the Blessing was being shown to Abraham son by God Himself, here is why God said the Blessing was coming.
Gen. 26:
4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; 5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
God didn't say, "Because I gave Abraham My Spirit so he could obey Me", as the "many" promoters of this world's religious system would have me believe.
So I would caution again, about adopting the philosophies and traditions of this world, promoted by the "Many" who come in Christ's Name that HE specifically warned about. Paul said the Holy Scriptures were trustworthy "
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."
I advocate that a man "Live By" Every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God, as the Jesus "of the Bible" instructs.
God gave Abraham the gift of His grace and the gift of faith. He then became a born again Christian. So Abraham had nothing to do with his salvation and transformation from death to life, it was all of God from the beginning to the end.
Again, it seems prudent to trust God's Word in these matters. And God told us why Abraham was blessed. All we need is belief in God.
The Bible is clear that we are saved by grace, and not by keeping the law or commandments. My sins are not counted against me because Christ has paid for all of my past, present and all future sins. He took them all upon Himself and became sin on my behalf so I won't be punished for any of them.
I get how seductive this popular religious philosophy of this world is, that Jesus came so you could sin against God and it doesn't matter.. But Jesus Himself said, "
I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish". And Paul said;
Rom. 6:
16 Know ye not, that to whom "ye yield yourselves" servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin "unto death", or of obedience unto righteousness?
Paul said we "Yield ourselves" to who we obey. And Sin still leads to death, still after several years after Jesus Ascended.
So again, there is a huge disconnect between what this world's religions have taught you, and what is actually written.
And it isn't like Jesus didn't see this coming, given all the warning about men "who profess to know God, but are disobedient to Him".
It just seems prudent to trust what is written, over the preaching of some random man who call Jesus Lord, Lord.
It's impossible to stop sinning while we are in this body of death, Paul even went so far as to say that he can't do the good that he wants to do, but he does the evil that he doesn't want t do.
But what happens when a man considers the Words of Paul after he said this? Shouldn't a man consider all of Paul's Words? Here, let me show you what HE actually said.
Rom. 7:
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind "I myself serve the law of God"; but with the flesh the law of sin.
Paul told the Body of Christ:
Rom. 6:
12 "Let not sin therefore reign" in your mortal body, "that ye should obey it" in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members (mind, walk, works) as instruments of righteousness "unto God".
Can you not see the huge disconnect between what you are preaching, and what the Bible actually says? The Bible says we are judged by our works. Isn't this why Paul teaches to "Yield ourselves" to God?
So that confirms that there's no way to get rid of the old nature. But thank God we are not saved by keeping the law or commandments, we are saved by grace and no amount of sin can cause us to lose our salvation.
Again, that's a great marketing strategy for a religious business or sect, to get lots of contributing members. But the Bible doesn't teach this philosophy at all.
I never chose to be saved, I was Gods enemy and I hated Him. I loved my sin and I was a slave of Satan, but God overpowered Satan and liberated me and took all of my sins and cast them behind His back. So I'm now free of guilt and the fear or judgement.
So you still love to transgress God's Commandments, but are free to sin now and not be judged for it? Again, that is a very seductive philosophy. But when a person actually reads what is written:
Heb. 10:
26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
If I were you, I would place your trust in the actual Scriptures, ""
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness". It would be awful to become like those "Christians" in Matthew 7 who called Jesus Lord, Lord, and taught in His Name.
