Gen. 12:1 Now the LORD (Word which became Flesh) 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:
Matt. 16:
24 Then said Jesus (Word which became Flesh) unto his disciples, If any
man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross,
and follow me.
Are these not Spiritually the same Command? Did Abram listen and refuse to do what the Word which became Flesh instructed him, or did he listen and obey?
John 14:
21 He that hath my commandments,
and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will
manifest myself to him.
Was he OK in his father's land? Or was it necessary for a change in his life?
Is this not the beginning of every true "Christian" walk? Is this not the same God we all claim as our God?
What if Abram had refused to "follow God"? What if he had said, "No Lord, but first let me go bury my father? But he didn't.
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.
Is it not a "Righteous Deed" to listen to God, and then do what He says? How can you declare, in Bold letters, that Abraham was "Declared" righteous before he did anything?
If he was already "declared righteous" then why was he instructed to leave his old life? (repent)
And all this aside, why did the Word which became Flesh say He blessed Abraham? Shouldn't we let Him answer this question?
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.
So your claim;
Is shown by the Bible to be flawed a little. No offence, I know this has been taught by "many" who come in Christ's name. But doesn't it seem the Bible teaches differently?
And what Law do we know for sure Abraham didn't have? He had God's Laws, the scriptures confirm it.
But Levi wasn't even born yet. So there were no way he had the Levitical Priesthood sacrificial "Works of the Law" for atonement of sins. This wasn't "ADDED" until 430 years later as Paul instructed in Gal. 3.
So it is clear that Abraham was not justified by this "ADDED" "law of works", which included the sacrifice of animals, rather, by belief in God. And he believed and trusted Him enough to follow His instructions, even to the point of leaving his family and sacrificing his own son and this was imputed unto him as righteousness and called "FAITH".
As the Word which became Flesh, who does not change, said;
(NOG) Luke 14:[SUP]
25 [/SUP]Large crowds were traveling with
Yeshua. He turned to them and said, [SUP]
26 [/SUP]“If people come to me and are not ready to abandon their
fathers, mothers, wives,
children, brothers, and sisters, as well as their own lives,
they cannot be my disciples. [SUP]
27 [/SUP]So those who do not carry their crosses and follow me cannot be my disciples.
So I haven't forgotten the lessons from the Word which became Flesh at all. If you don't agree with this understanding please show in scriptures where it is flawed.