"And he [Jesus] went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt (Matthew 26:39).
Understand The Reason
There needs to be an understanding for the reason of the cup. The cup represents the suffering and separation that Jesus would endure for our sins. He had to be separated, for a moment in time, from God for us. That was an agonizing thought for Him as He was sinless. Yet! Jesus remained faithful to His Father's will. Everything that Jesus did during His time on Earth, was an example of what we would need to go through in order to be with Him in Heaven.
We Cannot Save Ourselves
We cannot save ourselves. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). Salvation by grace through faith is a gift of God. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved (John 3:16-17). We came, and come, to Jesus because we learned and now know that we have no power to save ourselves. We exercised our Faith. "And Jesus said unto him [us], Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole (Mark 10:52). So, What happened? When did you begin working for a gift already received? The book of Galatians 3:1 would ask the question: Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross.? You don't have to work your way into heaven. Just praise God from Whom all blessings flow. And, don't allow anyone, or entity, to use the scripture "Faith without works is dead (James 2:26) to their benefit. Proper faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the Cross will produce proper works. All you have to do, by faith, is follow Jesus and He will direct your path.
Drink From The Cup
Jesus said, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels (Mark 8:34-38). Just as Jesus said, not as I will, but as thou wilt (Matthew 26:39) - to His Father God, we must say the same to Jesus. Not my, or any man's will, but thy will be done.
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