Love is the Fulfilling of the Law
ON LOVE; PART CLVIII
ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•Α
GoodWill IS Love in Action
ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•Α•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•Α
“There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:1-15).
We have so far completed the sayings of the Master listed below as we tie them together from the perspective of our premise that the be born again is synonymous with the balance of the list. What we are trying to fully understand is that ALL of the Master’s pronouncements of how to attain the Kingdom, how to be accounted worthy of the Kingdom, are in reality the same thing albeit from different perspectives. We have chosen to base our premise on a mathematical understanding which we see as infallible; math is True, it never changes….two plus two will forever equal four. Our equation is simple; if A is equal to B and B is equal C then A must be equal to C, and our relevance to the Way as outlined by the Master follows in this by saying that if being born again can make one accounted worthy of the Kingdom of God or is equal to that attainment and doing the Will of God can make on accounted worthy of the Kingdom of God or is equal to that attainment, then being born again and doing the Will of God are equal and the same. From this perspective we should be able to understand the to proclaim oneself born again is an empty claim i the man is not doing the Will of God which is to keep His words in Life and to express them to the world of men.
The whole of our exercise here over the last several posts is to portray sayings like being born again in their True Light and to understand that there ARE criteria for attaining the Kingdom that CAN NOT be circumvented by the mere acclimation of accomplishment. In this we should be able to understand that the reality of being born again is the same as being perfect and, of course, this perfect is as the Master paints it for us saying “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). We can take the same realities from any of the things that the Master tells us are necessary for attaining the Kingdom and while this includes righteousness, being born of the Spirit, and the idea of being ‘poor’ as we understand it, these are ALL found within the last saying that we covered which tells us clearly that it is “he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” that are accounted worthy and that “shall enter into the kingdom of heaven“. This does not detract from the power of righteousness as righteousness is incorporated in the Will of the Father; this does not detract from the reality of being born again as being born again IS to do the Will of the Father. This same can be said of being perfect and being ‘poor’ as we see it and of being born of the Spirit; again, these are ALL synonymous and to Truly do or to Truly be any one of these is to do or be ALL of them. As we said in yesterday’s essay, there are many such references to what a man must do or what he must be to attain the Kingdom that are not specifically worded as such and we should see in these the reality of the Master’s intent and the intent of His apostles. Today’s example of this are in Jesus’ words to the rich young man or ruler; the Master tells him: “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me” (Matthew 19:21). In this we see a combination of terms; we see the reality of perfect as it relates to the Master and the Kingdom and we see also the reality of being ‘poor’ as this man is told that he should give up ALL for the Kingdom and for the Master.
Our list of ideas that we have discussed in this relationship of their being the same is here below and in reading it again we should try to see the reality of the Master’s intent in each of them and not merely what doctrine has presented or what we have learned to believe. As we say above, the relationship of these ideas is sure according to the reality and Truth of the Ways of God and of the world and that in the equality of these Ways of approaching the Kingdom we KNOW that are ALL essentially the same.
- “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God“.
- “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God“
- “And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said , Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God” (Luke 6:20) AND “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).
- “But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:27) AND “Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom” (Matthew 16:28).
- “And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21).
- “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10).
- “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
In the last post we looked at these ideas from the perspective of the Apostle Paul’s presentation of the fruit of the Spirit and the Apostle James’ presentation of the Wisdom from above and we concluded from our discussion that in each of these lists is the reality of the same Way to the Kingdom as presented by the Master in our sayings above. We also noted their equalness and how they complement each other from the perspective of their perception by the reader as based upon the writing style and word choices of the writer. Their reality can be appreciated by most ALL men who view the words sincerely and their equality to the Ways as presented by the Master can be seen in the reality that to live according to these words, to do these words is the Way of the man who is born again, or the man who is Truly righteous.
Based on the last saying above, the one that we concluded our last essay with, we can find similar apostolic declarations to amplify and to enhance the Master’s words that one must do the Will of the Father in order to be accounted worthy of His Kingdom. In this relation there are no words more profound than those of James who tells us:
- “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22).
- “But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth” (James 3:14).
The message in these sayings should be clear as we cover these frequently in our blog; the first is the apostles telling us clearly that we must be doers of the word which is the same as the Master’s telling us that we must do the Will of the Father, there is no difference in these. From the Master’s perspective we will not attain the Kingdom without doing so and while this is implied in the apostle’s words leading up to this verse, James’ intent is to amplify and clarify the results of not doing so in more human terms; James tells us that if we do not do the Will of the Father, but at the same time believe that we do, we are but deceiving ourselves. We should see also the other part of the Master’s saying here and realize the connection between calling “Lord, Lord,” and being “hearers only” both of which are intended to tell us that what we believe is True regarding our relationship to the Lord is naught if we ARE NOT “doers of the word“, if we ARE NOT doing the Will of the Father. We should note also the Master’s question to those following him saying “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46), a rhetorical question that gives us the same reality that we see here in the ideas of doing or not doing. ALL of these can be related to our expression of the Light of the Soul in the world and of being born again, righteous and perfect.
These ideas can also be related to the parabolic sayings of the Master as He gives us instruction on who is accounted worthy from the perspective of a man’s expression of ALL these things in our various sayings in the world; Jesus tells us: “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 24:34-40). Can we see the reality here in these words of a man’s expression in the world and that this expression that the Master refers to is that we Love ALL and do for ALL as we would do for Him and, at the same time we should see in these ideas that a one who is born again does these things as does one who is perfect and one who is righteous and, of course, one who is doing the Will of the Father. On the other side of this equation we find those who call Lord, Lord and do not the things that He says, those who may call Lord, Lord and not do the Will of the Father. To these the Master says in the same parabolic verses: “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying , Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me” (Matthew 25:41-45). Here we see the reality of the one who merely calls Lord, Lord and we should understand here that the parabolic nature is in the tying these words to judgement by the King and perhaps the specific list of ideas presented; the relation to the Kingdom is sure and the expression of Love to ALL is real and these are the intent of the saying, not the eschatological importance given these ideas by doctrine.
In the opposite nature of the Master’s words above we should see the reality of God and mammon and most any of the opposites that can be presented that portray focus upon the things of God versus focus upon the things of the world; between Love for ALL and one’s focus on him self and the things of the self. It is this focus that reveals that a man is born again or is not, that a man is righteous or is not, that a man is doing the Will of God or is not and it is this focus that reveals the second part of James’ sayings above. In previous posts we have broken down the ideas of “bitter envying and strife” to show that they reflect a man’s undo fixation upon himself and upon the self-serving nature of Life in the world of things. It is this selfish nature that is the norm in the world; not that people do not give as that is not the meaning from the perspective of the Master’s and the apostles teachings, the perspective is focus upon the self. In the Master’s Wisdom comes His words that a man must “love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:39) and this can be seen as His KNOWING the importance of the self to the man in the world and building upon that reality the Way to the Kingdom. The reality of this is that when a man can express this Love, that his focus will steadily shift from the self the the brother, the neighbor and the stranger who qualifies as both. Hence James assertion that if one is focused upon the self and focused upon the world that he should not believe that these ideas are from above, that they are not Wisdom from above but merely deception from the carnal personality in the world, a personality that sees the ease of maintaining that worldly perspective and that tells himself that he has done enough to attain the illusory Kingdom when he dies.
And this is the message, that the Kingdom is here and now as we see in the Master’s words above, that the Kingdom is achieved by keeping His words and that the reality of the Kingdom is found in our expression of Love to ALL as evidenced by the ideals of Wisdom from above and bearing in our Life in this world of the fruit of the Spirit. We should note as well that ALL things that are contrary to these ideals are equivalent to merely calling Lord, Lord, and are things of the self in the world and are not the Way to the Kingdom which we say again is here and now.
We did not get to our last sayings below and we will do this in the next post as we continue with our thoughts about the Kingdom of God.
- “And said , Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted , and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3).
- “But Jesus said , Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:14).
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Aspect of God |
Potency |
Expressed as Fire |
Aspect of Man |
In Relation to the Christ |
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GOD, The Father |
Will or Power |
Electric Fire |
Spirit or Life |
Life |
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Son, The Christ |
Love and Wisdom |
Solar Fire |
Soul or Christ Within |
Truth |
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Holy Spirit |
Light or Activity |
Fire by Friction |
Life Within the Form |
Way |
Note on the Quote of the Day
This daily blog also has a Quote of the Day which may not be in any way related to the essay. Many of these will be from the Bible and some just prayers or meditations that may have an influence on you and are in line with the subject matter of this blog. As the quote will change daily and will not store with the post, it is repeated in this section with the book reference and comment:
This is the Prayer of Saint Francis which we repeat again from a previous post as our Quote of the Day. If we were all to accept these ideas as guiding Lights in our lives, we would be expressing the Love and the Faith that the Master teaches. The last time that we presented this we called it the Prayer of Saint Anthony in error; It is attributed to the 13th-century saint Francis of Assisi, although the prayer in its present form cannot be traced back further than 1912*. Regardless of the True authorship, the sentiments revealed in this prayer are genuine and are in keeping the intent of the teachings of the Master and His apostles. We should note here that the dying is not necessarily the death of the body but the death of the carnal man in the world when one is born again. In this context we read this about Saint Francis: Francis was the son of a wealthy foreign cloth merchant in Assisi, and he lived the high-spirited life typical of a wealthy young man, even fighting as a soldier for Assisi. While going off to war in 1204, Francis had a vision that directed him back to Assisi, where he lost his taste for his worldly life**. Here is the antithesis of the rich young man of the gospels.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury,pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen
This is a prayer that is Truly in line with the teachings of the Master and the ideals encapsulated in this should be those that govern our lives and our prayer should be that ALL can see Life in this same way. We should try to see the reality of these words in the verses above regarding feeding and visiting the least of His and our brethren; in these words is a deeper meaning, as clearer expression of Love and, we should look at the Master’s words above as an expression of Love and not merely in the terms that He presents as this is the intent of the entirety of His teachings.
Let the peace of God rule in your hearts!
- * Wikipedia contributors. “Prayer of Saint Francis.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 24 Jan. 2013.
- **Wikipedia contributors. “Francis of Assisi.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 24 Jan. 2013.
