ON LOVE; PART DCLVI
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GoodWill IS Love in Action
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FIRST IS THE GREAT COMMANDMENTS: “The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31).
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WHAT THEN IS LOVE? In a general sense love is benevolence, good will; that disposition of heart which inclines men to think favorably of their fellow men, and to do them good. In a theological sense, it includes supreme love to God, and universal good will to men.
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PLUS THE EVER IMPORTANT AND HIGH IDEAL TAUGHT TO US BY THE CHRIST: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them” (Matthew 7:12).
While we finished with our rather lengthy discussion of the Epistle of James in the last essay, we should understand that from our perspective, from the perspective of the aspirant and the disciple, the apostle’s words ARE a guiding light. We should see as well that from a carnal perspective, a perspective that includes the doctrinal approach that misses the spiritual import of James’ words, much of what IS offered however still has much value as it does show the reality of several key points for ALL men. While these points may be viewed differently by those who see the Life of men as that it IS this Life in the world alone and perhaps believe that their salvation IS based in faith and in the grace of God as much of the Christian world does, the apostle’s words DO have the Power to awaken a man to the promptings of his own Soul. This likely requires an open minded view of James words away from their doctrinal interpretations which tend to mute his intent.
In the early words on temptation there IS a glaring reality that IS lost when one sees the temptations as only the gross things of the world; the sex and the money are but a small part of the things that draw men. James tells us that “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:14-15). Here in these words we must try to see the totality of the thoughts and the attitudes by which a man “is drawn away of his own lust” and in this idea of lust we should see ALL strong desires that have the ability to draw one’s attention to the self and the self in the world. We should try to see the apostle’s intent here in the ideas that he presents in the rest of his epistle as he speaks of being a DOER, of the “royal law“, of pride and one’s affinity for the things of the world as the fullness of lust.
We should see here that a man’s desire to put himself above other men IS as much a form of lust as any other and perhaps this can be seen more clearly in the Master’s words in the Parable to the Sower as Mark presents them saying: “And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful” (Mark 4:18-19). Here we should try to see the reality of lust, that is IS widespread and covers “other things entering in” and in this idea of choking the word we should see the reality of one’s focus remaining in the world and the things of the world. Luke frames the Master’s words a bit differently as he says “And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection” (Luke 8:14). Here we should be able to see James intent in whatsoever one may desire insofar as the “pleasures of this life” and in both versions we should realize that in succumbing to the temptations which are based in desire or lust, that the man will attend to these things and NOT to the things of God; and it IS in this way that the Master tells us that this man IS unfruitful.
It IS very difficult for the man who sees Life as this carnal excursion in the world to accept these ideas from the Master and from James and it IS in this frame of mind and emotion that their words ARE diluted; and it IS here that the idea of lust becomes a terms that refers to the gross things of the world ONLY. And this IS the basis for the common understanding of sin as well; in the expanded idea that tells us that sin IS ALL focus upon the self and the things of the self instead of one’s focus upon the things of God, ALL men would per force need to see themselves as sinners. And this is a sort of paradox in Life; if men could understand the reality of sin, they could then realize the ultimate Truth of the Apostle Paul’s words saying: “For all have sinned , and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). This idea IS NOT to be seen as that it exists in the past only, that ALL men have at some time sinned, but this should be seen in the current predicament of men.
Vincent shows us this saying: Have sinned (ἥμαρτον); Aorist tense: sinned, looking back to a thing definitely past – the historic occurrence of sin. And come short (ὑστεροῦνται); Rev., fall short: The present tense. The A.V. leaves it uncertain whether the present or the perfect have come is intended. They sinned, and therefore they are lacking. See on Luke 15:14. The word is not merely equivalent to they are wanting in, but implies want under the aspect of shortcoming 4. We should see Paul’s intent here as showing us that we have sinned and that we ARE continually “short of the glory of God” and this IS in the real meaning of such sin, that it IS one’s focus through the illusory view of one’s own Life on what appears to be the Truth of that Life. It IS here that we should understand the very nature of Life in this world which we also take from Paul’s words as he tells us: “the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same” (Romans 8:20). This vanity IS the reality of Life in the world, apart from God and the realization of our own Truth as a Soul, and awash in the illusion and the glamour that ARE the basis for sin.
James tells us however that “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him” (James 1:12) and in this we should see the fullness of the blessing is found in the fullness of endurance and understand that this reality works out by degree in the lives of men. And it IS this same sense of vanity that shows men the ideas that come to him regarding his own relationship to God; these ideas may be pronounced by the doctrines of some denomination or some sect but they ARE accepted by men as individuals. By the Plan of God men are here in this world and subjected to the illusion and the glamour that creates those divisions between the Truth of God and the doctrinal view of these Truths; it IS in these that sin and temptation ARE defined according to a carnal view of Life in this world. It IS in this view that James tells us : “For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:21-22).
In the obscure nature of the idea of “filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness” which we discussed in some detail along with the idea of wrath from the previous verse we should NOT see the common understanding of these words. In In the Words of Jesus parts 981-982 we discuss these ideas and we should try to see the translation problems with these and especially with the idea of wrath. This same word IS used by John to tell us that the “wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36) which IS a non sequitur when the reality that “God is love” (1 John 4:8) is considered as Truth. Similarly Mark uses this Greek word orge in discussing the Master’s attitude toward the Pharisees and other Jews when healing a man’s withered hand on the Sabbath; we read: “And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other” (Mark 3:5). Here the word IS rendered as anger and we should remember that the Master speaks out against anger in the Sermon on the Mount as he equates this with killing. Our point here IS that there IS another meaning for this world that eludes us but which we should try to see in relationship between the spiritual and the carnal and here we would surmise that this IS related to that sense of vanity that we see in Paul’s words above. For this word vanity Vincent offers this idea of its meaning which IS NOT according to the common view; he says that: the reference is to a perishable and decaying condition, separate from God, and pursuing false ends.
We must ever be careful to remember that the translated words are ofttimes not intended to be seen in the common view and just as we have this dynamic at play here in Paul’s words to the Romans, we have this same dynamic working out in this word that IS rendered as wrath and which we should perhaps try to understand as being mired in the carnal ways. Using this we can understand that the carnal ways of the world DO NOT work the righteousness of God; that for the man “that believeth not the Son“; this orge or carnal attitude “abideth on him“. We can also then see in the words from Mark’s Gospel that the Master “looked round about on them with” a KNOWING and an understanding of their carnal nature and was “grieved for the hardness of their hearts“. While our understanding here may NOT be accurate, it IS the better approach than wrath and anger and for the reasons that we state above. This reveals for us then the idea that these next obscure words rendered as “filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness” are in regard to the same more general carnal engagements of men.
When we last reviewed this idea we looked at the different ways that this IS rendered and found that in Young’s Literal Translation there is a different approach to these words which we read as “wherefore having put aside all filthiness and superabundance of evil, in meekness be receiving the engrafted word, that is able to save your souls“. Can we see the difference here? Here there IS less if the idea that one must do this and more of the idea that this has been accomplished by the man who understands that “the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God“, this IS the aspirant and the disciple and the man who IS striving toward the Kingdom of God. The apostle’s point here comes next and is set up by the idea that this man should “in meekness be receiving the engrafted word” and in this idea of engrafted we should see the reality of implanted. Vincent tells us that this IS: implanted; divinely given, in contrast with something acquired by study 4, and in this we can see our own view of the Soul, the Christ Within, who ever KNOWS the Truth of the Word of God.
Here then it can be seen that it IS in this deeper sense that we should understand the higher Truth of the apostle’s idea of “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves“. Can we understand this reality? Here we have a new and heretofore hidden key to understanding this Truth from the perspective of the True seeker that clarifies the idea of hearer in the reality that this man KNOWS the Truth, that he KNOWS what it IS that should be done. He hears the Truth in the prompting of his own Soul to the Good, the Beautiful and the True, to the things of God. It IS in this hearing that he can be the DOER or that he continue in a more carnal fashion perhaps DOING ONLY what may appear as necessary from a worldly perspective and as seen in the eyes of others. By example here we can see the idea that the aspirant and the disciple KNOW that the gateway to the Kingdom of God IS in the completeness of keeping the Master’s words and, at the same time he sees that this IS NOT the way that this is seen in the world of men nor in the doctrinal church that purports to have the key to salvation. Here the man can opt for the more carnal way, the way as it IS viewed by others, rather than the way that he KNOWS IS True and which is frowned upon at ‘too Godly’ by those same others. The man chooses to follow the easier and the more carnal way, he chooses to accede to the temptations to DO so while he may even realize that in so succumbing to this temptation that this IS sin, that this IS carnal.
Can we see the self deception here which brings this same to an almost spiritual level where the man KNOWS and yet DOES NOT or CAN NOT DO but, at the same time, CAN and DOES convince himself that he is right and that he is righteous; or else that he finds himself in the throes of weakness as James points out for us in those words that we have been studying over the last several essays. This IS but a form of the affliction and and a form of the weakness with which James’ closes out his epistle and, from perspective of the aspirant and the disciple, this IS a major factor in his Life. However, this IS NOT the end; this IS but the product of that sense of duality that afflicts the man who strives toward that strait gate which opens into the Kingdom of God. It IS in this duality that a man sees the Truth as it IS presented by his own Soul, his Christ Within, that the man comes to KNOW what IS the fullness of the way of the DOER and it IS in this duality that this same man continues to see the opposing force of his own personality which, as in the example above, would choose the easier carnal way and the way readily accepted by others. This IS the struggle that we face as we tread the Path and this IS the struggle that James shows us as he tells us how it IS that we can overcome and it IS this struggle against which we must apply that working patience.
As we approached our writing today, our intent was NOT to continue with more on this Epistle of James but to close out our discussion. Instead we have begun anew with yet another review of his words and from a new view found in our study of the apostle’s complete message and how that this ALL works together as our instruction, our encouragement and our hope that we can endure.
We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.
| Aspect |
Potency |
Aspect of Man |
In Relation to the Great Invocation |
In relation to the Christ |
|
GOD, The Father |
Will or Power |
Spirit or Life |
Center where the Will of God IS KNOWN |
Life |
|
Son, The Chris.t |
Love and Wisdom |
Soul or Christ Within |
Heart of God |
Truth |
|
Holy Spirit |
Light or Activity |
Life Within |
Mind of God |
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 Quote of the Day is the antithesis of glamour and illusion. In this mantram are the thoughts about ourselves and our brothers in the world that can diffuse those forces that hold a man in the world of things and prevent his spiritual progress.
Mantram of Unification
The sons of men are one and I am one with them.
I seek to love, not hate;
I seek to serve and not exact due service;
I seek to heal, not hurt.
Let pain bring due reward of light and love.
Let the Soul control the outer form, and life and all events,
And bring to light the love that underlies the happenings of the time.
Let vision come and insight.
Let the future stand revealed.
Let inner union demonstrate and outer cleavages be gone.
Let love prevail.
Let all men love.
The Mantram of Unification is a meditation and a prayer that at first affirms the unity of all men and the Brotherhood of Man based on the Fatherhood of God. The first stanza sets forth several truly Christian ideals in Unity, Love, Service and Healing. The second stanza is a invocation to the Lord and to our own Souls asking that from the pain (if there can truly be any) incurred in focusing on the Spirit and not the world will come Light and Love into our lives and that we begin to function as Souls through our conscious personalities. We ask that the spiritual control of our lives will bring to light for us the Love that underlies world events; a Love that the world oriented man will not see working out behind the scenes and also that the Love that we bring forth, individually and as a world group, can be seen by all and ultimately in all. Finally, in the last stanza we ask for those things that are needed for Love to abound. Vision and insight so that we can direct our attention properly; revelation of the future in the sense that all can see the Power of Love in the world; inner union so that we do not fall back into the world’s ways, that we faint not; and that a sense of separation, the antithesis of brotherhood, ends as we know it today. Let Love Prevail, Let All Men Love.spiritual control of our lives will bring to light for us the Love that underlies world events; a Love that the world oriented man will not see working out behind the scenes.
Let the peace of God rule in your hearts!
- 2 New Testament Greek Lexicon on BibleStudyTools.com
- 4 Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition, 1888
