ON LOVE; PART DCXC
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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).
In the last essay we expanded upon the ideas that we take from the last verse of our current selection that repeat again below. In these words we see our destiny as aspirants and as disciples and we should note here that this accomplishment, which IS the same as that Great Accomplishment that enabled the Master to come among us in “all the fulness of the Godhead bodily“, IS an extremely difficult enterprise for any man as the forces of illusion and of glamour that exist in this world ARE strong and they are deceiving; we must understand the reality that the ONLY way to overcome these forces IS in the completeness of keeping His words. There ARE NO shortcuts to this achievement as the Master tells us in the final saying that we posted in the last essay; that saying that tells us of the Will of the Father which we should relate here to the words below in our selection from the fourteenth chapter of the Gospel of John where we find our confirmation that the words of the Master and this Will ARE one and the same. We read:
“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father” (John 14:1-12).
In the reality of Jesus’ words that “I am in the Father, and the Father in me” and the Truth that “ the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me“, we should see this Truth and understand the deeper significance of the words from the Sermon saying that “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). This IS the Way to the Kingdom, the Way of the disciple and the Truth of the Master’s words which ALSO tell us that “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed” (John 8:31). This idea that a man must “doeth the will of my Father” however IS NOT viewed in its literal simplicity by doctrines; John Gill for example tells us: but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven; This, as it may regard private Christians, intends not merely outward obedience to the will of God, declared in his law, nor barely subjection to the ordinances of the Gospel; but more especially faith in Christ for life and salvation; which is the source of all true evangelical obedience, and without which nothing is acceptable to God 8. This view IS likely tied to the words of the Master that say that “this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life” (John 6:40) and here again we have that dichotomy of believing where doctrine interprets this believing on as the mental and the emotional assent while we see this as the Truth of keeping His words; the reality that to believe on the Master IS to accept and adopt His precepts and example as binding upon the life 4 as Vincent tells us. It IS in the Truth of keeping His words that the disciple can be “as his master“; it IS only in keeping His words that the disciple can realize the deep Truths in His telling us that “the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do“.
And to add to the confusion found in these ideas we should note that the very translations play a part as well as the assembling of the words into verses and chapters; both of which ARE done according to the doctrinal beliefs of those doing the work. While it IS difficult to understand the idea of “greater works” and of “as his master” from a carnal perspective, it IS evermore difficult to see this in the presence of ideas like the presumed reason for the “greater works” being “because I go unto my Father“. We have discussed these ideas in the past and we have noted that NOT ALL translations maintain this break of chapter and verse; the Catholic versions move the thought that “because I go unto my Father” to the following verse. What this does IS to end the idea of “greater works” with the sole cause of being that one “ believeth on me” which we understand as one that DOES keep His words. In the overall idea that “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30) which IS amplified by the previous words in our selection, this should make sense….if “I am in the Father, and the Father in me” IS True then logically there IS no place for Him to go in this particular verse. Doctrine however DOES NOT generally attend to logic as we read here in John Gill’s commentary: because I go to my Father; and upon my ascension the Spirit will be given, to you, which shall not only enable you to perform miracles, as proofs of your apostleship, and the doctrine you preach, but which shall powerfully attend the Gospel to the conversion of multitudes of souls 8.
This IS doctrinal supposition as there IS NO place that these ideas of ascension ARE offered nor IS there a place where the idea of the Spirit be given save in the doctrinally understood nature of the Spirit of God. Perhaps a part of this doctrinal idea can be found in the Apostle John’s own comments saying: “But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:39). This thought from the apostle is shown parenthetically in our King James version and we should note that the idea here of given IS a translator’s addition; the Young’s Literal version renders this as: “and this he said of the Spirit, which those believing in him were about to receive; for not yet was the Holy Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified“. We should note here as well that the Greek word doxazo, which IS rendered as glorified here, IS another of those rather nebulous words and one which has many meanings and could be rendered here in such a way that the Holy Spirit was NOT yet realized by the believers in the previous verse where we read the Master’s words saying “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said , out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). In our view of Life and of the Way of the disciple this realization makes much sense over the idea that the Master would need any kind of glorification or adoration and praise which are the other ideas attributed to this Greek word or that there IS a special giving involved regarding the Spirit of God who ever resides in the Kingdom Within.
Our point here IS twofold; first to continue in our discussion from the last posts regarding the effects of doctrine on the translations and the interpretations of the Truth of the Master’s words and on the reality of the way that “believeth on” should be seen….as keeping His words and NOT as the mental and emotional affirmation that this has become. Secondly, we are trying to show the greater reality behind the singular pronouncement of the Master, that it IS in keeping His word, following Him and, as the lexicon tells us regarding pisteuo, being committed unto 2 Him, that these “greater works” can come to be in the purview of the man and that this IS the essential message of believing on or believing in Him. This idea of keeping His words as the KEY to these “greater works” is an important thing to understand and perhaps one of the ideas that can bring more men to a proper realization of their own divinity apart from the pronouncements of doctrine. And this DOES NOT ONLY effect the idea of “greater works” and of being “as his master” but goes to the very heart of being accounted worthy of the Kingdom of God and the Truth of discipleship. NONE of these ‘accomplishments’ in the Life of the man in the world hinge upon the mental and emotional affirmations of believing, these ‘accomplishments’ ARE solely the grace, the reward if you will, that comes to the man who keeps His words and by measure to the man who strives to DO so. However, the doctrinal view marks keeping His words as a near impossibility and defers this by focusing upon the misunderstood and misinterpretations of the Master’s words and those of His apostles which show the atoning quality of Jesus Life and death and the mistaken belief that believing IS merely this common sense of believing. These doctrinal ideas ARE contrary to the Master’s words but this contrary nature IS allowed in the dilution of the Master’s words to His disciples and His apostles, dilutions that allow for the common man to partake in His ‘glory’.
Perhaps it IS in anticipation of these doctrinal ideas that the Master tells us that “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. 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? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23). Perhaps here we are intended to see the dichotomy that doctrines have created, that division between believing on Him as we read from Vincent above and the mere assent and affirmation of Him based in doctrine. These words are ever clear to us but seem lost in the doctrinal approach to God as we see in the ideas from Mr. Gill above. Similarly we have again the rhetorical question that the Master asks according to Luke; a question that has the same effect as this saying from Matthew’s Gospel, a question that begs for an answer from the heart of every man who truly seeks the Kingdom and the Lord: “why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?“. Here in Luke’s Gospel the idea posed by this question DOES NOT include any of the ideas of repercussion that we find in Matthew; here the idea simply stands alone as a question that a man must pose in his own heart. But this DOES NOT spark a doctrinal concern regarding being accounted worthy of the Kingdom of God and neither DOES the more elaborate version from Matthew and, while both DO lead directly into the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders, this connection IS NOT made either. It is rather IS deferred to others and this IS presumably based in the doctrinal ideas surrounding the easier way that is constructed out of the words of the Apostle Paul on faith and believing and atonement. The parable IS however clear and there should be no mistake of Jesus’ intent; we read from Matthew:
“whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it” (Matthew 7:24-27).
This too IS keeping His words or NOT DOING so. The choice IS clear here and we can easily see the idea of foolish in the man who hears the Truth of Love and DOES NOT become a DOER but remains a hearer ONLY; and of this man we read James’ words again saying: “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22). Here we should get a glimpse of the foolish man who DOES NOT and we should understand that He IS deceived by the illusion and the glamour that complicates ALL of Life including religion. The message in this parable IS clearly keeping His words, the message in the idea of calling upon the Lord as one who DOES NOT keep his words IS also clear as IS the rhetorical question that goes to the heart of the man who can somewhat see the Truth that the Master offers us. How this ALL comes apart in doctrine is an unknown for us but it IS clear that the ideas of attaining the Kingdom based in faith and believing in the personage of the Master has superseded what we see as the Truth of His words and that there is a greater reliance upon Paul’s misunderstood saying that “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10) than there IS on Jesus’ True message.
This saying and others like it have taken precedence over His own words in many parts of Christianity and these words from Paul above have become the essence of being “born again” rather that the reality that the Master speaks of saying “whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:15). Here again we have the Master’s words on believing in which we see clearly as keeping His words. We close today repeating the complete words from Vincent that show us this reality of meaning in the phrase believe in and believe on; Vincent tells us:
Believe on (πιστευούσιν εἰς ); The present participle, believing, indicates the present and continuous activity of faith. The word is used by John, sometimes with the dative case simply meaning to believe a person or thing; i.e., to believe that they are true or speak the truth. Thus, to believe the Scripture (John 2:22); believe me (John 4:21); believe Moses, his writings, my words (John 4:46). At other times with a preposition, εἰς , into, which is rendered believe in, or believe on. So here, John 6:29; John 8:30; 1 John 5:10. See the two contrasted in John 6:29, John 6:30; John 8:30, John 8:31; 1 John 5:10. To believe in, or on, is more than mere acceptance of a statement. It is so to accept a statement or a person as to rest upon them, to trust them practically; to draw upon and avail one’s self of all that is offered to him in them. Hence to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ is not merely to believe the facts of His historic life or of His saving energy as facts, but to accept Him as Savior, Teacher, Sympathizer, Judge; to rest the soul upon Him for present and future salvation, and to accept and adopt His precepts and example as binding upon the life 4.
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 Christ |
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.
We repeat here again a saying that is from the Bhagavad Gita, which goes well with our theme of the God Within, the Soul, which we see as the Christ Within and while this is good in the Christian world and is True based upon our understanding of the Christ as the manifestation of God, we should also see in these words below that it does not matter what these divine ideas are called; that it matters not what we call this Inner Man, that he is the same in ALL, he is the Soul.
Thou carriest within thee a sublime Friend whom thou knowest not. For God dwells in the inner part of every man, but few know how to find Him. The man who sacrifices his desires and his works to the Beings from whom the principles of everything stem, and by whom the Universe was formed, through this sacrifice attains perfection. For one who finds his happiness and joy within himself, and also his wisdom within himself is one with God. And, mark well, the soul which has found God is freed from rebirth and death, from old age and pain, and drinks the water of Immortality.—Bhagavad-Gita
It is difficult to tell just what verses of the Bhagavad Gita the above is from; whether it is a paraphrase or a combination. It is from the book “The Great Initiates” by Édouard Schuré which was originally published in French in 1889 and perhaps it is in the translation of the verses that they become hard to recognize. However, the sheer beauty of the presentation caught my attention and so I share it with you. The Path to the Kingdom is the same no matter what religion one professes.
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
- 8 Bible commentaries on BibleStudyTools.com
