IN THE WORDS OF JESUS–Part 1252

ON LOVE; PART DCCCXCI

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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. While this IS from an older definition of Charity, which IS rendered in the King James Bible from the same Greek word agape which IS generally rendered as Love, we should amend our own definition here to include the idea that in the reality of Love a man will accord to ALL men ALL things that he would accord to himself and to say that Love IS our thoughts and attitude of the equality of ALL men regardless of their outward nature or appearance…that ALL ARE equally children of Our One God

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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)

Over the last several essays we have discussed how that the idea of strongholds ARE, as the Apostle Paul calls them, the reality of “every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God“. When we view Paul’s words from a strictly spiritual level, we can more clearly see how that it IS the erroneous thoughts and attitudes about God which men hold as Truths that ARE his subject. Among these ARE the imaginations of men and here the Greek word logismos DOES NOT actually refer to the dreamish or the creative ideas that men may have; it IS actually their thoughts and their reasoning according to the lexicon which also tells us that this can mean a judgement and a decision ². Strong’s tells us that logisimos means thought, argument, reasoning ³ and that it IS rendered as imaginations and thought in the only two uses in Paul’s writing. It IS in the doctrinal thought that these words are directed at the reader to show that he should be applying these ideas to others that likely results in the various renderings of this fourth verse to include such thoughts as “We demolish arguments” which several translations include.

It IS ONLY when we look at the apostle’s words from the personal perspective and in the view that there IS naught that one can DO to change the thoughts and attitudes of another, that we can see that these imaginations, these arguments, or this reasoning that a man may have that IS contrary to the “knowledge of God“, IS what must be cast down. It IS one’s own sense of Truth that he holds and believes that must fall when it IS contrary to His words; it IS in this sense that we should see ALL doctrines that teach things that ARE contrary to the Truth of the Master’s words or the amplifying and clarifying Truths expressed by His apostles. While it IS easier to think that one should look to others thoughts, attitudes and actions as offensive and against the “knowledge of God“, the greater reality IS found in the personal application of the apostle’s words as it IS ONLY the man himself who can bring “into captivity every thought“. And while NOT ALL doctrinal views show that this correction of another IS the apostle’s purpose, few see the reality of just what a stronghold IS in Paul’s context. Many see that these imaginations, this “every high thing“, as personal from the view of a sinful nature which, while “against the knowledge of God“, IS NOT the deeper idea that IS shown us in the reality of strongholds which ARE those things that ARE important to a man, those things that he holds strongly in his heart.

The Greek word ochuroma, which IS rendered as stronghold in most ALL translations, IS found ONLY in this saying from Paul and, according to Strong’s, IS definded as stronghold and fortress with a note that some translate as ‘prison‘ ³. It IS in the combination of these ideas that we see the reality of the apostle’s intent; it IS here that we can see that whatsoever one strongly believes and attests to IS his stronghold and in the sense of having to be “pulling down” these barriers to Truth, we can see them also as one’s prison. It IS in the glamour that comes to men in the vanity, in the illusions of Life here in this world, that they ARE NOT “pulling down” such strongholds but rather reinforcing them; and this idea DOES NOT play very well in regard to the sinful nature of the man to whom the apostle IS writing. It DOES however play well in regard to doctrines and beliefs that ARE contrary to the Truth and which ARE themselves “against the knowledge of God“. We repeat Paul’s words again:

“the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

It IS the Truth and the Love that the Master teaches us that can bring “into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” and while this IS inconvenient to the carnal sense of men in this world, this IS the reality of the whole of scripture. An extreme example may be suitable here: There IS a doctrine that IS based in the words of the Master and in the words of His apostles that allows for racial prejudice, oppression and even slavery as so much of Christian doctrine DID in the past. Those who accept these doctrines DO so for the carnal benefit and they blind themselves to the Truths of scripture that ARE against such things….they even fight for their right to believe what they DO. This doctrine IS then their stronghold as they believe it and support its tenets to the exclusion of the Truth although it IS “against the knowledge of God“. Those who follow this doctrine ARE blinded by their own carnal sense much in the same way as were the Pharisees and other religious rulers in Jesus’ day. Here we should see not only the idea of the stronghold but also that it IS this stronghold that imprisons men and that prevents men from seeing the Truth through their own machinations which confound the Truth of the Master’s words.

It IS this that men who would follow the Lord must see and recognize: that it IS their own carnal leanings and their own worldly view of the self that supports such strongholds as Truth. It IS in this sense that men read and KNOW Jesus’s words saying ” Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44) and yet completely ignore them while believing that they ARE DOING His Will. Granted, it IS NOT easy to DO such things in this world but this DOES NOT detract from the reality that one must DO so as part of keeping His words. And it IS this reality of keeping His words that IS the KEY to ALL Truth, that IS the KEY to the Presence of God in one’s Life as we read in the Master’s words that we have been repeating from the Gospel of John. There IS NO thing that IS more important to a man than the revelation and the realization of the Presence of God that comes by keeping His words and it IS this same idea that IS encapsulated in Paul’s words on “the whole armour of God“. In these words the apostle breaks down for us the need for which we use such armour and presents us with a simplified list of the individual components that ARE the reality of keeping His words. We read Paul’s words again:

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:11-17),

It IS in these ideas that the apostle presents to the reader that we can find the fullness of keeping His words and we should understand that this IS “the whole armour of God” which idea denotes the reality that this IS spiritual.  It IS in these components of armour that one can stand in the Truth and live in righteousness, which words reflect the reality of keeping His words by measure. It IS by applying this armour in one’s Life, by using it in one’s daily activities that one can grow in his several ability to use them perfectly. Similarly it IS in Paul’s idea that one wear “the gospel of peace“, which IS the reality of Love, that we see the application of Love in the Life of the man who Truly seeks God. While many render the next idea in terms of “Above all“, the reality IS that this IS a but an interpretation of doctrines that see the importance of faith in the way of believing rather that the more decisive idea of KNOWING. Vincent shows us the better ideas for this; we read: Above all (ἐπὶ πᾶσιν); Ambiguous. It may mean over all, or in addition to all. The latter is correct. Rev., withal ⁴. KNOWING the Truth IS the shield with which we must stand; it IS by KNOWING the Truth that we resist the ways of the world which IS the better idea for this Greek word poneros which IS rendered here as wicked and which IS generally rendered as evil. It IS in ALL of this armour that we stand and and when we can see that it IS in the fullness of Truth and of righteousness, it IS in the expression of Love and in the KNOWING which IS one’s realization of the Presence of God that we ARE keeping His words; then we can KNOW that we have the “helmet of salvation” which IS our deliverance “from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:21) this IS our objective and our goal as Souls in this world. It IS in the end, in the reality of salvation, that we have “the sword of the Spirit“; it  IS here that we DO keep “the word of God“.

Here we must again come back to the work that a man must DO in this world, it IS his work to stand in this armour and to use this armour in his Life and, in ALL this, Paul IS saying that we must keep His words. In His words IS Truth and in His words IS righteousness and in His words IS Love and Peace. And it IS by our KNOWING this Truth in righteousness which comes in the Presence of God that we stand against our own predilections toward the canal way and we overcome. Here again we must try to see the reality of ALL of Paul’s words as they ARE intended….that they amplify and clarify the Master’s own words. We must try to see as well how that the ideas that Paul IS offering us ARE in response to specific issues that men faced in those days as the newness and the uniqueness of the Master’s teaching began to take hold of men’s lives. In the Truth of Jesus words, in the miracles and in His example to the world of men, many chose His way as the more Perfect way to God and it IS Paul who helps to guide their way with such words as we read in His Epistle to the Galatians. It IS with such words as these that the apostle tries to correct the spiritual vision that his readers had glimpsed but which was slipping from the view of some who were again tempted by the carnal way. We read His words on the carnal versus the spiritual again….his words on the “fruit of the Spirit“:

“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affectionsa and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16-25).

It IS here that we should try to see how that to express the “fruit of the Spirit” IS the result of keeping His words which IS in turn the result of the Presence of God in one’s Life. It IS one’s realization of this Presence which IS the grace of God that allows for a man to see the gross reality of “the works of the flesh” and to understand that these ARE the ways of men in this world. When we can see through the translated words and understand how that these translation ARE part of that same doctrinal view that men believe protects him from the guilt of sin, we can then understand that much of this IS simple being a man in this world whose focus IS, at least in part, upon himself and the welfare of the self in this world. We offer much insight into the words that ARE rendered from Paul’s sayings in In the Words of Jesus parts 750 and 751 where show how that much of what Paul refers to IS what has become normal human living. And this IS our reality here: if a man DOES keep His words by measure, that IS that he strives to DO so, then the realization of the Presence of God by equal measure IS his reward. In this reward IS the reality of the “fruit of the Spirit” and the propensity to express this as a man focused upon the Truth and on the things of God. It IS this measure that Paul encourages men to keep and to increase and it IS this measure of His Presence that we should see in Jesus words that we repeat here again:

“If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless:a I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. 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. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me” (John 14:15-24).

Again we did not get back to our selection from John’s Gospel and again we repeat it and will try to get back to it in the next essay:

“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin” (John 8:31-34).

We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.

Aspect of God	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.

Live in joy, in love, even among those who hate.
Live in joy, in health, even among the afflicted.
Live in joy, in peace, even among the troubled.
Live in joy, without possessions.
Like the shining ones.

The winner sows hatred because the loser suffers.
Let go of winning and losing and find joy.
There is no fire like passion, no crime like hatred,
No sorrow like separation, no sickness like hunger,
And no joy like the joy of freedom.

Today’s Quote of the Day is from the Dhammapada (on JOY)⁵; a collection of the sayings of the Buddha. These words and ideas ARE much the same as those we discuss in our In the Words of Jesus essays. And what is this freedom but the release of our hearts and minds from loving this life in this world and attaining the Presence of God. This word Joy has many meanings as DOES the idea of Love, but in the context that it IS used here we should see the idea that Joy IS Love, Joy IS health, Joy IS peace and that Joy IS without the burdens placed on a man by the illusion and the glamour of the ways of the world. We should try to see that it IS the antithesis of these ideas in hate, in affliction and in troubles that ARE among the possessions of the carnal man, that ARE among the “evil treasure of his heart” (Luke 6:45) according to the Master.

And it IS in the second stanza above that we see the basic psychic ideas that can eliminate the harm caused by such “evil treasure” as a man looks past himself and at the welfare of others which IS the greater reality of Love as the Master teaches us. It IS in losing such possessions, losing such carnal thoughts and attitudes, that one can truly find the “joy of freedom“….this IS the Truth of deliverance.

Let the peace of God rule in your hearts

• ² New Testament Greek Lexicon on BibleStudyTools.com
• ³ Strongest Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible – 2001
• ⁴ Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition, 1888
• ⁵ The Dhammapada Translated by Thomas Byrom