ON LOVE; PART CMXLI

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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).

In the last essay we continued with our discussion of the words of the Apostles Peter and Paul that define for us the reality of “the fruit of the Spirit” and the Way by which men become “partakers of the divine nature“. It IS in the reality that these ARE both the greater Truth of our expression Love, our keeping His words if you will, that we can come to understand the True dynamics that ARE behind the apostles’ words. Paul shows us the “the fruit of the Spirit” in words while Peter relies upon our understanding that to be “partakers of the divine nature” IS to be as God in this world which idea IS encompassed in Paul’s words that say that we “shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:21).

While doctrines DO NOT acknowledge the Truth of Paul’s words here as that this being delivered, this being freed, IS the reality of being “partakers of the divine nature“, the apostle shows us this in another way as well. We should try to see how that it IS our realization of the fact that we ARE “the children of God“, a realization that comes in our expression of “the fruit of the Spirit“, that we can Truly understand the Paul’s other words saying:

“For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:13-17).

In these words we should see that to be “the children of God” one must be “led by the Spirit of God” and in the reality of this idea we should see how that one IS then a partaker “of the divine nature“. Here in these words Paul shows us how that we ARE “heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” and this alone should show us our future and our potential. We can find great meaning in the apostle’s use of the idea of adoption when we can see this in the way that Vincent presents this this idea; we read Vincent’s understanding through his writing that Mr. Merivale, illustrating Paul’s acquaintance with Roman law, says: “The process of legal adoption by which the chosen heir became entitled not only to the reversion of the property but to the civil status, to the burdens as well as the rights of the adopter – became, as it were, his other self, one with him … this too is a Roman principle, peculiar at this time to the Romans, unknown, I believe, to the Greeks, unknown, to all appearance, to the Jews, as it certainly is not found in the legislation of Moses, nor mentioned anywhere as a usage among the children of the covenant. We have but a faint conception of the force with which such an illustration would speak to one familiar with the Roman practice; how it would serve to impress upon him the assurance that the adopted son of God becomes, in a peculiar and intimate sense, one with the heavenly Father” (“Conversion of the Roman Empire”)⁴.

We should be able to see here that this Oneness “with the heavenly Father” IS the same reality as being “partakers of the divine nature” and we should try to see the same Oneness in both ideas. In these ideas from the apostle regarding adoption and being heirs, we should see that the precursor and the result IS that one IS “led by the Spirit of God” and it IS in this sense that we should see the Way that this becomes one’s realization which IS that we keep His words. In similar fashion, Paul shows us that which IS contrary to men’s expression of “the fruit of the Spirit“, and that IS one’s expression of “the works of the flesh“. Again Paul gives us these ideas in words which, while misunderstood by men and their doctrines, convey to us the reality of Life in this world for those whose focus IS NOT upon the things of God. Peter on the other hand DOES NOT as he tells us that the way to become “partakers of the divine nature” IS to have “escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust“. (2 Peter 1:3-4). We should see how that this escape IS to leave off from expressing “the works of the flesh” which Paul lists for us in his words to the Galatians that we repeat here again:

“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 affections and lusts” (Galatians 5:17-24).

While “the fruit of the Spirit” IS the personal expression of the disciple and, by measure, the aspirant to discipleship, “the works of the flesh” ARE the ways of men in this world. Not the ways of the grossly carnal man ONLY, but the way of ALL men who DO NOT have such measure as to be the aspirant. We should try to see how that it IS the aspirant about whom we speak when we apply the words of the Tibetan that we often repeat. In the closing of his statement IS the very nature of the struggle that IS the reality of striving which we recently discussed. The Tibetan tells us of the aspirant that: He is vibrating between the condition of soul awareness and form awareness.  He is “seeing double” **. In this we should try to see how that these “works of the flesh” ARE the problems of ALL who strive, ALL who struggle vigorously, as in opposition or resistance ⁷ as the dictionary defines striving.

The struggle IS against the lower carnal self and the thoughts and the attitudes that each man holds; it IS when these ARE crucified that one IS Truly free. And we can see Paul’s point when we can see how that to be Christ’s one must leave off of ALL worldly attachments and attractions which ARE the sum-total of ALL that IS referenced by the apostles’ as lust. This IS the greater Truth of Paul’s words and this IS the greater reality of Peter’s saying that the man who IS free, the man who can be Truly among the “partakers of the divine nature“, IS the one who has “escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust“. What IS this escape but the result of one’s struggle against his own carnal self.

We should understand that Paul’s words to both the Romans and the Galatians ARE in regard to the same topic of “works of the flesh” and while he shows us this as to “live after the flesh” in Romans, he gives us a rather graphic list in Galatians. In these ideas we should see that “ye shall die” IS the same effect as IS to “not inherit the kingdom of God“; it IS in the Kingdom of God that one IS freed from the death that IS one’s living in the corruption that IS found in his focus upon the carnal things of Life. The same ideas ARE True on the other side of Paul’s words: to be Christ’s IS NO different from being “led by the Spirit of God” and this IS of course the same as we read from Peter as he tells us of being “partakers of the divine nature“.

It IS in the convenient interpretation of the Master’s words and the words of His apostles that so much of the Truth IS lost. Here again we should see that the misunderstanding of the whole idea of sin and evil and of lust and corruption has been contorted by those who promulgate doctrines and it IS this same human effect that the Master Himself rails against in His words against the ways of the Jews. While men DO NOT see themselves within the context of Jesus’ words that call forth the hypocritical nature of the religious Jew in that day, the same ideas could be ranged against the religious Christian today. It IS in the reality of the striving and the escape that men Truly achieve, that they Truly attain what IS the grace of God; and it IS this reality that IS embedded in the Master’s rhetorical question that asks “why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).

It IS those things that ARE contrary to what Jesus says that Paul lists for us as “Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like” and could we but understand the True intent of his words we would better understand the Truth of the Way and understand how that it IS in keeping His words that we achieve and attain. While there IS NO doubt what Jesus means as He gives us the Way through what we call the trifecta, most men DO NOT see how that it IS ONLY in keeping His words that they ARE Truly free. We read the Master’s words on His Presence, the Kingdom of God and that freedom that comes in KNOWING the Truth as a True disciple:

• “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“ (John 8:31-32).
• “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).
• “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 14:21-24).

We should try to understand that it IS the totality of Jesus’ words that ARE His commandments and it IS the totality of ALL words that come from God, from the Father if you will, that ARE included in His will. While men play with the archaic Greek terms that ARE used by the Master and His apostles, the reality of them IS NOT hidden. Men can see sin and evil, and lust and corruption in the narrowness of their convenient sense of these ideas but the reality can be easily found in the totality of the ideas that flow from Jesus’ lips and the pens of the apostles. And so it IS with so many words that ARE understood by men with the narrowness of their own cover of the deeper meanings that can apply. Paul’s list above can serve to show how that this dynamic of men’s interpretation applies and how that this distorts His Truths.

We begin as Paul begins, with adultery. Vincent tells us that that this word should be dropped from the text and the interlinear bible shows that there IS NO Greek word in this verse that can be translated as such; It is likely a translator’s addition in the King James and several other bible versions and it IS additions like this that have cemented the meanings of some word ideas, ideas that had much broader meanings in the intent of the Master and His apostles. In society this word has taken on ONLY the idea of sexual infidelity in marriage and while this IS Truly a part of the idea that Jesus presents, there IS much complexity that goes unseen by most ALL men.

In another place, the Master uses this idea of adultery in speaking of and to the Pharisees and scribes as adulterous; Vincent gives us some clue to the True intent of this Greek word saying: A very strong and graphic expression, founded upon the familiar Hebrew representation of the relation of God’s people to him under the figure of marriage. See Psalm 73:27; Isaiah 57:3 sqq.; Isaiah 62:5; Ezekiel 23:27. Hence idolatry and intercourse with Gentiles were described as adultery; and so here, of moral unfaithfulness to God. Compare James 4:4:; Revelation 2:20 ⁴. If we can see the idea of idolatry and intercourse with Gentiles as the reality of infidelity toward the Godhead, we can gain a new perspective on the whole of this idea. Here as the lead idea in Paul’s lengthy list of what ARE seen as vices, we have the essence of the whole of the list and if we can see the ideas that we generally attach to vanity as the illusion and glamour of Life in this world, we can see how that it IS the adulterous attitudes of men that ARE also that perishable and decaying condition, separate from God, and pursuing false ends ⁴. This IS the greater reality of adultery.

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.

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 these 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

• ⁴ Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition, 1888
• ⁷ Dictionary.com Unabridged based on Random House Dictionary – 2011