ON LOVE; PART CMXCIV

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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 our discussion of the Apostle Paul’s words that ARE “the fruit of the Spirit” and twice we were able to contrast these ideas against his list of “the works of the flesh“. While it IS presumed that these lists ARE opposites, our view IS different. Our view of joy IS NOT at ALL an opposite of any particular idea in Paul’s list when this IS considered as chara in its relation to grace. In this view chara IS contrary to ALL “works of the flesh” which inhibit the flow of grace into the life of a man whose spiritual attitude includes his infidelity toward God, his reliance upon his own psychic powers and his attention toward the idols that ARE his Life in this world. In this view of chara and its relation to grace this joy as this IS rendered by most ALL translations IS as well contrary to the sense of factions, those divisions of humanity which ARE erected by men and their doctrines in ALL of Life’s arenas.

When however we see this idea of chara as joy in its carnal aspects of an emotional and perhaps mental sensation of happiness, or gladness as chara IS sometimes rendered, on a religious level, we can see how that this idea IS contrary to the apostles caution which he gives us as methe and komos. In this idea of religious level we should NOT see those ideas of religion that ARE spoken against by many today in regard to other denominations. We should see the spiritual inclination of men and here an inclination to a joyousness or joyfulness that one may have in his own sense of salvation which he has garnered from doctrines rather than from the Truth. Similarly there IS the Greek word eirene which IS rendered as Peace. Here the Peace that the apostle speaks of IS a spiritual fruit and NOT a personal feeling of being at Peace as IS commonly understood, in similar ways to Vincent’s terms saying: Here of mutual peace rather than peace with God ⁴. Nor is this Peace as the lexicon shows us saying such things as: a state of national tranquillity (exemption from the rage and havoc of war); peace between individuals, i.e. harmony, concord or of Christianity, the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is ².

When seen in most of these terms Peace IS also contrary to the sense of factions which ARE the cause of the world’s hatreds and the wrath but if we can see eirene in terms of the grace of God that flows through a man, we can see the reality of Jesus’ words saying “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you” (John 14:27). In this sense of Peace we have an expression of grace that IS based in KNOWING the Truth and expressing the reality of that Truth in one’s Life in this world. This expression IS of course intimately tied to Love and requires that a men live according to His word from whence the Truth flows; and, in this, express that equanimity of Love that the Master teaches us in the Great Commandments and the Golden Rule. This Peace flows to a man through the reality of the Presence of God that comes in the trifecta which we repeat here again:

• “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).

This sense of Peace IS that KNOWING the Truth and the reality of Life that IS the revelation and the realization of the man who strives to keep His words. It IS in this sense of Peace that one can Truly keep the Master’s admonition that he should “Take no thought for your life” (Matthew 6:25) and understand this dynamic rather than fighting against His Truth as much of the doctrinal world DOES yet today as they render this idea in terms of worry. And here we come again to the Master’s idea of striving as He tells us that these realities come as a man can “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness“….it IS here that one will find that “all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). And while many expect this to mean riches and luxuries, the reality IS that the man who IS Truly in this state of striving will NOT seek such as his pursuits turn to purely spiritual matters.

This IS the reality of Peace and this IS the Truth behind Paul’s words saying of himself that “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Philippians 4:11). And NOT ONLY IS this the apostle’s Way, it IS the Way that he teaches which we can see in these words to Timothy saying “And having food and raiment let us be therewith content” (1 Timothy 6:8). In this Peace IS that sense of contentment and this IS NOT a forced sense but rather the result of looking away from the carnal, away from the one’s search for “treasures upon earth“. and ever more steadfastly to searching for the Truth….the “treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19, 20).

Much of these ideas should be assumed by the Truth behind the Master’s words concerning riches and possessions but these idea have been steadily fought against by the doctrinal church from the beginning as have Paul’s words here and these words from the writer of Hebrews as well who says: “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). This is the reality of Peace and at the same time the epitome of faith. As we have discussed in past essays this idea of faith, while nebulous in most ALL doctrinal views, IS the reality of KNOWING and the very source of Peace as we should understand this and express it as our: manner of life, character, deportment ² as the lexicon defines tropos which IS rendered as conversation in this verse from Hebrews.

Peace IS a spiritual Way of Life and as Jesus tells us that “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you“, we should try to understand the True meaning of His words. It IS by His example and by His words that the Master leaves them such Peace and again here we have an intersection with the reality of faith. It IS in the KNOWING that comes to the aspirant and to the disciple that IS the source of Peace and in this idea of His leaving and giving such Peace we should look to the previous verse for guidance; we should look to the reality of the Holy Spirit which IS the reality of the Presence of God that comes into the Life of a man who DOES keep His words and, by measure, to the man who strives to DO so.

While we ARE NOT Greek scholars nor DO we understand the language, we should be able to see how that the ideas of some future ‘gift’ of the Holy Spirit ARE doctrinal connotations; these ideas ARE NOT literally offered in the Greek text. In the context of Jesus words on Peace we should try to see that His words saying: “These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance , whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:25-27) can be rendered differently. This can be read without the inserted future ideas as “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will sends in my name, he shall teachs you all things, and brings all things to your remembrance , whatsoever I have said unto you” and this IS the source of Peace for them at that time….this is the Peace that Jesus leaves and gives. 

It IS these things that come to a man in that KNOWING that comes in keeping His words, that KNOWING that comes to the disciple and, by measure, to the aspirant. This IS the reality of faith and the True source of that sense of Peace that comes with one’s realization of the Presence of God which IS the essence of the Holy Spirit. It IS in this regard that this Peace IS a “fruit of the Spirit “; not in the personal sense of it but rather the expression of Peace in the way of  one’s manner of life, character, deportment. Our next word from Paul’s list of “the fruit of the Spirit ” IS rendered as longsuffering which IS the fourth in his order as we read again his words saying:

“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).

The Greek word makrothumia that IS rendered here as longsuffering has a variety of meanings attached to it by the lexicon where we read: patience, endurance, constancy, steadfastness, perseverance; patience, forbearance, longsuffering, slowness in avenging wrongs ². Our view here should be in a combination of these ideas; patience IS that steadfastness by which one can stand in Love and to DO those things which Love demands regardless of outer appearances; patience IS that perseverance that stands in faith, KNOWING that the ways of the world ARE as a passing wind. It IS a man’s expression of this patience however that IS the reality of longsuffering as a “fruit of the Spirit” and this we can most clearly see in these words from Paul to Timothy: “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting” (1 Timothy 1:15-16). Can we see the apostle’s point here?

And in patience there IS Peace but this IS NOT ALL; in this patience there IS an understanding that comes in one’s KNOWING that Truth which Jesus shows us “shall make you free“. It IS here in this Truth that one Truly comes to understand the plight of men in this world which Paul shows us as ALL men being “made subject to vanity” (Romans 8:20) which IS their being lost in the illusion and the glamour of Life in form. It IS with this understanding and this patience that Paul goes about teaching and instructing those who will hear him in the words of Truth as he amplifies and clarifies the words of Jesus. It IS as a “fruit of the Spirit” that this patience works out in the Life of the man who IS expressing such fruit; in the Peaceful and Loving way of the disciple, it IS patience through understanding that the disciple reflects as his manner of life, character and deportment and it IS this that the aspirant reflects by measure.

We should try to see how that these first four virtues from Paul’s list of “the fruit of the Spirit” ALL work together and are embedded into each other and, of course, ALL ARE aspects of Love. The expression of Peace and patience IS NOT possible without chara as one’s expression of the charis, the grace, received in keeping His words. Patience and Peace ARE inherent in this grace which comes to the man who keeps His words which IS in turn the man who DOES Love or Truly strives toward that goal. And we should try to see here the yet deeper correspondence which ALL these virtues have with the reality of the Presence of God; it IS in this realization of the Truth by measure that a man sees through the illusion and the glamour, the vanity, and finds himself at the doorway to participation in the idea set forth by Paul saying “they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts“.

Here we have yet another idea of patience: as one who strives toward that ultimate goal of the fullness of the Presence of God a man must see Life as the Apostle James shows us saying: “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh” (James 5:7-8). Here if we can see past any eschatological ideas from doctrine and away from doctrinal ideas of death or a last judgement, we can then see how that this “coming of the Lord” IS found in the fullness of one’s realization of Truth which IS the reality of the Presence of God in his Life.

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.

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