ON LOVE; PART CMLXXXII

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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 centered on the ideas behind the apostle’s use of the Greek word methe which IS rendered as drunkenness in our selection from the Apostle Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians. As we have discussed this idea of methe IS interpreted by most ALL doctrine in regard to the common understanding of being drunk although the way that it IS used in the New Testament usually points to the more spiritual understanding of the rendered word. By example, John Gill, in his Exposition of the Bible, tells us of this use of methe that: excess in drinking of wine or strong drink, whereby the stomach is overcharged, the mind is intoxicated, and the body enfeebled and unable to perform its office; this is often the source of many, or all of the works of the flesh before mentioned ⁸. This interpretation of the apostle’s words goes hand in hand with the common ideas that ARE attributed to most ALL of Paul’s list of Greek words that ARE “the works of the flesh“; words that ARE seen with a sexual connotation and which ARE seen as representing the baser instincts of men.

As we have discussed, these words from the apostle ARE NOT written to men in whom these baser instincts ARE prevalent but rather to men who ARE disciples or ARE aspirants to discipleship, men who ARE striving toward the greater Truths. This idea IS lost however in the carnal approach given to Paul’s words, and to the words of the Master, so that the spiritual ideas that ARE their intent ARE NOT seen nor taught. In our view these words from Paul that ARE his list of “the works of the flesh” ARE intended to show the aspirant and the disciple the pitfalls of NOT being in accord with Jesus’ words, with His commandments, and we should understand how that the Master tells us of this necessity saying that: “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 7:26-27).

In this most negative view of the Truth of His teachings we have the reality of Life here in this world and we should see that it matters NOT what doctrines may say about salvation as Jesus’ words here ARE rather clear as ARE His many words that precede this warning. We used part of these words in the last essay to show how that men and their doctrines can believe that they ARE in accord with Him but that unless the DO keep His words or Truly strive to DO so, that  they ARE as any man “that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not“. While this IS a seemingly harsh criticism of the doctrines of men, there IS Truth here; and when we can look at this with the words of the Apostle James in mind we can see how that it IS the illusions and glamour, the vanity as Paul teaches us, the blinds men to the deeper Truths through the convenience of their doctrines; James tells us: “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22). And men DO NOT see that the converse of these things IS True as well; that the benefits that come to the spiritual man ARE NOT found in the lives of men who ARE “hearers only” or men who ”heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not“. These benefits ARE our 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).

And this IS the greater point of Paul’s words to the Galatians; to the aspirants and the disciples to whom he writes, we should see the deeper meanings that ARE in accord with the words of the Master and, as we have said before, in accord with the deeply spiritual nature of the Great Commandments which we have again at the top of our essay. Again, if a man IS “led of the Spirit“, he IS NOT led by the flesh and it IS this man who should see the True meaning of Paul’s words that ARE “the works of the flesh“….that these ARE spiritual pitfalls that keep a man from the Truth of the Kingdom of God. Here we should try to see the deeper points that ARE the Truth of finding the Presence of God and understand that while one IS “not under the law” as this IS applicable to carnal men, he IS under the Truth of the Great Commandments. We repeat the apostle’s words again 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).

When we can see that this idea of methe IS addressed to aspirants and disciples and can understand how that these men ARE free from the fetters of the gross carnal ideas that ARE the common understanding of the apostle’s words, we can then also see how that the deeper meanings that we have discussed ARE Paul’s point and that there IS perhaps yet deeper significance in his words. In this view we can also see how that it IS the propensity of men in this world to suffer from the affliction of illusion and glamour, the affliction of vanity, and that it IS in this affliction that men can become full of themselves and drunk on their own sense of spiritual worth. Again we can go back to Jesus’ own words to His apostles, words which these from Paul should clarify and amplify; we read of the seventy, that upon their return they were joyous in their own accomplishments:

“And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:17:20).

In this, and in the way that Jesus Himself uses this idea of methe,  we should be able to see the apostle’s idea and his intent: it IS NOT to show men that if they be drunk on wine that they “shall not inherit the kingdom of God“. It IS rather to show them that if they see their own sense of revelation and realization of the Presence of God and those abilities that this brings by measure as their own abilities in this world, then it IS to their peril. It IS here that forward progress toward the goal can end and this IS what we should try to see in the apostle’s words saying “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain” (1 Corinthians 9:24).

There IS a lynchpin of Christian doctrine that focuses upon the the idea of works versus grace and faith and it IS this that IS at the center of the idea that we ARE putting forward regarding methe. While the idea that works ARE NOT the Way to the Kingdom has much substance, the way that this IS applied by doctrines IS both misleading and misapplied. Much as keeping His words motivates one to Love so keeping His words leads one to grace and that KNOWING that IS faith which in turn motivates one to works. Here we can switch these ideas as the precursor of both Love and works IS keeping His words. Paul shows us the former point in his words to the Galatians just prior to our selection above as he says: “all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself“. Here we should try to see that while these ARE equal,  the Way to Love, to agape as the Master teaches us, IS in keeping His words and in this we should understand that to Love, to express agape, IS His word.

We should see the idea of works similarly and understand that the first True work of the aspirant and the disciple IS to keep His words and to Love. How then should we view Paul’s words on works, grace and faith? We can see them from the perspective of methe if we look at the emptiness of DOING in the absence of keeping His words….in the absence of Love. In this regard we should see how that when men believe that they ARE in God’s grace, which IS the reality of the flow of the Presence of God, and ARE NOT keeping His words as we read in Jesus’ words from our trifecta above, that it IS this which IS the sense of methe against which the apostle and the Master speak. And we can see the emptiness of this DOING in Paul’s words to the Corinthians where he shows most clearly that the works of men in regard to prophecy, tongues, knowledge and most any other work that what IS seen as a “spiritual gift” IS for naught in the absence of Love. And the absence of Love IS of course the absence of keeping His words.

When we can understand this drunkenness as the translation of methe as that a man IS overcome with some sensation that distorts reality, we can then see the plight of the man who may believe that he IS in God’s Will but who IS NOT keeping His words according to the Truth of the Jesus’ teaching. And this distortion IS NOT unlike the deception that the Apostle James shows us as he says “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves“. That men and their doctrines DO NOT see these realities IS a part of the effect of methe as the apostle IS using this idea and it IS this methe that produced such doctrinal assertions as we find in the common Christian understanding of works as opposed to faith and grace. But who will admit this?

The idea of works as the apostle uses the Greek word ergon above IS misunderstood and misapplied by most ALL doctrine which deems it to mean that men ARE going about DOING things and living Life according to the law, and the crux of their teaching IS that this IS NOT the Way to God. Paul’s message however IS much more complex that the simple and nebulous ideas of grace and faith which ARE bandied about. When we can understand how that faith and the kindred idea of believing ARE the reality of KNOWING God and the Truths of Life and the Kingdom of God, we can then understand how easy it IS to be deluded. As Jesus shows us the Way to have the Presence of God in one’s Life in our trifecta above, so too He shows us the way to the KNOWING that IS faith; that KNOWING which the Master explains to us as “If ye have faith, and doubt not” (Matthew 21:21).

While we have discussed this idea several times over the course of our posts, it IS difficult idea to see from the perspective of the man in this world. But it IS this sense of KNOWING which comes in keeping His words that IS the reality of Jesus’ “faith as a grain of mustard seed” and it IS in this that a man CAN “say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you” (Matthew 17:20). And we have discussed grace at great lengths as well; how that this IS ALL things that come from God which ARE spiritual in nature and NEVER carnal. Grace IS that the revelation that results in that sense of KNOWING and while it seems that this Greek word charis IS used in other contexts, the reality IS that ALL can be taken back to one’s revelations which come as the Presence of God by measure to the man who will keep His words….these ARE the realizations of the Truths of Life by the man in this world.

Here we should try to see and to compare these realities to the nebulous dictates of doctrines and try to understand how that to believe oneself in grace and in faith without the Truth of KNOWING and without the reality of the Presence of God, which both come to the man who will keep His words, IS the way of Life against which Paul writes and IS the context for his caution on methe.

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
• ⁸ Bible commentaries on BibleStudyTools.com