ON LOVE; PART MXXIX
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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).
We ended the last essay with the reality of Wisdom as the essence of that KNOWING that IS faith according to the way that the Master shows us this idea. Jesus tells us that in order for a man to DO such things as to move the mountain or to transplant a sycamine tree in the sea, that a man MUST “have faith, and doubt not” (Matthew 21:21). The Gospel writers give us alternate ways to understand this concept of NOT doubting as we read from the Apostle Mark that Jesus says “whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass” (Mark 11:23) and, elsewhere in the Apostle Matthew’s Gospel as well as in Luke’s Gospel, we read of the relationship between this NOT doubting and that “faith as a grain of mustard seed” which accomplishes and IS the same thing.
Two things should be seen here; first there IS the relationship between KNOWING and faith which shows us that to “doubt not” IS to KNOW and here we should link this also to the words from the trifecta that shows us the source of this KNOWING; Jesus says “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“. Second we should see again how that because the same result comes from “faith as a grain of mustard seed“, the ability of a man who “shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe” and to “have faith, and doubt not“, that these ARE ALL the same thing….these ARE KNOWING. This idea that KNOWING IS faith and believing as the deeper reality of pistis and pisteuo IS based upon that logic that comes in the “the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 2:7), as we read in the Apostle Paul’s words on Wisdom from the last essays, AND this “wisdom of God” IS the same thing as “the wisdom that is from above” (James 3:17).
In these ideas we should also be able to see how that keeping His words brings men the Wisdom, the KNOWING which IS the faith and that in so DOING, one’s possession of this quality, IS also the result of being “born again“; in this we should see how that to be the one, “born again“, IS to be the other, keeping His words, as well. And this IS a far cry from the doctrinal ideas that have been attached to Jesus’ words to Nicodemus. While the doctrinal idea of being “born again” IS a total departure from this logic that makes this and keeping His words the same, the idea presented by the Master IS rather clearly stated and in this we should be able to see how that this doctrinal creation of men IS substituted for this Truth.
It seems a long time since we last addressed our selection from Galatians where we ARE discussing “the fruit of the Spirit” but we should realize here that ALL that we have been studying IS some form of faith, True faith, which IS KNOWING and NOT the nebulous idea of doctrines. When we can understand that it IS in KNOWING the Truth that we ARE Truly ‘saved‘, we can then understand as well the True role of faith in the New Testament. In regard to Paul’s list of “the fruit of the Spirit“, we should try to see how that faith and Love anchor his list; ALL of the virtues of this list ARE included in the idea of Love whose expression IS joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance” and, at the same time, ALL of these operate in one’s expression of faith, ones Life expression of KNOWING the Truth. In this Truth IS the KEY to the mysteries and that KEY IS Love. We read 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).
It IS the doctrines of men that hide the Truth from ALL who will NOT break away from whatsoever religion or denomination through which they receive their version of KNOWING. The way that most ALL of these compete for believers and the way that many speak ill of others who may see spiritual things in a different Light, should show us how that these versions of KNOWING ARE NOT the Truth. That there ARE few who DO break away IS a part of Jesus’ message as He teaches and encourages men to DO so. There IS a great reality in His words saying that “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14). In these words we have the plight of men in this world and a view that most ARE and will be under “the bondage of corruption” (Romans 8:21) which IS their focus upon the self and the things of the self; and this IS a far reaching indictment that arrests ALL men who ARE NOT “doers of the word” (James 1:22) or among those that Truly strive toward His Truths.
And that doctrines teach that a man CAN NOT find the Truth of God by himself ONLY dissuades some that would otherwise seek for that Truth. Perhaps it IS this that the Apostle Luke sees as he gives us Jesus words on this difficulty through the idea of striving; we read: “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able” (Luke 13:24). Throughout Jesus’ words IS this idea of striving and every time that we read of measure and of growth we should be reminded that it IS in proportion to one’s striving toward “the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:21), that a man will find some measure of success which Jesus shows us in fruit….and this IS “the fruit of the Spirit” that Paul lists for us.
Again we should see the logic of His words as we read about the man who IS the “good ground“; this IS the man who will receive, understand and keep His words as this IS presented by the gospel writers and it IS this man who “beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty” (Matthew 13:23). Luke shows us this idea without the sense of measure as he reports Jesus’ words as “the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience” (Luke 8:15). It IS in this version that we can see how that being “the good ground” and bringing “forth fruit” ARE the same things of which we read in our trifecta; and we can add this to the reality of being “born again“. Having the Presence of God, KNOWING the Truth and attaining the Kingdom of God, being “born again” and the being the “good ground” that “beareth fruit” ALL come in keeping His words and, by measure, in striving. We read the Master’s words 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).
It IS in the logical reality of His words that we can assemble ALL of these ideas together; they ARE related by having the same cause or they ARE related by being results of equal stature. In this we should see how that if one IS “born again” and can have the Kingdom of God that the cause of this IS keeping His words as we read above where the Kingdom requires that one “ doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven“. In the idea of bearing fruit, we should see similar ideas; to be the “good ground” one will hear the word and keep it and to be so IS the same as having His Presences, the Truth, with the equal result of this bearing fruit….ALL IS equivalent in these spiritual Truths as we see in Jesus saying “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples” (John 15:8). By extension then we can see how that to express “the fruit of the Spirit” one must have this same focus of Life.
And in this ALL is that KNOWING that IS faith and believing. This KNOWING begins with a glimmer of Truth that IS centered in keeping His words and in Love and it IS as a man strives to Love and to Truly follow the Master’s teachings that the measure of his revelation and his realization of this Truth grows; in this growth IS the growth also of the Kingdom of God Within. This IS the objective of ALL New Testament scripture and in this view of Truth most ALL of the Master’s words can be reconciled and understood according to the Apostle Peter’s words saying “as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation” (1 Peter 1:15). Of course we must understand the idea of conversation here as the lexicon shows us in defining the Greek word as: manner of life, conduct, behaviour, deportment 2. In this we should be able to see how that anastrophe IS intended to be understood. Here we can see how that one’s manner of life can be in the “works of the flesh” or they can be in the “fruit of the Spirit“….only one of these IS holy.
When we can look beyond the doctrinal assertions that becloud the reality of Jesus message and the clarifying and amplifying words of His apostles, what we see IS the essence of Peter’s statement above. This IS the mission of men and it has naught to DO with the many petty ideas that ARE become the spiritual mission that most ALL doctrines see as they pick and choose the causes for which they will fight. And in this fighting many stand in judgement of others which in itself IS contrary to the heart of the True Christian message. Few there ARE that can clearly see how that ALL that IS contrary to the Master’s words, especially His words on Love and the Great Commandments, IS equally sin and this regardless of the degree that men perceive.
The Apostle James shows us this reality as he compares killing and adultery and here, if we can see ALL of the ways of adultery as infidelity, perhaps we can see the logical extent of these words that say “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law” (James 2:10-11). We should see two things here. First IS the equality of sin….that there IS no sin that IS more severe than another when the whole idea of sin IS seen in the proper context which IS that sin IS ALL things that take one’s focus off of the Godhead; or ALL things that keep men’s focus upon the self and the world. Men may measure sin and grade it according to their own moral codes but spiritually the only measure IS in regard to the Truth of Love.
Much doctrinal attention IS given to the idea of the ‘unpardonable sin’ and most ALL of this involves the idea of the forgiveness of God for the offences of men: that sins, and blasphemy, of ALL kinds ARE forgiven save a sin against the Holy Ghost. The Master tells us that “All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come” (Matthew 12:31-32). While some believe that this IS directed against the scribes and the Pharisees who portrayed Jesus’ works as demonic, others believe that there IS a kind of sin that IS unforgivable. While it IS difficult to surely say what IS the Master’s reference, we should still be able to see the equality of sin in the words above from James, And perhaps we can find some insight into Jesus intent in these ideas from the Book of Hebrews and from the Apostle Peter:
- From Hebrews we read: “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance” (Hebrews 6:4-6).
- Peter tells us: “if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire” (2 Peter 2:20-22).
In both of these ideas we have the personal plight of a man in the world who found the Truth, who had the Presence of God which IS his realization of the Holy Spirt as the Christ Within, who then forsakes this Truth for the “riches and pleasures of this life“. In this we should see how that the man who had been the “good ground” has reverted to being the man whose Life IS “among thorns” (Luke 8:14) according to the Parable of the Sower. In the words from the writer of Hebrews we should understand that the idea of impossible IS NOT as this is commonly understood; not that the word IS rendered wrongly but that the deeper idea in the duality of Life IS found in Jesus’ words saying “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).
The second point from James’ words on sin above IS the context in which this idea IS found…..Love.
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.
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 a Quote of the Day that we spent much time with over the course of our essays. In this affirmation we find the Truth of discipleship as we have been ever been expressing and here we can relate our themes of the last few days; “take no thought” for the things of the world and that we approach the Kingdom and discipleship in the nature of the little child, in humbleness, meekness, unashamed in any way and unassuming. The message that this imparts for us today IS that it IS the Soul that is at work in the world of men as it expresses to some degree the purpose, power and the will through Life in this world. These words are from a meditation offered to his students by our Tibetan brother and in which we find greater understanding of the message of the Master. This IS Truly the way of the disciple.
My Soul has purpose, power and will; these three are needed on the Way of Liberation.
My Soul must foster love among the sons of men; this is its major purpose.
I, therefore, will to love and tread the Way of Love. All that hinders and obstructs the showing of the Light must disappear before the purposes of the Soul.
My will is one with the great Will of God;. that Holy Will requires that all men serve. And unto the purposes of the Plan I lend my little will.
Let the peace of God rule in your hearts
- 2 New Testament Greek Lexicon on BibleStudyTools.com
