ON LOVE; PART MLXXVII
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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 have been studying some of the words of the Apostle Paul that differentiate the man who IS “led of the Spirit” from the man who has NOT yet seen the Truth that he must “walk not as other Gentiles walk“, which should be understood as “walk not as other Gentiles men walk“, referring to the common and carnal ways of men in this world. While doctrines teach that ALL who follow them and ALL who may have said the words that ARE deemed the create the “born again” person DO miraculously “Walk in the Spirit“, the greater Truth IS found in Jesus own words. When we can see the reality of Jesus’ words and the effect in the Life of the man who Jesus tells us: “hath my commandments, and keepeth them“, we can Truly begin to understand and to KNOW some measure of the Truth that IS hidden in the illusion and the glamour which IS the vanity that the apostle tells us ALL ARE subjected to.
It IS sometimes difficult to write in these seemingly harsh terms against the doctrines of men and it IS difficult as well to see oneself as the single outlier surrounded by many millions of doctrinally oriented men. This difficulty IS however assuaged by the reality of simply KNOWING some measure of the Truth which IS fully supported by the words of the Master and the clarifying and amplifying words of His apostles. And the basis of this KNOWING IS founded in the revelations and the realizations that will come to everyman who will step out of his bondage which itself IS founded in his own nurturing and indoctrination. Here again we should see the example that IS shown to us in the lives of the apostles and especially in the lives Peter and Paul of which there IS much written.
The Apostle Peter was a man, a fisherman whose daily task was to catch fish. By his own admission, he IS a ‘sinner’ and by this we could presume that he was NOT a overly religious Jew. When he meets the Master however he IS able to overcome his own nurturing and indoctrination and follow the Lord. We read the Apostle Luke’s account which tells us that the Master used Peter’s boat to teach and then to catch many fish; he then tells us that “When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him” (Luke 5:8-11).
Simon Peter goes on to be the ‘appointed’ leader of the twelve and although he IS shown to have several issues that keep him from the fullness of his own revelations and realizations of the Truth, issues that ARE revealed to us by the Master, the apostle IS our best example of the Way of the disciple. We should remember that it IS NO random act of Life that brings Peter to the Master and this same IS True in regard to ALL of the apostles and those close to Jesus. We should remember as well that there IS NO individual choosing involved here, that the apostles ARE NOT singled out from among men to be Jesus’ apostles, for if this IS so then the reality that “there is no respect of persons with God” (Romans 2:11) IS moot.
Peter and the others ARE a part of the Master’s ‘party’ here in this Earth based in their own individual store of spiritual collateral. a store that IS the reality of everyman by which he must overcome his nurturing and indoctrination with every appearance in this Earth. Everyman who has NOT found the fullness of His Truth, His Presence and His Kingdom IS born into the same vanity, the same illusion and glamour, and IS subjected to his own measure of nurturing and indoctrination…..it IS from these things the he must escape. While reincarnation IS a part of our understanding of Life and while we DO NOT KNOW the way that this Truly works, we should understand that without this reality the whole of men’s journey here in this Earth IS based upon the Providence of God and His desire to lift one above another rather than the deeper idea that as Souls, as spiritual beings, we make our own way; and that as such ALL men ARE equal save for their ability to express their inborn Truth through their outer form.
While Peter’s nurturing and indoctrination led him to a live as a man, a ‘sinner’ if you will, the Apostle Paul’s Life took a very different track. Paul was, again by his own admission, nurtured and indoctrinated into the Jewish religion; we read this in his words saying: “I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day” (Acts 22:3). It IS through this nurturing and this indoctrination that he became what he was which he tells us as “I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee” (Acts 23:6).
From Luke’s words about Paul in the Book of Acts and from his own words in his epistles, we get a picture of a man who was staunchly religious but, at the same time, far from the Truth and the Presence of God. Paul had much more to overcome than DID Peter and in Paul’s Way of the disciple we see a very different picture. The depth of Paul’s indoctrination was so deep that he actively pursued those that were following the Lord because this was in opposition to ALL that he KNEW as a Jew. He tells us of this through Luke’s words saying “And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished” (Acts 22:4-5).
While Paul’s ‘conversion’ may be presented as miraculous and while it may seem that the Lord singled him out to present Christianity to the world, quite the opposite IS Truly occurring. Just what brought on the apostle’s epiphany IS uncertain; we KNOW only that he was on the road to Damascus when he had: a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, which IS the dictionary definition of epiphany that adds that these ARE: usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience 7. This IS the apostle’s glimpse of the Truth. When we can understand that as a Soul, as a spiritual being, he already KNOWS the Truths that ARE revealed to him and that these Truths were ever presented to him but blocked by his own carnal thoughts and attitudes, we can then more clearly see his epiphany.
There IS NO disagreement between the story that the apostle tells through the Apostle Luke in the Book of Acts and our view here; Luke reports Paul’s experience through his own perception of the events as a man; the apostle says very little of this himself. We should ever remember that while one may have some measure of the Truth and His Presence according to the trifecta, these revelations and realization ARE per force expressed through the mind and the emotions of the man in the world and perhaps we can see this in the apostle’s words to the Ephesians which we have been studying. While one may be “renewed in the spirit of your mind” the mind IS yet still the same….it IS however influenced by the Spirit and the Soul rather than by the former carnal instinct. This IS the reality of “the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness“….it IS “the new man” that expresses the qualities of the spiritual man and becomes that spiritual man in this Earth. Repeating Paul’s words we read:
“This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:17-24).
We must remember here the reality of degree and of measure; it IS by measure that one IS “renewed in the spirit of your mind” and it IS by measure that one becomes “the new man” and we should understand here that the same IS likely True in the Life of Paul. While there ARE some who interpret Paul’s words to the Galatians to say that he was personally taught by Jesus, the greater Truth IS his teaching IS as he says: “neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:12).and it IS this reality of revelation that comes through the unction which IS the anointing and IS the deeper Truth of the Christ Within.
The Apostle John tells us “ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things” and again that “the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him” (1 John 2:20, 27). We should remember there the relationship between the Greek word chrisma which IS rendered as both unction and anointing and Christos which IS always rendered as Christ: that they ARE both from the same Greek root word chiro. And we should try to see these ideas of revelation and KNOWING and the idea of abiding ARE in accordance with Jesus’ own words which ARE our trifecta; we read 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).
In Paul’s ideas that tell us to “put on the new man” and to be “renewed in the spirit of your mind” we have that same dynamic change in the expression of the man in the world that Paul himself experienced, a change that began on the road to Damascus and continued until he reached the fullness of the Truth and the Presence of God as we read in the trifecta; this change IS the apostle’s Repentance and Transformation. The apostle’s cost was simply that he would keep His words….that he would live according to the “the revelation of Jesus Christ” which came through that unction, that anointing, that IS the Christ Within. How we believe that this occurred IS of NO moment but we should remember how that John portrays this for us in accordance with the trifecta….Jesus tells us that it is the man who “will keep my words” that will have the realization of His Presence which IS found in His words saying of Himself and the Father that “we will come unto him, and make our abode with him“.
Paul does speak about his own teaching in our selection from Galatians that we have been studying in rather simple words and this IS to show his point that what he had come to KNOW IS what he was teaching as the True gospel which “I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it“. While this point IS missed by the doctrines of men, it IS nonetheless very important. The apostle also tells us that he spent three years in Arabia and, again, while some may believe that this was personal time with Jesus, the reality is better seen as his time of reflection and meditation and a time where he DID shed ALL of the “yoke of bondage“, a yoke that tied him to his doctrines, and to “put off concerning the former conversation the old man“.
Paul’s change IS dynamic and while this IS seen as a ‘conversion’ by doctrines, the reality IS much deeper. The apostle was able to overcome the entirety of his nurturing and his indoctrination as well as his years of experience as a zealous Jew who “persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women“. And it IS the way that he was able to overcome his own “yoke of bondage” that he teaches us in his epistles while clarifying and amplifying the words of Jesus. The apostle was able to change his Life from the depths of his own words; it was he who lived “in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart“.
While his own sense of doctrine prevented him from realizing his own Truth, he was able to overcome and in his teachings we should see how that everyman has this same opportunity. And we should understand the relative ease of our own journey compared with Paul’s. We close today with our words from Galatians again and we should try to see how that the apostle IS taking that flash of realization which each man may have and showing them that it IS this that they must follow as he tells us to “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1). He then goes on to give us his warnings and his cautions which we read again:
“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:6-12).
“For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. 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 affections and lusts” (Galatians 5:17-24).
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
- 7 Dictionary.com Unabridged based on Random House Dictionary – 2011
