ON LOVE; PART MCCLXIII
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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 reflected on the idea of focus and how that the entirety of the New Testament IS intended in this regard: that men should change the focus of their lives away from the self and the manifold things of the self and onto the things of God. We should understand here however that we speak of the True things of God and NOT the many doctrinal ideas that ARE merely religiously painted carnal thoughts and attitudes. The things of God ARE spiritual and never carnal although there may be carnal effects based in spiritual endeavor. The things of God ARE NOT things as we think of this idea but rather intangible things which flow through the Life of a man as revelations and realizations of Truth; the things of God ARE NOT for the possession of men but for their expression.
In the last quote from the Apostle Paul that we referenced, that men should “Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good” (Romans 12:9) we have the summation of the previous ideas which begin with a man’s willing sacrifice of his self serving Life in favor of the Truth….”that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God“. This IS the realization of the man who IS “transformed by the renewing of your mind” and it IS in this realization that one comes to KNOW what IS his own “measure of faith“, his own measure of pistis which IS that KNOWING that comes according to Jesus’ words saying “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 8:32).
This sense of KNOWING IS based in two criteria. First there IS the measure of one’s striving toward the goal of keeping His words, a measure that results in proportionate revelation and realization of the Truth….”that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God“. Second there IS the ability of the Soul to express such KNOWING through the form through with he lives in this world. This second IS limited by the quality of his vehicle of expression, the mental and emotional capabilities of the personality, and by his own progress as a Soul in prompting that personality to the Good, the Beautiful and the True; this IS the Soul’s ability to influence and work through his carnal self. To this we must add the level and kind of nurturing and indoctrination that he had endured. We should see here that there IS much that can inhibit the flow of Truth but we should understand as well that ALL of these things can be overcome….ALL one needs is an overriding desire to seek the Truth.
While our thoughts may NOT capture the full depth of the apostle’s words, they DO show us the greater ideas that ARE incorporated in these sayings that ARE intended to allow the reader who IS Truly seeking God to have a Way that minimizes the role of the carnal personality. And this IS the objective of his words: to show the sacrifice as a real beginning, as a conscious undertaking that DOES renew one’s mind through the flow of some measure of Truth, and moves a man toward that next step which IS his Transformation. If we can see this idea of sacrifice in terms of the Master’s teaching on Repentance, we can then understand the greater meaning and glimpse Paul’s intent. To “present your bodies a living sacrifice” IS the fullness of one’s Repentance, the fullness of that change from attending to the things of the self to attending to the things of God. Repeating Paul’s words for their context we read:
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good” (Romans 12:1-9).
What we should try to see here IS True Repentance which IS evidenced by one’s “living sacrifice” of things carnal which IS according to the intent of Life in this world and IS therefore “your reasonable service“. It IS by this sacrifice that a man IS NO longer “conformed to this world” which IS those things carnal; he IS rather being Transformed as his mind IS NO longer fixed on the self and the world but on the things of God….it IS the things of God which increasingly occupy the thoughts and attitudes of the man. This has ever been the intent of Judaeo-Christian scripture and of the covenants that have been forged between God and man. The Christian world however has created their own covenant relationship with God; NO longer IS their covenant clearly stated as we find in Moses words to the Jews and the words of the prophets after him.
The Christian view of the new covenant IS varied as ARE so many points as denominations and sects seldom agree and few see the reality of the exchange embedded in the Master’s words that define what that covenant IS. The defining of the covenant however IS NOT found hidden in the words of the writer of the Book of Hebrews, words that must be interpreted against similar words in the Old Testament writings of the prophets. The defining of the new covenant IS also NOT found in the ceremonial ideas of the Eucharist which ARE but a symbolic gesture of remembrance; even as Jesus tells us that this IS what the bread and wine represent, much of the church has made this a central point of their worship services. The reality of the covenant IS found throughout the Master’s words; the reality IS found in every place that there IS a quid pro quo clearly stated and here again we read our trifecta which contains three aspects of His covenant. We read:
- “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).
These three points are but our own selection from many such ideas found in Jesus’ words and in these we have the essence of covenant, of the exchange which has NOT changed for 3500 years and which IS clearly set forth in Moses words saying “If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy 28:1-2). In the Christian era we should try to see that the idea of blessings IS changed from carnal ideas which ARE the result of spiritual ones to the clearly spoken spiritual words that we have in our trifecta; the blessings here ARE the realized Presence of God in one’s Life, the Truth and possession of His Kingdom.
Man’s part has NOT changed and neither has the Lord’s save for the way that this is expressed to a less superstitious and less barbarous people. The rewards ARE now shown to us in spiritual terms rather that the carnal promises of blessings that were iterated by Moses and it IS unfortunate that the doctrinal ideas on such spiritual rewards try to take them for granted. The rewards of the New Covenant can be seen in terms of the wages as we read in Jesus’ words regarding the expression of Love, of agape, by men. The Master shows us this in a seemingly obscure way which IS NOT fully understood in terms of a quid pro quo and this IS mostly because the doctrinal thinker refrains from seeing anything from God in such terms. Jesus, speaking of the expression of Love, IS quoted in two distinct ways which of course have the same meaning and which, as Paul tells us, ARE equivalent to keeping His words which IS ever man’s part of the exchange. Paul tells us:
“Owe no man any thing, but agapao one another: for he that agapao another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt agape thy neighbour as thyself. Agape worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore agape is the fulfilling of the law. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed” (Romans 13:8-11).
These words plus the similar idea that he offers us saying “all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Galatians 5:14) should point men back to the original covenant and an understanding that the old and the new ARE NOT different but rather the same. It IS in this way that we should look at Jesus words that tell us of the very Power of agape and these specific words that show us the reciprocal action of its expression; the Master says:
- According to Luke that: “if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil” (Luke 6:32-36).
- According to Matthew that: “For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?” (Matthew 5:46:47).
Both writers end these sayings with the Master’s admonition to be as IS the Father and while one shows us that He IS merciful and the other that He IS perfect, we should understand that He IS both. We should see also that the admonition IS more simply to be as He IS, especially in regard to agape which IS the subject to which this idea IS attached by both. Our point here however IS the way that the writers use the ideas of charis and misthos and how that the first IS rendered as thank by the King James translators and in terms of credit and commendation by most others; few render this as it should be….as grace.
It IS grace that IS the reward for agape which then in the reward for keeping His words as Paul tells us. And, if we look at the ideas defining misthos we see also the idea of wages which should alter our view of the idea away from something that IS given and NOT earned. This IS of course contrary to the doctrinal ideas that ARE based in Paul’s sayings about grace as a ‘free gift‘, an idea that IS doctrinally sourced rather than literally found in the Greek. We should understand here again that the Greek word charisma that IS rendered as gift IS the neuter noun equivalent to the feminine noun charis which should always be seen as grace and which in turn should always be understood as whatsoever comes from God. At the same time it IS important to see that ALL grace, ALL charis, IS spiritual and that there IS naught that Truly comes from God that IS NOT. A review of the way that these words ARE used can surely point us to this reality.
We should understand here that both Luke and Matthew ARE telling us the same thing using the different ideas of charis or grace and misthos which IS defined as: pay for service 9a by Strong’s and as dues paid for work; wages, hire and as reward 9 by Thayer’s. Can we see the point here which, when related to the idea of charis as Luke shows us, tells us that grace too IS that reward….the wages that ARE garnered by the man who will express agape and keep His words. It IS hard to understand why Luke’s use of the word charis IS rendered in terms of thank or as a sign that one may get credit or commendation for his expression of agape; the ONLY reason for NOT calling this grace IS likely that this idea of grace as a reward detracts from the doctrinal views that ARE based in interpretations of Paul’s writings.
These doctrinal views have created an interpretation that the whole idea of charis and charisma IS free and the idea IS rendered as such by most ALL translations of the Greek text. This whole idea of ‘free gift’ IS made necessary by the doctrinal ideas of atonement and the church’s reliance upon faith and believing as the keys to salvation; in both of these ideas there IS little left for a man to DO and NO impetus for him to heed the ageless words of the covenants, both new and old. Grace IS broadly misunderstood and relegated mostly to carnal issues by much of the church that DOES NOT see that the reality of charis IS that it IS ALL things that come from God and here we should remember that there IS NO thing carnal that comes from God.
On the matter of carnal rewards we must ever understand and remember that such come equally to the man of faith and the man in whom there IS little or NO faith. Prospering here in this world IS NOT the privilege of the Christian but IS spread across the human family with NO True rhyme or reason. Some prosper according to their work or their clever invention while for others prosperity IS a matter of happenstance but, to be sure, God has NO role to play and God DOES NOT pick the winners and the losers; “there is no respect of persons with God” (Romans 2:11). The Apostle James paints this for us in rather stark terms saying “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4). To this we should add the many sayings from the Master that tell us that such carnal ideas ARE folly. Unfortunately His words ARE manipulated by men’s desire to attain and maintain their prosperity.
The Master’s general idea IS found in His words on treasure and the Truth that one “cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24). While the idea of mammon IS much broader than the idea of prosperity, carnal treasures ARE one of Jesus’ primary intents in this saying. The True divide here IS between things carnal and things spiritual. Doctrines have however perverted this idea of riches into the way that this IS framed by the Apostle Mark who gives us Jesus’ words as “how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!” (Mark 10:24). In these words the doctrinal thinker has substituted “trust in riches” for the more simple idea of riches and we should try to see that the fallacy of this IS founded in the way that most ALL men with riches attend to those riches.
Neither Luke nor Matthew include this idea of trust and neither DOES Mark as he report’s Jesus first iteration that simply says “How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!” (Mark 10:23). This of course agrees with the presentation of the other writers and we should try to understand here that it IS NOT the riches themselves that ARE the deterrent but the attitude of the man with riches and his sense of focus. To focus upon the things of God IS tantamount to giving up one’s riches which IS the idea that Jesus’ imparts to the rich man saying “go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor” (Matthew 19:21). Here again we should try to understand that it IS the focus of one’s Life that IS of importance as one will focus upon the things of the self or on the things of God.
It IS the vanity of Life in this world that alters the Truth as this vanity becomes the illusion and the glamour that men see as the reality of their lives. It IS in this sense of illusion that men see that this Life in this world IS the essence of their being and while they DO KNOW that their True essence IS spiritual, this idea has been discounted to reflect that man has a Spirit rather that man IS a Spirit. It IS in this idea of Spirit that we must understand the words from Genesis that tell us “God created man in his own image” (Genesis 1:27) and the simplicity of this IS shown us by the Master who tells us that “God is a Spirit” (John 4:24). This Truth however IS made moot by the doctrinal proclamations that seek to interpret these ideas into carnal terms and there ARE some that inject the man Jesus into this equation based on such sayings as:
- Speaking of Jesus: “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3). This IS rendered in several different ways; several render the ideas as the “image of his substance” while other render in terms of imprint saying that He IS “the imprint of God’s being” or of His nature. Perhaps the most accurate rendering IS that He IS “the very expression of God’s essence” as the Complete Jewish Bible renders and “the exact expression of His nature” or of His substance as others DO. This idea of expression shows a corresponding idea to Paul’s words saying “in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9).
- In Paul’s letter to the Colossians we also read, speaking of Christ Jesus, that “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist” (Colossians 1:15-17). While some doctrines cling to the idea that the man Jesus “is the image of the invisible God” as a man, the greater reality IS found in the invisibility which IS the characteristic of the Spirit and NOT the form. While some render this idea as that “Christ is the visible likeness of the invisible God” and see this in terms of the man, the greater understanding IS found in John’s words from the prologue to his gospel where we read “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehendeda it not“. Further on we read that “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:1-5, 14) which IS the clothing of the Spirit with a garment of flesh.
These ideas ARE NOT in regard to the supposed doctrinal ideas from Genesis, that the picture of a man IS the same as a picture of God; these ideas ARE fully spiritual in nature and while they may be used by some to show their view of the Genesis idea, the reality IS that the very idea of image must always be compared to the Godhead which IS NOT in the image of a man. God can be said to be many things but NONE are physical or carnal. Paul uses this idea that man IS created “in the image of God” (Genesis 1:27) in a rather carnal way as well and while we DO NOT understand his point in saying such things as “a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man“, we should at least understand that in Truth there IS NO separation of men and women….both ARE equally divine beings.
Paul IS making a carnal point and one that IS a social norm in those times and it IS unfortunate that his words have created a division that has lasted for centuries in the church which has perpetuated this division. There IS irony here in the way that these words on men and women lead up to the apostle’s saying “when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it” (1 Corinthians 11:7, 18). Spiritually there IS NO difference between the man and the woman; both ARE Spirit manifest as Soul….ALL differences ARE carnal. The full idea from Genesis shows us that “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Genesis 1:27) and here, regardless of how one wishes to interpret this idea, both male and female ARE “in the image of God“.
We of course choose to understand this spiritually, that AS spiritual beings men and women ARE both created “in the image of God” and that their manifestation as men in this world IS a later event which we read as “the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). Spiritually there ARE NO sexes, it IS ONLY here in this world that the idea of sexes comes into play; spiritually there IS NO need for reproduction nor marriage as God simply IS and ALL IS part and parcel of Him; the lives of men as Spirit CAN NOT add nor detract from the spiritual Presence that IS God. Jesus explains this part of marriage in His words to the Sadducees saying “The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection” (Luke 20:34-36).
There IS a deep reality in these words and in the more simple versions from Matthew and Mark and we should try to understand that this reality IS one of the great mysteries that the Master and His apostles speak of. We should remember here that the idea of mystery IS NOT so much that these things ARE hidden from men in parables and parabolic language but rather that a man CAN NOT see the deeper Truths without some foundation in the Truth; a foundation that comes in keeping His words….that comes by measure to the man who will “continue in my word” as we read in our trifecta.
In ALL of these ideas that have been hijacked by the doctrines of men and turned into their view of atonement and salvation by faith we should always try to see that the lacking part IS the failure to see the quid pro quo. This IS the ONLY exchange that Truly matters and ALL doctrinal ideas that show another ARE but the inventions by men aimed at protecting their ‘right’ to a carnal Life, their ‘right’ to live in this world as men, while painting this for themselves as a spiritual endeavor. In every instance in the Master’s words there IS an exchange….there IS a sense of performance needed on the part of a man which returns to him some spiritual endowment, some reward or, better, some wages, ALL of which ARE the reality of charis which IS grace.
While reward and wages ARE the defining ideas for the Greek word misthos, the relationship to charis IS founded in the two variations on the Master’s words which we discuss above. To this we should add the additional defining idea for the kindred word charisma which Strong’s tells IS: a divine gratuity 9a. Here we should try to see that a gratuity, while NOT specifically wages, IS a payment or a reward given over and above. If then we want to see the idea of grace as a ‘free gift’, this IS the relationship that we should see this in: free yes but earned as well.
We close with this idea that we will continue with in the next essay and this IS how that the doctrinal approach to grace has caused even bible translators to alter the original ideas of the Master and His apostles as they try to frame charis as free from the perspective that there IS NO requirement for men to perform. In Paul’s words to the Romans the idea of charisma IS rendered as “free gift” but, if we can see this in terms of a divine gratuity, we can than better understand the whole if the apostle’s point.
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 |
Quote of the Day:
Let the peace of God rule in your hearts
- 9a The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible on blueletterbible.org
- 9 Thayer’s Greek Lexicon on blueletterbible.org
Those who walk on the well-trodden path always throw stones at those who are showing a new road.
Voltaire, Writer and Philosopher
