ON LOVE; PART MCCLXIV
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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 some additional thoughts on the doctrinal ideas of grace as that ‘free gift’ for which men have NO responsibility of performance. This IS one of the great pillars of Christianity today and it operates under the varied doctrinal ideas of atonement where once a man confesses and attests to believing in Jesus, that He died and was resurrected from the dead, he IS absolved of ALL ‘sin’. Many see this in the Apostle Paul’s words saying “he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21) and many see this as their great exchange. The reality of the exchange however requires more on the part of a man and here, while the church teaches the idea of covenant, they DO NOT see the reality of the quid pro quo that IS inherent in such covenants.
The doctrines of men have subverted the Truth as they teach that the Lord Jesus DID everything necessary for their salvation; they have taken away from men the need to perform their part in the True exchange where men will become “doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22). This doctrinal assertion IS based in this same idea of deception that James shows us; men have, over the centuries, devised clever ways to work around the Truth of the Master’s words while building doctrinal ideas that they believe protect them from their True responsibility. It IS these doctrinal ideas that flourish yet today and here we should be able to see the very depth of the deception taken up by the teachers and preachers of their several versions of gospel Truth.
The most basic reality IS the Truth which needs NO interpretation nor coloring and while the church today seems to insist that it IS impossible to DO as the Master instructs, they have become moribund in their failing ideas which rest solely upon the authority assumed by them as teachers and preachers and their predecessors. There IS NO search for the Truth by the masses and, at the same time, there IS a falling away from the doctrinal assertions which for most bear NO fruit. And while many teach on the impossibility of keeping His words other proclaim that the commandments of God ARE intentionally given for men to fail; perhaps so that they can reach that place where they KNOW that them must rely upon the ‘free gift’ of grace for their salvation.
In the last essay we discussed how that in the words of the Master and His apostles we can see that the ‘gift of grace‘, the charisma and the charis, ARE in reality the same word idea that IS broken apart by the doctrines of men in order to show forth the strength of their doctrinal approach to the Lord. In Jesus’ words on agape and its expression with NO “respect to persons” (James 2:9) we find the use of the idea of reward coupled with the idea of grace which IS unfortunately rendered as thank by the King James translators and as credit, benefit and commendation by others. In the reality of charis as grace and an understanding that grace IS ALL things that come from the Godhead, the idea of reward IS clearly seen, a reward that IS shown us by the apostle Matthew who uses the Greek word misthos in place of charis. Misthos 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.
This view of charis should reveal that the expression of agape by a man will result in the grace that IS one’s revelations and realizations of Truth and this IS borne out by the reality of Jesus’ words from our trifecta and the Apostle Paul’s words that equate keeping His words with that expression. The reality here IS NOT hidden from view, it IS NOT a part of the mysteries that ARE alluded to by the Master and His apostles; the reality here IS offered in plain, clear language which requires NO interpretation by church authorities as their interpretations ONLY dilute and change Jesus’ intent. In our trifecta which we repeat in most every post we have the essential elements of the quid pro quo that IS the relationship between God and man and this IS essentially the same as the covenant expressed by Moses 3500 years ago.
While differences ARE clear from the perspective of what the Lord will DO for men, we should understand that these differences ARE a matter of time and place rather than differences in the response of the Lord. We should understand here that their ARE NO magical ideas involved but that the blessings that ARE promised to the Jews ARE the result of their own version of being “transformed by the renewing of your mind“; it IS this Transformation that IS the essence of their blessing and while there may have been some that DID according to Moses dictate, the nation to which he spoke DID fail.
We should remember here that the man in those days 3500 years ago was a barbarous and superstitious man and here we should try to imagine how such a Transformation would work, how that their revelations and realizations could change this pattern of Life and make them less and less barbarous and superstitious. Would this prevent the constant struggle that they endured; would this sense of Truth alter the need for wars and conquest that ARE attributed to the will of God rather than to the wills of men who deceived themselves by believing that they were DOING His will. Can we see the point here? The covenant was clear 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).
Perhaps the belief that they were DOING the Lords will was centered then as it IS centered now, in the convincing of oneself that one IS obedient in ALL while being obedient ONLY to one’s doctrinal Truths. We should understand here that today’s obedience in most ALL denominations and sects has little to DO with the Truth of the Master’s instructions but rather ONLY those ideas that ARE deemed by the several doctrines of men to be important. Added to this IS the formulated doctrinal approach of atonement and the doctrinal ideas of grace as that ‘free gift’; it IS this approach that enables the Christian to NOT see himself as his sees the Jews in Moses day, as having a covenant in which they DO NOT perform their part.
We should note here that the Jews DO formulate a doctrinal approach that revolves ONLY around those things that could be DONE without sacrifice, without sacrificing their own sense of humanity as regards their own vanity, their own desire to keep the things of the self and the self in this world as their paramount motivation. Most willingly accepted the rites and the rituals that were added to the law by Moses while ignoring the finer points and it IS this that Jesus rails against in His dealings with the Jews. And while the Master’s words to the Jews should be seen as a warning to the fledgling Christian religion to NOT DO the same, to NOT be “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:7), they did DO and still DO so. The Christian, as the Jew before him, DOES NOT see the reality of the sacrifice that Jesus teaches us which His apostles clarify and amplify in such ideas as this from Paul who tells us:
“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).
In these words IS our guidance, our Path to the Truth if you will. Paul’s words here define for us the very idea of focus and we should see this clearly in the idea of sacrificing the carnal for the spiritual and exchanging the desire to keep the things of the self and the self in this world for striving toward the things of God. So long as men believe that this Life in this world IS one’s True Life, so long as men believe that they ARE a body that has a Spirit rather than a Spirit that IS living through a body, they will NOT understand this idea of sacrifice except in carnal and doctrinal terms. Few there ARE that understand the totality of this sacrifice nor the idea that ALL that IS for the self in any way IS part and parcel of being “conformed to this world“.
Whether building businesses or building churches men ARE “conformed to this world” unless that business or church IS a fully selfless endeavor. This idea may seem hard to understand but we should see that if either builds up the builder, his ego or his sense of profit, it IS NOT the product of one who IS Transformed or renewed. Again, while the Master’s words on riches and on treasure ARE relatively clear and easy to understand, the doctrinal church has put up many barricades to men’s proper understanding of His intent. As a man in this world there IS NO wrong in building a business or starting a church that feeds the ego or fulfills the profit motive but to DO so IS NOT in accord with the ideals of discipleship which so many who DO such things claim to be.
To build a business or a church and give away parts of the profit in philanthropic enterprise may make one a “cheerful giver” but it DOES NOT make one a disciple and while much doctrinal effort goes into the idea of tithing, we should understand that it IS NOT God that wants our money….it IS the church organization and its desire for funding its own peculiar ventures. And yes one may give a portion to the poor and downtrodden but for most the vast majority of funds goes to support the functions of the church and the greater church’s missions and missionaries. We should try to see this through the Master’s words which tell the rich man to “go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me” (Matthew 19:21).
Again we ARE reminded of Jesus words on treasure and on the focus of a man and here we should try to see that it IS NOT the money that IS the issue, it IS the energy expended to attain that money and to keep it that IS the overriding burden of men. This IS True for the builder and the worker in regard to business and this IS True of the builder and the member in regard to a church. The worker continually strives to earn more which creates division between the builder and the worker and the concentration of both comes to these issues whether they be in terms of wages or benefits. Similarly in the church there IS ever division between the builder and the follower and this in regard to ALL things religious. From tithing to disagreements on doctrine, it IS the egos of men on both sides that prevent the search for the One Truth and, to be sure, the greater burden here IS on the builder, some of whom live luxuriously on the tithes of the followers.
Jesus’ guidance on the matters of treasure should be understood in the broadest terms and NOT in regard to finances alone. He speaks in terms of what IS in one’s heart, one’s consciousness, which IS either focused upon the carnal or the spiritual. Similarly we should NOT see mammon in strict financial terms either but rather in terms of ALL that IS of this world, the totality of the corruption afforded through one’s focus upon the self and the things of the self. We should see ALL things carnal in this idea of mammon, every thought, every attitude and every desire; from one’s relationships in Life, to one’s social standing, to ones wealth and possessions, ALL ARE facets of mammon. In this we should understand that the most ALL men of business actively choose the ideas of mammon over God and that in the church the choosing IS far more subtle but IS nonetheless there. We read Jesus words from Matthew’s Gospel saying:
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life” (Matthew 6:19-24, 25)
The Master IS telling us that whatsoever takes one’s focus here in this Earth IS corruptible and when we look at that idea against the Apostle Paul’s words on the “bondage of corruption” we should be able to see as well how that this sense of focus upon the corruptible IS men’s bondage. Paul tells us of the vanity of Life in this world and how that ALL are subjected to this vanity which we should see as our illusion and our glamour and then understand that to be delivered, to be made free from this bondage, requires one’s change of that focus from the self in his vanity and onto the things of God which IS one’s “treasures in heaven“. Paul IS telling us that by our very nature as men we will tend to “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth“; this IS the nature of men in their vanity. And in the idea that men “shall be delivered” we should see the end point for our existence, an end point that may NOT come in this Lifetime but which IS at the same time our shared destiny.
Paul tells us “the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because expectation that the creature itself also shall be delivered be made free from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:20-21). In the reality that the idea of “by reason of him” refers to God and that God DOES NOT need to hope but will rather fully expect we have altered this word hope to expectation. In accord with Vincent’s explanation of the verse we also change because to that as he moves the whole saying of “in hope that” to the next verse 4; we should remember here that hope IS NOT that wishful thinking but, as Webster’s 1828 dictionary explains: Hope differs from wish and desire in this, that it implies some expectation of obtaining the good desired 1. Finally we have changed the idea of “shall be delivered” to the idea of being made free based in the way that the Greek word eleutheroo IS most often rendered; this IS the ONLY place that it IS translated as delivered.
It IS important to understand Paul’s point here in a way that, along with the rest of his thoughts here in this part of Romans, shows us the reality of the destiny of men, especially those who have been awakened as disciples and aspirants to discipleship. Their past IS vanity and their future IS freedom from that bondage and if we can see this idea as Vincent paints it, we can then better understand the way that these words from Paul ARE amplifying and clarifying the Master’s words on treasure and mammon. Vincent tells us that this vanity IS: a perishable and decaying condition, separate from God, and pursuing false ends 4.
We should easily see the perishable and decaying condition in Jesus words that tell us that it IS “upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal” and that it IS as one’s focus IS changed to the Truth of God that one IS freed from this corruption. There ARE two KEYS to Jesus’ words above; first IS the reality that “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also“. In this we should see how that this idea of treasure stretches to every part of Life and pertains most specifically to one’s sense of focus….a man will be focused upon whatsoever IS of importance to him, be these the things of God or the things of and for the self in this world. The second IS that one can Truly ONLY focus in one of these directions.
The Master tells us “Ye cannot serve God and mammon” and this IS a great Truth that DOES NOT stop men from trying. Jesus reasoning IS rather simple as He tells us that “either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other“. We should see that the word miseo that IS rendered as hate IS the same word that we see in Jesus’ description of the disciple, that if a man “hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). Since in this latter saying the idea of hate CAN NOT be the Master’s reference, that it rather implies to Love less IS apparent in the way that this idea IS expressed by Jesus according to Matthew. If we can borrow this idea and attach it to Jesus’ words on mammon, we can then perhaps see the simpler relationship between a man and his two ideas of focus.
If we take this even further we can see the whole of human nature as this relates to God and this especially in the Life of the man who has NOT yet been able to present himself “a living sacrifice” which IS that singleness of vision. Most ALL ARE entwined in this idea of trying to serve both and this regardless of one’s religious ideas; when one’s focus IS on any carnal enterprise, in business, in the church or whatever, it IS NOT Truly upon God and again while this IS readily apparent in the secular world, it IS the same in the religious although much more subtle and hidden….sometimes hidden even from the man who believes that his focus IS True.
Our ready example IS the man who raised much money for the building of a church and spends millions believing he IS DOING God’s will while in reality he IS following a carnal path. The Apostle Paul, although speaking in response to a certain people, frames this Truth for us saying “God that made the world and all things therein*, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things” (Acts 17:24-25). We see the same idea in the Apostle Stephen’s dissertation on the history of the Jews as he says “Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands” (Acts 7:48). Can we see the point here and the denial of this point by the church going back many centuries.
We can take the same idea into the missions field where many well meaning people go about to convert others to Christ while believing that they ARE fulfilling some part of the Great Commission. They DO NOT understand however that the Great Commission says specifically that the disciple should make disciples and few there ARE that meet Jesus’ own definition of the disciple which IS found in the idea above from Luke’s Gospel and the continuation saying “whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple…..So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27, 33). Moreover, the whole gist of the Master’s words IS missed or, better, converted by the teaching of doctrines; Jesus plainly says that the disciple should be “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20).
There IS a third point here that IS overlooked and changed according to the doctrines of men and that IS that one should “Take no thought for your life“. This idea IS seen by most ALL doctrinal thinkers in terms of worry and being anxious plus other like emotions but the reality IS that to take such thought, one’s focus must be upon the self. There IS a stark reality that the Christian world refuses to see and that IS that the Way to the Kingdom, the Way to KNOW the Presence of God and the Way to the One Truth IS to keep His words; this IS the essence of our trifecta. While there ARE some parts of the church that DO present a part of this Truth of keeping His words, their argument IS most often against the backdrop of atonement and salvation through faith.
Most ALL denominations and sects maintain their doctrinal views regarding the behaviors of men and few take the idea to the reality of the sacrifice; fewer still speak with the determination of the apostle who tells us of the completeness of choosing God over mammon. In the reality of the Great Commandments we should see ALL these ideas and, to be sure, these commandments ARE the source of most ALL True Christian teaching. To “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength” IS the essence of “Take no thought for your life“. If one’s focus IS upon oneself and his Life in this world it CAN NOT possibly be upon the Lord and here we should see that such focus IS contrary to the Great Commandment; in this commandment alone we can see how that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
Similarly ALL “treasures upon earth” ARE contrary to the Great Commandment as IS ALL reliance upon mammon as such take away the attention that IS commanded to be on God. This IS of course sin and when we combine this with the second of the Great Commandments, that “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself“, we can more clearly see the fullness of the Apostle James words saying “If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:8-10). In these ideas IS the failure of most ALL men and this failure stretches from the most carnal to those who consider themselves most religious.
It IS in this failure that men have contrived their doctrines which affords them the ‘feeling’ of absolution and here again we return to James other words that tells us of the deception that IS this feeling; the apostle says “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22). In their cleverly devised doctrines men place their hope for eternal Life and they have construed this as to be in heaven, a place reserved ONLY for them as believers in Jesus as Lord. And while they must KNOW that their several doctrines ARE contrary to the direct and clearly spoken words of the Master, they have found their comfort in placing their interpretations of Paul’s words at the forefront of their version of Christian Truth with such ideas as that they live in the ‘church age’ which begins after Jesus’ death and resurrection and that Jesus’ teachings ARE NOT meant to override their interpretations of Paul’s.
These things, the church age, the dispensation of grace and other doctrinal ideas such as atonement and salvation through grace ARE the inventions of men which, again, ARE designed to offer comfort to the man who seeks God but DOES NOT want to pay the price….that DOES NOT want to face the True cost of discipleship. This cost IS that one must “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service“, the cost IS that one must see James words saying “be ye doers of the word” as an ultimate Truth that follows in the vein of the Master’s rhetorical question that asks “why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). The cost IS to fulfill the reality of the trifecta where we read NOT ONLY of the cost but also of the reward; we read again the Master’s 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 8:31-32).
- “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).
We close today with James words of caution to those men who have taken authority for the spiritual lives of the masses and to ALL who teach the tenets of their doctrines; the apostle tells us “be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation” and to this idea we append Paul’s saying from above that “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“
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
- 1 Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, 1828 and 1913 from https://1828.mshaffer.com/
- 4 Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition
- 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
