ON LOVE; PART MCCCXLIV
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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).
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In the last essay we discussed the idea of agape as this IS related to Paul’s words from his Epistle to the Romans along with our selection from the same book. We should note that there IS a continuation of thoughts and ideas from chapter to chapter in this epistle with a steady building of the Truth that takes us from Old Testament ideas on righteousness to the New Testament reality of agape through the idea that “love agape is the fulfilling of the law“. While Paul IS contrasting the Old way to righteousness, he IS NOT in any way de-emphasizing the reality of the law as this relates to Moses teaching, but, rather, the Jews ignorance of the Truth saying “they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God” (Romans 10:3). We should try to see that it IS this ignorance, based in vanity, that results in the Jews establishment of their mitzvah and their traditional ways of keeping the law while never seeing the True intent of the law: as a tool to be used for KNOWING the reality of God and the relationship of everyman to the Godhead and his fellowman. While Paul seeks to replace this ignorance with pistis, the nebulous idea of doctrinal faith has left his teaching void of the same reality of KNOWING as doctrines have taken his words into unintended doctrinal ideas. While ignoring the precursor ideas regarding Moses, the church has taken Paul’s words from the correction of ignorance to a greater reliance upon a doctrinal view where pistis, confession and affirmation have become but a new mantra that replaces the Jews reliance upon their mitzvah, a reliance that Paul shows us as their ignorance. True pistis IS KNOWING some measure of the Truth while the idea of confessing IS intended to be the result of Repentance and NOT that nebulous idea of faith that has become the hallmark of doctrinal Christianity. Similarly the idea of affirming that “that God hath raised him from the dead” (Romans 10:9) IS intended to be based in that same Repentance which sees Jesus as Lord which should result in the realities that ARE shown us in Jesus words and, here, we again refer to our trifecta as the Way. Repeating the trifecta 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).
The point here IS simply that if Jesus IS Lord then one should follow in His words and NOT seek out alternative realities that allow for a man to keep his Life in this world in disregard of the precepts outlined by the Master. The primary doctrinal alternative IS to have that nebulous faith while ‘believing‘ simply “if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9), in shallow and literal terms, IS ALL that a man must DO to be eternally ‘saved‘. We should note here that in this idea of doctrinal ‘salvation‘, which the church has combined with their view of atonement, and the totally separate concept of being “born again” (John 3:3)), there IS ONLY the promise ‘heaven’ at the death of the body. We should note as well that there IS NO scriptural reality to the doctrinal view of heaven save for what IS ‘gleaned’ from out of context ideas and human interpretations of the dreams and visions of some of the writers. The reality of the Greek word homologeo which IS rendered as confess has a primary meaning according to Strong’s of: to assent, i.e. covenant, acknowledge which idea they then stretch into such doctrinal ideas as: con- (pro-)fess, confession is made, give thanks, promise 9a. Thayer’s shows us homologeo as: properly, to say the same thing as another, i. e. to agree with, assent, both absolutely and with a dative of the person 9. We should try to see here that the intent IS NOT merely to say but rather to say the same thing as “the Lord Jesus” which IS His doctrine and NOT the alternative ideas which have resulted in the church “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:9). Vincent shows us homologeo in regard to this verse saying: If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the word that Jesus is Lord. Rev., Jesus as Lord 4. Here still the idea of homologeo as agreeing with, assenting to, and saying the same thing as the Master should reign over the doctrinal idea of merely saying such words; if He IS Truly Lord then one should DO as He says to ‘earn’ salvation which IS, to be sure, here and now. We should be reminded here of Jesus’ own words which ARE part of Luke’s version of the second part of our trifecta; here the Master says “why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). This rhetorical question IS intimately tied to the idea of homologeo in Paul’s words and this through the defining ideas of agreeing with, assenting to, and saying the same thing as. Luke’s version of Jesus’ words IS rather straightforward and calls into question the way that many call upon Him as Lord while ignoring His precepts as they use the cover of their doctrinal ideas as justification. Matthew shows us Jesus words saying that one will NOT “enter into the kingdom of heaven” except he keep the precepts of the Lord which perforce includes the commandments of the Master who tells us also that “the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me“. Doctrinal justification for ‘ignoring’ the primary law and the precepts shown us by the Master ARE NOT ONLY based in the interpretation of Paul’s words on confession and affirmation that ‘promise’ salvation but also in the doctrinal idea that Jesus’ words ARE intended ONLY for the Jew in those days under what they see as the old covenant. We should note that there IS NO direct scriptural reality for this view which IS contrary even to their own understanding of the Great Commission as this IS presented in Matthew’s Gospel. Nonetheless this view IS prevalent in much of the church and relies upon ideas of sacrifice and atonement under a new covenant which IS NOT specifically defined save for the idea that the new covenant IS in the heart of a man; ALL other doctrinal ideas ARE fabricated from an assortment of sayings, NONE of which allow for ignoring the primacy of the law nor the Master’s own commandments.
In the Book of Hebrews the eighth chapter ends with the idea that “In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away” (Hebrews 8:13). While we can see in this that the old covenant ideas of the law ARE “ready to vanish away” because of the new, this has naught to DO with the Master’s words which ARE in reality the essence of the new covenant. Moreover, we should see here the Apostle Paul’s words that we discussed in the last post saying “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” and understand that this IS the bridge from the old way of “fulfilling the law” to the new covenant way of agape. Men’s doctrines however DO NOT see this as they believe and teach that they ARE free from any encumbrance that may detract from their ability to live as men in this Earth and there IS little that can be done to dissuade such ideas but to offer a greater Truth. In the rites and rituals of some parts of the church and the affirmations and confessions of other parts there IS another singular binding idea which IS the atonement that IS doctrinally applied by the death of the Master. It IS this that frees men from their sins but ONLY in the doctrinal view of sin and NOT in the reality that sin IS ALL that DOES NOT conform with the Truth of Jesus words as encapsulated for us in the Great Commandments. Looking again at the words that precede Paul’s words on confession and affirmation we find his criticism of the Jews’ practices and the way that they created their own sense of righteousness….how that “they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God“. We should remember that Paul was a willing participant in this doctrinal establishment of error over Truth and that in these words from his epistle he seeks to show that the Way IS in accepting Christ but this NOT ONLY in words of affirmation and confession but rather in the deeper Truth of homologeo which IS to agree with, assent to and DO as the Master says. The greater point here IS found in the way that Christian doctrines have, from the beginning, set themselves to be “going about to establish their own righteousness” and this through “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:7). This they DO rather than to fulfill the churches accepted responsibilities of the Great Commission which they have sorely misapplied and misunderstood. While the commission demands that the church be teaching their followers “to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20), the church teaches ONLY their doctrines which DO attempt, again from the beginning, “to establish their own righteousness“.
This brings us back to our recent theme of the church’s views against those things that they have come to see as causes which they believe enhance their sense of “their own righteousness“. They DO so against such human failings that ARE NOT singularly addressed in scripture with any of the specificity that IS applied by the church. Today’s primary focus on the sins of others center around such things as abortion, homosexuality, contraception and fornication and we should see that these ARE but the highlights of the various lists of such sins. Again we must understand that the doctrinal idea of sin IS NOT the reality of the defining ideas of hamartia and the verb form hamartano. We should note here that the primary definition of hamartano according to Strong’s IS: properly, to miss the mark (and so not share in the prize)9a; the question here then should be what IS the mark. Thayer’s reverses these ideas saying that hamartano IS: to be without a share in, namely, the mark); properly, to miss the mark 9. Again, the question would be just what IS the mark that IS missed in sin. Spiritually the mark can be understood as the human objective and while doctrines have rendered this word sin to be specific failings, they DO NOT see the spiritual import. Paul shows us a glimpse of the mark in our selection from Romans as to “be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” and we should remember here that this idea of deliverance IS from the same Greek word as IS to be made free. In this same selection he also shows us this mark as being “the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body” but this IS a concept that few understand. Jesus shows us the mark in His words from our trifecta; first as the Truth which “shall make you free” and then as being able to “enter into the kingdom of heaven“. We get yet a clearer picture from the third part where we read of attaining the Presence of God and should we look at ALL this together we can see that these ideas ARE rather synonymous. ALL that prevents a man from realizing these things, the Truth, the Kingdom and His Presence as well as that “glorious liberty” and the adoption, then IS sin and here we should see the True defining ideas of hamartia and hamartano. Most ALL miss the mark for lack of KNOWING; first most DO NOT KNOW that they should be focused upon the mark, that their Life’ motive should be to have the Truth as a man in this world. The world however prefers to “mind the things of the flesh” which IS then the first idea of sin. We should understand that this IS NOT a particular choice for most ALL men as it this view of Life that IS inherent in the vanity into which ALL ARE born. Both of these points ARE from our selection from Romans which we repeat saying:
“they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in
hope, Becauseexpectation that the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body” (Romans 8:5-23).
This first failure of KNOWING IS exacerbated by the teaching of doctrines that show a man his ‘salvation‘, his freedom from the perils of sin, in rites and rituals and in the doctrinal ideas of being “born again” through affirmations and confessions or in some combination of these doctrinal ideas. This IS the second failure then: that through men’s nurturing and continuing indoctrination they fail to see the need to seek the Truth, the Kingdom and the Presence of God as they have convinced themselves, without any evidentiary expression of fruit, that they have these things. It IS against this tendency for the doctrinal thinker to believe that he has the Truth, the Kingdom and the Presence of God that the Master speaks in Matthew’s version of the rhetorical question that asks why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?“. We read Jesus words saying “Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 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. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:19-23). While the first part here IS attached to the previous thoughts on KNOWING the validity of any teacher or teaching, there IS a continuation that shows us the value of that fruit in relation to those that call “Lord, Lord“. We should try to see that Jesus IS speaking to those that have convinced themselves of the value of their self proclaimed ability to prophecy, their self proclaimed ability to heal and their self proclaimed DOING of “many wonderful works“; we should see that He IS calling out the hypocrisy of their self proclamations which have NOT produced True fruit. Here we should see that His words being to the Jews alone IS unlikely and that the very nature of these words, as well as those from Luke, ARE predictive and reach forth into the Christian era where such hypocrisy abounds. While some conflate the ideas here with those events from the Book of Acts concerning “vagabond Jews” (Acts 19:13-14), we should see that this too would be predictive. We should see as well that there IS little in the gospels to show us of the many of whom the Master speaks. The church over the centuries has failed to see themselves in such a role where their self proclaimed spiritual nature IS contrary to the Truth that the Lord teaches in His words and this because of their illusion and glamour that puts their doctrines in the place of His words. We have then the failure of KNOWING what the mark IS and then the failure caused by one’s own self proclamations of spiritual reality that replace the Truth of the mark at which they should be aiming. This IS the greater reality of sin and again we should understand that while NOT intentional in the ways of men, it IS intentional from the perspective of that vanity by which men unwittingly seek out this perishable and decaying condition, separate from God, and pursuing false ends 4 as Vincent describes the condition.
The greatest failure of men however, the greatest reality of sin in the lives of the masses, IS founded in the ignorance of men as related to the Great Commandments. These words ARE NOT divorced from any covenant and while the doctrines of men have created for themselves ‘safe havens’ to insulate them from the reality of sin….sin DOES yet exist and it persists in the lives of most ALL who see themselves as ‘saved‘. Much of the doctrinal ‘safe haven’ IS founded in the ideas of atonement and the idea of the “forgiveness of sins“, an idea that IS grossly misunderstood through the doctrines of men. The sins of men ARE founded in their sense of vanity and ARE continual so long as the focus of a man IS upon the carnal and the mundane which IS of course contrary to the first of the Great Commandments. So long as a man’s focus IS NOT upon the Lord in the fullness required, that man IS in sin. Sin then IS his natural state as a man in this world until such a time as his focus changes, until such a time as he Truly Repents and puts that focus upon the things of God. This IS NO different that what Paul shows us in our selection which IS that change of focus from “the things of the flesh” onto “the things of the Spirit“. This IS DONE from the Inner man to the outer carnal man according to Paul’s words saying “if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you” and this we should see as Paul’s amplification of Jesus’ words that ARE the third part of the trifecta. These together show us that to have “his Spirit that dwelleth in you” that one must be among those that “keep my words“; it IS in this that “my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him“. Can we see the point here? Can we see how that this ALL becomes our ability to “mortify the deeds of the body” and find that Life in which we “are the sons of God” and can express this through our heretofore mortal body. We should understand here that Repentance IS NOT about sin per se, Repentance IS about a change that works from the Soul, the Inner man, though the heart; a change that IS in so many ways hitting the mark which IS the intended goal of everyman: “the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body“. That there ARE so many English words whose common understanding misrepresents the scriptural intent IS indeed unfortunate but, like most ALL else in Life in this world, this misrepresentation IS a product of that same vanity that causes a world view that IS centered around the self. In this vanity we see ALL through the eyes of self which eyes represent men’s dreams and the desires of Life here in this Earth. We ARE born into this and nurtured into this view, then, at the earliest of ages, we ARE indoctrinated into whatsoever IS the current view of those around us. For some this indoctrination revolves around education and career; for others this indoctrination revolves around a particular religious view; and for some this indoctrination IS in regard to survival. There ARE yet others whose indoctrination IS NOT a push toward any particular idea or ideal and, perhaps, it IS this latter group that IS best suited to understand the deeper Truths of Life and religion if they should find a reason to seek out that greater Truth.
Indoctrination IS a burden for ALL men as in the course of this ‘learning’ they are shown that whatsoever course they ARE shown to run IS the course for them and that other courses ARE likely the wrong course. It IS in indoctrination that men ARE molded into followers of this or that; it IS in indoctrination that men follow in the footsteps of those who mentor them and it IS in indoctrination that men form hard opinions regarding religion or politics or any of Life’s other social areas. Here we should take a lesson from the New Testament stories that show us the Truth of the Apostle John’s words from the prologue to His gospel where we read of the Advent of the Master “That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not” (John 1:9-11). We should understand here that just as the Jews DID NOT receive Him nor on the whole even recognize Him save for the effect of His ‘miracles’, so today most ALL Christians miss the point of His Advent as they drift steadily into their indoctrinated beliefs regarding ‘salvation‘ through the atoning quality of His death. Doctrines ARE become a wall for the Jews, the Christians and for virtually every world religion; a wall that separates men from the Truth and a wall that contributes heavily to the reality of that vanity in which men live. For far too long and for far too many persons, the indoctrination of men has created a Christian and Jewish society that IS divorced from the Truth which IS agape and it IS in this sense of divorce that we should see such words as adultery and fornication as these ideas ARE intended in the New Testament and the Old. We should try to see here the point of the Apostle James’ words which we often repeat 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). Here again the apostle’s idea IS NOT to call us “adulterers and adulteresses” from a carnal perspective but from a spiritual one as he accuses us of attending to the things of the flesh, to the things of the world rather than having our focus upon the things of God. There IS little difference between these words and Paul’s from our selection where we read that “they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be“. Can we see the point here? Can we see that both ARE telling us the same thing? And can we see that while the doctrines of men call upon Paul’s words as their guide to ‘salvation‘, they fail to see the effect of this focus upon the things of the self and of the world? Most ALL fail to see and understand that “to be carnally minded is death” as this idea IS wrapped into their staunch belief in ‘salvation‘ which they proclaim for themselves based in the apostle’s earlier words. Again, men forever seek the easier way to their sense of peace and, for the Christian, they believe that they have found their peace in their carnal ways which they interpret as spiritual.
While there IS little that can be done to convince the doctrinal believer of the error of his path we should understand that this was the same obstacle that the Master and His apostles encountered in their dealing with the Jews. Many Jews DID come to the Master because of His miracles but, according to the words of John’s Gospel, many of these continued to fall away whensoever there was pressure of any kind. The examples in John’s Gospel ARE many: there IS the occasion where Jesus taught the Jews, some of which were apparently His disciples, about the deeper spiritual ideas that even Christians today DO NOT understand. We read that “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him” (John 6:66) because of His words. There ARE also the times when people who followed Him, disciples among them, sought to kill the Master and, again, because He was showing them spiritual Truths, the idea that “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” among them. Here the Master tells them that “now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth” and, after continued spiritual discussion, we read that “Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by” (John 8:32, 40, 59). Our last example IS perhaps the most accusing of the Jews and their willingness to keep their doctrinal views of Life rather than to Repent and follow after the Truth that many of them had glimpsed. We read first of Jesus’ triumphant entrance into Jerusalem; John frames this saying that the people “Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord” (John 12:13). Here the people ARE reacting to Jesus’ miracles of healing, raising the dead, and feeding multitudes but as we read on this elation IS short lived. We should remember here that the Jews were a people of doctrine who followed in the word of their leaders, their rabbis if you will, and as soon as these leaders begin to speak out loudly against Jesus the same who greeted him crying Hosanna ARE clamoring for His crucifixion. We read this in Matthew’s account: “the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you*? They said, Barabbas. Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified” (Matthew 27:20-23).
Our point here IS in the strength of doctrines and the power of indoctrination and these bible accounts should show is the difficulty if breaking free of one’s own beliefs. While some people today DO move among religions, this IS generally those who DO NOT find a convincing argument in whatsoever they were indoctrinated into and while the Christian may look down upon such persons, the reality IS that they ARE the fortunate ones as their sense of seeking after a greater Truth IS yet strong. Some may find comfort and a measure of what they seek in the Eastern religions while others eschew religion altogether; others turn to the occult and the esoteric where they may get a glimpse of the nature of man and of God. Few however teach the Truth of the Master’s words, words that permeate the Eastern teachings as well as much of the occult and esoteric. It IS in the Truth of Jesus’ teachings that ALL Truth IS found and while much IS ONLY hinted at in His words, men’s realization of the Truth IS developed by attending to the most basic core principles that ARE the Great Commandments and the Truth that IS agape. The doctrinal Christian may stumble across the Truth while the followers of other religions and some occult teachings may see the Truth of agape from a different perspective but it IS ONLY in the words of the Master and the realization that comes in Truly following them that a man can Truly progress; ALL IS founded in the ultimate reality of agape.
The Doctrines of most every religion ARE become the barrier between men and Truth and this because the Truth IS NOT a conceivable way of living here in this world. This IS the dilemma of the True Church: how to convince men that their view of Life and of the world IS in error. As we can likely see from history, any True resolution of this dilemma IS off in a distant future and we should understand here that until some form of teaching the Truth can take hold in this world on a universal scale, that distant future will remain as far out as it IS today. While the simplicity of the Truth remains illusive, it IS kept so by the refusal of men to come into the Light that shines so brightly in Christ. NOT the Christ of the churches who IS misunderstood and misrepresented, but the True Christ that IS the Love of God made manifest in this world in the man Jesus who teaches us that everyman can manifest this same Light. In the words from John’s prologue we should be able to see the reality of this Light as the Soul, both corporate and individual, according to the apostle’s words saying of the Christ: “That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world“. In this idea of Light we should see the idea of Life and NOT our mortal Life per se but the spiritual one that IS the realization of everyman whose focus IS turned to the things of God. Paul shows us this in our selection saying “to be spiritually minded is life and peace” and “the Spirit is life” but men have NOT seen this Truth through their doctrinal belief that it IS by their rites and rituals, their affirmations and confessions, that they have gained that mysterious idea of eternal Life after the death of the body. This IS the same Light of which Jesus tells us “Ye are the light of the world” and here we should see the caveat that tells us also that to be so one must “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14, 16). And this IS the same Life of which the Master tells the rich young man “if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments” (Matthew 19:17) and of which He tells us ALL that “Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it” (Luke 17:33). While many see these words from Luke’s Gospel in terms of the surrounding ideas of worldly calamity, the message IS deeper and IS the same as we find in Matthew’s Gospel where we read “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:24-26). The context here IS clear while in Luke the idea is obnubilated by the surrounding ideas which, when rightly discerned, DO say the same thing regarding one’s focus.
That men DO NOT see nor understand these ideas on Light and Life IS the result of the doctrinal teachings that DO NOT concern themselves with the focus of a men nor the reality of his Life here in this Earth. Doctrines DO NOT see the reality of the vanity and the way of escape. Doctrines ARE instead focused upon their own sense of vanity which IS the illusions that they offer for Life as a man and the glamour that they foster as they ever desire to call themselves right and above ALL other religious and doctrinal variations. This can be summed up in a saying from an esoteric teaching about the Christ which says that The church today is the tomb of the Christ and the stone of theology has been rolled to the door of the sepulchre ****. While this was written over seventy years ago, it IS still quite True and evermore so as the illusion and the glamour of doctrinal thinkers IS ever stronger against the underlying Truths that doctrines hide.
We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.
- 4 Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition
- 9 Thayer’s Greek Lexicon on blueletterbible.org
- 9a The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible on blueletterbible.org
- **** From The Reappearance of the Christ by Alice A Bailey; © 1948 by Lucis Trust
Those who walk on the well-trodden path always throw stones at those who are showing a new road.
Voltaire, Writer and Philosopher
