ON LOVE; PART MCDXXXIII
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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 took some time to compare a song that IS disliked by much of Christianity to the reality of the words of the Master and His apostles. Our point in doing so was to show how that the ideas presented in the song Imagine ARE in full alignment with the words of the Master and that the objection of the churches IS based in self-centered carnal ideas. The overall objective of Lennon’s words IS to offer a glimpse of a world at peace where the idea of “A brotherhood of man” could replace the separative ideas that ARE engendered by national pride and religious strongholds. This IS a message that would resonate in a Christian world that was aligned with the teachings of Jesus rather that the carnal interpretations of the New Testament over the centuries. Lennon asked us to imagine that the carnal ideas of heaven and hell ARE replaced with True spiritual thinking based in the Truth of scripture rather than the man made ideas intended to draw people to religion, a draw that seems more out of fear than a sense of duty. As we cited, the idea here IS clearly shown us in a Catholic prayer saying “O my God, I am heartly sorry for having offended you, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell“. It IS unfortunate that the True resolution to this dread, striving to keep His words, has been replaced in most ALL denominations and sects with doctrinal edicts that tell men that such striving IS an impossible task. It IS Truly an difficult endeavor but one that should NOT be shunned and it IS in the idea of striving that many can find a sense of comfort that IS based in Truth rather than the carnally oriented doctrinal approaches of men. We should note here that the ideas of this song ARE the reality of not ONLY the Christian religions but of ALL world religions when viewed apart from their doctrinal presentations through which the Truth has been obnubilated by “commandments of men“. We should remember here that Jesus tells us “This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:6-7) and that these words ARE NOT intended solely for the Jews. We should understand also that this vain sense of worship afflicts ALL men yet today who have NOT Truly strived to keep His words, men yet caught up in their own “bondage of corruption“, their own sense of vanity (Romans 8:21, 20) which Vincent tells is: a perishable and decaying condition, separate from God, and pursuing false ends4.
It IS in vanity that the world remains but this reality IS blamed by many as the influence of Satan, the influence of the devil in the lives of men. It IS however vanity that afflicts men and in their pursuing false ends we should try to see how that ALL carnal pursuits including much that IS notably ‘religious’ according to the dictates of doctrines ARE self-centered and motivated by the same lusts and desires against which Jesus speaks in such sayings as: “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” (Matthew 6:19-21). Jesus’ point in these words continues on into a rather cryptic idea regarding the eye and then continues into a more stark warning that clearly says “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” (Matthew 6:24). Humanity as a whole IS yet in denial when it comes to such ideas that ‘take away’ men’s ability to live as men, to seek after “treasures upon earth” while convincing themselves that it IS in sharing these that one can “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven“. This however IS clearly NOT the Master’s point. To refrain from our self-centered seeking after “treasures upon earth” IS Truly an difficult endeavor and one that IS closely aligned with our striving of which Jesus tells us “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able” (Luke 13:24); it IS in such striving that we come to recognize the vanity through which our self-centered nature IS exposed. Perhaps the greatest detriment to our success in being able to enter in at the strait gate IS found in the idea that so many believe that they have already entered and this despite the way that Matthew frames Jesus’ words saying “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14). Matthew shows us that it IS the few “that find it” but the doctrines of men have redefined His words to imply that ALL believers according to their doctrines have found that narrow Way. The simple point here IS that the “few there be that find it” ARE the True disciples of the Lord, those that keep His words and have come to eschew the things of the world. It IS such that forego the “treasures upon earth” in favor of “treasures in heaven” while understanding that the former will NOT result in the latter.
Similarly, the idea of mammon IS largely aligned with riches and treasures but this untranslated word, transliterated in many translations, IS rendered as wealth, money and riches in many others. The word mammonas IS of Chaldee origin according to Strong’s which defines it as: (confidence, i.e. wealth, personified); mammonas, i.e. avarice (deified) while Thayer’s tells us that mammonas IS what is trusted in. Neither of these clearly show us that mammon IS riches except by implication and we should note that the idea that mammon IS what is trusted in can help us to better understand the Master’s intent. This idea of mammon should be linked to ALL that men have confidence in whatsoever they trust in, whether it be riches and wealth, the possessions that these can bring, social status and career or any other worldly desire that men DO continually serve. The Apostle James helps us to understand this in his saying that “From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot* obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 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 4:1-4). We should try to see that there IS NO difference between being “a friend of the world” and choosing mammon over the Lord; both ARE contrary to the point that the Master IS making….that we can ONLY serve one or the other in our lives. Of course we can alternate between these poles or choose one and then the other but this lifestyle puts us in remembrance of James’ earlier words saying “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8). The Apostle Paul shows us a similar idea saying 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” (Romans 8:5-7). Can we see the point of mammon in these ideas? Can we see the choice that IS ever laid before us? And, can we see the difficulty in letting go of our carnal proclivities?
That most ALL men choose their ideas of Life according to their proclivities should be apparent in the world yet today. Much of our Life’ choice IS based in the vanity into which we ARE born but we must remember here that it IS our nurturing and our indoctrination into worldly living that enhances the original sense of vanity and that this combination provides men with ALL that they DO KNOW. While experiences can change men’s direction, it seldom changes it away from what IS accepted as living in this world and it IS this reality that the Soul IS ever prompting the mind against. The Soul sees ONLY agape and Truth, the Soul KNOWS ALL as part and parcel of God and the Christ; it IS this Love and Truth that ARE what the carnal mind must come to KNOW in order for True spiritual progress to be made. Religion DOES NOT help in this arena where Paul’s words can give us some added Truth; the apostle says “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” (Romans 12:2). It IS the mind that must be renewed but, contrary to doctrinal ideas, the mind IS NOT renewed by doctrines which leave men in much the same place as they were; the True renewal of the mind IS the result of our Repentance, our change of focus from the things of the world, mammon, to the things of God which ARE ever in opposition. It IS Repentance that leads to our Transformation and if we can see how that a change in the focus of our lives away from the carnal and the mundane lead to a like change in our expression where our newfound focus brings forth the Truth of agape. Can we see the point here? Can we see where the words of Jesus ARE our guide and the words of His apostles ARE intended to amplify and clarify His words? Can we see how that the doctrinal approach IS as much devoted to mammon as it may be the Lord as doctrinal thinkers live and pray for Earthly rewards? We should note here that in addition to men’s quest for Earthly rewards there IS one difference between the ‘religious’ man and the secularly oriented man and that difference IS the ‘religious’ quest for the comfort afforded by believing that one will attain heaven when they die rather than “the pains of hell“. This believing IS of course doctrinally tied to one’s faith which IS men’s hope for heaven, a hope that IS NOT identifiable except in general terms. There ARE many ideas regarding the nature of heaven and the lives of those who have gone there but NONE ARE based in any form of reality. Most ARE generally based in the testimony of the various visions provided by ‘near death’ experiences or by the seemingly ‘vivid dreams’ of others who believe that they had a view of heaven. ALL of this misses the Master’s point; a point that IS negatively debated in the church yet today because it runs contrary to men’s ‘hope‘ for heaven after death. Jesus tells us clearly “behold, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21) but the church has NOT accepted these words as they ARE presented. Many have tried to show the idea as that “the kingdom of God is among you” with some adding the idea of ‘already’ and that “the kingdom of God is in your midst“. From our perspective the alternate ideas ARE likely based in the Christian view that the Kingdom could NOT be within the Jew’s religious leadership.
These alternate ideas however ARE from men who DO neither see nor understand the reality of the spiritual man and it IS this failure that plays a large part in the whole of the Christian view despite the Master’s words and such ideas as Paul’s saying that “I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:25-27). We should note here that the idea that Paul IS presenting IS NOT found in the understanding of most men whose lives ARE yet carnally oriented. This should be evident in the way that the apostle shows us that this mystery, “Christ in you“, IS now “made manifest to his saints“, manifest to those that DO keep His words according the the defining ideas of the Greek word hagios. While the idea of being a saint should be seen in the same terms as being His disciple, the church has loosened the defining ideas for both words to include most every Christian regardless of their holiness which IS another defining idea of hagios. Our point here IS that “Christ in you” and that “the kingdom of God is within you” ARE rather synonymous ideas that ARE best seen through the Master’s own words from our trifecta. Understanding the mysteries, even the mystery of “Christ in you” IS reserved for the disciples of the Lord and while we may NOT KNOW at what point one can take on that mantle of discipleship, we DO KNOW that it IS to the disciple that ALL things ARE revealed. Jesus shows us this as He says to His disciples “Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand” (Luke 8:10). This we see as the realization of the Truth that also comes according to Jesus words from our trifecta, a realization that reflects our KNOWING God and through our focus upon the things of God, through keeping His words. Repeating our 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 realization of Truth comes according to the Master’s words above. The realization of Truth comes to those that will “continue in my word” and we should try to see that within this realization IS our revelation of the mysteries. Such revelations ARE NOT a gift but rather a ‘right’ found in discipleship and it IS the aspirant to discipleship that gets glimpses of the Truth from his own Soul, his Christ Within. We should remember here that the Greek word christos which IS rendered as Christ has the meaning of anointed and if we can see this idea from the perspective of a man in this world we can perhaps understand that Jesus IS the Anointed; an idea that can be defined through the Paul’s saying of Jesus that “in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9). Again the mysteries ARE NOT easily understood, nor ARE they easy to explain through the limits of language. It IS this mystery that IS “Christ in you” that must be somewhat understood in order to see the greater realities of the Christ. It IS the unrealized “Christ in you” that IS what ALL humanity shares; ALL men have Souls. Realization of this however IS NOT an automatic response as men ARE blinded to it by combinations of their inherent vanity, the forcefulness of their nurturing and indoctrination, and the degree to which each has let dogma control their thinking processes. Jesus has full realization hence “in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” and here we should remember the words of the Apostle John who tells us that “as he is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17); what we lack IS full realization and, for most ALL of us, enough realization to make even a small difference in our expression in this world. It IS this that we should see in Paul’s words saying “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” (Romans 12:2). It IS in our remaining focused upon the things of our worldly Life that we ARE yet “conformed to this world” and such ‘things’ run the gamut of Life choices that ARE concerned with our existence as men and our comfort in that existence. It IS in our Transformation that we change our focus, a change that begins with Repentance which IS our decision to change our focus. It IS “the renewing of your mind” that IS the effect of the Power of the Christ Within to change the outward man to be an expression of agape according to Jesus’ teaching. It IS this man that can “prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” and here we should try to understand that his proving IS in his expression of “what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” and this according to the Master’s words saying that “Ye shall know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16).
We should try to understand that it IS the disciple that IS among His saints and that neither word should be used in a spiritual context for mere mortals, men yet caught in their own “bondage of corruption” their own ofttimes self induced vanity. While ALL men ARE born “subject to vanity” as Paul tells us and while their nurturing and indoctrination ARE great contributors to their current state of men and emotion, much of the ultimate responsibility lies in the self induced extensions of these factors as men continually choose mammon over the things of the Lord. Paul explains the plight of men in this world but his words ARE NOT understood as they ARE intended; the apostle tells us that “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 from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:20, 21). That the church chooses to see this plight of men as the ‘fall of man’ from grace because of the ‘sin’ of Adam and Eve DOES NOT Truly matter as it IS the effect of this vanity that IS the issue. We should remember that the changes that we make to the King James rendering of Paul’s words ARE based in two ideas; first that it IS God that “hath subjected the same” and there IS NOT need for God to hope; the Lord expects and awaits the future of mankind. Second IS that the expectation IS NOT because “the creature was made subject to vanity” but rather the natural progression of His expectation, ALL will eventually be redeemed from this vanity that IS Life in this world. This whole process IS an integral part of the mysteries and while the average Christian may believe that he KNOWS the Truth of these mysteries, the reality IS as we cite above in Jesus’ words to His disciples saying “it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 13:11). We must remember here however that this idea of given IS NOT based in some gift that men may receive from God but IS rather the result of being a disciple and KNOWING ALL things that ARE imparted by one’s own Soul into the renewed mind. The apostle John tells us of this innate Soul nature saying that “ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things” (1 John 2:20) and here we should remember that the word rendered as unction IS chrisma, a derivative of the Greek word chrio from which christos IS also a derivative; chrisma IS defined as the anointing. In this we should try to see yet another ‘clue’ to the very nature of man, a ‘clue’ that IS NOT seen by most. In the church the idea IS taken to mean that ‘believers‘ have this unction but this IS NOT the apostle’s intent; John offers this to us after showing us what our lives should be like as disciples and aspirants to discipleship. First John tells us clearly “that ye sin not“; next we read of the Master that “he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” taking away the idea that he IS addressing ‘believers’. John then cautions us saying “hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him” (1 John 2:1, 2, 3-5). The whole idea here IS that we keep His words and while we can say that the idea of unction requires this, we should remember that as a man keeping His words gives us the realization of this Truth in Life in this world, this DOES NOT preclude the idea that this unction, this anointing, this Christ Within, IS a universal idea that applies to “the whole world“. Can we see the point here?
It IS this idea of unction which can be related to our Souls, our Christ Within, and we should try to understand that ALL men have Souls. For most ALL however the Soul IS NOT a realized reality in their lives as their focus IS yet carnal; it IS ONLY when we can shift our focus off of the self in this world that we can begin to have such realizations through our Repentance and the ensuing Transformation through which we effect the “renewing of your mind“. It IS in this state that we can Truly “prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” a proving that IS ONLY real when we can say that “I know him” according to John’s words above. We must remember here that this idea of proving IS based in our expression by which we show the world, by our fruit, ALL “that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God“. John adds another point regarding the unction as he tells us 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 2:27). Here we should try to see that ALL that a man learns in this world IS indeed carnally oriented and this despite the spiritual context of any teaching. It matters NOT that one learns from his religious pursuits or from secular institutions; it matters NOT that one learns from esoteric or occult schools or directly from gurus and sages. What matters IS what realizations such learning may stir up in a man causing him to look ever deeper into what John calls here the unction and the anointing. When such revelation IS by a man who IS focused upon the Lord, a man who IS keeping His words or striving to DO so in earnest, that revelation begins, it IS then that a man can come to KNOW in his renewed mind “that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God“. Finishing John’s statement above can perhaps clarify the whole idea of spiritual KNOWING; the apostle’s words saying “hereby know we that we are in him” can apply the words before this statement or to the words after which tell us “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked” (1 John 2:6). John’s words before tell us “whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected” and in the combination of these sayings we have the gist of the whole New Testament along with the reality of pistis and pisteuo of which Vincent tells us that to Truly believe in or believe on the Master IS to accept and adopt His precepts and example as binding upon the life4. This IS the ultimate reality of keeping His words according to the first part of our trifecta saying 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” (John 8:31-32). It IS here in acknowledging and DOING as the Master instructs that we come to “know all things” and if we can follow John’s logic, this KNOWING is the reality of our KNOWING God.
Jesus asks us clearly and plainly a simple question, one that has begged an answer for the 2000 years of the church’s reign over the Christian world. The Master asks us “why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46) and we should note here again that Matthew’s version of this has far more depth and conviction for the Christian world. Taking the more simple version that Luke presents us however should cause every Christian to question his own motivation and to realize how far most ALL of us ARE from an affirmative response to His seemingly rhetorical question. The apostle James helps us to clarify and to amplify the Master’s words but his words ARE also ignored by the larger Christian world which in many ways affirms James’ conclusion; the apostle tells us clearly that we should “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22). We should understand that this statement IS showing what IS for many outside of the denominations and sects the crux of the problem of religion and, to be sure, this same afflicts every world religion that has replaced the Truth with their own doctrines, and most ALL have done so. Of course the followers of their doctrinal approaches DO NOT see that there IS deception, the self-deception found in the idea that to NOT keep His words as followers we ARE ALL “deceiving your own selves“. James shows us this reality in this stand alone statement that follows upon his saying that ALL should “lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21) and in these words we should see the same reality as Paul presents to us. Paul’s words however ARE also ignored in the doctrinal approach of men who perhaps DO NOT comprehend the idea that “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” (Romans 8:13-14). There IS NO difference between our need to “mortify the deeds of the body” and to “lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness“. We must of course understand James point beyond the carnal interpretations of doctrines; in the idea of filthiness we should see ALL that defiles a man and this idea IS expounded upon by Jesus who tells us “out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man” (Matthew 15:19-20). This IS the greater reality of the idea presented in the Greek word rhypiria which Thayer’s shows us IS: wickedness as moral defilement9; the idea should NOT be restricted to carnal interpretations ONLY but ALL that defiles, ALL carnality that proceeds “out of the heart“. Perhaps here we should try to piece together some of the Master’s other words that equate what we ‘think’ in our hearts and the reality of sin; regarding adultery we read that “whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). This should reinforce Jesus’ message saying “out of the heart proceed evil thoughts” and here again we should define the idea of evil according to Jesus’ usage.
The Greek word poneros IS rendered most often in terms of evil and here, like with the idea of adultery, we should use the Master’s words to guide our understanding. Jesus defines evil through His use of the word in such sayings as “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (Matthew 7:11). Surely Jesus’ intent here IS NOT to accuse ALL men of being evil according to the doctrinal meaning of the idea; similarly James IS NOT accusing ALL men of adultery saying “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?” (James 4:4). In both cases we should try to see that there IS a deeper idea; in James we should equate “the friendship of the world” with adultery and see the whole idea as that the reference IS men’s carnality while in Jesus’ words the same reference can come from His accusing ALL men or “being evil“. Can we see the point here and can we see the distortion that IS allowed through improper understanding of the overall intent of words; the way that they ARE scripturally used versus the way that they ARE portrayed by doctrines? In the end we should see that the message IS that the idea of evil and ALL that flows from this begins in the heart of ALL that ARE yet bound to their own vanity; ALL that have not moved their hearts through Repentance and Transformation. Finally, we should look that the misunderstanding of the way that heart, from the Greek word kardia, IS used in the New Testament. The lexicon tells us several things about the heart, things that seem in themselves contradictory and perhaps point many in the wrong direction. After defining the heart as a physical organ of the human body the lexicon goes on to say:
- denotes the centre of all physical and spiritual life
- the vigour and sense of physical life
- the centre and seat of spiritual life
- the soul or mind, as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavours
- of the understanding, the faculty and seat of the intelligence
- of the will and character
- of the soul so far as it is affected and stirred in a bad way or good, or of the soul as the seat of the sensibilities, affections, emotions, desires, appetites, passions
- of the middle or central or inmost part of anything, even though inanimate
Beginning with the first idea above, we should try to see that the heart IS the center where our minds and emotions meet; the heart IS in essence our personality which changes tone with our thoughts and feelings. The idea that the heart IS the center of spiritual Life however IS NOT so simple; the heart IS influenced by the spiritual impulses but it remains as aspect of the body nature reflecting if you will whatsoever IS its influence as one’s expression. Jesus tells us that “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Matthew 12:34) and should we understand this as more than what we say verbally we can perhaps see the greater complexity. In Repentance and Transformation it IS the heart that IS changed through “the renewing of your mind” as spiritual impulses replace our carnal thinking and feeling. This however IS ONLY the beginning as we try to understand the idea of heart at it IS used in the New Testament.
We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.
- 2a New Testament Greek lexicon on biblestudytools.com
- 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
Those who walk on the well-trodden path always throw stones at those who are showing a new road.
Voltaire, Writer and Philosopher
