ON LOVE; PART MDIX
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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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We ended the last essay with our trifecta and while this seems to have little to DO with our subject of treasure, mammon and then the eye, ALL such spiritual ideas ARE connected. In the trifecta we have the Way par excellence to address our ‘duty‘ which IS to keep His words as well as a short list of the rewards that come into the Life of the man who DOES so. The Master addresses this idea of ‘duty‘ as He tells his disciples at the end of the Parable of the Master and Servant that “So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do” (Luke 17:10). We should understand here that keeping His words IS our duty, it IS what we ARE commanded to DO and we should NOT see this commandment as it IS often viewed. Jesus’ commandments, His admonitions to His disciples and to the world, ARE NOT to be understood against the penalty of hell that IS so often seen as men’s motivation to NOT sin. His commandments ARE the effort of the Universe, the entirety of the Godhead if you will, to get men in this world to realize the fundamental Truths that exist within each man, Truths that ARE the possession of the Soul. It IS in keeping His words that we change our focus from the carnal and the mundane to the spiritual aspects of Life in this world; it IS in keeping His words that we effectively Repent as we ARE also ‘commanded’ through His words saying “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). Our point here IS that as a matter of discipleship, which has been our subject over the last several essays, we ARE first expected to DO our essential duty of keeping His words while at the same time understanding that DOING “that which was our duty to do” leaves us as “unprofitable servants” whensoever we allow our carnal and mundane affairs to circumvent our spiritual endeavors. Proceeding in Life according to the trifecta IS to DO our duty and it IS the result of the rewards that come from DOING this duty that we gain in spiritual stature and become more that “unprofitable servants“. The rewards ARE clear for those who understand the spiritual ideas embodied in the Master’s words and for those that have less understanding these rewards ARE offered in more doctrinal and human terms. 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 first of these rewards, and perhaps the most important in the Life of everyman who Truly seeks the Lord, IS that we gain two things from keeping His words; the Truth and True discipleship. Gaining some measure of the Truth IS the step by step journey that we must take in order to avoid the appellation of “unprofitable servants“. It IS important here to understand the role of measure and its relationship to keeping His words. We DO NOT come to keep His words in an instant, there IS NO pronouncement of one’s DOING so. Keeping His words becomes a Lifelong endeavor that progresses in tune with our individual Transformation. Perhaps the best framing of this IS from Luke’s Gospel where we read Jesus’ words saying “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). The KEY word here IS strive. The idea of our striving should be according to the defining ideas assigned to the English word; we read that to strive IS: to exert oneself vigorously; try hard; to make strenuous efforts toward any goal*. This precludes any ideas of a casual effort regarding our spiritual goals which ARE framed here as entering “in at the strait gate” and we should understand that the many that “will seek to enter in, and shall not be able” ARE those that ONLY offer a casual effort. Here we should see also the definition of casual which today’s dictionary tells us IS: without definite or serious intention; careless or offhand*. The realization that we need IS that to come to KNOW the Truth or some measure of the Truth we must make a real effort to keep His words. We should remember here that although men see the Master’s words as difficult, we ARE told by John that “this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous” (1 John 5:3). We should note one more KEY to having the Truth and being His disciple: that we “continue in my word“. The Greek word meno IS rendered here as continue; it IS rendered elsewhere in the King James Bible as abide, remain, dwell, tarry and endure2 and the word has a very special meaning in John’s Gospel and his Epistles. What we should see here again IS that a casual approach to keeping His words will NOT suffice to allow one to “enter in at the strait gate“, we must abide in His words which idea should be understood as that we must live in His words.
The next reward IS more confusing; because of church doctrine and perhaps religious tradition the idea of heaven IS restricted to that place where ‘men’ go after death and here the idea IS men who have performed well against their individual doctrinal persuasions. The Christian idea of heaven IS based upon the prevailing ideas that were ‘believed’ by the Jews and kept by many even to this day. While there have been changes and adjustments made in the way that heaven IS viewed for some, it still remains the objective of the Christian for his afterlife. However, even the framing of the Master’s words above regarding our ability to “enter into the kingdom of heaven” should give pause to such doctrinal ideas as Jesus’ IS speaking in current terms and NOT future. For us the idea of heaven IS much different than the idea of a paradise after we leave this world; for us it IS rather a state of being while yet here in this world which state DOES transfer to an afterlife based in the accumulated measure of this state that one attains. True, there IS NO proof that this IS so, that heaven IS a state of being that can be experienced in this world, but neither IS there any proof that the doctrinal ideas ARE True. To be sure, neither the dreams and visions that men in church positions report nor the various near death experiences that some others may reveal ARE any True evidence that their doctrinal precepts ARE correct. Still, to this day, NO person Truly KNOWS the reality of our death in this world nor the True state of our being in the afterlife. And, save for the more reported psychic experiences of some, there IS NO evidence that there IS an afterlife. It IS here that most ALL religions fail against the fear of men who DO NOT want their existence to end at death; and while there ARE some that have resolved themselves to this idea, most ALL yet fear the unknown nature of death. It IS against this fear that the Christian doctrinal ideas of heaven have been promulgated, again with NO evidence and ONLY scant biblical support save for men’s interpretations of some of the parabolic ideas presented in scripture. The apostle John discusses this idea of fear and while he may NOT be pointing directly to this fear of death, his words still show us the Way to remove it from our psyche. The apostle tells us in the midst of his words on the nature of God that:
“And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love“.
1 John 4:16-18
In these words we should clearly see that “love casteth out fear” and that this Love IS has its source in our focus upon the Godhead. The Master addresses our fears as well as He tells His disciples to “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me” (John 14:1). The ideas of fear and having a troubled heart should be seen synonymously and we should note here that Jesus’ words to His disciples show that even at their stage of Transformation they still question and fear. The questioning IS easy to see in the verses that follow where many questions regarding their own fate surface and ARE answered cryptically by the Master. We should note here as well that Jesus IS still speaking parabolically and that the ONLY sure words that His disciples can understand ARE those regarding agape. ALL that Jesus’ says here in this part of the fourteenth chapter of John’s Gospel IS in regard to the disciples uncertainty, an uncertainty that exceeds the idea of faith as we understand it doctrinally. From this most important chapter of the New Testament we take much of our own guiding Light but for most there ARE but tidbits of ideas that ARE accepted and taught. The first IS perhaps the most misleading idea ever taken from the New Testament: the Master’s words that say that “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). While these words ARE intended to answer the question regarding the disciple KNOWING the Way, they have become a doctrinal mantra that separates the Christian world from ALL others in an unnecessary expression of the vanity of men and of their organized churches. Jesus tells His disciples that “whither I go ye know, and the way ye know” but some DO NOT agree with His assessment causing Thomas to say “we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?” (John 14:4, 5). It IS from this exchange that the Master’s words come as He says that “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” and while these words should have been understood against the exchange between the Master and His disciples, they were NOT. They became instead a mantra of separation and while out of their context they DO appear to say what the churches imply, in context this IS NOT the case. Jesus IS speaking of deeply spiritual ideas regarding His death which idea the disciples ARE just coming to understand. His message IS that they should focus upon the Lord and that this IS “the way, the truth, and the life” and that the church has turned this to reflect on the person of Jesus rather than the reality of the Christ IS Truly unfortunate. The Master’s ongoing words should clarify His intent but they have NOT as most ALL of them ARE ignored by the doctrinal church. The Master tells us “If ye love me, keep my commandments” and while millions upon millions affirm that the DO Love the Lord, few if any Truly DO keep His words.
The uncertainty of the disciples IS well founded in the New Testament and while these men DO have the necessary faith by which to KNOW the Truth, we should see the fleetingness of their faith through their questions and comments in these chapters of John’s Gospel. If we can see that it IS fear that causes their questioning we will have seen much of the problems that they faced as they had accepted the Master and His teaching against the backdrop of the church in those days. They ARE asked to stand firm against the opposing forces and against those that would seek to DO them harm; they ARE asked to “fear not“. This IS of course but one type of fear which the Master addresses saying such things as “fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). Against another type of fear, the fear that they may be attaching themselves to the wrong teacher, Jesus says “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me” (John 14:1) as He begins to take their questions and offer His answers regarding His leaving them alone in the world. While it may seem that we have gone off track regarding the second reward which IS the Kingdom, we have NOT. The fears and questions that we see in John’s Gospel ARE continuously answered by the Master as we cite above but perhaps the most engrossing of the fears IS the fear of what happens when we die. While this IS NOT explicitly answered, it IS answered in the words from our trifecta regarding the Kingdom and the Way to the Kingdom. Again, that men see this Kingdom as that place for the doctrinally ‘righteous‘ after death, a place that excludes ALL that DO NOT believe in the Master as the various doctrines prescribe, IS Truly unfortunate. It IS also unfortunate that based upon doctrinal beliefs Jesus’ words on the Kingdom ARE manipulated to mean whatsoever the doctrines of men deem right rather that a straight forward Truth saying “the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21). According to the Master’s words the reward of the Kingdom IS NOT available to the doctrinally ‘righteous‘, to those that call upon Him saying Lord, Lord. According to the Master’s words the reward of the Kingdom IS ONLY available to those that keep His words which He frames as “he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven“.
Following the reward of the Truth and discipleship and following the reward of the Kingdom in this Life here and now, IS the reward that we frame as the Presence of God in our lives. The idea here IS that one must Love the Lord along with the criteria by which that Love can be measured. The reward IS founded in the idea of abiding and here we should try to see the relationship between this final saying from our trifecta and the first where the idea of continuing can easily be rendered as abiding. There ARE differences however between these sayings; in the first Jesus asks that we should “continue in my word“, “abide in my word” if you will, putting the onus upon us as men to abide in him. Here, in this last statement from our trifecta the abiding IS on the part of the Lord who will come to abide in whosoever “hath my commandments, and keepeth them“; this we should see as the same as continuing in His word. The reward for our abiding then IS the abiding of the Lord who will “will come unto him, and make our abode with him“. Can we see the point here? Can we see how that these words carry forward into Jesus’ words from the next chapter where we read His words saying “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:4-5). While the church concentrates on the idea that “without me ye can do nothing” they miss the entirety of the point of our abiding and the effort that must go into it. It IS when we keep His words that we abide in Him and it IS when we keep His words that He abides in us; this IS the primary statement of Truth to be taken from these verses.
We frequently discussed this idea of abiding and while we may NOT always use this term when discussing the very meaning of the Presence of the Lord, the ideas ARE synonymous. Having the Presence which Jesus shows us as “we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” IS a paramount step in everyman’s journey on the Path to Truth and Love but the idea IS clouded by doctrines. We should try to see this Presence in terms of Jesus coming to “make our abode” and indwelling a man with the Father and this under the reality that the Father and the Son ARE One. Jesus tells us this saying that “I and my the Father are one” (John 10:30) and here we should try to see that this IS a spiritual relationship and NOT a physical one. The same must also be True for men under the reality that “as he is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17). The point that we ARE building to IS that both relationships ARE spiritual, for the man in the world and for the Master Jesus, and it IS unfortunate that the church’s view of Jesus’ divinity prevents this from being understood or even approached as spiritual reality. Here we should try to see how that the church has and still DOES see the reality of our spiritual existence in human terms rather than divine and here the idea divine IS used as a spiritual designation. From this perspective we should be able to glimpse the reality of our lives in this world as spiritual beings living for a time in a physical body and, from the perspective of most ALL, this glimpse IS but a fleeting thought that may come through while being measured against the doctrinal pronouncements of men. As Souls ALL men ARE divine but this divinity IS obnubilated by the vanity into which we ARE born and while the Apostle Paul shows us this in rather clear terms, his words ARE NOT properly understood. Paul 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 made free from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:20-21). These words ARE a picture of both our state of being coming into this world and our opportunity, expectation if you will, that we will be “made free” or delivered from this human state of thought and action. We must understand however that the changes that can make us free from this “bondage of corruption” ARE changes that we ourselves must evoke. This IS shown us through many New Testament sayings from Jesus and His apostles and one that we ofttimes highlight IS Peter’s words saying Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:4). Here the idea of being in “the glorious liberty of the children of God” IS shown to us as becoming “ partakers of the divine nature“. And, while Paul shows us that this end result of freedom from our “bondage of corruption” IS the expectation of the Lord and thereby our own Souls, Peter shows us that to have this freedom we must escape from “the corruption that is in the world through lust“. Paul also shows us that we must escape although he DOES NOT frame it this way; the apostle tells us earlier in this chapter that “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” (Romans 8:13).
All of this IS lost however in the doctrinal approach of men who see our vanity as the result of the ‘fall of man’ which idea IS NOT in itself objectionable. Considering the man as the Soul, the True and Inner self, he DOES indeed fall from a state of divinity into a state of humanity where he IS embroiled from birth in the ways of this world. As we often discuss, this state IS further exacerbated by the nurturing and indoctrination that ALL must endure. It IS from this combination of being born into vanity plus our nurturing and seemingly never ending indoctrination that we must escape. While men ARE taught through their various doctrines the ideas of worship and prayer, it IS NOT through such doctrinal ideas that we ARE Truly ‘saved’. The real Way into “the glorious liberty of the children of God” IS found in the Master’s words that tell us to “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). While this idea of Repentance DOES NOT seem to be a highlight of the New Testament teachings, it IS Truly so and it IS the Way par excellence to access our freedom from the bondage of Paul and our entry into the “divine nature” of Peter. Repentance IS the Way that IS shown us by the Master as perhaps His first recorded words; in Matthew’s Gospel the Master says “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” as His first words after His encounter with temptation. Mark reports a similar thing saying that after His encounter with temptation and the arrest of the Baptist that “Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:14-15). While the idea of Repentance should have played a larger role in the early days of Christianity, it DID NOT; nor DOES it play a significant role today. This IS largely because the word has been diluted into the common understanding of the ideas of Repentance which has little or NO effect upon the spiritual teachings of the church. We should remember here that the idea of Repentance was among the teachings of John the Baptist as the precursor of Jesus’ teaching. We read this in Matthew’s Gospel as “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight” (Matthew 3:1-3). Mark reports that “John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins” (Mark 1:4) while Luke tells us that “the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins” (Luke 3:2-3).
We should remember as well that it IS Repentance that IS the among the primary teachings of Jesus’ disciples who, when they were sent out, “preached that men should repent” (Mark 6:12). Matthew tells us that the Master’s instructions were “as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 10:7) which IS a part of Jesus’ own sayings on Repentance as we read above. While these ideas help us to define the Master’s initial teaching and His instructions to His disciples as well as the teachings of the Baptist, they remain only loosely attached to doctrinal teachings. Throughout the Gospels the Master speaks of Repentance in ways that ARE NOT according to the common understanding of the word. We read this same phrase in each of the synoptic gospels; Jesus says “I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Matthew 9:13). These words help us to define the Master’s self-proclaimed mission to the world of men, a mission that IS repeated in the other gospels where we read “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Mark 2:17) and “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). The idea of Repentance IS written about in the epistles and from a cursory reading of his words it appears that Paul misuses the idea and frames it in terms of sorrow; this IS perhaps the origination of the common ideas that ARE yet attached to the word. Peter on the other hand tells us that “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9) which idea offers us a clearer picture as we see in the gospels. While the general idea of Repentance IS shown in terms of sorrow and remorse, these ideas DO NOT work with the words of the Master and His apostles above.
Today’s dictionary defines Repentance as: to feel sorry, self-reproachful, or contrite for past conduct; regret or be conscience-stricken about a past action, attitude, etc; and to feel such sorrow for sin or fault as to be disposed to change one’s life for the better; be penitent*. While the second defining idea here has seeds of Truth as it tells us that to be repentant IS: to be disposed to change one’s life for the better, this IS NOT what IS generally thought of when the word IS used. While such seeds of Truth DO appear in many definitions, they ARE NOT at the forefront of the meaning and usage of the word. Webster’s 1828 Dictionary includes the idea that: Repentance is a change of mind, or a conversion from sin to God1 but this IS the secondary idea in the list of defining ideas as it IS above. The Greek word metanoia which IS rendered as Repentance IS defined by Strong’s as: (subjectively) compunction (for guilt, including reformation); by implication, reversal (of (another’s) decision):—repentance9a. Thayer’s defines metanoia saying that it IS: a change of mind: as it appears in one who repents of a purpose he has formed or of something he has done9. Neither of these offers us the strength that IS intended in the Master’s words saying “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17) and, unfortunately, the whole idea of Repentance IS lacking in the church. It IS Vincent who offers us the strength that IS intended by the Master as he defines Repentance saying that it IS: Such a virtuous alteration of the mind and purpose as begets a like virtuous change in the life and practice4. Repentance IS then a Life changing event that brings us closer to the Lord and IS a most important tool in humanity’s journey onto the Path to Truth and Love.
It IS through our Repentance that we can defeat our vanity and and in the fullness of this defeat we should be able to see that the result IS that we “through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body“. In Repentance we have decided to change our focus off of “the deeds of the body” and onto the things of God. Here we should try to see and to understand that “the deeds of the body” ARE NOT ONLY the gross carnal offenses that ARE spoken of as sin but that “the deeds of the body” ARE ALL thoughts, attitudes and actions that ARE carnal. The word canal IS defined for us both ways; it IS defined as: pertaining to or characterized by the flesh or the body, its passions and appetites; sensual with a secondary meaning of: not spiritual; merely human; temporal; worldly*. For us it IS the secondary meaning that should be applied to the scriptural references to carnal as it IS opposed to being spiritual. Carnality IS yet another misapplied idea in the doctrines of men and it IS one that IS NOT frequently mentioned in the Bible. Carnal IS rendered from the Greek word sarx which IS most often rendered as flesh and seems to be used as carnal in only a few translations. Others render sarx as flesh, fleshy and as “merely men” and ALL of these should take down the presumption of gross sins. In the King James Bible the idea of sarx IS rendered as carnal in sayings that imply a difference between the spiritual and the worldly and ONLY in Paul’s Epistles and the Book of Hebrews. Perhaps the best reference here IS in Paul’s words saying “the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Romans 8:7). While this saying should clarify for ALL the dichotomy between the things of the self, carnal things to be sure, and the things of God, it DOES NOT DO so because of the diluted ideas applied to the word carnal. ALL that IS NOT spiritual IS carnal; ALL thoughts, attitudes and actions that ARE NOT based in our focus upon the Godhead ARE carnal. The idea here IS simply that ALL of the motivations of men for their betterment in this world, ALL thoughts of one’s preferences of persons whether based in prejudices or NOT ARE carnal and therefore opposed to God. The Apostle James shows us this same thing from another perspective 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).
ALL of this brings us back to the choices that the Master lays our for us in His Sermon on the Mount. ALL of this brings us back to the choice between “treasures in heaven” and “treasures upon earth” with perhaps the greater understanding that the latter choice makes of us “the enemy of God“. Similarly, this latter choice of “treasures upon earth” shows us that we have chosen mammon over God and whensoever we ‘try’ to serve both “God and mammon” we ARE doomed to fail at both although that sense of failure falls mostly upon the God side. We ARE told clearly that “Ye cannot serve God and mammon” yet church teachings continue to tell us that we can and while this too IS a carnal endeavor, to follow the teachings of the church, it DOES keep men with a least a temporary focus upon the Lord. In the end the aspirant to discipleship will see that it IS Repentance that allows men to make that change of focus in a way that minimizes one’s concentration on daily living and maximizes one’s focus upon the Lord and the things of God. It IS in Repentance that we DO realize that there IS a clear choice which Paul offers us in clear words saying “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“. This we DO while remembering and understanding that “the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be“. We leave today with Paul’s words in context and will begin there in the next essay; Paul tells us:
“For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For 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[d] 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”
Romans 8:3-14
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 |
- 1 Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, 1828 and 1913 from https://1828.mshaffer.com/
- 2 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
- * Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Those who walk on the well-trodden path always throw stones at those who are showing a new road.
Voltaire, Writer and Philosopher
