ON LOVE; PART MDX
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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 a fuller context of the Apostle Paul’s words that show us the dichotomy between the carnal and the spiritual and we should be reminded here that within this idea of carnal lies the full gamut of human thoughts, attitudes and actions that concern oneself in this world. We often use carnal and mundane together and through this we should try to see the combined definitions of each. We briefly discussed the defining ideas from today’s dictionary where we read that carnal 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 our purposes of commentary on the scriptural use of the word we go to the secondary meaning that whatsoever IS carnal IS: not spiritual; merely human; temporal; worldly*; this IS the general context of the idea in Paul’s writings. While the defining ideas for the word carnal have NOT changed much save for the elimination of ideas such as: Lecherous; lustful; libidinous; given to sensual indulgence as we read in Webster’s 1828 Dictionary1, the remainder of their defining ideas cited can be quite revealing. The secondary meaning from Webster’s IS: Being in the natural state; unregenerate1 and the scripture cited for this definition IS Paul’s words saying “the carnal mind is enmity against God“. Mundane, the other word we use to describe the state of men in this world, DOES NOT have an alternate meaning that describes the gross behaviors of men. Mundane IS simply stated as: common; ordinary; banal; unimaginative and of or relating to this world or earth as contrasted with heaven; worldly; earthly and here again it IS the secondary meaning to which we refer when we use this word idea. For mundane Webster’s 1828 Dictionary simply says that it IS: Belonging to the world; as mundane sphere; mundane space1 while establishing an array of alternate ideas that range from antemundane to ultramundane along with five others. Some ARE still prevalent in our modern dictionaries and perhaps we should look at these to understand the ideas surrounding their use in the 19th century and yet today.
The ideas offered are indeed metaphysical, they ARE outside of the general ideas harbored by men, and include such terms as antemundane, extramundane, inframundane, intermundane, supermundane, supramundane, ultramundane. There IS a natural progression in these terms with the first, antemundane, meaning being before the creation of the world and extramundane meaning beyond the limit of the material world1. The definitions continue; the next word IS defined as lying or being beneath the world with the next as Being between worlds or between orb and orb; as intermundane spaces. We should note that there IS much effort here to describe the unworldly if we can use that term here. The next word, supermundane, IS defined as being above the world with the last two referring to being above our system and beyond the limits of our system1. As we refer to mundane as belonging to the world and offer the idea combined with that of carnal, we DO so to show that the entirety of our mundane and carnal thoughts, attitudes and actions ARE contrary to Truly spiritual thoughts, attitudes and action and this IS the Apostle Paul’s message as he 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 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
As we discussed in the last essay, the word carnal IS rendered from the Greek sarx and that this word IS also used to refer to flesh which IS the most frequent rendering. In Paul’s words above it IS used to refer to both and we should note that 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. This point should be clear in the above selection from Paul’s Epistle to the Romans where the apostle refers to “sinful flesh” and a “carnal mind“. We should note that under the proper understanding of the Greek word harmartia which IS rendered as sin we DO NOT have ONLY the gross behaviors of men as IS commonly supposed; we have ALL that can be understood as carnal. To be sure, flesh IS naturally sinful, it IS of the world and IS, by its nature, at “enmity against God“. We should try to understand that while the idea of flesh IS ‘never’ spiritual, the mind can be; the mind, like the heart, expresses whatsoever the focus of one’s Life IS at any given time. The mind can be carnal, “carnally minded” if you will, but it can also be spiritual when it IS “spiritually minded” or focused upon the things of God. We should note here that our idea that the flesh IS ‘never’ spiritual IS NOT totally accurate; it IS True of the average man and even those whose focus has moved to the things of God. For such the idea of flesh IS but the “carnal mind” focused, at least in part, on things carnal and mundane but there IS a final resolution to this state of being which Paul shows us a bit later in this chapter of Romans. The average man can be said to be the unawakened, NOT at ALL privy to the spiritual promptings of the Soul because the “carnal mind” IS ever elsewhere. This includes many who believe that they ARE ‘saved‘ by their doctrinal approach to the Lord and who continue in the carnal and mundane undertakings as the leading motivation for their lives. The man who has begun to focus on the Truth of the things of God IS then one who has Truly Repented according to the defining ideas that we discussed in the last post. This man has begun the process of Transformation as he Transforms his Life from the carnal and mundane undertakings to a state of ever growing focus upon the Lord and the things of God. This IS the state of the aspirant to discipleship, the state of the man who has NOT yet fully met the criteria for discipleship that the Master provides for us in His words. In the fullness of keeping His words and subjecting oneself to the Master’s criteria for discipleship, one becomes the disciple and IS then on equal par with the apostles and other True disciples down the ages. Paul IS in this position of discipleship when he realizes that there IS one more step in his journey as a man in this world; Paul IS the accomplished disciple who can DO as the Master. Jesus tells us that “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do” (John 14:12) and under the great reality of the idea of “He that believeth on me“, the idea that he keeps the Master’s words, Paul DOES such “greater works“.
This leads us finally to the idea that alters our saying that flesh IS ‘never’ spiritual. Paul, as a disciple, tells us how that the flesh itself, the human body in this world and it associated thoughts and emotions, can be made spiritual. He says, concerning those that ARE “delivered made free from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God“, disciples and by measure aspirants to discipleship, that “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 8:21, 23). This sense of Redemption IS the final human step in our journey to spiritual reality, a journey that begins with our Repentance and our expressions of Love and Truth. There IS NOT much that we can KNOW regarding this idea of Redemption as few if any have reached this point of spiritual evolution in modern times and those that may have DONE so have NOT publicized their accomplishment. We can look at the Redeemed body from the perspective of Jesus’ activities after his resurrection and while these provide for us clues to the nature of Redemption, there IS NO real evidence of what this can mean in today’s terms. Jesus, both after His resurrection and before was endowed with such Power that He could move about unseen. We see this early in His ‘ministry’ as He speaks at the synagogue where, when they Jews heard His words they “were filled with wrath, And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. But he passing through the midst of them went his way” (Luke 4:28-30). Another instance IS in another encounter with the religious Jews where after some 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 8:59). How DOES Jesus pass “through the midst of them” and how DOES He hide Himself ARE questions that can be answered by His possession of a Redeemed body and, based in the idea that “as he is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17), we too can DO such “greater works“.
Again, while we DO NOT KNOW what the full meaning of this Redemption IS, we can say that it appears to allow the Soul such control over the physical form that one can move “through the midst of them” and thereby elude ‘capture’. We should note that while the Master DOES elude His oppressors as they seek to DO Him harm, He voluntarily allows His own capture at Gethsemane and allows for His own crucifixion. It after the crucifixion that the Power of the Lord’s Redemption IS most apparent; there ARE several examples that ARE presented to us in the gospels. These, as well as those mentioned above, ARE NOT see by the church as the Truly mystical realities that they ARE and this IS perhaps based upon the way that these events ARE recorded and translated. Such ideas as “their eyes were holden that they should not know him” (Luke 24:16) ONLY serve to arm the carnally thinking man against the Truth of the Power of the Redeemed. Here we should note that it IS the Soul, the Christ Within, that Redeems the form and it IS the Soul that acts consciously through that form. In Luke’s Gospel there IS the scene where two disciples, likely NOT of the twelve, ARE travelling on the road and encounter a presumed stranger and perhaps a review of the whole scene will help us to see what IS happening and to see the Power of His Redemption. We read:
“behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not. Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?”
Luke 24:13-32
While this IS a lengthy segment, it does contain several KEY points for our discussion of the Power and the meaning of the Redemption, what it means to have “the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body“. A KEY word here according to the doctrines of men IS adoption; it IS a word that IS used five times in the epistles and ONLY by the Apostle Paul. The idea IS loosely defined and IS used to show the common idea of adoption as it exists in this world. To be an adopted son has much meaning in doctrinal circles and the lexicon shows us this saying of the Greek word huiothesia which IS rendered as adoption that it IS adoption, adoption as sons followed by three points:
- “that relationship which God was pleased to establish between himself and the Israelites in preference to all other nations“.
- “the nature and condition of the true disciples in Christ, who by receiving the Spirit of God into their souls become sons of God“.
- “the blessed state looked for in the future life after the visible return of Christ from heaven“2.
It IS the last two ideas that have become the defining ideas for huiothesia for much of the church as men consider themselves to be “sons of God” through this idea of adoption. They fail however to understand that there IS a criteria attached to this status which IS that one IS among the Master’s true disciples which idea, as we have discussed several times, has criteria of its own that IS established by the Master. Jesus’ established criteria defines the reality of discipleship and we should understand that we can be aspirants to discipleship as we strive to accomplish that criteria. As Paul shows us, it IS this idea of adoption, the reality of it, that IS the reality of our Redemption as that state of being in this world through which we can fully be “as he is“. What DOES this mean? In relation to the body of a man in this world we should see that it, the flesh along with its mental and emotional attributes, IS NO longer the leading motivation to thought, attitude and action in this world. It IS the Power of the Soul, the Christ Within that takes on this role and it IS here that men can be seen as holy and as the saint. It IS this state of being that Paul tells us that he IS waiting for as we read above. And it IS this state of being that the Master exhibits in His ability to move “through the midst of them“. While we CAN NOT truly define what this Redemption IS, we can say that its relationship to the adoption IS clearly stated by Paul. We should also try to see how that it IS in our adoption as Sons of God that we can have the ability to DO such “greater works” as have been defined for us by the Master. Jesus tells us about moving the mountain and planting the “sycamine tree” in the sea and He DOES tell us what IS necessary for us to DO such things but so long as we dilute the idea of believing to that state of faith that IS identified by the church we will NOT be able. This sense of believing IS tantamount to our KNOWING and our KNOWING must be in regard to the Godhead. We must KNOW without doubt that we can DO such things and it IS this KNOWING that separates the apostles from ordinary followers of the Lord. In the end we must understand that such KNOWING ONLY comes to True Sons of God and while we ARE ALL essentially Sons as Souls, this reality IS NOT transferred to the heart and mind save through this idea of adoption.
Jesus tells us that we must believe on Him in order to DO such “greater works” and while this idea IS minimized by much of the church to reflect ONLY ideas of ministry, the reality IS much greater and includes moving the mountain and planting the “sycamine tree” in the sea. We have often discussed the Greek words pistis, faith, and pisteuo, believing, as we try to show the importance of these words in the overall reality of what we must DO in order to become adopted Sons of God. And more, in order to realize the rewards of our trifecta as well as those promised by Paul and Peter as being made free from “the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” and becoming “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4) we must first become KNOWERS. The Way to this IS outlined for us by Jesus saying “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32). The relationship between keeping His words and our KNOWING IS offered to us through Jesus’ words on “greater works” where the KEY is found in our believing; this KEY however IS lost in the common ideas of believing. To understand the idea we go again to Vincent who tells us that: To believe in, or on, is more than mere acceptance of a statement. It is so to accept a statement or a person as to rest upon them, to trust them practically; to draw upon and avail one’s self of all that is offered to him in them. Hence to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ is not merely to believe the facts of His historic life or of His saving energy as facts, but to accept Him as Savior, Teacher, Sympathizer, Judge; to rest the soul upon Him for present and future salvation, and to accept and adopt His precepts and example as binding upon the life4. Can we see the point here? Can we see that the KEY IS simply to keep His words? How DO we link this ALL together? To keep His words makes us a disciple according to the Master’s teaching and it allows us to “know the truth“. In this KNOWING that comes from keeping His words we ARE in essence believing in and believing on the Lord and we ARE thereby able to DO such “greater works” as our measure of Truth will allow. It IS in the fullness of our KNOWING that we can effectively move the mountain and plant the “sycamine tree” in the sea. However, so long as the ideas of faith and believing remain in their diluted state, few will strive to keep His words and few will realize the rewards. Fewer still will realize the “the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body“.
Returning to this idea of Redemption which we see as the third part of our journey as Souls in form, we should try to understand it through the word ideas left for us. First there IS Repentance where we change our focus off of the things of the self and onto the things of God. Second IS our Transformation which begins with our Repentance and ends when we can say that our “whole body also is full of light” which Light IS the Light of the Soul. Paul tells us that it IS by our Transformation that we can accomplish the “the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2), a renewal that begins with our Repentance. Third IS our Redemption which IS aligned with our ability to complete our Transformation from a man in this world to a fully realized Son of God as IS to be understood in the reality of our adoption. Again we must see this word adoption from the Greek huiothesia as so much more than what IS offered by the doctrines of men. Here again we go to Vincent to help us to understand adoption according to the usage of huiothesia 2000 years ago. Vincent, quoting Mr. Merivale, tells us: “The process of legal adoption by which the chosen heir became entitled not only to the reversion of the property but to the civil status, to the burdens as well as the rights of the adopter – became, as it were, his other self, one with him… this too is a Roman principle, peculiar at this time to the Romans, unknown, I believe, to the Greeks, unknown, to all appearance, to the Jews, as it certainly is not found in the legislation of Moses, nor mentioned anywhere as a usage among the children of the covenant. We have but a faint conception of the force with which such an illustration would speak to one familiar with the Roman practice; how it would serve to impress upon him the assurance that the adopted son of God becomes, in a peculiar and intimate sense, one with the heavenly Father“ (“Conversion of the Roman Empire”). Charles Merivale was an English historian and churchman, for many years dean of Ely Cathedral.
What we should see in Mr. Merivale’s words as cited by Vincent IS the reality of the last phrase that: the adopted son of God becomes, in a peculiar and intimate sense, one with the heavenly Father. With this definition of the adoption we should look back again at Peter’s words that tell us “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). It IS NOT a far stretch to see that being “partakers of the divine nature” and being one with the heavenly Father ARE essentially synonymous ideas and when we can see this perhaps we can move forward with both. It IS such ideas that bring us to the brink of Redemption and it IS here that we should try to define this idea as best that we can. Again, Redemption IS the third step in our spiritual evolution as men in this world and it IS this idea of Redemption that leads us to the final step which we see as Transfiguration. This last step in our spiritual evolution IS shown us in the gospels in very mystical terms. We read that Jesus takes Peter and John and James up a “high mountain” where He IS “transfigured before them“; we ARE told as well just what this Transfiguration DOES as we ARE told that “his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light” (Matthew 17:1, 2). Mark reports this similarly saying that “his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them” (Mark 9:3) while Luke tells us that “the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering” (Luke 9:29) without using the Greek word metamorphoo which IS rendered as Transfigured. This Greek word IS defined by Strong’s as: to transform (literally or figuratively, “metamorphose”):—change, transfigure, transform9a; while Thayer’s tells us that it IS: to change into another form9. And it IS this word that Paul uses in saying “be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). Both of these changes, our Transformation and our Transfiguration, ARE dynamic aspects of our journey; the first IS relatively internal while the latter IS a full Transformation of our entire being. Perhaps the clearest approach to understanding these mystical ideas IS to see that our Transformation, our internal change in the focus of one’s Life, leads us to a minor form of Transfiguration which Paul shows us as our Redemption, “the redemption of our body“.
Above we discussed briefly the Master’s ability to move “through the midst of them” and there ARE several instances of this presented to us in the gospels as well as some related ideas shown us in the lives of the apostles from the Book of Acts. The main idea in this sense of “the redemption of our body” IS perhaps the way that the body along with its attendant personality, the mind and the emotions, succumbs to the will of the Soul, the Christ Within. This sense of Redemption gives the disciple control over his physical form as well as his surroundings and while this CAN NOT be understood in human terms, the examples shown us ARE real. Such feats of control ARE NOT limited to the Master and His apostles and here again we should look to Jesus’ words on “greater works” and moving the mountain or planting the “sycamine tree” in the sea. Add to this John’s words that tell us clearly that “as he is, so are we in this world” and we should get a glimpse of the possibilities that lie before us. While we can ascribe such events as we read of in the New Testament where the Master and His apostles take control of their forms and surroundings to the activity of angels and other mystical ideas, the greater Truth IS found in the ‘doctrine’ of “greater works“. True this IS NOT a real doctrine as established by the church, there IS however enough evidence in the Master’s words that should allow us to see these possibilities and perhaps work toward them, strive if your will. This brings us back to the story from Luke’s Gospel that we cite above; here two of His disciples, unnamed at the start of the story, ARE on the road travelling to a place called Emmaus when they ARE ‘joined’ by the Master. This however IS NOT understood by the two disciples who DO NOT recognize the man joining them as Jesus and while the idea IS stated as that “their eyes were holden that they should not know him“, there IS a greater reality at play here. Many of the mystical ideas of these encounters ARE shown us in strictly human terms rather than allowing for the church to believe the control over His form that the Master has; this IS more True as the story proceeds. The use of the idea that “their eyes were holden” IS a mysterious way of saying this when we look at the meanings assigned to the Greek word krateo which IS rendered as holden. The common understanding IS that some mystical event prevented them from recognizing that Jesus was with them but the word itself IS but a past participle of hold in today’s dictionary*. Perhaps it IS because there was NO better explanation than that they were ‘prevented’ from seeing the Master as the Master that the idea that “their eyes were holden” IS used but this DOES NOT detract from the reality. They simply DO NOT recognize their travel companion as Jesus. Biblically the idea has more meaning than the idea of holding despite the defining ideas offered; Strong’s tells us that krateo IS offered in relation to holding and while Thayer’s add for us some depth of meaning to the idea, they DO NOT offer any explanation of what had happened.
Our view IS based upon a number of events that happen in the gospels, events that add their own depth to Jesus fleeting and ofttimes sudden appearance and disappearance among His disciples. Perhaps one of the best examples IS from our selection above where after they DO finally recognize the Master as Jesus “he vanished out of their sight“. Holden eyes DO NOT explain this mystical disappearance. Vincent DOES NOT address this idea in his commentary so that we get NO help from him in understanding; this leaves us with our own discernment which based upon the idea that Jesus IS God or, as we would frame this, Jesus IS the expression of the Godhead in this Earth. Our answer IS the reality of the “the redemption of our body“, the state of being a True Son of God that has such Power in this Earth as to be able to heal one who was “blind from his birth” (John 9:1) and raise from the dead another of whom they said “stinketh: for he hath been dead four days” (John 11:39). These miracles ARE explained ONLY as that, miracles, and the idea of Redemption should be seen in much the same way. In our bible story above we should remember that this happens in Luke’s telling after the Master IS discovered missing from His tomb and that the two on their way to Emmaus, one named Cleopas, seemingly ARE aware that Jesus IS risen. Yet KNOWING this and apparently being among Jesus’ disciples the two DO NOT KNOW Jesus when they see and commune with Him over their seven mile journey. DOES the idea of the word holden suffice to explain this? The more sensible idea and one that IS in accord with Jesus’ many mysterious appearances and disappearances, that the Master DOES change His own appearance as to be unseen and unrecognizable. We should remember that a similar thing happens at the tomb in John’s Gospel where we read of Mary Magdalene that “Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master” (John 20:15-16). Truly there ARE many such mysterious things cited for us in the New Testament which ARE seen ONLY through the idea of miracles. Here we have begun perhaps to define the idea of “the redemption of our body” in terms that show the Power of the Christ over the form for the Master and, by His promise, ourselves. We end again with our trifecta, the words of the Master that clearly tell us that ALL spiritual Truth and Love come to “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them“; 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).
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
