ON LOVE; PART CMXIII
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GoodWill IS Love in Action
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FIRST IS THE GREAT COMMANDMENTS: “The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31).
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WHAT THEN IS LOVE? In a general sense love is benevolence, good will; that disposition of heart which inclines men to think favorably of their fellow men, and to do them good. In a theological sense, it includes supreme love to God, and universal good will to men. While this IS from an older definition of Charity, which IS rendered in the King James Bible from the same Greek word agape which IS generally rendered as Love, we should amend our own definition here to include the idea that in the reality of Love a man will accord to ALL men ALL things that he would accord to himself and to say that Love IS our thoughts and attitude of the equality of ALL men regardless of their outward nature or appearance…that ALL ARE equally children of Our One God
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PLUS THE EVER IMPORTANT AND HIGH IDEAL TAUGHT TO US BY THE CHRIST: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them” (Matthew 7:12).
In the last essay we discussed the ideas behind the Parable of the Sower as this relates to the ideas that we had developed on the delusion of men in this world. Our ideas on this delusion ARE derived from the concept that comes from the words of the Apostle James in regard to the man who DOES NOT keep the Master’s words, and from the words of the Apostle Paul who speaks to us about vanity in the sense of illusion and glamour. James words ARE rather clear and very blunt as he tells us to “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22) and while much of doctrine gets waylaid by the idea of being “hearers only“, the greater reality IS in the straightforward message which IS that men should keep the Master’s words. And, as the apostle IS speaking to men who ARE presumably followers of the Lord, we should understand that they are deluded, that they ARE self-deceived as they go about merely believing that they DO.
John Gill, in his Exposition of the Bible, interprets the idea of hearing to say that: men should not depend upon their hearing, as if that would save them; this is deceiving your own selves; such as rest upon the outward hearing of the word will be sadly deceived, and will find themselves miserably mistaken, another day 8. This IS of course a wholly inadequate view of the apostle’s words and while others relate this idea to James’ other words saying that the spiritually focused man should be “swift to hear” (James 1:19), there IS truly no real relationship and, this DOES NOT help one’s understanding the subject verse. The reality of James’ words IS lost in the idea that this sense of being the hearer IS that one listens with the physical ear. We should understand here that hearing comes in many ways and if we can see the idea of perception we can then gain the greater meaning of believing what one may perceive as the Truth regardless of the source. We should understand here that the basic idea of hearing DOES NOT require the ear and while doctrines seem stuck in this idea as we see in the lexicon’s definition of the root word akouo which includes: to attend to, consider what is or has been said; to understand, perceive the sense of what is said , they DO also include the ideas of: to comprehend, to understand 2.
Perception IS a key word here in this idea of hearing as ARE the ideas of comprehending and understanding. When we can see that we hear in many ways and that as one progresses spiritually the ear becomes among the least important, we can better understand the reality that the Master offers to us in His Presence and the way that this relates to the Apostle John’s words about the unction. We read John’s words again: “ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. 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 2:20, 27). This IS our reality as men in this world who can hear and understand the Inner voice that IS of the Soul, the Christ Within, as this “still small voice” speaks of spiritual things. Here, while many may say that the hear from God, how many DO relate their own hearing to this sense that we find in James’ words on hearing; how many can relate this idea to the abounding confusion of thoughts, attitudes and ideas that bombard a man’s consciousness daily.
In this there IS a confusion of source that must be understood and seen by the man in the world and while this IS a most difficult idea for many to comprehend, there IS a scriptural reality that IS painted for us throughout the bible. As men hear the voice of God in the Old Testament, they ARE hearing this Inner voice and, remembering the mental and emotional state of these men thousands of years ago should give us some understanding of the way that these encounters ARE painted for us. And this IS the Life of the Prophets as well, men who hear the voice of God, that “still small voice” which IS this same anointing that “teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie“. This IS also the reality that we should see in the Apostle Paul’s words on spiritual discernment, on how that the things that ARE of the Spirit can only be KNOWN by the man who IS spiritually focused, the man whose focus IS upon the things of God; we read again: “the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).
In the last essay we showed Paul’s idea in regard to men’s understanding of the words of the parable and of the parabolic tone of much of the teachings from Jesus and His apostles; here we should understand that this IS the same thing. It IS the understanding that comes to a man as though it were that “still small voice” that gives him direction, it IS this that he perceives and thereby believes and it IS this that he will act upon: this IS what he hears. And this IS James’ point, that we not act upon what we may believe but that we act upon the Truth that IS in His words, even when the carnal mind dismisses this Truth to its own convenience. So long as we remain men in this world we ARE bound by language and it IS language that affects even our perception of things; and it IS in this idea that we should see the reality of the unction, the reality that this IS that sense of KNOWING that comes to a man whose focus IS upon the things of God. We should see here as well how that this IS the very Presence of God which the Master ‘promises’ to the man who will keep His words. We read again Jesus’ promise to His disciples and through them to us:
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).
It IS this Presence of God that speaks to a man in spiritual tones and it IS the realization of this Presence which IS how that a man comes to KNOW the Truth which IS the unction, the anointing; which IS the Christ and God Within. It IS this realization that IS the ‘promise’ and we must understand here that it IS sore difficult to KNOW, to perceive if you will, the True source of one’s own thoughts, attitudes and ideas. We can see this difficulty through the delusion and through the glamour when we ARE Truly in accord with His words as this IS, according to His words above, the great KEY to His presence. In this we should see that it IS NOT what one believes to be True that IS so, and this even in presumably spiritual matters as IS evidenced by the proliferation of doctrines and of denominations and of sects that ALL believe that they have the Truth.
In the story of Elijah from the first Book of Kings, where there IS a rambling history of the Jews in those days, we find our reference to the idea of the “still small voice” and while this IS an idea that IS used by many and across many spiritual views, there IS still little understanding of the Truth that this voice must be “spiritually discerned“. It IS this same reality that we should see in the unction, the anointing, and in the very Presence of God that we find in Jesus words. We read the words of the Prophets and we simply understand that these ARE spiritual men hearing spiritual things but there ARE times with one should wonder if that even what we ARE reading IS, in Truth, the word of God as heard, as perceived, in that “still small voice“. We read this small part from 1 Kings where the idea of the voice of the Lord IS shown to the prophet through his own confusion regarding his own fate; this begins with the voice of the Lord saying:
“What doest thou here, Elijah? And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said , What doest thou here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:9-13).
It IS in the perspective that the prophet IS one “that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21), that Elijah IS a man of God, that we should see his revelations and his realizations of Truth as the work of the Lord, as the work of the God Within expressing Life through the man in the world; and we should remember here how that Elijah IS among the very few who ARE Truly Redeemed or, better, who had been able to Truly Redeem their own existence in this world: to so spiritualize their fleshy existence that it became…..The point here IS seen in the description that we find from the Prophet Elisha which we read as: “And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven” (2 Kings 2:11).
It IS in the Life of the Prophet Elisha where we find one of those places where one should wonder if the it IS the spiritual Power of the God Within or the carnally focused Power of the God Within that IS acting in the world and perhaps we should try to see how that this story IS here so that we can wonder and question. We read that NOT long after the departuer of his mentor Elijah, the Prophet Elisha “went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them” (2 Kings 2:23-24). IS the the work of the Lord? IS this the work of our God who John tells us IS Love? Or IS this the work of the Power that a man can realize in the Presence of God then turned to carnal thoughts, attitudes and actions?
Perhaps we can get some insight here in Elisha’s request for “a double portion of thy spirit be upon me” (2 Kings 2:9) and see this in similar light to the request of John and James, that “They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory” (Mark 10:37). It IS in this that we see how that the apostles ARE NOT yet complete and, in this beginning of Elisha’s reign as Prophet in Israel, neither was he. The point here is found in single mindedness and that singularity of focus upon the things of God; until then we strive according to His words and in striving we ARE at times deluded by our own thoughts and suffer in our own sense of that division between the carnal and the spiritual. James and John as well as Elisha ARE disciples of the Lord and they ALL have their own particular measure of Truth, the own measure of realization of the Presence of God and their own several ability to express this to the world of men. This IS the state of being for every man who strives, every man who IS changing his focus onto the things of God and away from the self and the self in the world. This striving however IS in regard to His words and NOT in regard to doctrines or what men may believe that they hear and this IS the point of Truth.
It IS difficult for the man who DOES Truly strive toward the Truth of His words to see through the duality in which he lives and it IS evermore difficult for the man who merely believes that he IS striving to see the Truths that lie beneath those things that he has come to believe. In the sense of the former man there IS the reality of the “wisdom that is from above” as James shows us and there IS the reality of the “fruit of the Spirit” as Paul shows us and we should understand here that what IS Wisdom and what IS such fruit IS “spiritually discerned“. For the man who IS in the second group, the man who merely believes but who IS NOT in accord with the Truth of the Master’s words, this sense of difficulty however IS NOT so apparent as he believes according to his preconceptions and his doctrine. It IS in the idea of men being lost in their own doctrines that we see in Pharisees and the other religious rulers of the Jews which Jesus clearly points out to us; and we see this as well as in the Life of Paul as a Pharisee until his awakening to the Truth as we discussed a few essays back.
And this IS the greater difficulty; that the man who merely believes that IS he right and that he is righteous IS deluded, he IS lost in his own world of illusion and glamour, and he lacks the True spiritual discernment to discover the Truth. For the aspirant and the disciple there IS ever the sense of duality until that time when his focus IS sure and fixed upon the things of God and, while he may struggle, he DOES KNOW by measure a degree of the Truth as he strives to keep His words. This man IS the “good ground” according to the Parable of the Sower which we repeat again below….it IS this man who strives to keep His words who IS “in an honest and good heart“. It IS the man who merely believes that He KNOWS that IS deluded and, as we discussed in the last essay, while he may believe that he IS among the “good ground“, this man IS still among the thorns. While this seems to be a harsh assessment, the Truth IS found in His words saying that to be this “good ground“, one must “having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience“.
“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience” (Luke 8:11-15).
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 |
Note on the Quote of the Day
This daily blog also has a Quote of the Day which may not be in any way related to the essay. Many of these will be from the Bible and some just prayers or meditations that may have an influence on you and are in line with the subject matter of this blog. As the quote will change daily and will not store with the post, it is repeated in this section with the book reference and comment.
Live in joy, in love, even among those who hate.
Live in joy, in health, even among the afflicted.
Live in joy, in peace, even among the troubled.
Live in joy, without possessions.
Like the shining ones.
The winner sows hatred because the loser suffers.
Let go of winning and losing and find joy.
There is no fire like passion, no crime like hatred,
No sorrow like separation, no sickness like hunger,
And no joy like the joy of freedom.
Today’s Quote of the Day is from the Dhammapada (on JOY)5; a collection of the sayings of the Buddha. These words and ideas ARE much the same as those we discuss in our In the Words of Jesus essays. And what is this freedom but the release of our hearts and minds from loving this life in this world and attaining the Presence of God. This word Joy has many meanings as DOES the idea of Love, but in the context that it IS used here we should see the idea that Joy IS Love, Joy IS health, Joy IS peace and that Joy IS without the burdens placed on a man by the illusion and the glamour of the ways of the world. We should try to see that it IS the antithesis of these ideas in hate, in affliction and in troubles that ARE among the possessions of the carnal man, that ARE among the “evil treasure of his heart” (Luke 6:45) according to the Master.
And it IS in the second stanza above that we see the basic psychic ideas that can eliminate the harm caused by such “evil treasure” as a man looks past himself and at the welfare of others which IS the greater reality of Love as the Master teaches us. It IS in losing such possessions, losing such carnal thoughts and attitudes, that one can truly find the “joy of freedom“….this IS the Truth of deliverance.
Let the peace of God rule in your hearts
- 2 New Testament Greek Lexicon on BibleStudyTools.com
- 5 The Dhammapada Translated by Thomas Byrom
- 8 Bible commentaries on BibleStudyTools.com
