Love is the Fulfilling of the Law
ON LOVE; PART CLXXII
ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•Α
GoodWill IS Love in Action
ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•Α•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•Α
“There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:1-15).
In the last post we got stuck on the ideas that were engendered by the Apostle Paul’s words the the Philippians that are his instruction to us ALL on focus, the things that a man should think on rather than the more common thoughts for the self in the world and the trials, tribulations and potential pleasures of carnal Life. The apostle tells us at the end of his sayings that:
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8).
In these words are the reality of the thought pattern of the disciple and the intended thought pattern of the aspirant and as we can plainly see, there is no thought given to the Life of the self in the world and this list of things to “think on” should bring to mind the Master’s instruction that we “take no thought” (Matthew 6:34) as to the things of the world and the worldly Life. While the common understanding of the Master’s words has been made to be that one should not worry about the things as the Master presents them, we should try to see that His words are not Truly intended to be a finite list of things that we should not concern ourselves with but it is rather a trend in thought that is not concerned with the things of the world. It is this idea that the apostle amplifies and clarifies; that we should “think on these things” as he presents them and, again, this should not be seen as a finite list but as a trend which is continued in the idea of “any virtue” and “any praise” and we should take both these words to their fullest meaning and try to see Paul’s intent as being both within and without the man. The Master’s examples in this idea of “take no thought” are an admonition as to what not to think on as He tells us:
- “Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on . Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is , and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought , saying , What shall we eat ? or, What shall we drink ? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed ? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek: ) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” (Matthew 6:24-34).
- “But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? And seek not ye what ye shall eat , or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:20-32).
Both of these renditions of the Master’s words offer us a bit different perspective on His words and His intent. In Matthew’s Gospel the Master’s words follow His teaching on God and mammon and we should understand in this that His idea of “take not thought” is related to this theme and those things that He tells us not to think about are those things that are included in the general theme of mammon. As we combine this idea with Paul’s words on what a disciple should “think on” we should be able to recognize the intent of the words of the Master and of the apostle as being directed to the disciple and by extension those who would be disciples….we as aspirants. In Luke’s Gospel Jesus words follow upon the Parable of the Rich Fool where one of the morals of this story is that there is no profit to the Soul, the True man, in treasures on this Earth and this is a rather common theme for the Master who tells us elsewhere that: “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). There is a great reality in the Master’s words here and above and when combined with the apostles words they are exceedingly clear and ALL who would claim discipleship must see them in the Light in which they are offered and not in those illusory ways that serve to allow a man to believe that the things of the world are of any importance whatsoever in one’s quest for this High Calling. The Master tells us and the multitudes the reality of discipleship and the Kingdom and that the way is that we must seek it; Matthew tells us that the Master’s thoughts on this also include the idea of first which we should understand not as a numerical value but as the hierarchical value of what is important in one’s Life.
In our thinking the anmonition of “take no thought” takes on the reality that the Master offers it in, in relation to “God and mammon” and in relation to the plight of the rich fool in the parable. To this we add His teaching on the reality of the treasure that one may have in his heart and this we KNOW to mean those things that are important to him…..the things of the world or the things of God. This of course brings us back to the idea of focus; one can focus upon God or one can focus upon mammon and this should not be considered only in the way of possessions but in the greater realm of thought. This realm includes those things that one can possess but more importantly the motivation by which one desires to possess and the choices are only two….”God and mammon“. We should see here that the motivation is the action of one’s focus; to focus one’s attention on the things of the world give one motivation to pursue those things, those thoughts and those pleasures while to focus one’s attention on the things of God gives one the motivation to the things of God which are Love, brotherhood and a Life lived in righteousness and peace….”the peace of God, which passeth all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).
As we move back to the writings of Emmet Fox we should see that the basic philosophy in the New Thought teachings attempts to cover both sides of our dilemma and this by using the philosophy as a tool to gain in the world. This gaining is not necessarily possession or wealth although there are likely some who see it this way but it is rather to gain health and well-being as men in form. This is, from our perspective, the indictment of most all denominations and sects as none truly see the reality of the Parable of the Rich Fool, the power in the Master’s words that “Ye cannot serve God and mammon” nor the simplicity of the fact that “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also“
Today we move the Fifteen Points of Emmet Fox from its position of Quote of the Day to the main body of the essay as we try to complete our discussion of the meaning of these to us as aspirants as compared to the intended meaning according to the New Thought doctrine as we perceive it. We begin with the opening statement as it appeared in our past posts for the convenience of any new reader: Emmet Fox, a New Thought Christian teacher, gives us his Fifteen Points teaching, one of which we used to exemplify the Master’s intent in His teaching to us about the Golden Rule. All of these points are however forward looking from the perspective of the man who desires to advance spiritually and they are based upon the reality of the Master’s teachings on Love.
I Am Really In Truth: ‡
- If – I always look for the best in each person, situation and thing.
- If – I resolutely turn my back on the past, good or bad and live only in the present & future
- If – I forgive everybody without exception, no matter what he may have done; and if I then forgive MYSELF whole-heartedly.
- If – I regard my job as sacred and do my day’s work to the best of my ability (whether I like it or not).
- If – I take every means to demonstrate a healthy body and harmonious surroundings for myself.
- If – I endeavor to make my life of as much service to others as possible, without interfering or fussing.
- If – I take every opportunity wisely to spread the knowledge of Truth to others.
- If – I rigidly refrain from personal criticism, and neither speak nor listen to gossip.
- If – I devote at least a quarter of an hour a day to prayer and meditation.
- If – I read at least seven verses of the Bible everyday.
- If – I specifically claim spiritual understanding of myself every day.
- If – I train myself to give the first thought on waking to God.
- If – I speak the Word for the whole world every day, say at noon.
- If – I PRACTICE, the Golden Rule of Jesus instead of merely admiring it. He said, “Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.” The important point about the Golden Rule is that I am to practice it whether the other fellow does so or not.
- If – above all, I understand that whatever I see is but a picture which can be changed for the better by Scientific Prayer.
- The eighth point is one that reflects upon the way of Love as taught by the Master and here we find a sideways look at the Golden Rule. While the intent does not seem to be related to how one wishes to be treated, the reality is still there. The whole of this point is about one’s treatment of others in GoodWill but from the perspective of what one will not do to others and if we consider the basis as founded in the Golden Rule we likely do well. Under the teaching on the Golden Rule is likely the only place that this type of offence is spoken of by the Master.
- The ninth point is rather clear but in our understanding misworded as to its intent. Prayer is an undefined ideal from our perspective and means some different thing to different people or denominations and sects. Prayer is supplication, prayer is invocation and prayer is a general heading that may mean a communion with God which is in itself unclear. Meditation is the easier term here but even in this there can be confusion as to what form of meditation one may do. It seems to us that the better idea here is that one earnestly think on God for some time during each day and while fifteen minutes may seem enough, it hardly is to the True aspirant and disciple who rather constantly sees ALL things through a spiritual eye and it is this contemplation of things and thinking about the spiritual Life that will bring us closer to our spiritual reality and this thinking IS a great part of one’s focus on the things of God. There is a doctrinal angle here in Mr. Fox’s words that we will deal with in more detail as part of the last point.
We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.
| Aspect of God | Potency | Expressed as Fire | Aspect of Man | In Relation to the Christ |
| GOD, The Father | Will or Power | Electric Fire | Spirit or Life | Life |
| Son, The Christ | Love and Wisdom | Solar Fire | Soul or Christ Within | Truth |
| Holy Spirit | Light or Activity | Fire by Friction | Life Within the Form | 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:
Today we repeat again the Great Invocation as our Quote of the Day.
From the point of Light within the Mind of God
Let light stream forth into the minds of men.
Let Light descend on Earth.
From the point of Love within the Heart of God
Let love stream forth into the hearts of men.
May Christ return to Earth.
From the centre where the Will of God is known
Let purpose guide the little wills of men–
The purpose which the Masters know and serve.
From the centre which we call the race of men
Let the Plan of Love and Light work out
And may it seal the door where evil dwells.
Let Light and Love and Power restore the Plan on Earth.
This prayer is a part of our Prayers and Meditations section and there is much information about it there and in our discussion of it in the Quote of the Day section of In the Words of Jesus parts 128-132
The above Invocation or Prayer does not belong to any person or group but to all Humanity. The beauty and the strength of this Invocation lies in its simplicity, and in its expression of certain central truths which all men, innately and normally, accept—the truth of the existence of a basic Intelligence to Whom we vaguely give the name of God; the truth that behind all outer seeming, the motivating power of the universe is Love; the truth that a great Individuality came to earth, called by Christians, the Christ, and embodied that love so that we could understand; the truth that both love and intelligence are effects of what is called the Will of God; and finally the self-evident truth that only through humanity itself can the Divine Plan work out.
Like the Lord’s Prayer, this invocation is a World Prayer which is as all that a prayer is intended to be. It is a prayer for the uplifting of the Human Family out of the mire of materialism and selfishness. The Lord’s Prayer asks nothing for the individual praying it but asks that its benefits be for US and for WE which is why it was given by the Christ as a prayer and as a model over 2000 years ago. This invocation is also attributed to the Christ who, as He promised, has never left us; He, through channels that we do not readily understand, has Himself instructed His disciples to distribute this prayer and to encourage its use as a world prayer and as an aid in preparing the world for His return.
The first three stanzas of this prayer should be understood as reflecting the effective potencies of the Trinity which is God and which, when brought down to an individual level, the Trinity which is Man. His Will, His Love and His Light we should seen as the Potent Powers of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Let the peace of God rule in your hearts!
- ‡ From The Fifteen Points by Emmet Fox; © 1932 HarperCollins Publishers Inc
