IN THE WORDS OF JESUS–Part 252

Love is the Fulfilling of the Law

ON GOD; Part XXXIX

Lest we forget how we got into this discussion of the various random sayings on Love from the epistles and gospels, we here again restate our starting duo of sayings that led us here and in which we found enough beauty and Truth to expound them for several days:

“God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him“

(1 John 4:16)

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way , the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me“

(John 14:6)

What do these say to us in a single thought? God is Love and when we Live in that Love which is defined by other scripture for us as Loving our fellowman, our neighbors and our brothers, we can then say that we Live in God; we cannot say that we Live in God otherwise and in this is the Way to the Father, Love……the Love that IS God is the Love that IS the Christ and this same Love, when we Live in this Love, it is the Way to the Father and to His Kingdom; this LOVE is therefore the Way to God, this LOVE is the Truth in our existence and this LOVE IS the Life of God, for “God is Love“.

Continuing with our list of verses and sayings on Love we come now to another by the Apostle Paul and one that is seemingly unrelated to our ideas:

• “Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. But if any man love God, the same is known of him” (1 Corinthians 8: 1-3). Most of the ideas in the verses that precede this in the epistle are related to morality, that is living within the realm of the new understanding of the law which Paul is reinforcing through his letters. We need to see the idea here of new understanding because of the way that the Master taught us that the law is forever but it is what is in the heart that matters. We may keep the law because it is the law but for this there is no real reward; however, when one keeps the law in his heart then he will not do a thing that is contrary to this law. There apparently is an issue in Corinth with the sacrifice of animals and things that become foods and this is the outward understanding of the apostles objection which can be seen as a man knowing the law and chastising another for eating sacrificed meats. Paul says to them that this man who knows this law really does not understand in his heart the fullness of the matter; that the matter is, in reality, judged by charity which we know is of the same Greek word as is Love and which is translated as Love further on. So what do we have but Paul telling the Corinthians that the knowledge of some about the law is not to be used against others as it only serves to make the man proud and that the man should come to his brother in Love if he believes that he is doing wrong in such a thing. It is Love that will build up his brother and bring him to the right path. Paul’s goes on to say that the man that knows the law really knows nothing in the new understanding presented by the Master, he only knows what is written in the law and is missing the intent and the Love that is behind it. We should not here see this only in this context of “things offered unto idols” but to most everything that the law addresses. Here we should recollect the sayings of the master on adultery and killing and vengeance and hating:
• “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment……” (Matthew 5:21-22)
• Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28
• “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resistnot evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Matthew 5:38-39)
• “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:43-45).

Can we see and understand here the message of Paul and how it amplifies that of the Master? Paul tells us that to rely on the law and on knowledge of the law is, in the new understanding, nothing but it is in Love that all things are done right. The Master teaches this same idea by focusing on what is in one’s heart and, as we know, the heart is filled with either the selfish ways of the world or with the Love of God as it streams forth from the Christ Within. The end part of this should be seen in the Light in which it is painted by the Apostle John regarding Loving God being only possible if one Loves his fellowman as we see in the saying at the top of our essay and Paul says that when a man Loves God then He is known by God. We should relate this all to each man’s journey and the understanding that when a man can express that Love toward God and toward his brother that the the Christ Within is active in his Life and he is “known of him“.

• “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Galatians 5:14). Here, through his speaking to the people of Galatia, Paul is again telling us of this second part of the Great Commandment, which should be giving us a greater understanding of the intent of the Master and the importance of this single idea in the Life of any who would consider themselves a Christian. Again, it is in the narrowness that so many interpret this idea that the Truth of the Love of God is not more widely understood in the world and we should see here for ourselves that the time has come when this must no longer be so. ALL should be living in the fullness of this saying and in the precepts of the Master as listed in the prior saying.
• “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). This next saying we have visited before in our posts and it is one of great meaning in one’s journey on the Path toward that strait gate that opens into the Kingdom of God. Each of these can be seen as a part of the first word and that is Love. Can we see the ideas of Love in each of these terms from the pen of the apostle.
• Joy: This idea of Joy is that which comes from a person and it flows into the personality consciousness with the Love from the Christ Within. In yesterday’s post we came upon a phrase by Paul that fits into our saying here very neatly. It is Paul’s repetition of a saying from the Prophet Isaiah which served as our last point in our last post and which can be seen here as the source of this Joy: “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Can we see the idea here that when one Loves God as is seen in his Love for his fellowman (these are inseparable), then this Joy comes forth as one of those things prepared for “them that love him“.
• Peace: The Master tells us that “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth , give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled , neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). Jesus here is speaking of that Peace that comes to each one who believes on Him, that is one who follows Him and keeps His words. Here again we see Love at work; the prerequisite is that we Love one another and in this Living in Love we also Live in God and thereby God Lives in us. Again, we should see this Power of Peace in that stream of Love that flows through into the personality consciousness, the heart of the man in form.
• Longsuffering: This is a more complex word which means that we are outwardly patient with others as well as persevering and steadfast in our personal journey. This too, as a fruit of the Spirit, comes to us when that Love is flowing through and we are free of the emotional and mental response of the personality itself; when the Light and the Love of the Christ Within replace the carnally motivated responses of the man in form.
• Gentleness: In this one it is easy to see the idea of Love. In this it is easy to see the words of the Master that we call the Golden Rule: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets” (Matthew 7:12). Do we not want gentleness from others? In this idea given us by the Master is the understanding that when one is Living in Love this Gentleness is a natural occurrence; that one becomes gentle in his outward actions toward his brothers.
• Goodness: This word is closely allied to the previous one and the lexicon tells us that the word translated as Gentleness can also be translated as Goodness. The lexicon says of the Greek word chrestotes that is translated as Goodness that it means: moral goodness, integrity; benignity, kindness². In both this word and the previous we should see the spark of our idea and understanding of GoodWill as these are activities that exemplify Love.
• Faith: Though it might seem strange to see this idea mixed in with these others, there is not better place to put it. We should see Faith as an attribute of the Light and the Love of the Christ Within which is the source for the Light and the Love and these then are the source of Faith. As a man in the world living a carnal life there is no faith except that which is of the world and this faith does not have that conviction, that believing and that KNOWING that the Faith that streams in from the Soul will have. Faith in the things of the world is misplaced and is having faith for them is, in reality, just hoping; the True ideas of Faith are spiritual ideas and Faith is the product of KNOWING spiritual things as a spiritual man in form.
• Meekness: Can we see Love in meekness? The Master was Meek and was filled with Love; Love was His total expression when He was here with us. The Master tells us to: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matthew 11:29) and in this we should see no weakness. We should see that He had the strength to do whatsoever He would but the Love to show Goodness and Gentleness and Longsuffering and these are the Love that shines through in Meekness. A good idea of this word is found in the strength of the man Moses who led Israel out of Egypt and through forty years in the wilderness to their promised land as the representative if God and of whom it is said that “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3). Can we understand that Moses wielded the Power of God over the people and the land and could do or ask to have done as he pleased, yet did he forbear all that went against him and dealt evenly and fairly with the people of that day. We could say that Meek is having the ability to do harmful things against others but the Wisdom and the Love to not.
• Temperance: This word usually is allied in our minds with what it is that men may be prone to do and to do so in a temperate manner. It is this and more however and it is closely allied with meekness. This is self-control and in the light of Temperance as a fruit of the Spirit we should see it as an outward effect more than an inward one. Like with Meekness where one has the ability to do harm but choose not to do so based on Love and on Wisdom, we have here that same idea in self-control and should see this in relation to the ideas that we put forth above regarding the teaching of the Master on killing and adultery and vengeance and hate. It is Meekness that stops one from doing these things and it is Temperance that stops one from even thinking about them.

We will continue with our thoughts on the balance of our list of verses in the next post.

• “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ” (Ephesians 4:14-15)
• “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”  (John 14:21)
• “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. (John 15:10-12)
• “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth , let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another” (Romans 12:6-10)

Note on the Quote of the Day