ON LOVE; PART DXCI
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GoodWill IS Love in Action
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“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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“Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:36-40).
In the last essay we spent our time discussing the use of words generally in the New Testament and how that right discernment IS necessary to properly understand the intent of the writer. This discernment comes in one’s ability to see the spiritual import of any saying and group of sayings and this ability comes in one’s focus upon the things of God. The Apostle Paul tells us this saying:
“For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But 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 2:11-14).
Paul’s point here IS clear to us but it is also thought to be clear to many who DO NO have spiritual discernment and who interpret this in the way of doctrines and of men; that IS, from a carnal perspective. We should see the idea that the “spirit of man which is in him” as his consciousness; not his personality but the consciousness that IS fed by the personality in the world. We should see the idea of the “the Spirit of God” as what this says, that this IS the consciousness of the man which IS fed by the Soul, the Christ Within, and this because of his focus upon the things of God rather than the things of men. We should remember here that the apostle IS speaking to those who are “called to be saints” (1 Corinthians 1:2) which are the disciples and the aspirants at Corinth and these words ARE NOT intended to be seen as the lite fare of the average Christian but in the reality of the Truly focused man who has heard the call of his own Soul and heeded that call in Repentance. Similarly we should not hold Paul’s words that “we have received, not the spirit of the world” and “the spirit which is of God” in the same light as the ‘receiving‘ of the “spirit which is of God” which IS ONLY found in Repentance and the works of Transformation and NOT by merely considering oneself a Christian; these are those who ARE Truly striving to keep His words.
We should note here that the Greek word lambano which is rendered as ‘received‘ can just as easily be rendered as take which, while not according to doctrine, IS a greater reality for this saying for it IS the man who heeds the call and changes his focus who takes on to himself the “spirit which is of God“; this IS a part of that Transformation that the apostle tells us of saying “be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2). It IS in this Transformation that the consciousness takes its input from the Soul which IS “the Spirit of God” and that this displaces the previous input which emanates from the world, through the personality, and IS that “spirit of man which is in him“; that IS in his consciousness. We should try to see here that even these explanatory words from the apostle need to be rightly discerned as these fall victim to doctrines that say that by becoming a Christian that one has that “spirit which is of God” which the non Christian DOES NOT have while the Truth IS that religion plays NO part in this whatsoever. ALL is a matter of the focus of one’s Life, the focus of one’s consciousness either upon the Soul and the things of God or upon the personality and the things of the world. And this brings us back to the words of James who sees religion and doctrine from the perspective of the times and as a state of mind where men believe that they are religious and DOING the works according to His words but who are nonetheless focused upon themselves and their worldly interests, which focus includes this sense of doctrine and religion. James tells us:
“If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:26-27).
Our view on James’ words on religion were covered in some detail a few posts back and here this word religion IS in itself misunderstood and misapplied. James however defines it for us and, while many get caught up in his ideas on “the fatherless and widows“, and many take this literally, most miss the ever more important point that the Truly religious would “keep himself unspotted from the world“. It IS this latter part that fits neatly into Paul’s ideas above as this unspotted man IS the one whose focus IS upon the things of God, the man who strives to keep His words and who has taken the “spirit which is of God” as his guiding Light.
As we return to our discussion of the third chapter of the Epistle of James, we should have some better understanding of the use and the meaning of words in the New Testament and be able to see the deeper meaning of the apostle’s use of this idea of the tongue, that it IS the totality of the expression of the man in the world. This expression IS the actions produced by the thoughts and the attitudes of the man, be they carnal or spiritual, and we should try to see how that the very thoughts and attitudes themselves are also a part of this expression as a man’s presence can be seen by his ‘radiation’ of these things, his aura if you will. And the apostle offers us a picture of the nature of the tongue and the difficulty in taming one’s expression; we read again:
“My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold , we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be” (James 3:1-10).
We ended the last essay saying: and this IS the rub; that one generally can not see those things clearly that are against himself: the deluded CAN NOT readily see the illusion and the doctrinally minded CAN NOT see those ideas that ARE against the doctrines. If in this light we view this idea of teachers and in this light we view the idea of the tongue, we can likely see that rational of doctrine; how that they put off the apostles idea to others rather than to see them as in any way affecting themselves and their own teaching of doctrines over Truths; this IS the same claim that the Master has against the Pharisees and the scribes in His day. We should remember here that the beginning of this trend of thought DOES begin in close proximity of time to the Master’s words as these doctrinal ideas are mostly established by the Early Church Fathers and have carried down through the centuries.
In the final analysis these ideas are clear for us regarding religion and doctrine and teaching and the tongue and that the subject seemingly changes in the end of this as the habits of the man, of his expression, are elucidated. We should understand here that he IS speaking to aspirants and disciples and that he IS apparently correcting a behavior that he has seen and in this end part we can see a greater emphasis upon the spoken word; but this IS NOT without the affliction of the whole of one’s expression as the spoken words are but a part of this. In this idea of bless which we discussed in some detail yesterday, there IS more than merely the idea of praise; after exploring the ideas presented by the Master and His apostles regarding the words rendered as bless, we concluded that praise DOES NOT fit the usage in most sayings and that this idea of bless is rather nebulous; in our view, we see this Greek word eulogeo IS perhaps better rendered in the the idea of seeing the Godly nature within a man. In this particular saying we can see this as opposed to seeing the carnal nature which can be understood here as cursing and perhaps this IS related what we see as the Master’s undefinable words which He says in that verse on anger: “but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire” (Matthew 5:22). In discussing this idea in one of our essays on the Sermon on the Mount, we considered that it IS unlikely that the True meaning here can be fool and we cited the Master’s own use of this word against the Jewish religious rulers as part of our reason.
The use here of bless and curse are similar though not the same as the Master also uses this word rendered as curse in reference to those who DO NOT keep His words as regards Universal Love for ALL; we read His words as: “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed , into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41) and we should note here our citation of the use of this word that James tells us should not be used in an accusatory way. However, if our view of blessing and cursing IS correct, this then could take on different meanings as He IS NOT cursing them as we would understand this but rather making reference to their state of being as men who have chosen the carnal path. In this view then these ARE NOT words ONLY but expressions of a man’s view of others which, for the aspirant and the disciple should be Universal Love in which there IS NO “respect to persons“. Here in the apostle’s words there IS apparently much more than this happening among the people as he tells us that “Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing“. Much the same idea can be found with the more common ideas of blessing and cursing but this common idea of cursing would likely be beyond the pale for such men as the apostle IS addressing.
And our own view here works out well as we go into the next sayings which take the man for whom “these things ought not so to be” and goes on to explain to the man, the aspirant and the disciple, how that the man whose focus IS rightly on the things of God CAN NOT express these carnally focused ideas and then goes on to further explain how that the man can KNOW that his thoughts and attitudes ARE in accordance with the Truth, Wisdom from above, and not in worldly ways and not in worldly doctrines. We read:
“Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy” (James 3:11-17).
The point of the first part of this is rather clear; that there can only be one True focus for a man. This IS NO different than the Master’s words on God and mammon where ONLY one can be a man’s choice and we should try to see here that if the choice IS NOT God….totally God, then the choice IS mammon. So the same with the apostles examples of the trees and vines; the man of God can ONLY produce Godly fruit and the man of the world carnal fruit and in this context even so when the fruit IS mixed. This same point IS offered to us by the Master in two ways that are likely related; we read:
“Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:16-20),
“Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit” (Matthew 12:33).
In the first saying which we discussed earlier as part of the Sermon on the Mount and then again in regard to James words on teachers, we should try to see the similarity to James’ words here on the fountain and the tree or vine. In both the Master’s words and James we should be able to see the idea that IS presented and in this understand that the man of mixed fruit IS at some time bringing forth corrupt fruit, fruit of the world and NOT of the Spirit. Here, while ALL things spiritual DO work out in Life by degree, the man IS NOT free until his focus and his Life IS Truly on the Good, the Beautiful and the True and it IS this that these scriptures DO tell us. In the second saying from the Master this is made more clear as here there IS the admonition to be either one or the other, and that the Truth IS KNOWN by the fruit that on bears. For James this idea is expressed in his simple words saying “these things ought not so to be“.
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.
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)
This is called by some of the church the Great Commission and so it is. It is however hardly understood and at times grossly misapplied. Somewhere in the centuries that have passed since the Master left us we have come to think that the meaning of this is just to preach the word through any particular doctrine and baptize according to any particular belief. Vincent tells us that the word translated as teach here should be seen as make disciples of 4 and the lexicon bears this out. There is nowhere in scripture an actual defining understanding of the concept of baptism and we generally think of it as the immersion into or the pouring on of water and that somehow this clears us of sin. This is but an outward sign however of real spiritual undertaking by the conscious man and it is only when a man is ready to commit to the Master that a baptism can be considered real. We will leave this as the Quote of the Day for a few days and try to find in it some true meaning. Keeping in mind our four points, we should ponder on this.
The Master is speaking to disciples and not the multitudes and these are those that do believe on Him and follow Him and keep His words. Hard sayings for man in the world but claimed by many nonetheless. There IS a reality in the idea that the disciple should be “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” which IS His words that ARE to be kept and in this light we add these ideas from the Buddha: “Love yourself and watch – today, tomorrow, always. First establish yourself in the way, Then teach, and so defeat sorrow. To straighten the crooked you must first do a harder thing – straighten yourself” (Dhammapada; on Yourself)5.
