Love is the Fulfilling of the Law
ON LOVE; PART LIX
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GoodWill IS Love in Action
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An article in the New York Times this morning reveals a change in the dynamic of American religion that was one of the impetuses for our beginning this blog more than a year ago. The headline reads: Number of Protestant Americans Is in Steep Decline, Study Finds and while the article is particular to the reduction of Protestants in the churches from about two-thirds of Americans 40 years ago down to less than half today, this is not our point nor our perspective. What we see here is of a more basic nature as we have been discussing and that is that the ages old doctrines that the churches preach do not appeal to the masses as they once did; the human psyche, is seeking more but does not KNOW where to turn and are become adrift and awaiting some new revelation. What we can see without Truly looking is that the more emotional person is likely more inclined to stay in the church that they KNOW and is more capable of accepting the doctrines and the rather nebulous teachings of the doctrines on faith while the more mentally inclined, and this IS the way that the race is evolving, are likely among those who are leaving. This is compounded by the advent of the Aquarian Age as the dynamic energies of Love and Brotherhood, of Peace and Harmony, impact the minds of men in ways that may not yet be recognized but which are real and have been bringing us to this evolution for more than half a century.
While the article addresses Protestants, we should remember that the Catholic Church has had its share of this same phenomenon and was likely first because of the ritualistic approach that is so much a part of this religion. The article reports that the Catholic numbers remain much the same as they did five years ago because of the influx of immigrants into the Church and that in this same five years the number of persons claiming ‘no religion’ has risen to nearly one of every five. The numbers they report in this category of ‘no religion’ are: from forty years ago was about seven percent of the population; from five years ago fifteen percent of the population and today, approximately twenty percent of the population.
Does this mean that they do not believe in God? We think not and we believe that they have not found a teaching and a way to God that suits their particular emotional and mental needs. The article reports that this trend has already been in force in much of the world and it is noted as the secularizing trend but it questions whether this movement here in America is of the same nature; we say that it will depend on our definition of secular. We should note that there are segments of the Christian Church that are reporting increases in membership and among these are the Word of Faith movement, the Prosperity Theologies and other allied movements which we have spoken of in our essays in the past. The appeal of these is found in the way that their doctrines appeal to the carnal nature of a man and it is our premise that this appeal, by way of deception, gives believers that Old Testament understanding of rewards here and now in place of the reality that the reward is the Kingdom here and now. These philosophies make millions of dollars worldwide for the churches and contribute to the wealth of the pastors and leaders who are not bashful in showing off their possessions and hold them up to the faithful as the reward for them as well; one of the underlying philosophies that they teach is that in tithing one will receive manifold and in this they use misinterpreted gospel scriptures intermingled with Old Testament ‘promises’. Granted, not all of these Word of Faith or Prosperity teachers are fully ingrained into the financial parts of their theology but most all are accepting of the teaching. The reality here is that this form of religion focuses the participant on the things of the world, on mammon, and this is contrary to ALL that the Master teaches.
Now while it is not our intent to disparage any, we do find it necessary to point out what we see and that is the deception of many and this is intensified by the phenomenon of televangelism which puts this theology and its ideas in front of millions with each of the ‘teachers’ proclaiming that their view is right and that they are ‘hearing’ from God resulting in the frequent claim that ‘God told me’ this or that or that we should do this or that. There is no doubt that most of these teachers and preachers believe that what they are saying is True and that they do not Truly realize that their teachings are at times wholly contrary to the Truth of the teachings of the Master and His apostles and, this being said, points to the severity with which one can be afflicted by the illusion and the glamour of Life in this world. It is here that we will always come back to the words of James on two fronts:
- “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22) and in regard to the idea of “doers of the word” we add here today another saying that reflects what this doing so entails: “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10).
- “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 3:13-17). And, as we are wont to do, we should repeat here our caution regarding a myopic view of these words “envying and strife“, that these do not refer only to those things that we commonly understand but rather refer to the ways of the world in the self, self-devotion, concerned with one’s own self-interest, in general, selfishness. Vincent tells us of envying that Emulation is the better general rendering, which does not necessarily include envy, but may be full of the spirit of self-devotion and of strife he tells us that this is a wrong rendering, founded on the mistaken derivation…..us it comes to be applied to those who serve in official positions for their own selfish interest, and who, to that end, promote party spirit and faction 4.
Returning to our article from the Times, we should try to understand that there are many for whom the doctrines of the older and established churches do not work, they become rather meaningless and that this is not a new phenomenon. It is this displeasure with the established churches that results in the influx of new and different ways of looking at religion and so there are spawned those that we mention above plus many others. The survey, if we are discerning it right, seems to be telling us that this new and current loss of participating Christians from the Protestant sector includes erosion of the base of these Word of Faith and Prosperity theologies as well as these are counted as Protestant. What are all of these people looking for? We would hope that they are looking for Truth and not doctrine; Truth and not the individual beliefs of the varied denominations and sects; Truth as the righteous interpretation of the words of the Master and His apostles. If this Truth comes to us in the form of the Wisdom from above as we read above, then we will see it as wholly unrelated to the ways and the things of the world and this is ever the message of the Master. Are these people who are falling away from organized religion ready to hear this message? it is difficult to say. However we think is safe to say they are looking for something that IS NOT being satisfied by the churches of the day.
Realizing that these people that are falling away are being added to the ranks of a secular society we should understand that many in that society do have a profound Love for God and for their fellow man as this Love IS NOT restricted to the average churchgoer. We should ever remember that the Truth of one’s spiritual beliefs are not in the church but they are in the heart, the consciousness, of each man and most all men ponder upon the mysteries of Life and death. The teachings of most ALL teachers from God have always been teachings that will allow a man to understand the spiritual while living in the carnal and most ALL of these teachings are spoken to disciples first, and the masses second and it is unfortunate that the messages become so muted and confused before they reach those who would likely benefit most. This IS the way things work and there is likely a reason and a part of this reason is likely that the masses could not accept the teachings as they are offered by the original giver be it the Christ, the Buddha, Krishna or any of the other True Sons of God that have passed our way.
Is the world ready today for the Truth? it is hard to say. Many however are ready and we should try to see that many of these ready persons are among those that do not find fulfillment in the religions of the world as they are practiced today. It is of course our hope and our desire that these ready persons will be ‘turned on’ by some words or passing comment that expresses Truth; that they will notice the ‘still small voice‘ of their own Souls and take some step towards listening and that they will become involved with the reality of the Constitution of Man thereby seeing their own reality. The first step in understanding Life and God is in understanding oneself, the True nature of man, and the role of illusion and of glamour in all that we do on this Earth.
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Aspect of God |
Potency |
Aspect of Man |
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Father |
Will or Power |
Spirit or Life |
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Son, The Christ |
Love and Wisdom |
Soul or Christ Within |
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Holy Spirit |
Light or Activity |
Life Within |
Returning to the message from H.P. Blavatsky that we posted a part of over the last two days, we come to the next segment which speaks of the choice between God and mammon that must be made by ALL. It is a bit more arcane than the last part and we will try to discuss it in the next post:
The aspirant has to choose absolutely between the life of the world and the life of Occultism. It is useless and vain to endeavour to unite the two, for no one can serve two masters and satisfy both. No one can serve his body and the higher Soul, and do his family duty and his universal duty, without depriving either one or the other of its rights; for he will either lend his ear to the “still small voice” and fail to hear the cries of his little ones, or, he will listen but to the wants of the latter and remain deaf to the voice of Humanity. It would be a ceaseless, a maddening struggle for almost any married man, who would pursue true practical Occultism, instead of its theoretical philosophy. For he would find himself ever hesitating between the voice of the impersonal divine love of Humanity, and that of the personal, terrestrial love. And this could only lead him to fail in one or the other, or perhaps in both his duties. Worse than this. For, whoever indulges after having pledged himself to OCCULTISM in the gratification of a terrestrial love or lust, must feel an almost immediate result; that of being irresistibly dragged from the impersonal divine state down to the lower plane of matter. Sensual, or even mental self-gratification, involves the immediate loss of the powers of spiritual discernment; the voice of the MASTER can no longer be distinguished from that of one’s passions or even that of a Dugpa; the right from wrong; sound morality from mere casuistry. The Dead Sea fruit assumes the most glorious mystic appearance, only to turn to ashes on the lips, and to gall in the heart resulting in:–
Depth ever deepening,darkness darkening still;
Folly for wisdom, guilt for innocence;
Anguish for rapture, and for hope despair.
And once being mistaken and having acted on their mistakes, most men shrink from realizing their error, and thus descend deeper and deeper into the mire.**
We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.
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.:
So that we do not forget that the reality of this ALL is still LOVE which is our Truth regardless of whatever other realizations may come to us in Life, we present here again the Apostle Paul’s words followed by our own understanding of this reality:
….but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law (Romans 13:8-10).
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)
We should remember always to link to this Greatest Commandment that other saying of the Master that gives to us the practical understanding of how to love one’s self plus the practical instruction on how it is that we CAN Love our neighbour; He tells us:
Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them
(Matthew 7:12)
Unlike so much of the Master’s sayings that come to us in the form of parables and for which we can only surmise that we have the spiritual presence to understand, these sayings are very straightforward and they are the key to many of the promises of spiritual life; they are the very key to the Kingdom of God. To these sayings we add our adopted definition of the Greek word agape (agapao) which is translated into the English words Love and Charity and which is:
‘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’
- 4 Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition, 1888
- ** Lucifer Magazine May, 1888
