Category Archives: Christianity

ON LOVE; PART MCCCXXXVI

ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ

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).

ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ

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.

ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ

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).

ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ

In the last essay we discussed the reality of KNOWING as this idea IS presented to us in the New Testament, both through the words of the Master and those of His apostles. We should understand that the whole idea of KNOWING has its greatest Truth in Jesus’ saying from our trifecta where we read that “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32). Our inquiry here should be what IS this Truth and what IS the freedom that it affords and it IS here that we refer to the amplifying and clarifying words of His apostles. However, the crux of this saying IS NOT in the ideas of Truth and of freedom, it IS in the Way to achieve such; it IS ONLY to the outsider, the man who DOES NOT have this sense of Truth and the freedom which it affords, that misapplies the ideas into his own doctrinal bent. When a man Truly Repents and chooses to focus his Life upon the things of God the reality of this KNOWING flows into his mortal Life and it IS this that the Apostle Paul IS showing us in our selection from his Epistle to the Romans. The apostle tells us that “if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you” and in this IS the deeper reality of that Repentance of which the Master says “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15). Jesus’ words here ARE an instruction to ALL men who can see that this Repentance IS that change of focus and the gospel IS the words of Truth found in the law and in the subsequent teachings of the Master. The reference to Repentance IS NOT to a sense of sorrow for ‘sin’ and the reference to the gospel IS NOT those ideas formulated by men as their doctrines. Here we have a spiritual view and a carnal view; here we have a view of the Master’s Truth as it IS spoken and the doctrinal view of men. It IS in Repentance and the change that it perforce brings to everyman that we can awaken, quicken if you will, “your mortal bodies” and allow “his Spirit that dwelleth in you” to, by measure, become the expression of one’s Life in this Earth….an expression of that Truth and freedom that comes in keeping His words which idea IS the KEY to understanding the Truth of the Gospel.

This Truth IS that KNOWING that IS represented in the Greek words pistis and pisteuo and, because the whole of this idea IS spiritual, we should understand that this KNOWING begins with one’s ability to Truly KNOW God and through this to begin to KNOW oneself. This IS the great awakening that produces that freedom by which we can “be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” as Paul tells us in our selection. We should remember here that this idea of deliverance IS NOT the doctrinal idea of being made free by the Lord as an act of His grace but this IS rather the same word and idea as we have in Jesus’ words above: that “ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free“. We should remember also that the Apostle Peter shows us this in more human terms as he tells us “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:4). Jesus tells us that it IS the Truth that can free us from this bondage to the vanity into which everyman IS born and that the Path to that Truth IS found in keeping His words; here we should remember that paramount in His words IS our expression of agape and this equally to ALL men….to ALL our neighbors around the world. Paul’s iteration of this idea IS found throughout his epistles and IS somewhat explained for us in our selection; it IS this freedom that we should see in the expectation of the Lord (and in turn the expectation of our Souls, our God and Christ Within): that we “shall be delivered” which idea, again, should be understood as we “shall be made free“. The context of these words should NOT be separated from the whole where the KEY to ALL such freedom IS founded in our ability, through focus, to “through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body“. In the combination of these ideas from the Master and from Paul we should see the reality of the idea of escape that Peter uses to show us the same end and we should understand that it IS this freedom that allows us to “be partakers of the divine nature“. This “divine nature” IS KNOWN by the Soul according to the Apostle John’s words saying that “ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things” (1 John 2:20). It IS this KNOWING that will flow into the heretofore carnal mind through this freedom attained by keeping His words and one’s True focus upon the things of God. Things which ARE ever centered in the singular idea of agape “for God is love“. We should understand that these things ARE NOT hidden from view but ARE rather clearly stated by the Master and His apostles; we should understand as well that individually such sayings DO show us the way and our combining of these ideas ONLY serves to further clarify and amplify the ideas. The church however IS NOT listening as they have plotted their course over the last 2000 years and flatly refuse to even entertain alternate perspectives of the Truth of the Gospels and the words of the apostles; this IS NOT unlike the response of the Jews which ARE called “a stiffnecked people” (Deuteronomy 9:6) by the Lord through Moses. The Apostle Stephen echoes this idea as he speaks to those who will soon stone him to death saying “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye” (Acts 7:51). It IS this same idea that should echo through the church as they shut up the essential Truths of Jesus teaching in favor of their doctrinal approach that IS designed for the comfort of men and NOT their spiritual advancement among men. Much of the remedy to this IS in our selection from Paul’s writings which we repeat again saying:

“they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because expectation that the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body” (Romans 8:5-23).

While Paul’s words ARE clear to us, they ARE NOT to most ALL of the church whose doctrines have replaced the apostles amplifying cry of Jesus’ precepts. Most ALL have come to believe that based in their doctrinal approach to the Lord that they ARE either free from having to “mortify the deeds of the body” or else that the righteous result of this mortification IS imputed to them through their nebulous ideas regarding pistis and pisteuo. In this they DO err as they fail to see that the same apostle upon which they rely for their salvation through such out of context ideas as “if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10), wrote also our selection above which shows us that the end result of living according to His words IS “the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body“. Many believe that they DO mind “the things of the Spirit” while they carry on in their carnal manner of living, choosing mammon over the Truth of God and “treasures upon earth” over the Truth that IS one’s “treasures in heaven“. In this they fail to understand the reality of the single eye, the eye that IS focused upon the things of the Lord through the words of the Master; they fail because they see the evil eye in a narrowly doctrinal way rather that the True intent that evil IS one’s focus upon the things of the self and the self in this world. The ministers of the church ARE equally guilty as their objective IS to bring about the objectives of their doctrines rather that to teach the Truth of His words which ARE ever humanity’s guide to the Truth. Many will repeat the idea that “the carnal mind is enmity against God” but NOT understand that they too have that “carnal mind” which has obnubilated the prompting of the Soul to the Good, the Beautiful and the True; their thoughts and ‘dreams’ ARE upon the betterment of the self and their families despite the Master admonition that they should “Take no thought for your life” (Matthew 6: 24, 19, 20, 22, 23, 25) a theme upon which Jesus spends considerable time. Again the ministers of the church ARE equally guilty as their objectives ARE centered on their doctrinal views as they endeavor to evangelize and bring many people to their view of God and of Christ rather that the True essence of spiritual Life as cited by the Master who says that True evangelism IS “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20), an idea that IS seldom found in Christian doctrinal evangelizing. Many believe that they have “the Spirit of Christ” while at the same time failing to understand the Master’s instructions regarding this Presence of the Lord as this IS shown us in the third part of our trifecta which we repeat saying:

• “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32).
• “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
• “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).

The reality of Jesus’ words IS clearly that “we will come unto him, and make our abode with him“, a promise that begins with an IF which represents everyman’s part in the quid pro quo of True spiritual reality. We should note here that Jesus most clearly tells us that in this equation IS the reality of agape and the proof of that Love through keeping His words as He expands this idea to make sure that we KNOW that “He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings“. Millions upon millions profess their Love for the Lord, for the Father and the Son, and here we should be able to see that if so many Truly Loved the Lord that this world would be a very different place; a place where the expression among those millions upon millions IS agape; a place where this IS then compounded by the expression of Love to ALL who ARE NOT among the millions upon millions, a Love with NO “respect to persons” (James 2:9). We should try to understand that this Love for the Lord and this keeping His words ARE the gateway to Truth and, as that same Apostle Paul tells us, the Way to keeping His words IS founded in the reality of “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself“. This precept IS further explained for us by the Master who shows us another precept which we have come to call the Golden Rule….a rule that few Truly follow and yet fewer Truly understand. Jesus tells us according to Matthew “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them” (Matthew 7:12); Luke tells us this same thing recording Jesus’ words as “as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise” (Luke 6:31). While many doctrinal thinkers and followers believe that they ARE free from the law, the reality IS that they ARE ONLY free from those ideas and ideals that Jesus DOES NOT push forward into the then New Age of Pisces, the forerunner of the current New Age that we ARE now entering 2000 years later. We should note that throughout His teachings Jesus shows us the reality and the necessity of what we understand as the Ten Commandments and the ONLY ancillary ideas that He allows to enter in IS the reality of the Great Commandments which, while NOT a part of the Ten literally, DO encompass them ALL. In these IS the simplicity of keeping His words and Paul shows us this in saying that “Owe no man any thing, 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),

We should remember here that this IS NOT ONLY the same apostle that tells us this but that this IS the same epistle upon which the doctrines of men lay the entire foundation of their religions based on two isolated verses that ARE taken out of the context of Paul’s entire teaching. These words from the thirteenth chapter ARE rather clear but they have been ignored for 2000 years because the church fathers thought it better to rely upon their out of context ideas combined with their misunderstood ideas on faith and works. For many the need to keep His words IS interpreted as works as they have NEVER separated the reality of the True commandments, those which the Master shows us as True, from the ancillary ideas contributed by Moses, ideas that ARE intended as social laws for a superstitious and barbarous people and time. While we lay this misunderstanding and misapplication of the Truth upon the church fathers, we DO understand that they too were caught in barbarous and superstitious times. While the Jews laid hold of their mitzvah and concentrated upon the ancillary over the True, so DID the early church who failed to see themselves in the condemning words that the Master uses to accuse the Jews as they created their own ancillary ideas of doctrine. For both the reality that was shown the Jews by the Prophet Isaiah more than seven centuries before Jesus and repeated by the Master failed to awaken them from their carnal illusions and both ARE equally accused in Jesus saying “Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:6-7). We should understand here that such accusations against the church fathers ARE but accusations of their own bondage to the vanity of Life in this world where the carnal man was and IS the sole focus of the lives of most ALL men. They grappled in their bondage with how to introduce the reality of Jesus to the masses and, perhaps, the route that they chose was in that time the ONLY way to proceed that they could fashion, again in barbarous and superstitious times. It IS 2700 years since Isaiah’s words and 2000 years since Jesus repeated the accusation against men and while much of the civilized world has grown past the superstition the role of barbarism still encumbers the True progress of the race. Here again we should see Jesus words as the great KEY as He personalized the Truth of Moses words to the Jews, words that addressed a national following of the Lord. In Jesus the reality of agape became a personal issue and one that must be addressed by the individual, there IS NO other Way to the realization of the True adoption which IS yet another word that IS grossly misunderstood and misapplied in the doctrines of men that teach that ALL ARE adopted through their doctrinal confession and affirmations and through their rites and rituals. We have often cited the words of Vincent as a guide to understanding the reality of this sense of adoption; he tells us that the Greek word huiothesia which IS rendered as adoption means: placing one in the position of a son. Mr. Vincent continues as he quotes the words of Mr. Merivale who Wikipedia tells us was: The Very Reverend Charles Merivale was an English historian and churchman, for many years dean of Ely Cathedral. It IS Mr. Merivale’s sense of history that Vincent relies upon to show us the reality of huiothesia; we read that: Mr. Merivale, illustrating Paul’s acquaintance with Roman law, says: “The process of legal adoption by which the chosen heir became entitled not only to the reversion of the property but to the civil status, to the burdens as well as the rights of the adopter – became, as it were, his other self, one with him. It IS this Oneness with the Lord, with God, that IS the point of Paul’s words in our selection and NOT the lightly configured ideas of doctrines; to be One with the Lord IS a deeply spiritual endeavor and the sole KEY to Paul’s rendering this as “the redemption of our body“. Vincent continues to show us Mr. Merivale’s remarks on adoption which tell us that: We have but a faint conception of the force with which such an illustration would speak to one familiar with the Roman practice; how it would serve to impress upon him the assurance that the adopted son of God becomes, in a peculiar and intimate sense, one with the heavenly Father” (“Conversion of the Roman Empire”)⁴. This IS NOT the doctrinal view of this deeply spiritual idea and while the much of the church takes to themselves the idea that they ARE “children of God” which IS a Universal reality for ALL men based in the idea of God the Father, they fail to grasp the necessity of living as “children of God” which would live in accord with the precepts of the Father. Should we conflate Paul’s words saying that “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” with the words of the Apostle John regarding the unction, we could likely better understand the Universal reality that this IS afforded to ALL men because they ALL ARE this unction unrealized in their Life of vanity in this world.

This brings us back to the reality that it IS our expression of Truth and Love that distinguish the carnal man from the spiritual man and while the church, being yet carnal, sees themselves as spiritual, they yet lack the realities revealed in the Truth and in that Universal Love that ALL men still fail to express and understand. Of course the church DOES NOT see their own carnal failings which ARE ever apparent to the keen observer through the history of the church with its support for the carnal positions of men and of nations. They place themselves above the carnal man and mock him for his failure to believe in their doctrinal approach and, as we have said before in our blog, it IS those that they consider carnal that will, as Jesus shows us saying to the church of His time that “the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you” (Matthew 21:31). There IS a section of Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians that lends itself here; Paul writes:

“But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 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. But he that is spiritual judgetha all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:10-16).

Paul here IS NOT speaking to the carnal man, the man yet caught in the vanity of Life in this world. Paul IS speaking to the man who Truly KNOWS “the things of God” and while many, many millions of Christian profess to KNOWING such, the reality IS that it IS but the same few of whom Jesus’ tells us saying “strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:14). This idea of Life IS the same idea that Paul shows us in our selection from Romans saying “if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live“. This IS ever the same Spirit of which we ARE part and parcel, of which our individual unction, our individual Christ Within, IS a part, and it IS through this relationship of True Oneness that we ARE able to express that Truth through the realization of His Presence. These many millions believe that they have this Spirit; they believe that ‘Jesus’ comes to live in a man when he IS “born again” according to whatever doctrinal beliefs one may hold. There IS however a reality here and that reality IS fruit. As the Master tells us that “by their fruits ye shall know them“, he IS telling us NOT ONLY of the negative ideas of the “false prophets” (Matthew 7:20, 15) but also of the positive ideas of those who Truly KNOW “the things of God“. We should understand here that the crux of ALL that can be said about “the things of God” IS agape. John tells us that “God is agape” (1 John 4:8, 16), a pronouncement that IS undisputed by the church, and in this we should see the simplicity that “the things of God” can be NO different and while such things may be found in a multiplicity of ideas, ALL perforce must be informed by that Love, that agape. In this we should see that it IS the expression of agape, of Love as scripture Truly paints this, that IS the primary fruit and the foundation of ALL human enterprise, spiritual enterprise to be sure, IS this expression. It IS “your mortal bodies” that ARE made spiritually alive “by his Spirit that dwelleth in you” and the evidence of this indwelling IS that “ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body“. We should understand here that the body IS NOT merely the flesh but IS the combined reality of the physical form with the personality and this personality itself IS comprised of the mind and the emotions which formulate the thoughts and the attitudes of everyman. To this end we should see Paul’s words on what ARE “the works of the flesh” (Galatians 5:19); we should see that Paul’s list DOES NOT reveal ideas that ARE to DO with the physical body but rather ideas that ARE specific to the thoughts and attitudes of a man. Thoughts and attitudes that ARE the product of the mind and the emotions which have been made subject to one’s nurturing and continuing indoctrination into worldly ideas and ideals which include the doctrines of one’s religion, nation, political party and so on.

This IS the reality of Paul’s words, words that ARE doctrinally understood ONLY against one’s doctrinal acceptance of a few out of context ideas that make a man believe that he IS “born again” and as such attains to ALL of the positive ideas that can be gleaned from scripture. But where IS the fruit in the lives of these many millions and where IS the fruit in the church; where IS the Truth of agape expressed Universally and where IS the focus on God that IS the first of the Great Commandments. This fruit which reflects “the things of God” IS NOT found in the stories of unthinkable slaughter found in the Old Testament, slaughters that ARE ordained by some idea of a God that CAN NOT be agape, a God that makes the idea that “there is no respect of persons with God” moot. We have cited several places in the historical record of the Jews where the Lord presumably instructed Israel to slaughter the masses and today we show yet another which occurs in the beginning of the reign of the Kings of Israel. We read that “Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass” (1 Samuel 15:1-3). We should understand here that the God which John shows us saying “God is love” IS NOT the same God that IS depicted in stories such as this; to be the same sense of God would be strictly antithetical. How then ARE such ideas resolved? How can God be Love and at the same time, being unchangeable, be the author of such slaughter? The answer IS a simple one and one that at the same time DOES NOT fit into the realm of human thought and this especially in the Judaeo-Christian and Islamic world. Any and ALL ideas that God directs and controls happenings in this Earth ARE but a human fabrication that has existed for so long that such ideas ARE NOT questioned. In the use of such ideas as ‘God willing’ we find men’s acceptance of the idea that God IS in control and here we should look seriously at the opposing forces that ARE ever at work through the human mind. In any opposition or conflict men on both sides ‘pray’ for the success of their own side and the failure of the other and, to be sure, ONLY one will be right and it IS this one that will ‘praise’ the Lord for that success.

The reality IS that men CAN NOT see past their own humanity and the doctrinally religious man will see the irreligious and those of another faith as the “natural man” without realizing that he too IS in this same condition. Paul tells us that “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” and here we should remember that what ARE “the things of the Spirit of God” ARE “the things of God” which can ONLY be defined in terms of agape. We should remember as well that such ideas as Universal Love with NO “respect to persons” ARE foolishness to the doctrinal thinker who finds his ‘salvation‘ in his doctrinal confessions and affirmations or his rites and rituals. The man who has “the things of the Spirit of God” has an expression of agape; this IS the ONLY viable test; it IS this man who can have spiritual discernment as it IS this man who has been able to somewhat “mortify the deeds of the body“. It IS this man who can most clearly see “the strait gate” (Luke 13:24) of which Jesus says “strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it“. We close today with these words on the opposing ideas of God and man from our selection and the broader view of this from James; Paul tells us that “the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be“. The Apostle James asks us “know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4).

We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.

• ⁴ Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition
• * Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
• * The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glamour
• ** See In the Words of Jesus part 1653 for Dr. Barbers complete quote and its history.
• * The Dhammapada, Version by Thomas Byrom.
• ** A Treatise on Cosmic Fire by Alice A Bailey © 1951 by Lucis Trust

Those who walk on the well-trodden path always throw stones at those who are showing a new road.

Voltaire, Writer and Philosopher