Tag Archives: Spiritual Reality

August 31, 2025 · 15:24

IN THE WORDS OF JESUS–Part 1921

ON LOVE; PART MDXXX

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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).

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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.

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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).

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We ended the last essay with Paul’s words on mortifying “the deeds of the body” from our selection, from chapter eight of the apostle’s Epistle to the Romans. We discussed the way such “deeds of the body” ARE NOT merely sinful actions as many suppose; these deeds, according to the Greek word praxis, are the practice of a man as Strong’s defines the idea. Thayer’s offers us the idea that praxis IS a doing, a mode of acting; a deed, act, transaction 9. The idea to be taken here IS one’s carnal practices and one’s carnal mode of acting and while there may be some ‘sin’ as the word IS understood, involved, this IS NOT the meaning that Paul intends for us to understand. It should be understood as that this praxis IS whatsoever a man IS inclined to DO as a man in this world; we should remember here that the whole objective of Paul’s words thus far IS to show us the difference between those that DO walk “ after the flesh” and those that walk “after the Spirit“. We should note as well that it IS this same dynamic that IS involved in Paul’s saying that “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“. Here we ARE shown the way to “walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit“; we ARE shown that it IS “through the Spirit” that we must “mortify the deeds of the body“. The practical idea IS that we must hear and heed the prompting of the Soul, the True arbiter of things spiritual, and cease the practice that IS our carnal lives in this world….our focus upon that aspect of Life.

Many translations take the idea to the actual ‘slaying’ of “the deeds of the body” but this IS rather nonsensical; one translation, the Wycliffe, seems to have the right idea saying “For if you so live, death is near; but if, through being under the sway of the spirit, you are putting your old bodily habits to death, you will live“. Here Wycliffe shows us the same idea that we have from the Master who says “”For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it” (Mark 8:35). Again, we must understand that this sense of death IS NOT the death of the body but rather the mortification of “your old bodily habits” as Wycliffe frames this. His words that talk of “the sway of the spirit” IS much the same as the idea of the prompting of the Soul which we use in our essays and this IS an important point. ALL things spiritual: Repentance, Transformation and the general idea of keeping His words ARE accomplished in the Life of a man through the prompting of the Soul which IS a continuous urging to the carnal mind to change one’s focus off of the self and onto the things of God. This prompting IS NOT easily heard over the din of daily living as men become so engrossed in their carnal existence that they fail to heed the call. There IS a direct relationship between Paul’s words saying “he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you” and the result which IS that we “through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body“. As we discussed, this quickening IS better understood as the revitalization of the “mortal body” and in this idea of the “mortal body” we should see the central point which IS the carnal mind. Repeating Paul’s words that ARE our selection we read:

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For 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” (Romans 8:1:14).

Before we address the last verse from our selection, that “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God“, let us spend some time on the reality of the idea of the prompting of the Soul. While we often mention this as the Way par excellence to effect the necessary changes to the carnal mind, we have not discussed it in any depth for quite some time. The first idea to discuss IS that of the Soul itself; the idea IS used throughout the bible in a variety of contexts and a number of different defining uses. The Greek word that IS rendered as Soul is psuche which IS defined by the lexicon 2 as:

  • breath
    • the breath of life
      • the vital force which animates the body and shows itself in breathing 1a
    • of animals 1a
  • of men
    • life
      • that in which there is life
      • a living being, a living soul
  • the soul
    • the seat of the feelings, desires, affections, aversions (our heart, soul etc.)
    • the (human) soul in so far as it is constituted that by the right use of the aids offered it by God it can attain its highest end and secure eternal blessedness, the soul regarded as a moral being designed for everlasting life
    • the soul as an essence which differs from the body and is not dissolved by death (distinguished from other parts of the body)

As we can see here there are many variations of meaning regarding the Greek word, meanings which often overlap with another Greek word, pneuma, which is similarly defined by a broad range of meanings. The lexicon 2 defines pneuma as:

  1. the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal with the Father and the Son
    1. sometimes referred to in a way which emphasises his personality and character (the \\Holy\\ Spirit)
    2. sometimes referred to in a way which emphasises his work and power (the Spirit of \\Truth\\)
    3. never referred to as a depersonalised force
  2. the spirit, i.e. the vital principal by which the body is animated
    1. the rational spirit, the power by which the human being feels, thinks, decides
    2. the soul
  3. a spirit, i.e. a simple essence, devoid of all or at least all grosser matter, and possessed of the power of knowing, desiring, deciding, and acting
    1. a life giving spirit
    2. a human soul that has left the body
    3. a spirit higher than man but lower than God, i.e. an angel
      1. used of demons, or evil spirits, who were conceived as inhabiting the bodies of men
      2. the spiritual nature of Christ, higher than the highest angels and equal to God, the divine nature of Christ
  4. the disposition or influence which fills and governs the soul of any one
    1. the efficient source of any power, affection, emotion, desire, etc.
  5. a movement of air (a gentle blast)
    1. of the wind, hence the wind itself
    2. breath of nostrils or mouth

Both these words, psuche and pneuma, actually refer us to the same spiritual ideas that we have been calling Soul and Spirit which, while similar in nature, ARE necessarily separate in our discussions. Reviewing these two lists from the lexicon we can easily see the overlap in meaning and we should try to understand that this overlap IS real because we ARE speaking about the vital principal by which the body is animated. From our perspective, this duality of function IS rather clear and both ARE True. In the last essay we referred to Spirits generally as spiritual sparks from the same Divine Fire. It IS here that we ARE part and parcel of the Godhead which IS the Divine Fire for lack of a better way to frame this idea. Like so many other scriptural ideas, the ideas of Soul and Spirit ARE often seen in carnal terms and, perhaps to highlight the unknown, both words ARE also used to express ideas of wind and breath. Here we should look at the way that Jesus describes Spirit as He instructs the Pharisee Nicodemus in a greater Truth than the Jews had KNOWN. Jesus says “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” (John 3:8). Here the Master IS combining the ideas of Spirit and wind; from this we should try to see that the point IS NOT that the Spirit IS as the wind but rather that the wind IS as the Spirit. Jesus tells us more plainly that “The wind bloweth where it listeth will” which idea IS from the lexicon and this IS of course True. It IS also True that while we can discern patterns and predict wind based weather, we still “canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth“; the wind IS a most basic mystery. And so then IS the Spirit and those that ARE “born of the Spirit“….a great “mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints” (Colossians 1:26).

While Paul IS using these words from Colossians to refer to the Christ Within, from the definitions above we should be able to see the relationship to pneuma or Spirit; remember that Paul DOES NOT mention either pneuma or psuche in his text. The point is simply that the ideas of Spirit and Soul ARE mysteries to All who ARE grounded in their lives in this world, ALL whose focus IS carnal. These mysteries ARE revealed as Paul says; he tells us that such mysteries ARE “made manifest to his saints“. It IS the idea of the saint that IS of importance here as regards the revelation of the mysteries. We have tried to explain this many times in ways that ARE alien to the church which arbitrarily calls its members holy and saints. In relation to the mysteries we should be able to see, through Jesus’ own words, the relationship between a disciple and a saint; the Master tells His disciples: “Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand” (Luke 8:10). Can we see the relationship here and can we see how that the arbitrary way that some of the church calls the average carnally minded congregant both disciples and saints IS wrong. This IS a misuse of these word ideas which ARE important parts of the True Way to our communion with the Lord. The greater point here IS that men DO NOT see these relationships, they DO NOT see the Way of discipleship, and they DO NOT see the way to the revelation of the mysteries. They DO NOT see these things because their focus IS yet carnal, their focus IS concerned with their daily lives, their families, their careers and a host of other ‘desires‘ that crowd men’s minds. While the mission of the church IS to change this dynamic, this way of viewing Life in this world, the church has miserably failed. So long as they teach ONLY their doctrinal ideas, men will NOT find the Truth unless they seek it on their own and in such seeking many ARE alienated from the church as they pursue alternatives to the church’s indoctrination. It IS based in ALL this that we often say that were the Christ to actually return to Earth today that He would see the church in much the same way as He saw the Jew’s and their doctrines 2000 years ago. He would likely see most priests, pastors, and bishops in the same way as He saw the Pharisees and the scribes, ways that resulted in a long list of grievances that He expressed to them.

It IS the prompting of the Soul that can change a man. It IS the Soul that IS the essence of Life in form; the form, the bodies of men, ARE but the vehicles to be used for the expression of the Soul in this world. However, for the Soul to express itself through his form, the carnal mind must be awakened to its Presence. This awakening can be the result of a flash of insight as we should try to see in the story of the Apostle Paul’s ‘conversion’ on the road to Damascus. We should understand here that Paul’s encounter with the Lord is in his mind and that his experience IS through his own Soul, his own connection to the Godhead. While there may have been some spiritual intervention to spark Paul’s ‘conversion’, the deeper reality IS that this encounter IS the apostle’s True Repentance based in the prompting of his own Soul to which he ‘finally’ responds. We should remember that Paul was a religious Jew who was a Pharisee and was among those that Jesus spoke against. Paul’s ‘conversion’ was a dynamic Life experience that forever changes him and this IS the deeper meaning of Repentance as a virtuous alteration of the mind and purpose as begets a like virtuous change in the life and practice 4 as Vincent shows defines the Greek word metanoia which IS rendered as Repentance. Paul was ready for this change and while this may have been because he was destined to be the apostle that he became, requiring some form of spiritual intervention as we ARE shown in the story. In this story we should try to see the prompting of the Soul in Paul’s Life over the ideas that his encounter was a miracle. We should try also to see and to understand that this story, written by Luke; it IS essentially a story that IS intended to show some part of the Truth and to encourage others to follow in Paul’s Way. We should remember as well that the clear spiritual Truth IS yet beyond the comprehension of the carnally focused man which most ALL who read Luke’s words ARE.

While this idea of the prompting of the Soul to the Good, the Beautiful and the True, to the things of God, may remain difficult to understand, it may be a bit more comprehensible if we view it as conscience. Conscience IS generally understood as the mind speaking to itself and in some ways this IS True. Conscience IS defined today as: the inner sense of what is right or wrong in one’s conduct or motives, impelling one toward right action and the complex of ethical and moral principles that controls or inhibits the actions or thoughts of an individual*. If we can try to see that for many people the Soul and the carnal mind occupy the same space, not in the brain but in the etheric reality of the human mind, we can perhaps better understand. For most people it IS simply one’s focus that determines the direction of thought and action, carnal or spiritual. For some however this space IS fully overrun by the carnal ways of a man; this latter group has a lesser encounter with one’s own conscience and while this DOES NOT signify sin and error, it DOES show us a lesser ability to fully grasp ethical and moral principles. The Apostle James offers us a lesson in conscience which he frames in terms of temptation. The apostle tells us: “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:12-15).

We should not look at these words with the common ideas of good and evil in our temptations and our lusts. We should try to see that men ARE constantly tempted in so many ways and these temptations ARE strongly linked to our lusts which idea should be see as synonymous with our desires. We should try to see how that “every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed” and if we look at this idea in terms of being carnal or spiritual, we can make much sense of them. We ARE tempted at ALL times by carnal things and these need not be evil as that idea IS understood; for our purposes here, we ARE tempted to be or to remain in our carnal mode of living. Against this temptation comes the Soul in the form of conscience or prompting which tries to dissuade us from fulfilling whatever carnal inclination tempts us. Our choice here IS to fulfill the ideas of our temptation or to resist the temptation and follow our conscience which stands against it. Can we see the point here? Webster’s 1828 Dictionary offers us some additional ideas on conscience which have become obsolete in today’s vernacular; they tells us that conscience IS: Internal or self-knowledge, or judgment of right and wrong; or the faculty, power or principle within us, which decides on the lawfulness or unlawfulness of our own actions and affections, and instantly approves or condemns them 1. While this may NOT define the Soul, it IS a valuable picture of the working of the Soul, through conscience, in the lives of men. In the end we should try to understand that it IS the Soul that IS the True man in this world, that the body IS merely his vehicle of expression. In the combination of the Soul with flesh we have a functioning human being but this IS a complicated issue. The Soul, through his birth into the vanity that IS Life in this world loses any conscious link to his expression and perhaps it IS better to understand this in reverse, that the body, the Souls vehicle of expression IS disconnected consciously from the Soul. Why this IS so IS equally complex and IS centered around the reality of vanity, the reality of being born itself puts the Soul into a situation where one has NO control as an infant who also has NO control.

From here we have a Soul embodied in a form through which he can DO naught to Truly express himself as the spiritual being that he IS. To this IS added years of nurturing and indoctrination into the ways of the world and we should understand here that being born into a ‘religious’ family DOES NOT help and ofttimes muddies the Soul’s untenable grasp on his ONLY True means of expression, the mind. The mind, the human mind, IS by nature a spiritual enterprise but through the years of nurturing and indoctrination it IS changed. The mind comes to see itself as a self centered individual with NO link to its original source which IS the Soul; save for the link afforded by conscience. But this IS ONLY a link, and a tenuous one at that, and this IS why the Path back to the natural state of being a spiritual enterprise appears so difficult. However, whensoever one DOES see the Light, when one DOES feel and heed the prompting of the Soul, he will KNOW that this IS more than just conscience; he will KNOW that there IS another Path and it IS here that a man IS in a position to Truly Repent. In Repentance the mind, now a carnal enterprise, IS rejoined with one’s inner sense, the source of conscience, and one becomes for the first time awakened. Unfortunately this IS NOT necessarily a long term event as the next phase IS his Transformation which the heretofore carnal mind may NOT be ready to accept; his conformity to the ways of the world has become a strong barrier to the changes to be wrought by Repentance and Transformation. This IS but a simple way of trying to understand one of the great mysteries of Life, the mystery of “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). This may be a bit easier to understand in our realizing that this “Christ in you” and the Soul ARE one and the same and that the Soul’s objective has ever been to rejoin itself with the working mind that has heretofore KNOWN ONLY his carnal Life. While we can be brought to this point of rejoining in several ways, the doctrines of men IS seldom one of them as such doctrines tell the carnal mind opposing ideas to the Truth. Dissatisfaction with one’s progress in Life IS the better Path as one comes to sense that there must be more than the status-quo and here the Master’s ideas on riches come to play an important part. This because the more invested the carnal mind IS in his Life in this world, the less dissatisfaction with that Life can enter in. Jesus shows us the effects of riches in His interaction with the rich young ruler where we read:

“And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:18-25).

There IS much to learn from these words from the Master but unfortunately the church DOES NOT see the lesson in the depth that it deserves. Two things ARE obviously True; first that the Way to the Kingdom and the realization of “eternal life” IS that we keep His words. Second, IS that “it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God“. Both have been ignored by most ALL of the church from the beginning and this IS especially True of those that teach what has come to be known as the prosperity gospel; a false narrative to be sure. And we should try to see here that the idea of riches IS itself a nebulous idea which depends on one’s status in this world. For one in a poor environment, small riches can mean much the same as the billions held by others in a different environment. Regardless of one’s environment, the idea of riches IS best defined by one’s own Soul which can and will define it through conscience and prompting.

We return now to our discussion on Paul’s words to the Romans where we have but one verse left to see. This discussion on the Soul, and the prompting of the Soul can lead to much insight regarding this last verse. Paul tells us “as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God“. There IS NO real mystery here in these most simple words; there ARE ONLY questions and very personal questions to be sure. As we have ofttimes said the True contents of one’s heart ARE ONLY KNOWN by the individual and while others may be able to see the fruit of one’s Life, good or evil, and make judgement, this judgment goes more to their own hearts than the heart of the one who IS being discerned. In a nutshell, we DO NOT Truly KNOW others and for many, we barely KNOW ourselves. Who then IS Truly “led by the Spirit of God“, an idea that IS thrown around with abandon in much of the church. IS it the priest or the pastor? IS it the bishop or the Pope? We DO NOT KNOW; ONLY the individual KNOWS what IS Truly in his heart. For most people their hearts are displayed as a show which gives an appearance, a ‘clever disguise’ if you will, and this applies to ALL, in and out of the church. We should remember that this idea of heart IS a critical idea in the Master’s words and although He tells us that what IS in one’s heart can bleed through through their words and actions, this IS NOT a full display of the thoughts and attitudes of a person. Jesus tells us that “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh” (Luke 6:45) but this IS NOT the final word. While we DO generally express what we ARE as a person, and this IS the defining idea of heart as it IS used in the gospels, we DO NOT express ALL; most of our thoughts and attitudes and actions are secrets that we hold dear. So then while it IS True that “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21), where one’s heart Truly IS remains secret.

The Apostle John offers us some guidance in regard to our own hearts and how that we ourselves can KNOW, from our own perspective, that we ARE or we ARE NOT “led by the Spirit of God“. John tells us “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God” (1 John 3:18-21). This message IS to those that DO believe that they ARE “led by the Spirit of God” and offers such a test in condemnation of one’s own thoughts, attitudes and actions along with a warning that we CAN NOT fool the Lord and, by extension, we CAN NOT fool ourselves, our own Souls. While John shows us that the idea of this IS tuned to the idea of our own heart’s condemnation, that the Lord KNOWS also the ‘content’ of our hearts, the reality IS far greater as it IS our own Souls that ARE the monitors of our hearts. It IS our own Souls that have access to our heart, it IS our own Souls that pass True judgment on the carnal lives we conduct, and it IS our own Souls that ARE the arbiters of whether we ARE “led by the Spirit of God“. Paul also has some commentary on this idea that “God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things” and again we should try to understand that the Path to the Godhead, and the God that “knoweth all things“, IS our individual Souls.

Paul tells us “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Galatians 6:7-8). While we often use these verses to show the working out of karma based on the actions, the works if you will, of a man, we use it today to show our point that nothing IS hidden from the Lord. Again, it IS our own Souls, our individual Christ Within, that IS NOT mocked by the deviousness of a carnal mind that has set its focus on the carnal Life of a man. The Soul KNOWS and therefore the Godhead KNOWS and it IS here that we should understand that “God is not mocked“. We should note here that Paul IS telling us, as thinking individuals with whatever measure of Light we may have achieved, to “Be not deceived” and this idea comes from an earlier verse where the apostle says “if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself” (Galatians 6:3). This theme IS repeated in Paul’s saying “I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” (Romans 12:3). The point IS that men can and DO deceive themselves by thinking that they ARE holy and are saints because of their doctrinal leanings but unless one keeps His words, he ONLY “soweth to his flesh“. In this we have that same sense of deception that James shows us saying “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22). The point here IS that many ARE deceived by believing that they ARE on the right side, that they “soweth to the Spirit” when in reality they ARE but living carnal lives mostly devoid of the reality of keeping His words. It IS in realizing this that we can Truly Repent.

So then the idea that “as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” has a much deeper meaning that most understand. To be “led by the Spirit of God” IS to follow in God’s ways, in His commandments and in the words of the Master; these ideas should ALL be seen as synonymous. We ARE “led by the Spirit of God” when we keep His words and when we strive to DO so we accomplish this by measure. Understanding ALL this IS to understand that unless our Souls, our Christ Within, begins to become the actor in this world overcoming the carnal nature, we ARE NOT “led by the Spirit of God“. That this IS NOT the view of nearly the entire church should be alarming to those who can glimpse the Truth of what it Truly means to be “led by the Spirit of God“. We should remember that most ALL of the church misinterprets and misunderstands many related ideas. Most believe that they ARE “led by the Spirit of God” based only in their doctrinal affirmations of faith in Jesus Christ. Many also believe that they have the Presence of God in their lives and for this to be so there IS the specific criteria offered by the Master in our trifecta….that we keep His words. Additionally, Paul, in our selection, tells us that the man that IS Truly “led by the Spirit of God” DOES “mortify the deeds of the body” and, to be sure, very few if any in the church have DONE this. In the end the man who Truly seeks the Lord must come to understand the emptiness of the doctrinal idea of being “sons of God” and being Truly “led by the Spirit of God“. When a man IS Truly “led by the Spirit of God“, he will perforce keep His words, and, again these words ARE ALL centered around the KEY to ALL spiritual reality: our expression of agape Love to ALL with NO “respect to persons” (James 2:9). There IS really NO other way than our expression of agape and it IS through this expression that ALL other commandments ARE kept. In True expressions of agape one will perforce keep His words as ALL that IS outside of His words can find no harbor in such expression. We close today with our trifecta; the Master says:

  • “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).

We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.

Aspect of  GodPotencyAspect of ManIn Relation to the Great InvocationIn relation to the Christ
GOD, The FatherWill or PowerSpirit or LifeCenter where the Will of God IS KNOWNLife
Son, The ChristLove and WisdomSoul or Christ WithinHeart of GodTruth
Holy SpiritLight or ActivityLife WithinMind of GodWay
  • 1 Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, 1828 and 1913 from https://1828.mshaffer.com/
  • 2 New Testament Greek lexicon on biblestudytools.com
  • 4 Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition
  • 9 Thayer’s Greek Lexicon on blueletterbible.org
  • 9a The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible on blueletterbible.org
  • * Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

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

Voltaire, Writer and Philosopher

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