{"id":11624,"date":"2015-10-22T14:50:46","date_gmt":"2015-10-22T20:50:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newagedevelopments.org\/blog\/?p=11624"},"modified":"2015-10-22T14:50:46","modified_gmt":"2015-10-22T20:50:46","slug":"in-the-words-of-jesus-part-1310","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newagedevelopments.org\/blog\/2015\/10\/22\/in-the-words-of-jesus-part-1310\/","title":{"rendered":"IN THE WORDS OF JESUS\u2013Part 1310"},"content":{"rendered":"

ON LOVE; PART\u00a0CMXLIX<\/span><\/h2>\n
\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391<\/span><\/h6>\n

GoodWill\u00a0IS Love in Action<\/span><\/h2>\n
\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391<\/span><\/h6>\n
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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<\/em>” (Mark 12:29-31).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/em> which IS generally rendered as Love,\u00a0we 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\u00a0of the equality of ALL men regardless of their outward nature or appearance…that ALL ARE equally children of Our\u00a0One God<\/span><\/p>\n

\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/em>” (Matthew 7:12).<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In the last essay we began our discussion on the what we see as the second segment of the Apostle Paul’s words that represent\u00a0“the works of the flesh<\/em>“. In our view it IS these segments that show us the relationship of the apostle’s words to the Great Commandments that we have again at the top of our essay. The apostle’s list\u00a0seems to us to be\u00a0perfectly aligned with the ideas incorporated into the Great Commandments\u00a0and\u00a0this\u00a0can be easily seen by any who look at the reality of what Paul IS saying apart from the dictates of doctrine. While doctrines have tried to define the first segment of\u00a0adultery, fornication, uncleanness\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0\u00a0lasciviousness<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>in sexual terms, the reality IS that these ideas from the Greek point us to men’s infidelity towards God; that IS that while men should be focused<\/em> upon the Godhead, they ARE focused<\/em> upon themselves and the things of the self in the world. The True ideas behind these words IS discussed in detail in the last several posts.<\/span><\/p>\n

The next words in the first segment,\u00a0idolatry\u00a0<\/em>and witchcraft<\/em>, also ARE NOT as they are painted by the doctrines of men. In these words we have the reality of the focus<\/em> of men upon those things that ARE NOT the things of God and in this we should see the idea of how men ‘worship<\/em>‘ those things that become their own\u00a0“treasures upon earth<\/em>” (Matthew 6:19). And, while idolatry<\/em> IS one’s focus<\/em> upon such treasures<\/em>, the idea behind the Greek word that IS rendered as witchcraft<\/em> should be seen in terms of the carnal and psychic powers of men which ARE the powers of the mind and the emotions and NOT of the Soul. In this we should try to see how that those things that Paul shows us as “spiritual gifts<\/em>” (1 Corinthians 12:1) ARE ONLY such when they ARE wielded by the man who IS in accord with the Master’s words and, while this IS True by a measure that IS proportionate to one’s True striving<\/em>, these things remain as psychic powers for most men regardless of what they may believe<\/em> according to their doctrines.<\/span><\/p>\n

In ALL of these ideas from what we see as the first segment there IS the reality that to DO these things, to focus<\/em> one’s Life upon the self and the things of the self, to focus<\/em> upon what one sees as their own\u00a0“treasures upon earth<\/em>“, and to rely upon one’s own psyche and its powers IS contrary to the ultimate Truth which IS clearly stated as “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<\/em>“. While doctrines DO NOT see the force of these words which the Master elevates from the obscurity of Deuteronomy to be the Greatest Commandments as ALL other commandments ARE found within this and the second part that tells us that “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself<\/em>“. These Truths ARE however lost in the convenient interpretations of the words of Paul. And this brings us to the second segment\u00a0of Paul’s words in which we see that\u00a0relationship to the second part of the Great Commandments. In Paul’s words that ARE\u00a0“the works of the flesh<\/em>”\u00a0we have those things that ARE contrary to Love for ALL men….for the neighbor, the brother and the stranger who qualifies as both.<\/span><\/p>\n

The first two words here are rendered as hatred<\/em> and as variance<\/em> and in both of these the greater ideas ARE missed because of the way that these ARE translated and understood. As we discussed in the last essay, we should try to see these ideas as enmity<\/em> instead of hatred<\/em> as this word has much broader meaning and, in the idea of variance,<\/em> we should try to understand\u00a0dissension or controversy\u00a0<\/em>1<\/sup>\u00a0<\/em>as Webster’s 1828 Dictionary shows us. Both of these ideas ARE ONLY expressed<\/em><\/strong> against another and these ARE typical of the whole of the message: that one should NOT DO such things which ARE carnal, emotional or\u00a0mental, in regard to another and we should try to see how that it IS one’s sense of self the IS the motivator for both. We repeat the apostle’s words saying:<\/span><\/p>\n

“For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.\u00a0But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.\u00a0Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,\u00a0Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,\u00a0Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.\u00a0But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,\u00a0Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.\u00a0And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts<\/em>” (Galatians 5:17-24).<\/span><\/p>\n

Many bible translations DO render\u00a0the Greek word\u00a0echthra\u00a0<\/em>as enmity<\/em> and many take eris<\/em>, that IS rendered here as variance,<\/em> and translate this as strife<\/em>. As we have discussed there IS yet another Greek word eritheia<\/em> that the King James translators rendered as strife<\/em> in this same verse and\u00a0as we also discussed in the last post, there IS some confusion regarding these words which,\u00a0while they may NOT ALL be related, should make the gist of the apostle’s message clear. In enmity<\/em>, in variance<\/em> and in strife<\/em> we have the same ideas regarding one’s relationship with another and the cure for ALL of these in the Life of a man IS that he Love and express<\/em><\/strong> the True ideas that Paul shows us as “the fruit of the Spirit <\/em>“.<\/span><\/p>\n

The next word that Paul offers us IS rendered here as emulation<\/em> which Vincent tells us IS the correct rendering of the Greek word zelos<\/em>\u00a0which\u00a0IS rendered as envying<\/em> in the Apostle James’ Epistle. Vincent tells us that this idea should be understood as a\u00a0spirit of self-devotion<\/em>\u00a04<\/sup>\u00a0and Webster’s 1828 version defines emulation<\/em> as\u00a0The act of attempting to equal or excel in qualities or actions; rivalry; desire of superiority, attended with effort to attain to it; generally in a good sense….In a bad sense, a striving to equal or do more than others to obtain carnal favors or honors<\/em>\u00a01<\/sup>. The dictionary goes on to say that emulation<\/em> IS:\u00a0Contest; contention; strife; competition; rivalry accompanied with a desire of depressing another\u00a0<\/em>1<\/sup>\u00a0and in these ideas we should see the rather straightforward relationship of these first three words that pit man against man.<\/span><\/p>\n

In these rather commonplace human ideas we should be able to clearly see that it IS these that inhibit a man’s spiritual progress and we should see as well how that these ARE ALL the result of one’s focus<\/em> upon the self and the things of the self in the world. It IS in regard to these type of thoughts, attitudes and actions in the Life of a man that the apostle says “that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God<\/em>” and while men\u00a0can cleverly and conveniently partition\u00a0themselves from this reality, the Truth IS clearly stated. That the\u00a0doctrinal view DOES NOT show forth the apostle’s intent IS founded in the convenient interpretations of the words of the Master and His apostles and here, in these words from Paul, we have a good example. Here men have ever interpreted his words and his intent to their own benefit as men and while they DO assign wrong translations and definitions\u00a0to some of the apostle’s words, this IS NOT the ONLY fault; it IS rather easy to see that this list of faults between a man and his brother DOES include some common human thoughts and attitudes regardless of how they ARE rendered.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is in the doctrinal ideas that have been developed by men that the True failure IS found and we can see this in the comparison between Paul’s words saying\u00a0“that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God<\/em>” and interpretations such as this from John Gill who says of these words that: by which is meant the heavenly glory….what he calls his own to by his grace….this is possessed in way of inheritance, which shows it to be a bequest of our heavenly Father’s, a free grace gift of his, and not to be obtained by the works of the law, or merits of men; but what belongs, and is peculiar to the children of God, who are so by adopting grace: now they that do such works of the flesh as before enumerated; that is, that live in the commission of these things, whose whole lives are employed in such work, living and dying in such a state, without repentance towards God and faith in Christ, shall never enjoy eternal life and happiness; though such who have done these things, being brought to a sense of them, and to the blood and righteousness of Christ for pardon and justification, for life and salvation; such, notwithstanding the works of the flesh done by them, shall, through the free grace of God, and the propitiatory sacrifice of Christ, inherit the kingdom and glory of God<\/em> 8<\/sup>.<\/span><\/p>\n

It IS in ideas such as this that we find the failure of men to pursue their own spiritual destiny which IS most clearly stated here in Paul’s words and in our trifecta<\/em><\/strong>, those words from Jesus that show us the Way of Truth….the Way to discipleship, the Way to the Kingdom and the Way to the True Presence of God in one’s Life. It IS in the realm of Repentance<\/strong><\/em> that the reality of Paul’s words can effectively move a man from the carnal to the spiritual as it IS in Repentance<\/em><\/strong> that one DOES make that Life’ change where the choice IS made….where a man chooses God over mammon.<\/em>\u00a0And this IS the reality of the Truth of the trifecta<\/em><\/strong>: it IS in the reality of True Repentance<\/em><\/strong> that a man sheds ALL of his past thoughts, attitudes and actions in this world and finds the Truth of believing in<\/em> and believing on<\/em> the Master\u00a0which IS, according to Vincent, to accept and adopt His precepts and example as binding upon the life<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>4<\/sup>. This IS the reality of keeping His words<\/em>\u00a0which\u00a0we read again in the Master’s words that show us the Way.<\/span><\/p>\n