{"id":15148,"date":"2018-09-12T19:45:37","date_gmt":"2018-09-13T01:45:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newagedevelopments.org\/blog\/?p=15148"},"modified":"2018-09-12T19:45:37","modified_gmt":"2018-09-13T01:45:37","slug":"in-the-words-of-jesus-part-1624","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newagedevelopments.org\/blog\/2018\/09\/12\/in-the-words-of-jesus-part-1624\/","title":{"rendered":"IN THE WORDS OF JESUS\u2013Part 1624"},"content":{"rendered":"

ON LOVE; PART MCCLXIII<\/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<\/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<\/span><\/h6>\n

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<\/em><\/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>\n

In the last essay we reflected on the idea of focus<\/em> and how that the entirety of the New Testament IS intended in this regard: that men should change the focus<\/em> of their lives away from the self and the manifold things of the self and onto the things of God. We should understand here however that we speak of the True things of God and NOT the many doctrinal ideas that ARE merely religiously painted carnal thoughts and attitudes. The things of God ARE spiritual and never carnal although there may be carnal effects based in spiritual endeavor. The things of God ARE NOT things as we think of this idea but rather intangible things which flow through the Life of a man as revelations<\/em><\/strong> and realizations<\/strong><\/em> of Truth; the things of God ARE NOT for the possession of men but for their expression<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the last quote from the Apostle Paul that we referenced, that men should\u00a0“Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good<\/em>” (Romans 12:9) we have the summation of the previous ideas which begin with a man’s willing sacrifice<\/em> of his self serving Life in favor of the Truth….”that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God<\/em>“. This IS the realization<\/em><\/strong> of the man who IS “transformed by the renewing of your mind<\/em>” and it IS in this realization<\/em><\/strong> that one comes to KNOW what IS his own “measure of faith<\/em>“, his own measure of pistis<\/em> which IS that KNOWING that comes according to Jesus’ words 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<\/em>”\u00a0(John 8:32).<\/span><\/p>\n

This sense of KNOWING IS based in two criteria. First there IS the measure of one’s striving<\/em> toward the goal of keeping His words<\/em>, a measure that results in proportionate revelation<\/em><\/strong> and realization<\/em><\/strong> of the Truth….”that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God<\/em>“. Second there IS the ability of the Soul to express<\/strong><\/em> such KNOWING through the form through with he lives in this world. This second IS limited by the quality of his vehicle of expression<\/em><\/strong>, the mental and emotional capabilities of the personality, and by his own progress as a Soul in prompting that personality to the Good, the Beautiful and the True; this IS the Soul’s ability to influence and work through his carnal self. To this we must add the level and kind of nurturing and indoctrination that he had endured. We should see here that there IS much that can inhibit the flow of Truth but we should understand as well that ALL of these things can be overcome….ALL one needs is an overriding desire to seek the Truth.<\/span><\/p>\n

While our thoughts may NOT capture the full depth of the apostle’s words, they DO show us the greater ideas that ARE incorporated in these sayings that ARE intended to allow the reader who IS Truly seeking God to have a Way that minimizes the role of the carnal personality. And this IS the objective of his words: to show the sacrifice<\/em> as a real beginning, as a conscious undertaking that DOES renew<\/em> one’s mind through the flow of some measure of Truth, and moves a man toward that next step which IS his Transformation<\/strong><\/em>. If we can see this idea of sacrifice<\/em> in terms of the Master’s teaching on Repentance<\/em><\/strong>, we can then understand the greater meaning and glimpse Paul’s intent. To “present your bodies a living sacrifice<\/em>” IS the fullness of one’s Repentance<\/em><\/strong>, the fullness of that change from attending to the things of the self to attending to the things of God. Repeating Paul’s words for their context we read:<\/span><\/p>\n

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.\u00a0And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.\u00a0For 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.\u00a0For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:\u00a0So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.\u00a0Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;\u00a0Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;\u00a0Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.\u00a0Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good<\/em>” (Romans 12:1-9).<\/span><\/p>\n

What we should try to see here IS True Repentance<\/em><\/strong> which IS evidenced by one’s “living sacrifice<\/em>” of things carnal which IS according to the intent of Life in this world and IS therefore “your reasonable service<\/em>“. It IS by this sacrifice<\/em> that a man IS NO longer “conformed to this world<\/em>” which IS those things carnal; he IS rather being Transformed<\/em><\/strong> as his mind IS NO longer fixed on the self and the world but on the things of God….it IS the things of God which increasingly occupy the thoughts and attitudes of the man. This has ever been the intent of Judaeo-Christian scripture and of the covenants that have been forged between God and man. The Christian world however has created their own covenant relationship with God; NO longer IS their covenant clearly stated as we find in Moses words to the Jews and the words of the prophets after him.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Christian view of the new covenant IS varied as ARE so many points as denominations and sects seldom agree and few see the reality of the exchange embedded in the Master’s words that define what that covenant IS. The defining of the covenant however IS NOT found hidden in the words of the writer of the Book of Hebrews, words that must be interpreted against similar words in the Old Testament writings of the prophets. The defining of the new covenant IS also NOT found in the ceremonial ideas of the Eucharist which ARE but a symbolic gesture of remembrance; even as Jesus tells us that this IS what the bread and wine represent, much of the church has made this a central point of their worship services. The reality of the covenant IS found throughout the Master’s words; the reality IS found in every place that there IS a quid pro quo clearly stated and here again we read our trifecta<\/em><\/strong> which contains three aspects of His covenant. We read:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • “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<\/em>”\u00a0(John 8:31-32).<\/span><\/li>\n
  • “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<\/em>”\u00a0(Matthew 7:21).<\/span><\/li>\n
  • “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<\/em>”\u00a0(John 14:21-24).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    These three points are but our own selection from many such ideas found in Jesus’ words and in these we have the essence of covenant, of the exchange which has NOT changed for 3500 years and which IS clearly set forth in Moses words saying\u00a0“If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.\u00a0All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God<\/em>” (Deuteronomy 28:1-2). In the Christian era we should try to see that the idea of blessings<\/em> IS changed from carnal ideas which ARE the result of spiritual ones to the clearly spoken spiritual words that we have in our trifecta<\/em><\/strong>; the blessings here ARE the realized Presence of God in one’s Life, the Truth and possession of His Kingdom.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Man’s part has NOT changed and neither has the Lord’s save for the way that this is expressed to a less superstitious and less barbarous people. The rewards<\/em> ARE now shown to us in spiritual terms rather that the carnal promises of blessings that were iterated by Moses and it IS unfortunate that the doctrinal ideas on such spiritual rewards<\/em> try to take them for granted. The rewards<\/em> of the New Covenant can be seen in terms of the wages<\/em> as we read in Jesus’ words regarding the expression<\/em><\/strong> of Love, of agape<\/em>, by men. The Master shows us this in a seemingly obscure way which IS NOT fully understood in terms of a quid pro quo and this IS mostly because the doctrinal thinker refrains from seeing anything from God in such terms. Jesus, speaking of the expression<\/em><\/strong> of Love, IS quoted in two distinct ways which of course have the same meaning and which, as Paul tells us, ARE equivalent to keeping His words<\/em> which IS ever man’s part of the exchange. Paul tells us:<\/span><\/p>\n

    “Owe no man any thing, but agapao one another: for he that agapao another hath fulfilled the law.\u00a0For 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 agape thy neighbour as thyself.\u00a0Agape worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore agape is the fulfilling of the law.\u00a0And\u00a0that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed<\/em>” \u00a0(Romans 13:8-11).<\/span><\/p>\n

    These words plus the similar idea that he offers us saying “all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself<\/em>” (Galatians 5:14) should point men back to the original covenant and an understanding that the old and the new ARE NOT different but rather the same. It IS in this way that we should look at Jesus words that tell us of the very Power of agape<\/em> and these specific words that show us the reciprocal action of its expression<\/em><\/strong>; the Master says:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    • According to Luke that: “if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.\u00a0And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.\u00a0And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.\u00a0But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil<\/em>” (Luke 6:32-36).<\/span><\/li>\n
    • According to Matthew that: “For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?\u00a0And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?<\/em>” (Matthew 5:46:47).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Both writers end these sayings with the Master’s admonition to be as IS the Father and while one shows us that He IS merciful<\/em> and the other that He IS perfect<\/em>, we should understand that He IS both. We should see also that the admonition IS more simply to be as He IS, especially in regard to agape<\/em> which IS the subject to which this idea IS attached by both. Our point here however IS the way that the writers use the ideas of charis<\/em> and misthos<\/em> and how that the first IS rendered as thank<\/em> by the King James translators and in terms of credit<\/em> and commendation<\/em> by most others; few render this as it should be….as grace<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

      It IS grace<\/em> that IS the reward<\/em> for agape<\/em> which then in the reward<\/em> for keeping His words<\/em> as Paul tells us. And, if we look at the ideas defining misthos<\/em> we see also the idea of\u00a0wages<\/em>\u00a0 <\/i>which should alter our view of the idea away from something that IS given and NOT earned. This IS of course contrary to the doctrinal ideas that ARE based in Paul’s sayings about grace<\/em> as a ‘free gift<\/em>‘, an idea that IS doctrinally sourced rather than literally found in the Greek. We should understand here again that the Greek word charisma<\/em> that IS rendered as gift<\/em> IS the neuter noun equivalent to the feminine noun charis<\/em> which should always be seen as grace<\/em>\u00a0and which in turn should always be understood as whatsoever comes from God. At the same time it IS important to see that ALL grace<\/em>, ALL charis<\/em>, IS spiritual and that there IS naught that Truly comes from God that IS NOT. A review of the way that these words ARE used can surely point us to this reality.<\/span><\/p>\n

      We should understand here that both Luke and Matthew ARE telling us the same thing using the different ideas of charis<\/em> or grace<\/em> and misthos<\/em> which IS defined as:\u00a0pay for service<\/em>\u00a09a<\/sup>\u00a0by Strong’s and as\u00a0dues paid for work; wages, hire\u00a0<\/em>and as reward<\/em>\u00a09<\/sup>\u00a0by Thayer’s. Can we see the point here which, when related to the idea of charis<\/em> as Luke shows us, tells us that grace<\/em> too IS that reward<\/em>….the wages<\/em> that ARE garnered by the man who will express<\/em><\/strong> agape<\/em> and keep His words<\/em>. It IS hard to understand why Luke’s use of the word charis<\/em> IS rendered in terms of thank or as a sign that one may get credit<\/em> or commendation<\/em> for his expression<\/em><\/strong> of agape<\/em>; the ONLY reason for NOT calling this grace<\/em> IS likely that this idea of grace<\/em> as a reward<\/em> detracts from the doctrinal views that ARE based in interpretations of Paul’s writings.<\/span><\/p>\n

      These doctrinal views have created an interpretation that the whole idea of charis<\/em>\u00a0and charisma<\/em> IS free<\/em> and the idea IS rendered as such by most ALL translations of the Greek text. This whole idea of ‘free gift’ IS made necessary by the doctrinal ideas of atonement<\/em><\/strong> and the church’s reliance upon faith<\/em> and believing<\/em> as the keys to salvation<\/em>; in both of these ideas there IS little left for a man to DO and NO impetus for him to heed the ageless words of the covenants, both new and old. G<\/em>race\u00a0<\/i>IS broadly misunderstood and relegated mostly to carnal issues by much of the church that DOES NOT see that the reality of charis<\/em> IS that it IS ALL things that come from God and here we should remember that there IS NO thing carnal that comes from God.<\/span><\/p>\n

      On the matter of carnal rewards<\/em> we must ever understand and remember that such come equally to the man of faith<\/em> and the man in whom there IS little or NO faith<\/em>. Prospering here in this world IS NOT the privilege of the Christian but IS spread across the human family with NO True rhyme or reason. Some prosper according to their work or their clever invention while for others prosperity IS a matter of happenstance but, to be sure, God has NO role to play and God DOES NOT pick the winners and the losers; “there is no respect of persons with God<\/em>” (Romans 2:11). The Apostle James paints this for us in rather stark terms saying “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, 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<\/em>” (James 4:4). To this we should add the many sayings from the Master that tell us that such carnal ideas ARE folly. Unfortunately His words ARE manipulated by men’s desire to attain and maintain their prosperity.<\/span><\/p>\n

      The Master’s general idea IS found in His words on treasure<\/em> and the Truth that one “cannot serve God and mammon<\/em>” (Matthew 6:24). While the idea of mammon<\/em> IS much broader than the idea of prosperity, carnal treasures<\/em> ARE one of Jesus’ primary intents in this saying. The True divide here IS between things carnal and things spiritual. Doctrines have however perverted this idea of riches<\/em> into the way that this IS framed by the Apostle Mark who gives us Jesus’ words as “how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!<\/em>” (Mark 10:24). In these words the doctrinal thinker has substituted “trust in riches<\/em>” for the more simple idea of riches<\/em> and we should try to see that the fallacy of this IS founded in the way that most ALL men with riches<\/em> attend to those riches<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Neither Luke nor Matthew include this idea of trust<\/em> and neither DOES Mark as he report’s Jesus first iteration that simply says “How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!<\/em>” (Mark 10:23). This of course agrees with the presentation of the other writers and we should try to understand here that it IS NOT the riches<\/em> themselves that ARE the deterrent but the attitude of the man with riches<\/em> and his sense of focus<\/em>. To focus<\/em> upon the things of God IS tantamount to giving up one’s riches<\/em> which IS the idea that Jesus’ imparts to the rich man saying “go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor<\/em>” (Matthew 19:21). Here again we should try to understand that it IS the focus<\/em> of one’s Life that IS of importance as one will focus<\/em> upon the things of the self or on the things of God.<\/span><\/p>\n

      It IS the vanity<\/em> of Life in this world that alters the Truth as this vanity<\/em> becomes the illusion<\/strong> and the glamour<\/strong> that men see as the reality of their lives. It IS in this sense of illusion<\/strong> that men see that this Life in this world IS the essence of their being and while they DO KNOW that their True essence IS spiritual, this idea has been discounted to reflect that man has a Spirit rather that man IS a Spirit. It IS in this idea of Spirit that we must understand the words from Genesis that tell us “God created man in his own image<\/em>” (Genesis 1:27) and the simplicity of this IS shown us by the Master who tells us that “God is a<\/del> Spirit<\/em>” (John 4:24). This Truth however IS made moot by the doctrinal proclamations that seek to interpret these ideas into carnal terms and there ARE some that inject the man Jesus into this equation based on such sayings as:<\/span><\/p>\n