{"id":4354,"date":"2012-08-28T22:31:29","date_gmt":"2012-08-29T02:31:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newagedevelopments.org\/blog\/?p=4354"},"modified":"2012-08-28T22:31:29","modified_gmt":"2012-08-29T02:31:29","slug":"in-the-words-of-jesus-part-425","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newagedevelopments.org\/blog\/2012\/08\/28\/in-the-words-of-jesus-part-425\/","title":{"rendered":"IN THE WORDS OF JESUS\u2013Part 425"},"content":{"rendered":"

Love is the Fulfilling of the Law<\/span><\/h2>\n

ON LOVE; PART XVII<\/span><\/h2>\n
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GoodWill\u00a0IS Love in Action<\/span><\/h2>\n
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While our essay’ headline is ON LOVE PART 17, we start out essay today with some thoughts on hate. As we are so often reminded, hate plays much too large a part in the lives of otherwise good people and it is the source of these hatreds that we wish to address today as they relate to what we are discussing \u00a0insofar as the the effects of the various doctrines of religion are concerned. We cannot stop here with the doctrines of the churches alone but we must extend this to the doctrines of our societies as well; what a man believes about God and about his fellow man is shaped by the\u00a0indoctrination\u00a0that each receives and it is this indoctrination that feeds much into his sense of things as he matures. It is this indoctrination that feeds also the inherent illusion<\/strong> and glamour<\/strong> that all of us face which is the\u00a0vanity\u00a0<\/em>of which the Apostle Paul tells us and which we studied much in recent posts. Seeing this idea in Paul’s words again: “For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God<\/em>” (Romans 8:20-21) should refresh our recollection and we need then only the reality of this word vanity<\/em> to understand his saying as well as its relationship to illusion<\/strong> and glamour<\/strong>. Let us look again at vanity<\/em>:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • Vincent tells us of this word that it means: <\/span>Vanity (mataiothti). Only here, Eph. iv. 17; 2 Pet. ii. 18. Compare the kindred verb became vain (Rom. i. 21 note), and the adjective vain (1 Cor. iii. 20; 1 Pet. i. 18). Vain is also used to render kenov (1 Cor. xv. 14, 58; Eph. v. 6; Jas. ii. 20). Kenov signifies empty; mataiov idle, resultless. Kenov, used of persons, implies not merely the absence of good, but the presence of evil. So Jas. ii. 20. The Greek proverb runs. \u201cThe empty think empty things.\u201d Mataiov expresses aimlessness. All which has not God for the true end of its being is mataiov. Pindar describes the vain man as one who hunts bootless things with fruitless hopes. Plato (\u201cLaws,\u201d 735) of labor to no purpose. Ezek. xiii.<\/span> 6, \u201cprophesying vain things (mataia),\u201d things which God will not bring to pass. Compare Tit. iii. 9. Here, therefore, the reference is to a perishable and decaying condition, separate from God, and pursuing false ends<\/em>4<\/sup>. First we should see here that this version of vanity from the Greek is only used three times by Paul and stands apart from the other versions and is a stronger word from which Vincent takes his comment that\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0the reference is to a perishable and decaying condition, separate from God, and pursuing false ends<\/em>4<\/sup>.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • The Greek word which is here translated as vanity<\/em>\u00a0means, according to the lexicon, what is devoid of truth and appropriateness, perverseness, depravity, frailty, want of vigour<\/em>2\u00a0<\/sup><\/span>and we should see in this a departure from the normal ideas of vanity<\/em> as well which tend to be commonly understood as:<\/span><\/li>\n
  • This which we find in our modern language dictionary:\u00a01.\u00a0excessive pride in one’s appearance, qualities, abilities, achievements, etc.; character or quality of being vain<\/span>; conceit: Failure to be elected was a great blow to his vanity.\u00a02.\u00a0an instance or display of this quality or feeling.\u00a03.\u00a0something about which<\/span> one is vain<\/span>.\u00a04.\u00a0lack of real value; hollowness; worthlessness: the vanity of a selfish life.\u00a05.\u00a0something worthless, trivial, or pointless7<\/sup>.<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Now vanity may Truly be all of these things but the essence of Paul’s message should be seen as the effect of the world on the man as the man is made subject to this force which we call <\/span>illusion<\/strong> and <\/span>glamour<\/strong>. There is nothing more destructive to the Soul’s or the Christ Within’s ability to express the Love and the Power of Truth through form. It is glamour<\/strong> that tells one man or one group that his ideas are right and that he is better than another or another group and it is illusion<\/strong> that allows that man to believe this to the degree that it becomes\u00a0ingrained\u00a0into his very way of Life and it is both of these that are the fundamental causes and results of what Paul calls vanity<\/em>. We can see this at work in the various religions of the world and in the various political systems as well and it is this that plays the fundamental role in the indoctrination of each of us and, most importantly, it is this illusion<\/strong> and glamour<\/strong> and vanity<\/em> that we must break away from and which task can be seen as the central point of the repentance of which the Master speaks. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    This last part is difficult to see because it is this same\u00a0illusion<\/strong> and the glamour<\/strong>, the vanity<\/em> if you will, which prevents a man from seeing the Truth and the reality. We should KNOW and understand this all and hold onto the idea that even in times where we are overwhelmed by these ways of the world, that we must, at the minimum, recognize their existence and their hold on man and see the possibilities that these are affecting us as well. Until the free flow of the Love and the Power of the Soul can be expressed by the man in form, he is likely subject, in varying degrees, to these most potent forces and we should ever understand that the way par excellence of overcoming these forces is through Love and through Wisdom as these become an ever growing part of the Life of each by means of our consistent focus<\/em> on the things of God.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    Returning to our starting words, we should try to see that we are faced with a double dose of these things insofar as we are subjected to them from the start, as we read from Paul who tells us that these are the ways of the world itself, and, at the same time, we are indoctrinated\u00a0further\u00a0into them by our educational systems, at home, in the churches, at schools and through our peers. Individually a man can extract himself from this that is called at times the rat race<\/em> of daily living where he believes what he believes based upon the ways and the indoctrination that he receives. This extraction can take place through his answering the call of the Soul, the pangs of conscience, which try to lure the man away from the things of the world and toward the things of God. As we have oft said, many a man does not hear or recognize this Higher Calling over the clamor of daily Life while others do sense it but continually postpone heeding the call because the lure of the world is yet too strong and he cannot see the benefit of change. This is of course most ALL the function of the illusion<\/strong> and the glamour<\/strong> which put a man into this state and then tend to keep him there. This is also a practical demonstration of the Master’s words on the difficulty that we face in repentance from this worldly focus; He says: “Enter ye in\u00a0at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth\u00a0to destruction, and many there be\u00a0which go in\u00a0thereat:\u00a0Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth\u00a0unto life, and few there be that find\u00a0<\/em>it<\/em>” (Matthew 7:13-14) and again we read: “<\/span>Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in , and shall not be able<\/span><\/em>” (Luke 13:24).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    We must look at the Master’s words in the context in which they are presented and according to the understanding that we have garnered about sin and evil and their not being reserved to the Truly bad things but rather that while they may be inclusive of these Truly bad things, they are more about the <\/span>focus<\/em> of a mans Life. We take this philosophy from the many other sayings of the Master that tell us of the arduous effort that it takes to be<\/span> accounted worthy<\/em> of the Kingdom and to become His disciple and this works this apparent excursion of our topic today back into the points made in the last posts. We must understand how this is ALL connected and a large part of this understanding is found in these ideas that we present regarding illusion<\/strong> and glamour<\/strong> as it is these that cause men to look at the Master’s words as being about the other guy and about the\u00a0Truly\u00a0bad rather that about one’s self and one’s own inability to overcome.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    So how do we make progress as the race of men, how do we begin or enhance the ability to recognize the illusion<\/strong> and the glamour<\/strong>. Individually we can take the step of heeding the call of the Soul and of finding ways to tell others of the ultimate futility of following in the ways of the world but it is not until we can influence the cycle of indoctrination that we can begin to change society and the place to start is with the hatreds that so many are indoctrinated into. A prime example of hatreds are found in the history of race relations in this country a history of which ALL should be ashamed. Early on the white man took the negro as a slave and fashioned a culture were the negro was considered as less than a person in the South and as just a bit more in the North. While we cannot get into the historical perspective here we can note that in the two hundred plus years since the creation of America we have come to a point where a negro is the President of the country and where at the same time many still teach their children of the inferiority of the negro race and where many still raise their children in a climate of hatred. However, the slow and steady progress of evolution does take its toll and change does happen and although there are stragglers, people who still do not get it, the country and the world are a better place because of these changes. Similar things have happened in the plight of women in this country where without the expressed hatreds of race relations their rights were also\u00a0severely\u00a0restricted and although there are still areas of apparent prejudices, women now have the same basic rights as men and this too is having a worldwide effect which is still working itself out in many parts of the world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    The point here is that whether mankind is willing or not to take the lead and create the needed changes, the changes will come through the progress of the race that we call evolution. We can hasten that change in the challenge of the current day hatreds and problems by our own exhibition of Love and Wisdom and through teaching those near to us of the reality of a Life that is not focused<\/em> on vanity<\/em> and not controlled by illusion<\/strong> and glamour<\/strong>. Can we stop the hatred of Christian toward Muslims and the degrading attitude of the mainstream Christian toward the denominations that they may consider sects? Can we stop the similar hatred of the Muslims toward the Jew and the Christian and toward the secular world that they fear will infect them? Can we see that none of these religions are founded upon any of these hatreds and fears but that these are the creation of the doctrines of men who are beset by the glamour<\/strong> of their own point of view and who live in the illusion<\/strong> that they are right? And these illusions<\/strong> are strong and this glamour<\/strong> has become a rallying cry and so the Christian’s teach that there is only Christ and that ALL else is falsehood and should be the subject of their disdain, And while we cannot speak accurately about the Muslim religion, we can say that the hatreds espoused by many are not the teaching of Mohammad but are the creations and the doctrines of men in a part of the world’s society that is more prone to violence today as was our own part of society not so many years ago.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Enter here the fruits of the Spirit and enter here the Truth of the sayings of the Christ and ALL of this can be overcome in short time. Enter here a better understanding of the True nature of man, the Constitution of Man and of his relationship to the Universal Christ and to Our Universal God and we can have the foundation upon which to build.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Remembering also the Truth and the reality of the Master’s words regarding what we KNOW as the destiny of mankind which is acceptance into the Kingdom of God and the achievement of discipleship, we again post His requirements which are the criteria for each of us to be able to express the\u00a0fullness\u00a0of the Christ Within through form.<\/span><\/p>\n

    On discipleship he says:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n

    “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.\u00a0So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath , he cannot be my disciple<\/em>” (Luke 14:26-27, 33).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    In the allied saying from Matthew’s Gospel we read:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n

    “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it<\/em>” (Matthew 10:37-39).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    The Apostle John tells us this of the Masters words on\u00a0discipleship:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n

    “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed<\/em>” (John 8:31).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    “Herein is my Father glorified , that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples<\/em>” (John 15:8).<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    And, since we have not yet finished our discussion on the ideas below regarding faith and believing, we leave our verses for yet another day as well as our Quote of the Day which we hope is being used to gain a better understanding of our own nature as Souls in form on this Earth.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n