We are all aware that our physical actions and the words we use often reveal what is manifest in our hearts. But thankfully, Jehovah has provided us with hearts that have the ability to change just as our minds can change so that we might make headway on our journey back to Him.
Unfortunately, we often find ourselves falling short of the Glory of our Father, and in the process, the glory of His image (ourselves) as well. When we tell someone we will do something and then don’t, or we make promises (vows) to someone and break them, when we tell people how they should behave and yet we don’t behave in the manner we prescribed and the list goes on and on. All of these are practices of the flesh and are continually at war with our spirit. Despite our desire to always do what is right, we often miss the mark.
But have courage, because just the fact that we are aware of these things helps us to continually strive to perfect our spiritual nature. Paul was very poignant with his explanation about the war in our members with relation to our spirit and our flesh, but there is a further and much deeper message to be gleaned from his struggle as well as ours.
We are told and understand that “God is Love”, and it’s not too difficult for any of us to verbalize this phrase nor is it difficult to understand what it means on the surface, but what about the “deep things of God” as they say? What can we glean from knowing the Son that we might better know the Father?
We are told in Psalms 111:10 that “the
fear of Jehovah is the
beginning of wisdom”. But if there is a beginning to something there also must be an end to it. The question we must ask is if “fear” is the beginning, just what is the end? Well, our Lord has given us the answer through His living example to us. He showed us the power of what He called “perfect love” by laying His life down for us. This is how Jesus was able to “overcome” the world.
So let us consider this for a moment. We know from 1 John that “there is no fear in love” and that “
perfect love casts
fear outside”. We are further told that “he that feareth is not made perfect in love”. So it stands to reason that if “the fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom”, it is “perfect LOVE” that enables us to “overcome” the world. It is basically the end of wisdom’s journey for us while in the world and the beginning of a new journey which will take us to unimaginable places. But how can we as mere humans possibly find that “perfect love” while in the world? Well, it is probably not possible with us but we are given to know that things “which are impossible with men are possible with God”.
Jesus Himself declared it to His disciples in Mark 10:39 when He said to James and John (the sons of Zebedee) that they too would “indeed drink the cup” that He drank of, and receive the “baptism” that He was about to “be baptized” into. This “cup” that Jesus drank of was intense persecution followed by His sacrificial death which ransomed the spiritual souls of all the sons of Adam. Although the bible only records the deaths of James and Judas (as far as apostles goes), it is likely that at the very least John also endured this same fate. The “baptism” that Jesus received was of course getting a name “higher than any other” that being His Father’s name for all baptisms are into a “name” or “covenant”. By receiving Jehovah’s name, Jesus too became a God similar to His Father. But Jesus’ wife (the 1NC Saints) also received Jesus’ name when they became His by marriage giving them a divine nature that they too would be “judges of angels”. Jesus demonstrated to us what “perfect love” is when He forgave even those who killed Him. This is what “overcoming the world” is all about.
But not even the apostles themselves could have accomplished this on their own for without the “helper” (holy spirit) to guide and comfort them just as it did Jesus during the time of His ministry, they would not have been able to endure such a journey.
Neither can we expect to accomplish such a thing without the same kind of help. But we can continue to strive for the “greater gifts” of the Holy Spirit while on this journey. That is where “faith” comes in, for none of us have any works to boast about. I segue into “faith” because it is a key ingredient to finding “perfect love” and one of the most difficult to come by in the quantities needed.
During Jesus’ physical presence His disciples had the benefit of actually seeing the Lord perform numerous miracles yet they still struggled with their faith! In fact Jesus found it difficult to continue with people of such “little faith” and His disciples often asked Him to “strengthen” their “faith” for they knew too well what they lacked. But why did they who saw such miracles and why do we find ourselves so often lacking in faith?
It is because we are all overshadowed by something called “doubt”. Jesus declared this when He asked Peter who was walking on the water towards Him, “Why did you give way to doubt”. It is this “doubt” that inhibits our path to finding the faith of even a “mustard seed”. But even the apostles were not able to overcome this shadow of “doubt” by their own volition and that is why Jesus dispatched the “helper” to them. The holy spirit strengthened them by removing this doubt through the power of Jehovah.
So where does this doubt come from? Consider our own beginnings. From childbirth we are deceived and lied to by the very people who shape our lives. For example, Satan has corrupted our own parents by coercing them through traditions of men into telling us of a man named “Santa Clause” whom we revere in wide eyed astonishment. Instead of God knowing if we are naughty or nice or when we are sleeping or awake, it is this imposter who does these things. And as children who implicitly trust our parents of course believe what they tell us and why shouldn’t we? But this “little white lie” is only a taste of a series of lies that add to the shadow of “doubt” we accumulate throughout our lives. Add to that the “easter bunny”, the “tooth fairy”, and even the “sanctity of marriage” itself which is almost considered a joke today and you have not only seeded doubt in your children’s minds but have compounded it.
How are children supposed to believe anyone or anything when they cannot even trust those who gave birth to them to be forthright and honest? This “shadow of doubt” continues to be manifested throughout our lives by our community leaders, the media, our friends, our family members, and our clergy. This is the darkness that Satan has instituted on our lives, it is the veil that must be lifted in order that we may see the truth of our heritage. What, “is it not written in your Law that I said ye are gods” (Jo 10:34)? Well if we do possess a form of godliness then why do we continue to “deny its power”?
Because “doubt” is a killer of “faith”. And we who have not had the privilege of actually seeing our Savior do miracles, and yet believe are blessed. But believing is only part of faiths journey. So we have the
fear of God as the
beginning of wisdom, we have the strengthening of our “faith” as the journey continues, and we have “perfect love” as the journey ends. So we’ve pretty much come full circle.
Now it stands to reason that if you “fear God” you must know that He exists and that is the beginning of faith. So it is also reasonable to assume that the journey is designed to strengthen our faith along the way not through miracles and signs as they experienced in the first presence, but through greater understanding of the Word of God itself.
As our understanding increases so too does our faith in Him that gives us this understanding. In fact there comes a time when your faith will no longer be necessary for who needs to have faith in something that he has already seen or knows to be fact. But how do we possibly leap from understanding to such a great faith - the faith of a “mustard seed”? Again, it is only through the absence of “doubt” for Jesus said: “Verily I say unto you, If ye have
faith, and
doubt not, ye shall not only do this [which is done] to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.”? And this:
27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more [will he clothe] you, O ye of
little faith?
29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink,
neither be ye of doubtful mind.
30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
31 But rather
seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Lk 12)
So “seeking the kingdom” is obviously a key process in your journey of spiritual growth in finding “perfect love” but it will take some commitment. And we are all up against a formidable foe who has been trying to spiritually kill everyone since the days of Adam and Eve. This fratricide has been on a path of escalation ever since and is about to reach a pinnacle as is evidenced by the actions of the rulers of this world and those who are controlling them as of late.
Very few people will find perfect love and “overcome” the world as Jesus did for only those who get help from the holy spirit can, but many will have started out on the journey before this system comes to its abrupt end. We are given to know what love is….but this is still not “perfect” love but only parts of the journey to it:
4 Love is patient, is kind. Love is not jealous. Love is not bragging, is not puffed up,
5 is not indecent, is not self-seeking, is not incensed, is not taking account of evil,
6 is not rejoicing in injustice, yet is rejoicing together with the truth,
7 is forgoing all, is believing all, is expecting all, is enduring all.
8 *Love is never lapsing: yet, whether prophecies, they will be discarded, or languages, they will cease, or knowledge, it will be discarded (1Cor13).
So just what then is “perfect love” and how do we define it? Again we only need to turn to Jesus for the answer:
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (Jn 15)
So evidently “perfect love” is achieved by doing or attempting to do exactly as Jesus did. It is the willingness to sacrifice your life for your friends. Do not confuse this with going to war as an act of patriotism and getting shot or killed for war itself is a contradiction to love, nor is it done by blowing yourself up in a crowd as a martyr for a cause. It is sacrificing your status, your position of power, your humility in order to end such things. It is taking a stand against those who oppress. It is casting out fear of reprisal when speaking the Word of God to even those who would shun or persecute you for doing so. It is by truly loving your neighbor as yourself just as Jesus loved us. It is demonstrating your willingness at heart to show your faith in Him by keeping His commandments through such persecution and even unto death if necessary.
The “way” of our Messiah was not intended only for those in the ecclesia but for all of mankind to follow. But Satan has corrupted both the ecclesias and the world using the same methods. The devices used by the rulers of the world to control and abuse populations are the same kind used by the ecclesias to control and abuse their flocks.
It is through fear, intimidation, and deceitful practices that they maintain their power over their priests and their congregations. These churches are not of God but of Satan as they are all a part of the world as is indicative through their various organizational structures, tax havens, investment vehicles and worldly associations (i.e. members of the UN, World Organization of Churches etc.).
Too often these churches malign anyone or any thing that questions their divine authority and will threaten them to an eternal torment if they continue doing so. This is the hypocritical nature of most Christian churches today. They will call anyone who is not of their fold a “cult” or a “sect” which are nothing but obvious “buzz words” used to incite an emotional response for they know that “reason” is their greatest enemy. This is not unlike their secular counterparts who use similar “buzz words” such as “liberal”, “conservative” “fringe group”, “black”, “white”, “anti-Semitism” or “Mexican-American”. They all are used for the purpose of dividing a secular nation just as the aforementioned are used in dividing a spiritual nation.
When that doesn’t work, they go the next level by assassinating the character of the leader of such a group in an effort to remove credibility or to place “doubt” in peoples minds about him so that the threat to their control is eliminated. This is the way of the Pharisees and they are in control.
Is this what the Christ taught us? Did he not say that “those who are not against us are for us”? So why should one “Christian” church attack another as of no significance? The answer is really quite simple for the churches that are “part of the world” serve “mammon” and not God.
Is the love of God and His Christ something that we should compete for? Of course not, for perfect love is the end of such thoughts, but the love of “mammon” IS something people compete for and that is why you will find churches doing this today. It is not the “truth” or the “way” that they are really interested in but the bottom line each and every month. Consider this the next time they pass a plate around or expect you to walk up to the front of the congregation with a check that you may drop it in the basket.
Do you do this voluntarily out of love or do you feel “obligated” to do this and think that by doing so that you will get a pardon for your multitude of sins over the past several days? When you turn “mammon” itself into a sacrifice for your sins are you not sacrificing to idols for what does Jehovah have to do with mammon? He does not want sacrifice at all, but He does want love and devotion as any loving father would from his children. The only way we can provide this is by our desire to know Him better so that we may please him by learning from his ways and imitating them just as Jesus did. This cannot be accomplished by going to church once a week, or attending special church events and paying sacrificial dues! It is a 24 hour a day 7 day a week commitment that we should try our best to do as He commanded us. This is what true sacrifice is about, it is sacrifice of flesh and blood out of our love for Him that we do this. If you give money to a church, do so out of love and the knowledge that the money you give them will actually go to helping the “widows” and the “orphans”, and providing those who are cold a coat and those who are hungry some food. Not so that the church can buy more real estate, fatten their portfolios or buy antiques.
Yes, LOVE is the key to “life” and also the end of “fear”. Do not fear man at all, but fear God so that you too may begin to understand this. Trust in Him implicitly no matter what is thrown at you and keep on asking, keep on seeking, and keep on knocking so you too will find the very knowledge of God. May your journey be blessed and may you find “perfect love”.
Blessings,
Bill