Chapter XII

The Gifts and the Fruits of the Spirit

Without the divine gift of love bearing witness of the GIFTS they are but sounding brass and clanging cymbals. It is to these, the outward demonstrators, that Christ will say when they demand that He acknowledge them and their works as they proclaim, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? And in your name cast out devils? And in your name do many wonderful works?" Then comes Christ's answer, direct and without apology: "Then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

"Iniquity" is from an old Anglo-Saxon phrase, meaning "lack of inner quiet" or contact with God. It is a condition of emotional disturbance or abandonment or an hysterical display of UNSEEMLINESS. In this condition the contact with God and His power is impossible. "The Peace that Passeth Understanding" is unknown. "Be still and KNOW that I am God!" Only in that inner stillness is this accomplished. Only through that deep, inner quiet or Peace does God operate. Only through that majestic, divine holiness can anyone contact or use the POWERS of God, or rather, permit God to do the works of accomplishment. And since these uncontrolled, emotional, immature ones are working entirely through their own displaced abandonment, without any contact with God, they are working in "iniquity".

Only through love, developed into a sublime devotion of selfless, melted humility of almost incomprehensible PEACE can God or Christ assist in any works. These demonstrators are truly working in "iniquity" without any contact with God. And in our day "iniquity" is understood to mean "great wickedness," which it is.

These abandoning ones are abandoned to themselves -- and they demand the same "iniquity" of all whom they contact. They realize not, in their emotional uncontrol that they are but serving the disturbed, immature, emotional cravings of their own mortal selves. And Christ will rebuke them saying, "I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." What he will actually be saying is: "I had no part in your professed "mighty miracles." I was shut out by your own "iniquity" and I do not know you."

Only in and through the great peace, or inner contact, that passeth understanding and in perfect, selfless love can the divine, majestic powers of God operate. And when they work there is never an UNSEEMLY display. Divine majesty is manifest in every act of God.

Many of these demonstrating ones may be performing "Mighty Works" according to their lack of understanding or enlightenment, as they make their unrighteous demands for recognition upon the Lord. Their works are but their own works, performed in pride and arrogant self-righteousness; and their works will be rejected along with their mighty claims and their unrighteous demands for glory and rewards. And so it is that the GIFTS can be misused and abused and defiled by self-righteous, inferior mortals who work in unrestrained, unrestricted abandon.

It is not by the use of God's dynamic gifts that the righteous will be known. It is by their FRUITS only that they will be acknowledged and accepted. "By their fruits shall you know them."

There are some of these misguided ones who believe that the gift of tongues is the whole purpose and meaning of life and that those who do not possess this gift are totally unacceptable to God. In this they err greatly! The gift of tongues is the most easy gift for the evil forces to mimic in a counterfeit display of supposed power.

In St. Matthew, chapter twenty-four, is given a remarkable account of those, under the hands of Satan, who will shake the earth with their miracles. And all those who seek after signs and such displays will flock to them. In many instances the gift of tongues is but a demonstration of a person weakly yielding himself to a foreign, sometimes evil spirit who uses the mouth of the living to spew out his own pent-up words, without knowledge. There are thousands of such instances in which some defiled, discarnate, disembodied spirit, wishing to gain attention, takes over the tongue of some self-righteous, unsuspecting mortal.

There are the spiritualist mediums who lend their bodies and minds to disembodied spirits, to take over and to use. In Bible times they were rejected and condemned. And from the time of Moses on down they were placed under the penalty of death. They were designated as those with "familiar spirits" or as diviners or magicians or soothsayers. Today, those who are manipulated by these, often very evil, departed spirits, are coming back into vogue. They are highly sought after, though in the Book of Revelations, chapter twenty-one and verses six to eight, is given this information of what will happen to them at the coming of the Son of God. "And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life FREELY.

"He that OVERCOMETH shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and SORCERERS, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth, which is the second death."

And often those who are speaking in tongues have only been taken over by unclean spirits who desire to be heard, as they use the mouths of their gullible demonstrators to babble forth their "Words, without knowledge." And these are most certainly not approved or called of God. And the foreign words of some, defiled, evil spirit have no worth or value. And it is of these that Christ will profess that he knows them not.

"Yes, THOUGH I SPEAK WITH THE TONGUES OF MEN AND OF ANGELS and have not charity, I am but sounding brass and clanging cymbals."

Only in, and through love does God work. All the gifts can be demonstrated and performed by unholy ones seeking to impress others with their own powers and personalities as they place themselves upon the "HIGHEST SEATS" to later be invited down. Thus it is that the righteous are not recognized by their gifts or acclamations. But "BY THEIR FRUITS SHALL YOU KNOW THEM!"

And with the FRUITS the manifestation of Love and Humility are always made manifest as they bear witness of God's acceptance and approval, not in words, but in POWER.

"God will not be mocked!" And those who VAUNT themselves, or behave themselves UNSEEMLY are but mocking the majesty and the glory of God's sacred gifts and of God Himself! And these will stand under great condemnation at the last day.

As the Fruits of the Spirit alone can bear witness of one's true status it must be known that only as love is developed within the soul of man can he begin to bear these precious Fruits of holiness. These Fruits are gentleness and love and humility, and the precious attributes which Christ acclaimed, as He designated Himself as the Vine, and God as the Husbandman, and Man as the humble branch. It is only from the branch that the Fruits can be brought forth. And that bringing forth of the real Fruits of the Kingdom is always accomplished in a joyous ecstasy of selfless service for the glory of God and for the benefit of man. And Joy itself is the second Fruit of the Spirit. Without it nothing can be made perfect. And joy is not an hysterical, uncontrolled display. Joy is the glory of God flowing out from the depths of the soul, in perfect control and glorious humility.

Glory be to God for a privilege so great as being permitted to live upon this wonderful earth! And to live in this most dynamic age of all ages is an honor indeed! It is beautiful! It is glorious! It is divine!

Those who live only in the past, carrying their moments of inspiration and divine direction along with them, with no contact with God in the present, are truly burdened with the weight of their own wornout stairways as they drag each step along with them.

Those who live in the future, expecting it to fulfill their dreams of perfection, their hopes of glory, their desires for acknowledgment are also misplacing the dynamic impact of their creative powers in a far removed realm of accomplishment -- beyond their reach.

Thank God with all the strength of the soul for every divine whisper of comfort or instruction or information -- then go on unto Perfection, as Paul directed.

He who loves God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength is walking with God. And he is living in the great, eternal NOW! In this marvelous NOW do all things exist. It is within man's ability to "lay hold of the best gifts." And always the power of the Almighty is bestowed in the living present, not in the dead past or in the vague, distant future. Live as though you already had the complete fulfillment of your most sacred desires; this is how one believes in his heart, and doubts not. "Walk with God" and you will have constant contact with Him NOW. As one perfects LOVE NOW, the gifts and the Promises are fulfilled.

Live in the vibrating essence of your own dispersed LOVE as it flows out continually to heal and to bless and you are abiding in a new realm, in the perfection of the Celestial glory -- NOW! It is necessary that each individual realizes this great truth as he takes upon himself the fulfilling of the wonders of his own divine perfection.

The greatest miracle of all time is the dynamic, breathtaking miracle of each man's unfoldment as he "purifies himself and loses every desire for sin," or lets go of his own drab mortality. As an individual advances into his own perfection he brings forth the greatest miracle of all. There is no other work so great and so utterly beautiful and holy. This is why it is so much more important to work upon oneself than to work upon others. As one brings himself into perfection he will have performed a work of the greatest glory and it will automatically help to exalt the whole world. There is no other work so sacred and so powerfully important. As one works upon himself he unloads the ugly burden of his little, mortal, ego-self and fulfills the promises of all perfection and all the glory. This includes the fulness of all things, not the ugly, imagined condition of the self-righteous.

In this humble, love-filled unfolding the great transition is accomplished and one "Evolves from the man (or mortal) kingdom into the God Kingdom!" "He is born of the Spirit." Which condition is the great reality of accomplishment. Such a one could never lift his voice in bragging or demon-strating self-acclaim or in defining boasts or contorting displays of ugliness. He could not possibly VAUNT himself. Neither could he behave in any UNSEEMLY manner of repulsive contorting as he seeks to demonstrate his own little, supposed greatness of empty mockery.

And such a one will know fully, even as Christ knew, "That only God is great! Only God is good!" And in the unspeakable joy of his own humility he will open wide the gates of heaven.

This is the purpose for which this sacred information must be placed within this record, that all may know that it is not in the demonstrating of the self, or even of God's divine gifts, that one is recognized as a divinely appointed messenger, sent of God. It is only "By their FRUITS that the righteous are known." And the Fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, humility and all the silent powers which are laid up in the center of the soul, or the kingdom of heaven (within) that are of any permanent value to him. These fruits are spiritual and those who receive them are appointed by Almighty God to become the greatest. And only they are acceptable to Him.

Now, I must share again with the world some of the sacred, holy truths given by that divine Writer of the Odes of Solomon, as revealed in the forty-first Ode, verses nine to seventeen, as follows: "For the Father of Truth remembered me: He who possessed me from the beginning:

"For His bounty begat me, and the thought of His heart:

"And His Word is with us in all our way;

"The Savior Who makes alive and does not reject our souls;

"The man (Christ) who was HUMBLED, and EXALTED by His own RIGHTEOUSNESS.

"The Son of the Most High appeared in the perfection of His Father;

"The Light dawned from the WORD, that was beforetime in Him.

"The Messiah is truly one; and He was known before the foundation of the world,

"That He might save souls for ever by the truth of His Name: A NEW SONG ARISES FROM THOSE WHO LOVE HIM!

Hallelujah!"

The above quotation is glorious! This blessed brother, this Writer of these Sacred Odes, from the long ago, OVERCAME all the miseries of mortality -- and death! In his sacred writings he unfolds the truths and the possibilities of complete OVERCOMING and of reaching perfection in the ability to glorify God. And this above quoted Ode explains the power of the "NEW SONG" which would arise from those who love God. This is true. And only they can learn it.

This "New Song" of praise and love and gratitude, this SONG of infinite power, which none but the righteous can learn is a song without words because no words could possibly express it. It is also a song without any specified music because only the released, joyous devotion from an exultant human heart can possibly express it. No shouting, no jumping, no contorting or words can ever express this Song of Holiness or send it forth. Only the silent, inner devotion of one who loves God with his entire being, mind, body and soul, can possibly sing this Song of eternal holiness and unspeakable power. And it can only be released in the vibrations of such dynamic POWER they cannot be heard by human ears or expressed with mortal tongue. This New Song is beyond all words and all professed acclaim. It is the instantaneous contact with the throne of God. And it is constant and continual and everlastingly perfect. And the one who learns to sing this Song truly becomes completely "humbled and exalted" by his own righteousness, even as Christ was. In the very humbling of himself, which only perfect love can accomplish, one seeks for the lowest seat as he becomes, in his own opinion, "The least." Then is righteousness established. It is this very humility that exalts one into righteousness, for then only can love be made perfect. Humility and love work always together.

This glorious brother, this Holy One, this Writer of these sacred Odes, foretold the coming forth of this work and of these books. It was his foretelling that makes them even more precious.

And this Writer of these glorious Odes of Solomon, which are contained in the Lost Books of the Bible, is awaiting all those who accept the truths which he revealed and who OVERCOME. Each one who fulfills these higher teachings, as he travels this glorified Straight and Narrow Path, will be welcomed and acknowledged by this Writer, this exalted one, for he too was exalted by his own humility, perfected into righteousness.

And this most gracious, inspired, exalted friend has commissioned me to extend his personal greetings and love to each of you as he invites you to enter the realms of the exalted. His loving understanding is held out to welcome and assist you. His love and his personal concern for each of you is great indeed. He is the friend of all who accept the higher truths of perfection. And to have such a friend is a blessing indeed.

Thanks be to God for such a helper! I would give his name but that is not yet permissible.

And glory be to God for such PROMISES as belong to this generation! Glory be to those who OVERCOME the self with all its desires to excel and to display its meager, skimped little merits, its contorting, unseemly, undignified, unholy, ungodly acclamations of supposed approval.

For "My Kingdom is not in WORD, but in POWER, saith the Lord." And that POWER can only be revealed in the Fruits of love, joy, mercy, humility, Faith and in a devotion that can only be displayed in a melted tenderness of inner glory as one sings that New Song from the very depths of his soul, not from his lips. "Yes, with their lips they confess me, but their hearts are far from me!"

Only from the heart can that Song be sung -- that song of infinite love and praise and gratitude and devotion and everlasting exultation. That Song, released from a human heart, contains the power of every individual's exaltation. It contains the three major vibrations of utter glory, blended into the grand symphony of Celestial, triumphant OVERCOMING!

Yes, the gifts are but the implements of immature individuals as they use the gifts of self-aggrandizement or satisfaction. In Paul's glorious chapter, describing all the gifts he intermingles with every enumerated one their worthless mockery if love is absent or unmanifest. Then he describes the true powers, which hold all the fulfilling glory of perfection. These are the FRUITS of the Spirit, and are as follows: "Charity (or the pure love of Christ) suffereth long, and is kind, charity envieth not (is not jealous); Charity VAUNTETH not itself, IS NOT PUFFED UP.

"Doth not behave itself UNSEEMLY (or demonstrates in any repulsive contorting), seeketh not her own (credits or rewards), is not easily provoked, THINKETH NO EVIL;

"Rejoiceth not in INIQUITY, but rejoiceth in truth:

"Beareth all things, believeth all things (every Promise of God), hopeth all things, endureth all things.

"CHARITY NEVER FAILETH: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away." Then how could anyone boast or feel self-important? These gifts are but temporary substitutes given for the childish benefit of those who are immature. As soon as one leaves these things behind he is prepared, as Paul taught, "to go on unto perfection."

To continue with the precious quotation, starting now with verse nine: "For now we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

"BUT WHEN THAT WHICH IS PERFECT IS COME (or when we reach perfection), THEN THAT WHICH IS IN PART SHALL BE DONE AWAY.

"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought (and acted) as a child; but when I became a man (A SON OF GOD), I put away childish things.

"For now we see through a glass, darkly (dimly), but then face to face; now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." This scripture is beautiful indeed. This point of being able to see even as we are seen is the complete unveiling of that higher realm of glory. Those on that higher level are able to behold us clearly and distinctly. They can behold our thoughts and the inner desires of our souls. They know the very workings and strength of our desires. Nothing is hid from them.

But from our mortal angle, even when we are permitted to behold heavenly beings, we see them only with our spiritual eyes, while they are still hid from our physical vision. And so even in this great gift of vision we see only vaguely the fulness of the glory of those who contact us.

However, when we reach perfection of glorified, perfect, selfless love and humility that veil will be completely removed and we will see with the clarity and exactness with which we are seen, for we too will "Be purified, even as He is pure!"

This state, when man's vision is completely purified, will be the great experience of being "Born of the Spirit." And this is possible! This is a condition or an achievement designated for those of this earth, for Christ said, "If I have told you of earthly things (in his explanation of being born of the Spirit) and you did not believe, how could you believe if I told you of heavenly things?"

The condition of promised vision in which we also will be able to see, even as those on that higher realm are able to behold us, is the glorious point where one is "Filled with Light and COMPREHENDS ALL THINGS!" This is a heavenly condition. But it can be reached by those on this earth as they "purify themselves, even as He is pure." It was meant to be accomplished right here and, as it is done one automatically, evolves from the man kingdom into the God Kingdom.

And now, to return to the last verse of that glorious thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians: "And now abideth FAITH, HOPE, CHARITY, these three; BUT THE GREATEST OF THESE IS CHARITY!" Or the pure Christ-like LOVE!

Only the gifts or qualities of Faith and Hope and Charity are eternal! Only these three are of lasting value. And only these belong to him who can stand before God as a Man -- a true Son -- who possesses these divine treasures which neither moth nor rust can corrupt nor thieves break through and steal. These are the jewels which are possessed by the soul as he purifies himself. "These are the treasures in heaven!" And these cannot possibly be put on display.

Then why should anyone boast or brag or behave himself in an UNSEEMLY manner as he pounds his little drum and rattles his brass toys and clangs his noisy cymbals of demonstrations in an unholy manner as he defiles himself and the holy gifts of God?

He who would be perfect as the scriptures indicate in these words: "When that which is perfect is come,” will understand that these inferior, partial gifts will be done away. This is true! But the greatest truth is this: as one develops that most holy Commandment, that First and Greatest One of All, he does perfect LOVE right within himself. This is the one unfailing, glorifying accomplishment. It is the assurance of maturity or Sonship, for such a one will have put aside grubby mortality and will have advanced into a divine son of God.

This is a possibility for anyone who will lift his vision to behold the glory of God and then hold his mind focused upon that glory. In this exalted vision the little, childish, immature self, with its desire for show and its pride and VAUNTED demonstrating will be OVERCOME. Then only can one step forth into divine maturity.

The most marvelous truth is that one does not need to die in order to make this giant stride. For it is only in this life that the opportunity is held forth in its fulness for COMPLETE OVERCOMING. It is while in this body of flesh that the soul can be most gloriously perfected.

This great, beautiful, eternal NOW is man's golden opportunity to fulfill all things. In this life lies the eternal challenge and opportunity to prove Christ's words by LIVING THEM -- and so receiving the power contained in them.

Live that First and Great Commandment and all the Fruits of the Spirit will be brought forth in you -- these sacred, holy treasures, these jewels of divinity. And these jewels are the Fruits of the Spirit. They will go with you into the next world. They will never be done away. And you have the power to clothe yourself in the glory of them. And they will bear witness of you. For it is only by your FRUITS that you will be known as an approved Son of God.

The gifts are only manifest in mortality and can be abused and misused. The fruits are spiritual and will endure forever for they are eternal. Yes, "By their FRUITS shall you KNOW them." It is only by men's true spiritual qualities that they can possibly be recognized, not by the gifts they display in open desecration.

It is in the proving and in the fulfilling of that most holy, divine, powerful Commandment that each individual advances into his maturity. And that Commandment is an everlasting challenge to test the integrity of man as its unspeakable powers are revealed. That Commandment is powerful beyond thought or knowledge! It is glorious beyond Words! It contains all the powers of fulfilling, even every glorious, dynamic, holy PROMISE of God. And these PROMISES are already held within the branch (or man) waiting to bud forth and to blossom into Celestial beauty -- as the matured, ripened fruits of perfection yield the wonderful fulfillment of all that man was ordained to accomplish in the full measure of his own perfection.

This is how one matures into the perfection of all the glorified FRUITS of God, as he obtains the jewels of the Kingdom and lays up for himself the divine treasures of heaven. And it is only by the FRUITS of the Spirit that God's chosen may be recognized.

Perfect LOVE, the eternal jewel of everlasting glory and the Fruits of It will be yours and you will have the joyous power to hold them forth for the benefit of a hungry, starving world. And in bringing forth those precious Fruits you will be recognized or KNOWN.

In II Tim. 2:6 is given this full information, as follows: "The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the FRUITS." In other words, he that works to bring forth these most holy Fruits of the Spirit within himself will also be the first to partake of them. Such will then be able to share those Fruits with the world. He will be recognized by these divine Fruits of purity and love and graciousness and joy and humility. And he will be clothed in the radiance of these everlasting jewels of the Spirit.

For shame to those who make such an open, noisy display of the holy gifts of God, as they defile them in a show of rattling brass and noisy, clanging cymbals, without the pure LOVE of Christ being first manifest in their lives.

Love is the key of perfection. It is the joy and the meaning of existence! It is the glory of eternity! It is the fulness of God! And in it are contained all the other jewels of the Spirit.

Then is given this powerful PROMISE to those who will lay hold of it and prove it, for it can be proved by every living soul upon this earth. I know, for I have fulfilled it.

"To him who prayeth continually without ceasing unto such is given to reveal things which never have been revealed; yea, and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance."

To train oneself to pray continually without ceasing is the most marvelous blessing imaginable. This constant prayer is not a begging, "God, give me" prayer. It is the glorious "New Song" of praise and love and gratitude, which can only be expressed from a living heart in its pure perfection. It vibrates out in a radiance of ecstasy of glorious devotion. It is a divine melody of unspeakable power. It is the love of God being expressed in singing splendor as an eternal symphony of glorious, exquisite joy. It is LOVE made perfect. "And to such it is given to KNOW the mysteries of God, insomuch that he will be filled with Light and comprehend all things!"

Glory be to God! Glory and power and dominion be His forever and ever! And "he who prays without ceasing" or without letting this exuberant song die down, is releasing that song of increasing joyous ecstasy throughout his own being and in doing so is transforming or spiritualizing the very cells and atoms of his body and preparing it to "Be born of the Spirit." He is advancing into pure perfection as his body becomes exalted to the stature of the Spirit. And he will receive the powers of that spiritual birth and will be able to "come and go as the wind,” in the divine service of Almighty God. He advances into the performance of the GREATER WORKS, as he brings thousands of souls unto repentance and to God. This is not done in WORDS -- but in POWER! These are the Works of Jesus Christ. These are the GREATER WORKS. And they begin right within each individual as he works upon himself instead of upon others. "Let your Light so shine --." It does not say, "Let your Words so bear witness --."

Glory and power be to God forever and ever! Joy and everlasting Life be to those who fulfill His holy, divine PROMISES as the great and unutterable blessings become their own. And in fulfilling these higher possibilities one beholds with his eyes the things which have never yet been seen by human eyes. And with his ears he will hear the perfection of that divine Symphony of complete fulfillment and know the mysteries thereof. And he will contemplate and understand the great and marvelous things which God has prepared for those who LOVE him!

Nothing is impossible! So I declare unto you anew! And I speak from knowledge and not from the letter of the law -- and so may you too speak as you fulfill and prove the great truths which He gave.

(One little notation must be added here. Those whom Christ rebukes saying, "I never knew you; depart from me ye that work iniquity," is speaking of those who continually work through their own stirred up emotions as they work upon the emotions of others. These are working in "iniquity" or with a complete lack of inner contact with God. They lack that divine inner quiet so necessary for God's fulfilling.)