There is one very simple way to fulfill all laws without strife or error or difficulty or even extreme striving. It is magnificently beautiful and perfect in its completeness as it leads one to that last, final veil and then gently removes that veil to reveal the face of God. That one most perfect entrance into the presence of the Father has been held forth from time immemorial.
The two great laws have been mentioned in the books preceding this one but with this record has come the time of the complete unveiling of that first and great commandment and the divine power of its hidden secrets. Within that first holy law is contained the keys of eternity and the fullness of all things.
Christ only reiterated that most perfect, divine, holy law when He spoke these dynamic words: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy mind and with all thy strength." Then He completed it by saying, "And thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." One could not possibly fulfill the first commandment without the second one being fulfilled also.
In the third book of the Bible, Moses reaffirmed the latter part of the law, which had existed from the very beginning, in the exact words Christ used centuries later: "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." (Lev. 19:18 and also verse 34).
In the book of Deuteronomy, that first and great commandment was recorded seven times in almost the exact wording Christ used almost two millenniums later. (Deut. 6:5; 10:12; 11:1, 13, 22; 19:9; 30:6).
When Christ uttered the two great commandments that would fulfill all others and all laws, He was not revealing a new commandment. Neither was Moses proclaiming those laws for the first time when they were recorded and placed in his writings. Those commandments were established before the earth ever swung forth in its rhythmed harmony within its destined orbit. Those eternal laws of glory hold the keys of all progress, all perfection and all power. They contain the very keys of eternity. They were revealed to man when first he made his appearance upon this new-formed earth.
Those laws of love were so far beyond and above the old laws of Moses that few, preceding Christ's advent, paid the least attention to them. Even the ancient Mosaic law was difficult for many of earth's inhabitants in those days, before the Christ. Then came the Redeemer of the world with the higher law. Now mankind has advanced into the living of the old Mosaic law, though they realize it not. Those who most ardently profess to be Christians are but living by that inferior, lesser law.
Only very recently have there been a comparative few who are stepping beyond the multitudes and the ancient, inferior laws into the Way Christ revealed.
But it is now time to pass beyond the laws of unprogressiveness and retaliation and vengeance of "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." It seems almost ridiculous to have to point out here that the law of retaliation is so very apparent in almost all lives it has been almost entirely unnoticed in its general acceptance. Sometimes it is even a more retrogressive law than the Mosaic one of ancient times. It is the habit or modern necessity to retaliate with something just a little more hurtful, a little more cutting, a little more violent than that which one received from another, even an acclaimed friend.
The greater laws have been almost as unheeded since Christ reaffirmed them as they were uncomprehended before His day.
It is time that the first and great commandment be comprehended and LIVED. Only in the living of it can the doors of eternity be opened.
Each separate part of the great commandment contains a definite key. The final key opens the door to the very presence of God, to the unveiling of His face.
These powerful keys I am commanded to place in your hands -- for the time for their revealment is now.
These sacred keys I now place at your disposal as I lead you to the doors they unlock. It is up to you to use those keys and to turn those locks. If it were possible for me to open those doors, which it is not, you would never have the power to enter through those portals into the higher realms.
"Love God with all your heart," contains the first key. And now I will explain its power. "The heart", as stated in the book To God the Glory, does not mean the heart organ, but the great, living heart center. Within every man is the divine, spiritual heart-center that is like the center of a tree. When one loves with all his heart or innermost being, that great heart-center opens. It is the opening of this center which permits the Light of Christ to come forth. Or, it may be stated thus: within that divine center His Light is contacted. That Christ Light contains the power to purify, to cleanse and to erase all sins and weaknesses. It has the power to eradicate the errors and mistakes, for within that Light is the power of each man's individual redemption. In the sacred flame of that Light one can be completely cleansed and purified as he beings to open his heart to Its divine reality and power. Within that Christ Light is also the power to know all truth and to contact all knowledge.
Love God with all your heart and you will release that divine Christ Light into your life in all Its fullness and Its ineffable power.
"Love God with all your soul." This is not to be just a pleasing phrase to the ears and then to be passed over. It means to literally extend that love of Christ, centered and contacted through the heart-center, into one's entire being. This divine love must be practiced daily, hourly and at all times. It must be LIVED with all the energy of one's soul. Contained within that love for God, which must be expressed through the soul of man, is the almost incomprehensible power of quickening and of renewal. It must be here understood that the soul includes every cell and atom, tissue and fibre of both the physical and spiritual man.
After one contacts that Christ love and His Light through opening his own heart-center, it becomes an easy thing to send that love out through his soul in ever increasing strength as he continues to practice it. As His love and Light thus flow out through the cells of the body, in unrestricted glory, it becomes vibrant and alive. This divine law of renewal is perfect and unfailing. It contains the powers of perfect healing and the vibrant life of eternal youth. "-- for it is given to abide in you, that which quickeneth all things, and maketh alive all things." But no man can know the truth of this until he LIVES the law.
"Love God with all your mind." As one turns his mind continually toward God in a reverent devotion of pure love, he develops into the habit and power of divine thinking. He begins to think as God thinks, without condemnation, without stress, without discords, fears, hates or error. He thinks only the most beautiful things possible. Of necessity, he must love his neighbor as he loves himself. His mind will have developed into the power of thinking truly, purely, lovingly and uncondemningly. His every thought will become a seed of promise which plants its own rewards and its own glories. His thoughts will truly be allied with power as he reaches the point where he begins to comprehend all things -- even God. One who thinks purely will have control over his life and the conditions surrounding him, for he will have become the master instead of the puppet of circumstances.
"Love God with all your strength." This is the crowning achievement and holds the final key. To love God with all one's strength unites the love of the heart, the soul and the mind into one current of definite, directed power. It gathers into one the powers of the heart, the soul and the mind in such a dynamic current of glory and light nothing can withstand it, on earth or in heaven. It is in the releasing of this stupendous current of love that the "self" is overcome. It is melted, or released without stress or striving. In this great love there is no need to battle or to strain.
When one's strength is energized to send forth the great love from the heart, soul and mind it releases the Light of Christ into the entire being of man. This released love conquers, subdues and glorifies the individual who will only practice it diligently until it becomes a part of his very life. Then only does one fully comprehend that he is actually living the law and is able to receive the fullness of its power. One grows into this great law by practicing and living it, not just by believing it. "Even the Devils believe, and tremble." But only those who live the laws or use the divine keys herein revealed can possibly know of their power.
As one loves God with all his strength he ceases wasting his energies on outside living. He reaches the point where his love is so concentrated, so perfect and so pure he begins to comprehend fully the great glory and power and perfection of God's holy Will. It is then his own little personal, mortal, selfish, erring will becomes so purified and exalted it blends with the Will of God in one magnificent harmony of united glory. In that divine blending the "self" is overcome and the individual is prepared to become one with God. Then it is that the last veil concealing the face of God can be removed.
When any individual reaches the point where love is fulfilled and made perfect and his will is completely purified and exalted to the very Will of God, then is God glorified in that individual.
It is in complete purification that God unveils His face to the individual. "It will be in His own time, and in His own way, and according to His own will." In other words, it will be when the individual is completely prepared and ready. And in that purified preparedness is the most natural experience, for one has grown into it.
This great and holy commandment of love most assuredly fulfills all laws and all righteousness.
Take the greatest of all commandments into your heart. Hold it in your mind. Practice it until it not only becomes a part of you, but you actually become it. Then only can you know of its ineffable power and its divine reality. Live it and you will soon KNOW God -- and this is life eternal.
In the fulfilling of the great love one's life becomes dedicated to the higher ways of thinking and feeling -- and being. As all one's strength is exerted in extending this love from the three main centers of his being, he enters into a higher, more sacred way of life and all his energies become concentrated in a love that includes and fills his entire being. He is no longer at war with himself. His being becomes attuned to peace and he is filled with Light. As he continues diligently to practice the great melody of love he becomes it. This practicing of love must be pursued faithfully and with all one's strength. It must be as desired a goal to reach the releasing of the divine symphony of love as it is to become a great and accomplished musician. Each requires diligent practice.
This love, when fulfilled, dissolves all pride, all arrogance and all evil. It clothes one in a tender, divine humility. It releases fully that song of inner praise and loving gratitude. It fills one with the divine Light of Christ until he does not have room to receive It -- and so It flows out from him to multiply and increase his blessings and then goes on out to help redeem a world.
There is no fanaticism in this law of love. There could not possibly be. As one lives it he is no longer creed bound, nor will he worship amiss, nor have any other Gods before him. He will not permit some organization or church to sap the powers of his love and devotion, his strength and his soul and the energies of his mind while his heart remains empty, cold and unopened.
In the fulfilling of this commandment is "The Law of the Lord" and the power of the Almighty as it is released in all its glory into the life of man.
In this great law is hidden the face of God. "Seek Him diligently, and you will find Him," . . . . . "For he will unveil His face unto you." . . . . "And this is life eternal, to know Thee, the only true and living God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."
Practice this love constantly and find the temple of your own divine soul open wide to the very glory of God and to the ultimate revelation of Him Who waits anxiously on the other side of that final veil for you to reach through.
Practice this love and feel your soul grow into the perfection of His Fullness.
Practice this love and know that you are walking the sacred highway of God and will soon be prepared to be received into His embrace as eternity opens wide her great front doors to reveal to you her wonders.
Spend every spare moment of your life in sending out this love. Awake early and let your first thoughts be an inner song of love released to God. Go to sleep at night sending out this love to Him. Work as diligently on it as you work in serving the material world and you will soon be called to a service in that higher realm of Glory where all else is added.
This inward purifying and developing is the search for His kingdom -- and His love is the righteousness that fulfills all laws.
The great love overcomes all things and fulfills all laws simply by the power of its eliminating all the adverse conditions of mortality.
The very instant one lets go of his misfortunes and calamities mentally and begins to adore and to glorify God in spite of all adverse conditions, or even for those conditions and is willing to accept them as the Will of God, in that instant those conditions will begin to be transmuted into blessings. This is the power of love. It is the reality of the first and great commandment in released action. One instantly begins to put on strength and power and by that very strength and power he becomes glorious. He leaves the neurotic, self-pitying realms of darkness, suffering and error behind and becomes clothed in Light and in majesty. At first that Light will be only a "feeling" or a singing vibration which grows as he learns to walk with God in a higher state of awareness. As he continues, he will realize that he is actually, literally clothed in Light and will soon grow into the very "Fullness of God". He will behold His face -- and henceforth will actually KNOW God.