To love God with all the heart, with all the soul, with all the mind and strength requires one to give God one's heart, all of it, one's soul and mind and strength in complete and utter surrender.
When one hates or dislikes, it is usually done with all the strength one possesses. In great wrath the strength is exerted to the "Nth" degree. However, in loving one usually lets it take care of itself. If it goes out at all, it goes out on its own with no particular energy or thought force exerted to speed it on its way. It is just a pleasantly mild feeling that is freed from the discordant negatives. One must be as dynamic in sending out love as he is in fostering his hates. Strength has to be exerted in order to fulfill the Great Law.
To love with all one's strength develops a power that can take hold of the very "substance of things hoped for" and begin to create therewith. It develops a power to bring all things into subjection: -- "Both in heaven and on earth; the Life and the Light, the Spirit and the Power, sent forth by the will of the Father, through Jesus Christ, His Son," or through the Light of Christ that is given to abide in every man. These are the great powers awaiting the contemplation of man's exalted vision as he begins his advanced explorations into the higher realms.
Love with all your heart, soul and mind, then putting all the power of your emotional and spiritual strength behind it, you will grow into the powers of eternity.
From this point on one will be treading the Highway of Holiness and must guard well the Way. Every desire that comes, or enters the mind, must be carefully checked. If it is for the glory of God, or to fulfill His Will then one must use his strength to perfect it in love. This will develop the eyes single to His glory.
If, however, after careful examination, it is found to be but a desire of the "little, personal self" it must be eliminated. This is one of the ways to begin to eliminate the little mortal, egotistical self with its personal craving for pomp and show and credit. All things must begin to be done from here on with eyes wholly single to the glory of God. When this singleness of desire and purpose is offered, it reflects in all its power to the great glory of man himself.
As one gives up "the self" with all its worldly, personal traits and desires and ideas, to the Will of God, he is but releasing the grim hold of mortality upon himself. It is the commencement of the overcoming of the physical so that the Spiritual forces might come into power. And these powers are the ineffable powers of creation -- the powers of heaven and earth and eternity. And it is when the little mortal self is being overcome that the pure, glorious gift of divine humility will be perfected.
And now, to again continue with the revelation of those divine forces that must begin to be comprehended. "An atom is a ray of radiant force curled upon itself." An atom is but a ray of the Spirit of God. Anciently the symbol of God was always the circle, and in many lands that circle held a dot in the center. The ancient inhabitants of America used the feathered serpent portrayed with its tail in its mouth to designate that divine circle, or symbol of God.
Since we have already spoken briefly on the physical, tangible phase of substance, we are now ready to examine more thoroughly its content when still invisible to physical vision.
"There is no space in which there is no kingdom. And there is no kingdom in which there is no space." There is no such thing as empty space. It is much more difficult to create and maintain a vacuous condition than is supposed. Any vacated space is naturally filled instantly with its quota or measure of substance, or spiritual essence -- atoms waiting to be-come.
The entire Universe is filled with this spiritual substance or spiritual atoms in their full radiance of glory which have not been placed in so compact a pattern as to be tangible to mortal vision or touch. Because this spiritual substance cannot be measured, handled nor weighed by man, nor comprehended by his mortal senses, he seems to have no definite awareness of its existence. Nevertheless the atoms, in their pure, spiritual state are real and powerful and as dynamic as the imagination can possibly conceive of them being. They compose what is known as "pure Spirit" or that divine "mother element", "The substance of things hoped for."
This great radiant substance, composed of these minute rays, which fills all space, is known as the Holy Spirit of Almighty God. This divine substance is filled with intelligence and is in instantaneous contact with all substance, contained in all matter and all space from the least atom to the greatest sun, or universe. All things are composed of it. It is power ineffable just to begin to comprehend It.
From the higher realm it is known as "The Love of God Substance." This substance is the material out of which all things are composed, or consist, or exist, visible or invisible. It is also the most healing, perfecting, glorified substance in the entire universe. And "In It we live and move and have our being." Without it we could not possibly exist. We are composed of it. We are also literally immersed in it. Of ourselves we are nothing. This great force, or substance, of which man is composed, is also his to use, for it is "The substance of things hoped for" and will take form to fill those hopes as man learns to use the laws governing It. As he lives the higher laws they are his to use.
This divine "Love of God Substance" is contacted by developing the great love for God which Christ so urgently requested. As one learns to love God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength, that love becomes a definite reality and power in his life. That love is increased a hundred-fold as it is generated through man. It is through man It must be released and sent out to bless and heal a world.
As one begins to draw upon that great "Love of God Substance", by learning to love, it pours out through his own being. This great spiritual substance is always God's love, but each man can have as much or as little of It as he is willing to accept, or use. As man uses It, It becomes like a well of everlasting life springing up within him. It becomes active within man's own being as he sends it out -- with strength. As man sends forth this love, It flows through his opening heart and removes its seals and softens it with tenderness and melting, divine compassion. This great love and light, or "Love of God Substance" then goes on to fill his soul which is every cell and fibre of his entire being. It is then sent into the mind and its blindness is removed. It is then one is given the perfecting scope of that divine inner vision and he knows nothing is impossible. He has the faith and the knowledge to believe all things. Thus one's entire being can be filled with Light and he can actually become Love. Love is always carried on the wings of Light. Light is the vehicle of love. So can every man's being be healed and restored -- and exalted.
As this love is developed, or generated in man, or as he opens himself to Its inflow, Its powers increase. When this love is developed, or the power to use It is comprehended, then it is possible to direct It out for the healing of others.
In this way "The Love of God Substance" becomes an actual force of ineffable power. And anyone can use it. It can be used at all times and upon all occasions. It can be used in all one's dealings with his fellow men for the purpose of peace, understanding, healing, for compassionate thinking in shielding the weak and erring ones from any dangerous, condemning thought. As one loves his neighbor as himself he will naturally desire to shield his neighbor as he would shield himself.
This pure love of God is divine, ethereal and delicate beyond thought. It is pure Spirit in its divine essence. It is a balm, shall we say, of the most penetrating, healing substance in existence. It can be administered to a deeply afflicted world, through man, through his loving, compassionate thinking, his silent blessing and continual, merciful understanding of Its power -- and the needs of the world.
It is of this substance that the very fruit of the Tree of Life is composed. It is truly this divine fruit of the Tree of Life, which is "The love of God which is shed forth through the hearts of the children of men", that contains the power for the healing of the nations.
Man must comprehend this power of love. And man must begin to send it out through his own heart, soul and mind, with all his strength. And it is man who will receive of Its glory and be endowed with Its unspeakable blessings and its infinite power.
There is a prophecy that is being fulfilled at the present time in the most alarming way. It states: "In the last days Satan shall rage in the hearts of the children of men." The powers of darkness are truly sweeping the earth and they are most assuredly raging in the hearts of the children of men and "Stirring them up to wrath, that they perish."
There is another record telling of the great love of Christ, which the Father bestows upon all who are true followers of His Son, Jesus Christ. It admonishes that man pray with all the energy of heart, that he might be possessed of this great love at the last day, that it might be well with him.
Those who are filled with this love cannot be touched by the forces and powers of darkness. Discords and evils cannot come near them. Neither will there be any seething confusion, nor raging hates, no discords nor malice so great that it can possibly touch the mind and heart of one so love filled. And those who develop this love will also develop the power to help in the great healing of the nations. Never, since time began, have such men been needed so desperately, men whose understanding hearts are filled with this divine love and whose minds comprehend the great Light of Christ which has been given to abide in them.
This great divine love cannot be developed and brought forth without bringing forth the Light of Christ in Its fullness and glory. This great Christ Light is the Light which Christ referred to when he admonished mankind to "Let your Light so shine that others seeing your good works might glorify The Father which is in heaven." He did not say, "Let your Light so shine that others hearing your good words --". "His kingdom is not in words, but power." All the good words and all the preaching on the earth do not fulfill His divine admonition. It is the divine Light of Christ only that can do the works, which He did, as love is perfected.