The following information gives us more understanding on the '4 absolutes' that were used as standards of behavior and 'benchmarks' for daily examination in the early program of AA... Absolute Honesty, Absolute Unselfishness, Absolute Love and Absolute Purity. These characteristics were 'rooted' in the Master. What a powerful concept...
Truth – the standard of Absolute Honesty --“Jesus set up an absolute standard of truth... If Satan is the father of lies, how can any lie be justifiable? Jesus did not make truthfulness depend upon its profitableness or its loss. Men must be true and speak the truth regardless of consequences. Unselfishness – the standard of Absolute Unselfishness -- Jesus set up an absolute standard of unselfishness. This was His own spirit. . . . The kingdom with its service of God and man was to be above home, friends, comfort, life (Matt. 19:29). Purity – the standard of Absolute Purity --“Jesus set up an absolute standard of purity. He tolerated no uncleanness whatsoever. The inner chambers of imagery and desire must be pure (Mark 7:15). A hand or an eye, outer or inner sin, must be sacrificed to the claims of the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:29, 30).” Love – the standard of Absolute Love -- “Jesus set up an absolute standard of love (John 23:34). Neither dirt (Luke 16:20), nor poverty (Luke 14:13), nor social inferiority (Luke 7:39) were annulments of the law of love. He Himself loved to the limit (John 13:1), and with no abatements. The law of love makes it impossible to say: “I don’t like those people. I can’t love them.”
“Jesus Himself was the standard He set up. He was unchangeable. He had been before Abraham (John 8:58). He would be forever (Heb. 13:8). The absolute Teacher was the absolute lesson. It is a great thing in this day of wavering, of quibbling by moral evasions and straddles, to have a faith and a faithful Master who cannot be moved” (taken from research by Dick B.)
I do not believe we can 'do this on our own'...yet, the challenge is daily scrutiny, exposure and surrender to God. These standards serve us well, especially when we have individuals in our lives that 'tell it like it is'. I want to thank those that God has put in my life that create discomfort when I take the soft, easy road.
Lane
Truth – the standard of Absolute Honesty --“Jesus set up an absolute standard of truth... If Satan is the father of lies, how can any lie be justifiable? Jesus did not make truthfulness depend upon its profitableness or its loss. Men must be true and speak the truth regardless of consequences. Unselfishness – the standard of Absolute Unselfishness -- Jesus set up an absolute standard of unselfishness. This was His own spirit. . . . The kingdom with its service of God and man was to be above home, friends, comfort, life (Matt. 19:29). Purity – the standard of Absolute Purity --“Jesus set up an absolute standard of purity. He tolerated no uncleanness whatsoever. The inner chambers of imagery and desire must be pure (Mark 7:15). A hand or an eye, outer or inner sin, must be sacrificed to the claims of the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:29, 30).” Love – the standard of Absolute Love -- “Jesus set up an absolute standard of love (John 23:34). Neither dirt (Luke 16:20), nor poverty (Luke 14:13), nor social inferiority (Luke 7:39) were annulments of the law of love. He Himself loved to the limit (John 13:1), and with no abatements. The law of love makes it impossible to say: “I don’t like those people. I can’t love them.”
“Jesus Himself was the standard He set up. He was unchangeable. He had been before Abraham (John 8:58). He would be forever (Heb. 13:8). The absolute Teacher was the absolute lesson. It is a great thing in this day of wavering, of quibbling by moral evasions and straddles, to have a faith and a faithful Master who cannot be moved” (taken from research by Dick B.)
I do not believe we can 'do this on our own'...yet, the challenge is daily scrutiny, exposure and surrender to God. These standards serve us well, especially when we have individuals in our lives that 'tell it like it is'. I want to thank those that God has put in my life that create discomfort when I take the soft, easy road.
Lane
1 comment:
I was very much in need of reading this. Especially the "Absolute Purity". So many times I excuse attitudes and thoughts under the flimsy excuse of "that is just who I am." God quickly remeinds me,'No you aren't".
Thank you for your writing's...
They speak deep into me.
mb
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