Edna Lister’s Sermons, 1930

Love’s Qualities
Edna Lister outline, November 2, 1930, San Francisco, CA. Romans 13

  “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. For this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.”–Romans 13

  Love, what is it? Do you know? Have you analyzed what love is? Most of what you know as love bears no real relation to it.
  “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”–Romans 13:8-10.
  Love is the rock solid foundation on which you can stand steadfastly. Love is substance, and love is action, active on the inner planes but latent and passive in the outer world until you consciously direct and control its activity.
  Substance expresses as love, faith, will, and imagination. The One contains all, and all is contained within the One. You and I are based in and upon love. One Mind, one Substance and one Power, all act together as one Love. Yet people are always using or misusing love as sensation and emotion.
  The seven higher aspects of love include love of God, love of humanity, love of country, love of service, love of wisdom, love of harmony and love of peace. These aspects are Godlike, altruistic, and unselfish, asking, “What can I give?” They confer an impersonal sense of greatness and soul expansion.
  The seven lower aspects of love include love of life, love of freedom, love of one’s mate, mother love, love of sensation, love of pleasure and love of things. A self-centered love is personal and selfish in its nature, always asking, “What am I getting?”
  The feeling of love (but not love itself) is rooted in sensation, the physical body, and the subconscious mind. 1
  Altruism enters the seven lower aspects of love through mother love and laying one’s life down for a friend. Selfishness enters the seven higher aspects of love through soul taints on personal aggrandizement and power. Children and friends can prompt you to supreme sacrifice or selfishness. The love you give is your active use of love, and must be impersonal and selfless. How can you love this way?
  “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness.”–Matthew 6:33. God is not asking you to give up your personality, but the selfishness that may be associated with personality. You may give freely, but may never ask for or demand love. If you seek first the kingdom, God adds everything you need to you. When you are balanced in such selfless giving and receiving, you find soul freedom.
  The supreme trinity of principle is Wisdom, Love, and Selflessness. The supreme trinity of personality is the Father, the Mother, and the Son. Trinities of opposites also exist, ignorance, intolerance and selfishness, for example. You can color and dilute the complete perfection of God’s love by using it negatively. Selfish or self-centered love cannot create or manifest a vibration of perfect love.
  Love contains seven qualities—purity, humility, compassion, empathy, sincerity, loyalty, and gratitude. To be pure in heart refers to purity in heart, motive or purpose. “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.”–Psalm 66:18.
  The Master spoke compassionately when he said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!”–Matthew 23:37.
  Empathy is to take the hand of one who is in need, to uphold him in prayer and cheer him on when times are hard. Sincerity never excuses its actions or qualifies or justifies the self.
  Loyalty is speaking the Word of praise and commendation, not condemnation. Gratitude is the offspring of love and selflessness, a soul quality that you must awaken. Base your praise and thankfulness on gratitude.
  Godlike love is both action and substance. If God were not active as substance, where would you be? Love, which is the active flame of life within you, heals you by cleansing and purifying the life sparks of soul substance you redeem by lifting.
  Love acts, and it must have an outlet and something to do. Saints unwittingly practice negating the will of God because their passive love of God produces no action or greater consciousness. Love is a fire that burns and consumes that which is unlike itself. It must feed on something, and unless you provide it fuel by sacrificing self, it will burn up the body.
  “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”–Romans 13:9-10. You cannot will this love that fulfills law to yourself, or force it. The only way to attract love is by loving, by sending love out to do some work. The love you send out gathers more love to itself and returns increased in quantity. So, give, give, give more to receive more.
  As you pour out love, expand your prayer workroom to hold greater creations. Then, as the love vibration returns to you, it brings added gifts. More love substance fills your outer body sheath with love. Love sweeps away all barriers because nothing can stand before it and remain an obstacle. Love melts, dissolves and absorbs everything negative between you and God, every condition or work of man.
  Love is how you come into your divine heritage. This love does fulfill the law. Declare, “The love of God, love of wisdom, love of service, love of humanity, love of country, love of harmony and love of peace brings freedom, and the dominion of God’s Power supplies all my needs.”

1 Oxytocin, the so-called “love hormone,” is a neurohypophysial hormone produced by the hypothalamus and stored and secreted by the posterior pituitary gland.

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