Hum 2.3
The state of perfection entails being flawless, being of no fault, and showing high sublimity levels. Perfection differs from virtuousness in that being virtuousentails being of high moral standards. In his books, Augustine presents humankind as being, or not being righteous. The philosopher argues that only God is perfect, for He is the only one incapable of making mistakes. Humanity is prone to errors and shortcomings, not by any fault of their own, but by reason of being human. However, Augustine’s principal argument throughout his books is that while human beings are prone to shortcomings and mistakes, they should make the deliberate effort of living a righteous life. This kind of lifestyle is what the author and the poet term as virtuousness. The two figures define the state of being virtuous as the state of moral excellence or showing high ethical standards. Achieving virtuousness takes the efforts to live a Godly life, subjecting oneself to the teachings and doctrines that dictate how they should interact with those around them with care, love, and concern.
The first step to becoming virtuous is by inviting God into one’s life. In the first book, Augustine argues that the first step to knowing and loving God, and following His commands, is by calling on Him. While most religious teachings argue for the need to praise God, living in the doctrines and teachings He presents, Augustine presents that knowing God in a pure form entails first calling Him, inviting Him into one’s life. By drawing on God, humanity makes the deliberate effort to understand their creator. Out of their free will and honesty, they earnestly seek the ways of the Lord, following His commands. However, Gawain Poet reiterates that calling on God requires that an individual makes preparations to accommodate the holy Spirit.
The second part of the book presents the requirements and conditions that should be harnessed before inviting God into one’s life, one of which is creating a clean and righteous lifestyle. The poet emphasizes the holiness and righteousness of the Spirit of the Lord that equally requires an upright personality. Before inviting God into one’s life, they must repent and amend their relationship with those around them. Righteousness and virtuousness require that an individual acts accordingly with the people around them, treating them with love and kindness. Augustine further presents that one cannot purport to love and obey the Spirit of the Lord, which they cannot see if they cannot love and respect their neighbors, the people they can see, and physically converse with. This argument follows the biblical case that only as an individual loves their neighbor can they love their God.
Augustine goes ahead to highlight the role the presence of the Lord plays in a person’s life in making them righteous and virtuous by pointing out that the Lord changes a person’s perspective about life. The philosopher says that when God exists in a person, He takes over that person’s lifestyle, directing their moves and actions from that point. The newly born individual finds meaning in living a Godly life, acting with love, concern, and cautious when it comes to their interactions with those around them. Augustine further presents that to invite God and give Him control over one’s life in this manner is to change their lifestyle and perspective. Heaven and earth are filled with the presence of the Lord, which directs their production and their sustenance. In the same light, the presence of God in a person’s life leads to their productivity by influencing the activities they engage in and how they conduct themselves.
Once an individual is filled with the Spirit of God, the next thing that directs their virtuousness is the things they allow into their lives. Gawain Poet argues that in the same manner, the Spirit of God takes over one’s life and influences their daily decisions and activities, other environmental factors that the person engages with equally affects their righteousness. Augustine presents that the things that fill an individuals’ life occur so through containment. Human beings project on the outside what fills them on the inside. Therefore, having been filled by the presence of the Lord, the nextcritical step is to ensure that the things a person consumes and allows into their lives must be Godly and righteous, for out of this flows the person’s outward righteousness and virtuousness. In other words, when a person entertains a lot of hate and judgment from those around them, they become equally judgmental and hateful, which hinders their ability to lead a virtuous lifestyle that pleases God.
Still, on the importance of inviting and being filled by the Spirit of God, Gawain Poet argues that the Lord can determine and influence the things that flow out of an individuals’ life, thus building on their virtuousness. He argues that all good things come from God, and therefore having the presence of God within oneself directly implies that good things come from within them, influencing how they perceive the world and those around them. God is full of love, care, and deliverance. Having this Spirit within oneself implies that the person will be compassionate and drawn towards the suffering of those around them, making the world a better place for everyone. The Spirit of the Lord operating this way makes one not only virtuous but also humble. They act with love and concern to glorify the Lord, rather than seeking honor out of their excellent efforts.
Humility entails working for the good of the world in a manner that brings glory and honor to God’s name. Having God’s presence within oneself will push the individual towards helping those around them and bringing them to the knowledgeof God. Such an individual seeks to spread the love and concern of the Spirit that lives within them, directing their every move. While the world is full of people who try to preserve their honor through acts of kindness, Augustine presents that inviting the Spirit of the Lord into one’s life first before praising them will align their Spirit with that of the Lord’s, and ensure that their actions bring glory and honor to God. Such a humble approach to life and ministry further builds on one’s righteousness and virtuousness.
According to Augustine, virtue as a moderate option entails the development of a person’s character rather than their actions. The philosopher presents that to become virtuous, a person’s actions should be direct4ed by their character. These characters include love and concern. As a character, love entails being directed by the need to make the world a better place, providing the much-needed solutions to the common problems. The biblical teaching presents that God so loved the world that He gave His only son to die for the remissions of humanity’s sin. He did not give His son to die on the cross to bring glory to His name, but rather to save the world from perishing. According to Augustine, this form of pure love should guide every believer, and their actions towards others to ensure that they care for their neighbors.
In conclusion, Augustine and GawainPoet both argue on human virtuousness as being a cumulative effort of the deliberate efforts human beings make to get closer to God and to care for their neighbors.Augustine presents that the first step to being virtuous is moving closer to God by inviting Him into one’s life. This openness to being filled with the Spirit of the Lord allows the individual to be guided by God, ensuring that their every move is out of love and concern. Being filled by the Spirit of God equally enable an individual to discern the things they allow to influence them, which locks out other negativities in a righteous life. On the other hand, the poet argues that virtuousness follows the need to be driven by character rather than action. While most individuals areguided by their effortsfor their glory, a virtuous people act out of the abundance of their hearts, governed by their characters. A person full of character cares for the world around them, and only operates in a manner that makes it a better place. in the same way God sent His only son for the good of the world, virtuous people should act with the concern of the wellbeing of the society.