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A COURSE IN MIRACLES
CH 11 "GOD'S PLAN FOR SALVATION"
VIII. THE GUIDE FOR MIRACLES
67 We said before that
what you project is up to you, but it is
not up to you
whether to project, for projection is a law of mind. Perception
is projection, and you look in
before you look out. As you look in you choose the guide for seeing, and
then you look out and behold his witnesses. This is
why you find what you seek. What you want in
yourself, you will make manifest by projection, and you will accept it
from the world because you put it there
by wanting it.
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DAILY LESSON
L e s s o n 131
No one can fail who asks* to reach the truth.
Voice and Music by CIMS SonShip Radio
Failure is all about you while you seek
for goals which cannot be achieved. You look
for permanence in the impermanent;
for love where there is none; for safety in
the midst of danger; immortality
within the darkness of the dream of death.
Who could succeed where contradiction is
the setting of his searching, and the place
to which he comes to find stability?|
Goals which are meaningless are not attained.
There is no way to reach them, for the means
by which you strive for them are meaningless
as they are. Who can use such senseless means
and hope through them to gain in anything?
Where can they lead? And what could they achieve
that offers any hope of being real?
Pursuit of the imagined leads to death
because it is the search for nothingness,
and as you seek for life you ask for death.
You look for safety and security
while in your heart you pray for danger and
protection of the little dream you made.|
Yet searching is inevitable here.
For this you came, and you will surely do
the thing you came for. But the world can not
dictate the goal for which you search unless
you give it power to do so. Otherwise,
you still are free to choose a goal that lies
beyond the world and every worldly thought,
and one which comes to you from an idea
relinquished yet remembered; old yet new,
an echo of a heritage forgot
yet holding everything you really want.|
Be glad that search you must. Be glad as well
to learn you seek for Heaven, and must find
the goal you really want. No-one can fail
to want this goal, and reach it in the end.
God's Son can not seek vainly, though he try
to force delay, deceive himself and think
that it is hell he seeks. When he is wrong
he finds correction; when he wanders off
he is led back to his appointed path.|
No-one remains in hell, for no-one can
abandon his Creator nor affect
His perfect, timeless and unchanging Love.
You will find Heaven. Everything you seek
but this will fall away, yet not because
it has been taken from you. It will go
because you do not want it. You will reach
the goal you really want as certainly
as God created you in sinlessness.|
Why wait for Heaven? It is here today.
Time is the great illusion it is past
or in the future. Yet this cannot be
if it is where God wills His Son to be.
How could the Will of God be in the past
or yet to happen? What He wills is now,
without a past and wholly futureless.
It is as far removed from time as is
a tiny candle from a distant star,
or what you made from what you really want.|
Heaven remains your one alternative
to this strange world you made and all its ways;
its shifting patterns and uncertain goals,
its painful pleasures and its tragic joys.
God made no contradictions. What denies
its own existence and attacks itself
is not of Him. He did not make two minds,
with Heaven as the glad effect of one,
and earth the other's sorry outcome which
is Heaven's opposite in every way.|
God does not suffer conflict. Nor is His
creation split in two. How could it be
His Son could be in hell when God Himself
established him in Heaven? Could he lose
what the Eternal Will has given him
to be his home forever? Let us not
try longer to impose an alien will
upon His single purpose. He is here
because He Wills to be, and what He wills
is present now, beyond the reach of time.|
Today we will not choose a paradox
in place of truth. How could the Son of God
make time to take away the Will of God?
He thus denies himself and contradicts
what has no opposite. He thinks he made
a hell opposing Heaven, and believes
that he abides in what does not exist,
while Heaven is the place he cannot find.|
Leave foolish thoughts like these behind today,
and turn your mind to true ideas instead.
No-one can fail who asks to reach the truth,
and it is truth we ask to reach today.
We will devote ten minutes to this goal
three times today. And we will ask to see
the rising of the real world to replace
the foolish images that we held dear,
with true ideas arising in the place
of thoughts which have no meaning, no effect,
and neither source nor substance in the truth.|
This we acknowledge as we start upon
our practice periods today with this:
"
I ask to see a different world, and think
a different kind of thought from those I made.
The world I seek I did not make alone.
The thoughts I want to think are not my own."
For several minutes watch your mind and see,
although your eyes are closed, the senseless world
you think is real. Review the thoughts as well
which are compatible with such a world,
and which you think are true. Then let them go,
and sink below them to the holy place
where they can enter not. There is a door
beneath them in your mind which you could not
completely lock to hide what lies beyond.|
Seek for that door and find it. But before
you try to open it, remind yourself
no one can fail who asks to reach the truth,
and it is this request you make today.
Nothing but this has any meaning now;
No other goal is valued now nor sought;
Nothing before this door you really want;
And only what lies past it do you seek.|
Put out your hand and see how easily
the door swings open with your one intent
to go beyond it. Angels light the way,
so that all darkness vanishes, and you
are standing in a light so bright and clear
that you can understand all things you see.
A tiny moment of surprise, perhaps,
will make you pause before you realize
the world you see before you in the light
reflects the truth you knew, and did not quite
forget in wandering away in dreams.|
You cannot fail today. There walks with you
the Spirit Heaven sent you that you might
approach this door some day, and through His aid
slip effortlessly past it to the light.
Today that day has come. Today God keeps
His ancient promise to His holy Son,
as does His Son remember his to Him.
This is a day of gladness, for you come
to the appointed time and place where you
will find the goal of all your searching here
and all the seeking of the world, which end
together as you pass beyond the door.|
Remember often that today must be
a time of special gladness, and refrain
from dismal thoughts and meaningless laments.
Salvation's time has come. Today is set
by Heaven itself to be a time of grace
for you and for the world. If you forget
this happy fact, remind yourself with this:
"
Today I seek and find all that I want.
My single purpose promises it to me.
No-one can fail who asks to reach the truth."
* From Original Hand Script Notes
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ACIM Edmonton - Sarah's Reflections
LESSON 131
No one can fail who seeks to reach the truth.
Sarah's Commentary:
Isn't it reassuring to know we can delay our journey to truth? We can even wander off, procrastinate or have an ego fest, but ultimately, we will be led back because it is certain we will all return home. It is a certainty because we are already home. We are just not aware of the truth of this in our present mindset. As we take this journey, it is reassuring to know nothing will be taken away from us. We determine the pace of our awakening. In the process, we increasingly become aware that we are no longer wanting to hold onto many things we once thought were important. They simply fall away.
The ego is about seeking and never finding, which has been our experience in the world. Jesus tells us that to seek and never find is an experience of frustration and despair. I am certain we can all attest to that. All of our seeking is to minimize pain and maximize pleasure. We do this by trying to solve problems in the world, but Jesus reminds us neither the problem nor the solution can be found in the world. This is why no matter what we do or how hard we try to achieve happiness in the world, it is an impossible situation, and ultimately, we all come to a place of disillusionment and depression. "Failure is all about you while you seek for goals that cannot be achieved." (W.131.1.1) We have all followed the ego's mantra of 'seek and do not find' because that is why we came.
Jesus says we have all come to this world to search for experience. That is what we will do, but what we search for can change because ". . . the world can not dictate the goal for which you search, unless you give it power to do so." (W.131.3.3) We search for things of the world, until one day we come to the realization, "There must be a better way." This was the realization that the scribes of the Course, Helen Schucman and her partner Bill Thetford, came to, which started the whole process of dictation of this Course. It was their agreement to find the way out of their conflict together that led to the Course being brought into the world.
While the goals we set for ourselves in the world can certainly be reached, Jesus says that even when they are achieved, we still won't find what we are looking for. What is it that we are all looking for? Don't we all want peace, love, safety, security, and happiness? The problem is we think peace and happiness can be found in the things we pursue in the world, but they can only be found within the mind. Until we recognize this, we will always feel like there is something missing. Until we look to the true source, the place in our minds where peace abides, looking for it in the world will be to no avail.
"Goals that are meaningless are not attained." (W.131.2.1) Nothing we strive for here will ever work to bring us real happiness. So are we being asked to give up our goals? No, Jesus is not saying our goals are wrong. He is only saying they won't bring us the happiness we seek, and that we will ultimately experience a sense of failure because we have found nothing of real value through our own efforts. We have put a lot of energy and attention in trying to achieve our goals in the world. It can be discouraging to learn that they won't bring us what we most want. Unless we see another way to find what we are truly looking for, we just keep trying and trying, thinking the next time will be different. It never is. The ego will never reveal this to us. The world has programmed us to think there is something here of value to pursue, but nothing here will ever work. Nothing will ever satisfy us in bringing us the deep peace and happiness for which we all yearn.
Our lives are programmed for what we deem as success in the world. We may indeed experience success in achieving goals we have set. What we won't experience, however, is the deep peace, joy and safety we really seek. Our goals will fail in this deeper sense, of achieving what we really look for. With each failure, we think the next time will be different. The next relationship will be better. The next job will fulfill my needs. The next home I buy will make me happy, and the expectation of the big financial win is all I need to be secure. In the background is the ego, cheering us on to stay invested in our pursuits. It has set it up so we will keep seeking and never finding. Of course, this is hidden from our awareness.
If you were to tune into the ego, you would hear its constant message to us that we don't deserve to be happy and are not worthy of love. This is the tape running 24/7 in the unconscious mind. It is what Jesus means when he says, "Pursuit of the imagined leads to death because it is the search for nothingness, and while you seek for life you ask for death. You look for safety and security, while in your heart you pray for danger and protection for the little dream you made." (W.131.2.6-7) The ego says this is what we deserve because of our sin against God. We can get in touch with this only when we look deeply at what we believe about ourselves. When we do, we will get in touch with feelings of unworthiness, abandonment and deep loneliness. These are the feelings we work hard to avoid, to compensate for, and to find distractions for, to keep the sadness away.
On a conscious level, we all want happiness, peace, safety and security, but in the unconscious we are asking to be hurt, punished, victimized and betrayed. The ego has convinced us that we don't deserve happiness, but we deserve to be punished for separating from God. We don't want to hold this thought, so instead of seeing ourselves as deserving punishment, we see others as punishing us. They are the ones dispensing God's punishment on us for Him. We don't like the unconscious guilt in our minds. It is distressing for us to hold onto that much guilt, so we project it onto others and see them as the guilty ones instead of ourselves. It is the solution the ego has set up for getting rid of our mountain of guilt. The only problem is that it does not get rid of the guilt in our minds. In fact, it is precisely how we keep it, and there is a great investment in seeing others guilty. It maintains the belief that they will be the ones who will ultimately be punished as the evil-doers rather than us. We prefer to take the role of the innocent victims of others' wrongdoing. We hope this will allow us to escape God's punishment in the end.
Of course, this is mostly not apparent to us. If we really saw how this was all set up, we would have no difficulty giving it up. It is buried in the mind, and without Jesus exposing it to us, we would never see it and just keep trying harder and harder to find peace and happiness in the world. When we are willing to see that maybe we have it all wrong, and perhaps there is another choice, we can refuse the ego's program. Now we can turn to the Holy Spirit within the right mind where the truth abides. Now we can open up to what we already have within, and since the love we seek is already in us, our seeking for truth cannot fail. Jesus keeps reminding us, ". . . the world cannot dictate the goal for which you search." (W.131.3.3)
"Yet searching is inevitable here. For this you came, and you will surely do the thing you came for." (W.131.3.1-2) It is good we came here to search, because it will ultimately lead us to search for what is true. We are free to make the choice anytime when we are ready ". . . to choose a goal that lies beyond the world . . .," (W.131.3.4) which is calling to us from ". . . an echo of a heritage forgot, yet holding everything you really want." (W.131.3.4) This is the echo of the Forgotten Song, which Jesus says is ". . . a hint of an ancient state not quite forgotten." (T.21.I.6)(ACIM OE T.21.II.8) Inside us there is a yearning to hear again the beautiful notes of this song that sings to us of what we have forgotten.
Ultimately, we all realize the things of this world only bring pain because of their transient nature and their lack of permanence. The alternative to these "painful pleasures" and "tragic joys" (W.131.7.1) is Heaven. We think it takes time to find the eternal stillness within. We may get discouraged along the way, believing we will never succeed. We may sense we are making progress and then experience a major setback when our egos have a heyday with us. We wonder if we will ever arrive at certainty, where peace and joy reign, at least most of the time. Today, we are assured of this in the Lesson when he says, "God's Son cannot seek vainly, though he try to force delay, deceive himself and think that it is hell he seeks. When he is wrong, he finds correction. When he wanders off, he is led back to his appointed task." (W.131.4.4-6) We will find what we seek truly. We are making progress even if it is not always apparent to us. It sometimes feels like two steps forward and one step back, but as Jesus says, "Now you must learn that only infinite patience produces immediate effects." (T.5.VI.12.1)(ACIM OE T.5.VIII.81)
The closer we get to the real world, the more the ego resists, gets vicious and makes a last ditch effort to dissuade us from this journey. When we achieve our worldly goals, it can be compelling to side with the ego, but our pleasure at achieving our goals doesn't last and in the end we experience more pain. We have been on this worldly merry-go-round for millennia, according to Jesus, and now this teaching has found us because we are ready for it. We have delayed, and we have deceived ourselves, but when we realize we have not found what we really seek, we are "led back to his [our] appointed task." (W.131.4.6) It is very comforting to know we have a Guide and will be called back. When we have had enough of our special relationships, our painful pleasures, and disappointments, we are happy to get back on track.
While we might dip into frustration, despair, anger, and discouragement at times, most of us have had sufficient reinforcement in our journey, up to this point, to see there is no other road we would rather be on. Certainty of outcome makes for patience and contentment along the way. We have a way out, and we know how to find it, by going beyond the cacophony of noise from the ego. We are increasingly turning away from its raucous demands. We are being asked to ". . . refrain from dismal thoughts and meaningless laments. Salvation's time has come." (W.131.15.1-2) There is a door in our minds we can enter and go beyond the incessant voice of the ego. Through that door is the radiant altar where we can lay our fears, doubts and dark thoughts to be dissolved in the light. It is a holy place where: "Angels light the way, so that all darkness vanishes, and you are standing in a light so bright and clear that you can understand all things you see." (W.131.13.2) Yet it is up to us to bring awareness to these dark thoughts and be willing to surrender them to the holy light. What we don't acknowledge cannot be healed.
"No one can fail who seeks to reach the truth
.
"
(W.131) The end is certain, and together, we can find our way home. There is no need to wait. Heaven is here today. This Lesson speaks of time as the great illusion. "How could the Will of God be in the past, or yet to happen? What He wills is now, without a past and wholly futureless. It is as far removed from time as is a tiny candle from a distant star, or what you choose from what you really want." (W.131.6.5-7) The separation from God never happened. We are unaware of this in our dream, but we will find Heaven because Heaven has never left us.
"Why wait for Heaven?" (W.188.1.1) We made time, and we made it to keep ourselves from eternity. In other words, time is the hell we made and the suffering we experience here. Time is based on the belief that Heaven was in the past and we threw it away. Now the ego tells us that if we are good and atone for our sins, we may get to Heaven at some future time. Of course, it is contingent on our being willing to sacrifice to pay God back for what we have taken from Him. This is not what God wills. It is impossible that the Will of God be in the past. It is now. Jesus teaches us that the separation never happened. "There walks with you the Spirit Heaven sent you, that you might approach this door some day, and through His aid slip effortlessly past it, to the light. Today that day has come. Today God keeps His ancient promise to His holy Son, as does His Son remember his to Him. This is a day of gladness, for we come to the appointed time and place where you will find the goal of all your searching here, and all the seeking of the world, which end together as you pass beyond the door. " (W.131.14.2-5)
As we accept his message, our awareness of time as illusion becomes more apparent and we begin to experience the fact that perfect love is available now. While our self-concept and bodily identity seems to be here, the true mind is always available to us in the holy instant. It is filled with light, innocence, peace, and eternal joy. "Atonement might be equated with total escape from the past and total lack of interest in the future." (M.24.6.3) We think it will take time for us to return to Heaven, but it is all about our choice. The will of God is all-powerful. "What He wills is now, without a past and wholly futureless." (W.131.6.6) We don't have to wait.
The extent of our willingness to do the practices as the Lessons describe is the extent of our willingness to know the truth about ourselves. Lack of practice does not mean we are bad, or we won't achieve our goal, only that we are choosing to delay. As Jesus assures us, "Ultimately, every member of the family of God must return." (T.I.V.4)(ACIM OE T.1.I.59) The speed by which we reach our goal only depends on our willingness, so while we can delay, we can't fail. Having said that, forcing ourselves to practice is not a good idea. Watch your mind for resistance without judging or condemning yourself. "And if you find resistance strong and dedication weak, you are not ready. Do not fight yourself." (T.30.I.1.6)(ACIM OE T.30.II.2) This does not mean we should just give up. It only means we pick up where we left off and keep moving forward. It may take years to prepare ourselves for serious study, as it did for me. It does not matter.
We live in a world of contradictions, of painful pleasures and tragic joys, where we seem to be split in two, sometimes experiencing ourselves as beautiful and loving and at other times attacking and angry. We think we made hell by opposing Heaven and believe the Son of God ". . . abides in what does not exist, (the world) while Heaven is the place he cannot find." (W.131.9.4) Heaven does seem elusive to us, doesn't it? While it does not exist, this world does seem very real to us. Jesus calls these thoughts nothing but foolish, and he reminds us that once we set Heaven as our goal we will achieve it as it is right here, right now. Only one side of the contradiction must be true. Which side will you pick? Consistency requires that we go all one way or all the other way. God did not make two minds. He did not create the good and the bad.
"He thinks he made a hell opposing Heaven, and believes that he abides in what does not exist, while Heaven is the place he cannot find." (W.131.9.4) "Leave foolish thoughts like these behind today, and turn your mind to true ideas instead." (W.131.10.1) It is foolish to think our experience here is real and this world actually exists. God did not make this world. This entire world of time and space is an illusion. It is a projection of the split mind. The Atonement principle assures us that we have not changed ourselves as we were created. We are still a thought in the mind of God. We can't abide in a world that does not even exist! And so we are asked to try to reach truth today by replacing our foolish images, with the truth. This is something we can only do when we admit we have been wrong about everything and ask to be shown the way.
Today, "I ask to see a different world, and think a different kind of thought from those I made. The world I seek I did not make alone, the thoughts I want to think are not my own." (W.131.11.3) For several minutes, watch your mind, and with eyes closed, see the senseless world you think is real. Review the thoughts as well, which are compatible with such a world, and which you think are true. Then let them go, and sink below them to the holy place where they can enter not.
See the door beneath them in your mind, which you could not completely lock to hide what lies beyond. Seek for that door and find it, but before you try to open it, remind yourself no one can fail who seeks to reach the truth. Make this request today. Realize nothing but this has any meaning now. No other goal is valued now nor sought. Nothing before this door you really want, and only what lies past it do you seek. See yourself putting out your hand, and see how easily the door swings open with your one intent to go beyond it. Remember angels light your way, so all darkness vanishes, and you are standing in a light so bright and clear you can understand all things you see.
As dismal thoughts and meaningless laments cross your mind today, remind yourself, "Today is set by Heaven itself to be a time of grace for you and for the world." (W.131.15.3) Then identify the thoughts that block the truth. Look at them. Don't deny them, or you won't be able to let them go. Then remind yourself with this: "Today I seek and find all that I want. My single purpose offers it to me. No one can fail who seeks to reach the truth." (W.131.15.5-7) Notice any resistance that comes up, recognizing how much fear we have of letting go of the ego.
Love and blessings, Sarah
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Course in Miracles Original Edition has chosen this title from the scribe's notes:
"No one can fail who asks to reach the truth".
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VIII. The Guide for Miracles
61 Miracles demonstrate that learning has occurred under the right guidance, for learning is invisible, and what has been learned can be recognized only by its
results. Its generalization is demonstrated as you use it in more and more situations. You will recognize that you have learned there is no order of difficulty in miracles when you have applied them to
all situations. There
is no situation to which miracles do not apply, and by applying them to all situations, you will gain the real world. For in this holy perception, you will be made whole, and the Atonement will radiate from
your acceptance of it for
yourself to everyone the Holy Spirit sends you for your blessing. In every Child of God His blessing lies, and in
your blessing of the Children of God is His blessing to
you.
62 Everyone in the world must play his part in the redemption of the world to recognize that the world
has been redeemed. You cannot see the invisible. Yet if you see its effects, you
know it must be there. By perceiving what it
does, you recognize its being. And by
what it does, you learn what it
is. You cannot
see your abilities, but you gain confidence in their existence as they enable you to
act. And the
results of your actions you
can see.
63 The Holy Spirit is invisible, but you can see the
results of His Presence, and through them you will learn that He is there. What He enables you to do is clearly
not of this world, for miracles violate every law of reality as this world judges it. Every law of time and space, of magnitude and mass, of prediction and control is transcended, for what the Holy Spirit enables you to do is clearly beyond
all of them. Perceiving His results, you will understand
where He must be and finally
know what He is.
64 You cannot see the Holy Spirit, but you can see His manifestations. And unless you do, you will not realize He is there. Miracles are His witnesses and speak for His Presence. What you cannot see becomes real to you only through the witnesses who speak for it. For you can be
aware of what you cannot see, and it can become compellingly real to you as its presence becomes manifest
through you. Do the Holy Spirit's work, for you
share in His function. As your function in Heaven is creation, so your function on earth is healing. God shares His function with you in Heaven, and the Holy Spirit shares His with you on earth.
65 As long as you believe you have two functions, so long will you need correction. For this belief is the
destruction of peace, a goal in direct opposition to the Holy Spirit's purpose. You see what you
expect, and you expect what you
invite. Your perception is the result of your invitation, coming to you as you sent for it. Whose manifestations would you see? Of whose presence would you be convinced? For you will believe in what you
manifest, and as you look out, so will you see in. Two ways of looking at the world are in your mind, and your perception will reflect the guidance you chose.
66 I am the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, and when you see me, it will be because you have invited Him. For He
will send you His witnesses if you will but look upon them. Remember always that you see what you seek, for what you seek you
will find. The ego finds what
it seeks and
only that. It does not find love, for that is
not what it is seeking. Yet seeking and finding are the same, and if you seek for two goals you will find them, but you will
recognize neither. For you will think they are the same because you
want them both. The mind always strives for integration, and if it is split and wants to
keep the split, it will believe it has one goal by
making it one.
67 We said before that
what you project is up to you, but it is
not up to you
whether to project, for projection is a law of mind. Perception
is projection, and you look in
before you look out. As you look in you choose the guide for seeing, and
then you look out and behold his witnesses. This is
why you find what you seek. What you want in
yourself, you will make manifest by projection, and you will accept it
from the world because you put it there
by wanting it.
68 When you think you are projecting what you do
not want, it is still because you
do want it. This leads directly to dissociation, for it represents the acceptance of two goals, each perceived in a
different place, separated from each other
because you made them different. The mind then sees a divided world
outside itself but not
within. This gives it an illusion of integrity and enables it to believe that it is pursuing one goal. As long as you perceive the world as split,
you are not healed. For to be healed is to pursue one goal because you have
accepted only one and
want but one.
69 When you want
only love you will see nothing else. The contradictory nature of the witnesses you perceive is merely the reflection of your conflicting invitations. You have looked upon your minds and accepted opposition there, having
sought it there. But do not then believe that the witnesses for opposition are true, for they attest only to
your decision about reality, returning to you the message you
gave them. Love is recognized by its messengers. If you make love manifest, its messengers will come to you because you
invited them.
70 The power of decision is your one remaining freedom as a prisoner of this world.
You can decide to see it right. What
you made of it is
not its reality, for its reality is only what you
gave it. You cannot really give anything but love to anyone or anything, nor can you really
receive anything else from them. If you think you have received anything else, it is because you have looked within and thought you saw the power to give something else
within yourself. It was only this decision that determined what you found, for it was the decision of what you
sought.
71 You are afraid of me because you looked within and are afraid of what you saw. Yet you could not have seen reality, for the reality of your mind is the loveliest of God's creations. Coming only from God, its power and grandeur could only bring you peace
if you really looked upon it. If you are afraid, it is because you saw something
that is not there. Yet in that same place, you could have looked upon me and all your brothers in the perfect safety of the Mind which created us. For we are there in the peace of the Father, Who wills to project His peace through
you.
72 When you have accepted your mission to
project peace, you will
find it, for by
making it manifest, you will
see it. Its holy witnesses will surround you because you
called upon them and they will come to you. I have heard your call and I have answered it, but you will not look upon me nor
hear the answer which you sought. That is because you do not yet want
only that. Yet as I become more real to you, you will learn that you
do want only that. And you will see me as you look within, and we will look upon the world as God created it together. Through the eyes of Christ,
only the real world exists and can
be seen. As you decide, so will you see. And all that you see but witnesses to your decision.
73 When you look within and see me, it will be because you have decided to manifest truth. And as you manifest it, you will see it both without
and within, for you will see it without
because you saw it first within. Everything you behold without is a judgment of what you beheld within. If it is
your judgment, it will be wrong, for judgment is not your function. If it is the judgment of the Holy Spirit, it will be right, for judgment
is His function. You share His function only by judging as
He does, reserving no judgment at all unto yourselves. For you will judge
against yourselves, but
He will judge
for you.
74 Remember, then, that whenever you look without and react unfavorably to what you see, you have judged yourself unworthy and have condemned yourself to death. The death penalty is the ego's ultimate goal, for it fully believes that you are a criminal, as deserving of death as God knows you are deserving of life. The death penalty never leaves the ego's mind, for that is what it always reserves for you in the end. Wanting to kill you as the final expression of its feeling for you, it lets you live but to await death. It will torment you while you live, but its hatred is not satisfied until you die. For your destruction is the one end toward which it works, and the only end with which it will be satisfied.
75 The ego is not a traitor to God to Whom treachery is impossible, but it
is a traitor to you who believe
you have been treacherous to your Father. That is why the
undoing of guilt is an essential part of the Holy Spirit's teaching. For as long as you feel guilty, you are listening to the voice of the ego, which tells you that you
have been treacherous to God and therefore
deserve death. You will think that death comes from God and
not from the ego because, by confusing yourself
with the ego, you believe that
you want death. And from what you want, God does
not save you.
76 When you are tempted to yield to the desire for death,
remember that I did not die. You will realize that this is true when you look within and
see me. Would I have overcome death for myself alone? And would eternal life have been given me of the Father
unless He had also given it to you? When you learn to make
me manifest,
you will never see death. For you will have looked upon the deathless in
yourself, and you will see only the eternal as you look out upon a world that
cannot die.
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