June 29, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, Luther.
I desire to write a short message tonight on the subject of: "The observance of the ceremonies which my church still uses in its worship is not approved by God or Jesus." I will not detain you very long and will try to express myself as succinctly as possible.
Well, as you may not know the church of which I am the founder believes and teaches the necessity of infant baptism and the observance of the Lord's Supper as necessary parts of its church doctrine, and of such very great importance that without them it is difficult to become an accepted member of the invisible church of Christ. Nothing is further from the truth than these doctrines for the baptism of infants, for they have no virtue to save one from his sins or to make him in atonement with the Father, and the mere fact that water is sprinkled on an infant's head and some blessing pronounced by the preacher does not in any way bring that infant in unison with the Father.
Baptism is of man's creation and to God it means nothing more than an outward ceremony that affects the infant merely as regards its connection with the established earthly church. It is not possible for this baptism to have any effect upon the soul of the infant and neither does it open up the soul faculties to the inflowing of the Divine Love. God cares not for these ceremonies, and rather looks upon them with disapproval, for their tendency is to make men and women neglectful of the great truth that will bring them in harmony with God's Laws of Love and redemption. And the same thing may be said of any and all kinds of baptism, whether the subject thereof be an infant or a grown man or woman.
As to the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, it has no part in God's plan for the redemption of mankind and it is merely a reminder of the association of Jesus with his disciples. It cannot affect the condition or development of the soul and, as now understood and practiced, this sacrament is of no importance for Jesus does not want to be remembered in the way of recalling to him the tragedy on the cross, which was only the result of the malice and envy of the Jews; and the blood spilt is not an element that enters into the plan of the salvation of men. And besides, with this sacrament there is always more or less worshiping of Jesus as God, which he, Jesus, abhors and looks upon as blasphemy.
So you see, the celebration of the Last Supper is a thing which is not acceptable to God or to Jesus. He does not want men to believe that they can be saved by any sacrifice of him or by any blood which he may have shed as a result of his crucifixion.
Of course, you will remember that the question, of what the wine and bread of the sacrament really were, was one that engendered much controversy and even hatred and ill-feeling on the part of those who were assisting me in the great Reformation. If I had known then what I do now, no such question would have been debated or believed in by me and taught for many years. The blood of Jesus was no more than any other man's blood, and the commemoration of the last supper that Jesus gave his disciples before his death is a useless ceremony and brings no help to those who indulge in this sacrament.
I see that you are tired and sleepy and I will not write more now. So with my love and wishes for an increase in you of the Divine Love, I am
Your brother in Christ,
Luther
Showing posts with label Law of Love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Law of Love. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Luke Writes About Truth of the Development of the Soul in its Natural Love Wherein the New Birth is Never Experienced
February 3, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, Luke.
I come tonight to say a few words concerning the great truth of the development of the soul in its natural love wherein the New Birth is never experienced.
I know that men think that this natural love has in it a part of the Divinity of the Father's nature, and that as they develop in the way of purifying it and ridding it of those things which tend to impair its harmony, they will realize that there exists in their souls this Divinity of which we have written. But this is not true, for this natural love partakes only of those elements which the Father implanted in it at the time of man's creation, and in none of these elements is any of the qualities of the Divine Nature.
It is difficult to explain just the distinction between the Divine Love coming from the Father, and the natural love also coming from Him, and yet, not having any of the Divine Nature or qualities; but it is a fact. The natural love may become so purified that it may come into perfect harmony with the Laws governing its condition and composition, and yet, fall far short of having in it any of the Divine Love. And so, as we have explained to you, the soul may obtain this Divine Love and thereby become a part of the Father's Divinity.
I will now try to explain how the natural love of man may be developed, so that his soul may come into harmony with the Law of Love - the natural love - and make him a very happy, pure and contented being.
In the first place, I wish to say that there is no such thing in the world as original sin or evil, and that God did not create them or permit them to exist, except as He permits man to use his own will without limitation; and I mean by this that He does not say that a man, in the exercise of this will, shall do this or do that; and as respects this will, man is untrammeled. But He does say, and His Laws are inexorable in this particular, that man, when in the exercise of the great power of free will, causes that will to come into conflict with the will of God, or to violate His Laws, he, man, must suffer the consequences.
This may be illustrated by your natural laws declaring the freedom of the press. Man may publish whatsoever he pleases, and so long as he does not thereby violate the rights of others, or of decency, he may make his publications without fear of the law; but when, in the exercise of this freedom of speech, as you call it, he violates the law, then he must suffer the consequences of this violation.
So it is with the mortal who, in the exercise of his free will, violates the Will of the Father, or the Laws limiting its exercise by the mortal. He must suffer the consequences, and the results of this violation are sin and evil created and in no other way. And surprising as it may sound to you, man is the creator of sin and evil, and not God, who is only good.
Then the question arises, "How can sin and evil be eradicated from the world?" And every thoughtful man will have the same answer and, that is, by men ceasing to violate the will of God, or His Laws, which restrict the exercise of the wills of mortals to that which, in its right exercise, will not produce sin or evil. In other words, when men by the wrong use of their wills bring about in-harmony, they can by the right use of their wills not disturb that harmony, which when it exists, leaves no room for the presence of sin and error.
So you see, the one thing necessary in order for men to become happy and free from everything that defiles them, or causes unhappiness or discord to exist, is to develop their souls in this natural love, until this love comes into perfect unison with the Laws that control it and, thus, may be applied the oft quoted expression that "Love is the fulfilling of the Law," but this means love in its purest and most perfect state.
Now how can this development of the natural love be accomplished by men?
The mind, while a powerful helper in this regard, is not of itself sufficient to bring about this great desideratum. It is true that with every mortal there is a constant warfare between the appetites and lusts of the flesh, and his higher desires; and, hence, it is said that these appetites and desires are sinful, and the cause of evil and the in-harmony that exists in the lives of mortals. But this statement is not altogether true, for as man was made with spiritual aspirations and desires, so also was he made with appetites and desires of the flesh, and the latter of themselves are not evils.
The failure to make the distinction between the fact that these appetites and desires of the flesh are not evil, and the fact that only the perversion of them brings evil, is the great stumbling block that stands in the way of man's developing this natural love in the manner that I have indicated. These, what are sometimes called the animal appetites and desires, may be exercised in such a way as to be in perfect harmony with the Laws that control them, and in such exercise not interfere with or prevent the development of this natural love to perfection.
But man, in the free exercise of his will, has in his wanderings gone beyond the limitations which the Law of Harmony has placed upon him, added to and increased and distorted the appetites and desires of the flesh which were originally bestowed upon him and, hence, has himself created those things that are not in harmony with the creation of himself.
So you see, man is a creator as well as a creature. As the latter, he cannot alter or change any of the effects of his creation; but as the former, he can alter and change and even abolish the effects of his own creation, for as the creator, (he) is greater than the things that he created - although these things of his own creation have held him in bondage and unhappiness, to a more or less extent, ever since he became their creator. The strength of this apparent paradox is that the creator, man, has for all these long centuries believed it and submitted to his creations and still does so.
So what is the remedy?
Simply this: man must awaken to the fact that he is greater than his creatures; that they are subject to his will, and that whenever, by their existence and workings, they bring discord and unhappiness, and cause his will to be exercised in opposition to the Will of the Father, then they must be destroyed and never be permitted to come into existence again. Let men become the masters of their creatures, and obedient to the great Will of their Creator, and they will realize that sin and error and unhappiness will disappear, and their natural love will come into harmony with the Laws of its creation, and earth will indeed become a Heaven, and the brotherhood of man established on earth.
If men will only think and - thinking - believe that all sin and error and the resulting unhappiness and sorrow in the world are children of their own creation, and not the children of God, and that in the economy of His universe, He leaves the control and management and even the existence of these children to the will of their parents; they will understand why evil exists, why wars and hatred and misery continue on earth to blight the lives and happiness of mortals; and why, as some say, and especially the so-called Christians, God permits all these things to exist and flourish and apparently contradict the great truth - that He is good and the fountainhead of all goodness.
The universe and the inhabitants thereof and the greatest production of His power - man - were all created by God; but sin and error and their awful followings are the creatures of man. The Laws of His universe work in harmony, and all is good; and even the apparent in-harmony, which man has created, does not affect that great harmony, but is confined in its workings to man, himself. Only man is apparently in in-harmony, and that is caused by man, himself.
Suppose, for a moment, that man's will was working in accord with that of the Father; can you imagine that there would be any of these creatures of man's perverted will in existence? Would there be any evil or hatred or disease or suffering known to the consciousness of man? I tell you, no.
Now I say man, their creator, must destroy these inharmonious creatures. Man must kill and bury deep and forever these children of the perverted exercise of his will, and until then, sin and error and all their concomitants will continue to live and flourish and torment their creator.
And I say here with all emphasis and with a full realization of the great significance and responsibility in the sight of God, which I assume in saying it, that man can destroy these bastard creatures of his will so perverted and discordant. His natural love, if permitted to assert its God-given powers and functions, is sufficient to bring his will in accord with that of the Father and turn his thoughts away from these children of his, and to make him conscious of purity and truth. The dead desires and dead appetites will bury their dead children, and man will come into his own again.
But then comes the question, "How is man to accomplish this great end, so devoutly to be wished for?"
Well, it is late now, and I will write upon this important feature of this development of his natural love in my next message. So with all my love I will say good night.
Your brother in Christ,
Luke
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, Luke.
I come tonight to say a few words concerning the great truth of the development of the soul in its natural love wherein the New Birth is never experienced.
I know that men think that this natural love has in it a part of the Divinity of the Father's nature, and that as they develop in the way of purifying it and ridding it of those things which tend to impair its harmony, they will realize that there exists in their souls this Divinity of which we have written. But this is not true, for this natural love partakes only of those elements which the Father implanted in it at the time of man's creation, and in none of these elements is any of the qualities of the Divine Nature.
It is difficult to explain just the distinction between the Divine Love coming from the Father, and the natural love also coming from Him, and yet, not having any of the Divine Nature or qualities; but it is a fact. The natural love may become so purified that it may come into perfect harmony with the Laws governing its condition and composition, and yet, fall far short of having in it any of the Divine Love. And so, as we have explained to you, the soul may obtain this Divine Love and thereby become a part of the Father's Divinity.
I will now try to explain how the natural love of man may be developed, so that his soul may come into harmony with the Law of Love - the natural love - and make him a very happy, pure and contented being.
In the first place, I wish to say that there is no such thing in the world as original sin or evil, and that God did not create them or permit them to exist, except as He permits man to use his own will without limitation; and I mean by this that He does not say that a man, in the exercise of this will, shall do this or do that; and as respects this will, man is untrammeled. But He does say, and His Laws are inexorable in this particular, that man, when in the exercise of the great power of free will, causes that will to come into conflict with the will of God, or to violate His Laws, he, man, must suffer the consequences.
This may be illustrated by your natural laws declaring the freedom of the press. Man may publish whatsoever he pleases, and so long as he does not thereby violate the rights of others, or of decency, he may make his publications without fear of the law; but when, in the exercise of this freedom of speech, as you call it, he violates the law, then he must suffer the consequences of this violation.
So it is with the mortal who, in the exercise of his free will, violates the Will of the Father, or the Laws limiting its exercise by the mortal. He must suffer the consequences, and the results of this violation are sin and evil created and in no other way. And surprising as it may sound to you, man is the creator of sin and evil, and not God, who is only good.
Then the question arises, "How can sin and evil be eradicated from the world?" And every thoughtful man will have the same answer and, that is, by men ceasing to violate the will of God, or His Laws, which restrict the exercise of the wills of mortals to that which, in its right exercise, will not produce sin or evil. In other words, when men by the wrong use of their wills bring about in-harmony, they can by the right use of their wills not disturb that harmony, which when it exists, leaves no room for the presence of sin and error.
So you see, the one thing necessary in order for men to become happy and free from everything that defiles them, or causes unhappiness or discord to exist, is to develop their souls in this natural love, until this love comes into perfect unison with the Laws that control it and, thus, may be applied the oft quoted expression that "Love is the fulfilling of the Law," but this means love in its purest and most perfect state.
Now how can this development of the natural love be accomplished by men?
The mind, while a powerful helper in this regard, is not of itself sufficient to bring about this great desideratum. It is true that with every mortal there is a constant warfare between the appetites and lusts of the flesh, and his higher desires; and, hence, it is said that these appetites and desires are sinful, and the cause of evil and the in-harmony that exists in the lives of mortals. But this statement is not altogether true, for as man was made with spiritual aspirations and desires, so also was he made with appetites and desires of the flesh, and the latter of themselves are not evils.
The failure to make the distinction between the fact that these appetites and desires of the flesh are not evil, and the fact that only the perversion of them brings evil, is the great stumbling block that stands in the way of man's developing this natural love in the manner that I have indicated. These, what are sometimes called the animal appetites and desires, may be exercised in such a way as to be in perfect harmony with the Laws that control them, and in such exercise not interfere with or prevent the development of this natural love to perfection.
But man, in the free exercise of his will, has in his wanderings gone beyond the limitations which the Law of Harmony has placed upon him, added to and increased and distorted the appetites and desires of the flesh which were originally bestowed upon him and, hence, has himself created those things that are not in harmony with the creation of himself.
So you see, man is a creator as well as a creature. As the latter, he cannot alter or change any of the effects of his creation; but as the former, he can alter and change and even abolish the effects of his own creation, for as the creator, (he) is greater than the things that he created - although these things of his own creation have held him in bondage and unhappiness, to a more or less extent, ever since he became their creator. The strength of this apparent paradox is that the creator, man, has for all these long centuries believed it and submitted to his creations and still does so.
So what is the remedy?
Simply this: man must awaken to the fact that he is greater than his creatures; that they are subject to his will, and that whenever, by their existence and workings, they bring discord and unhappiness, and cause his will to be exercised in opposition to the Will of the Father, then they must be destroyed and never be permitted to come into existence again. Let men become the masters of their creatures, and obedient to the great Will of their Creator, and they will realize that sin and error and unhappiness will disappear, and their natural love will come into harmony with the Laws of its creation, and earth will indeed become a Heaven, and the brotherhood of man established on earth.
If men will only think and - thinking - believe that all sin and error and the resulting unhappiness and sorrow in the world are children of their own creation, and not the children of God, and that in the economy of His universe, He leaves the control and management and even the existence of these children to the will of their parents; they will understand why evil exists, why wars and hatred and misery continue on earth to blight the lives and happiness of mortals; and why, as some say, and especially the so-called Christians, God permits all these things to exist and flourish and apparently contradict the great truth - that He is good and the fountainhead of all goodness.
The universe and the inhabitants thereof and the greatest production of His power - man - were all created by God; but sin and error and their awful followings are the creatures of man. The Laws of His universe work in harmony, and all is good; and even the apparent in-harmony, which man has created, does not affect that great harmony, but is confined in its workings to man, himself. Only man is apparently in in-harmony, and that is caused by man, himself.
Suppose, for a moment, that man's will was working in accord with that of the Father; can you imagine that there would be any of these creatures of man's perverted will in existence? Would there be any evil or hatred or disease or suffering known to the consciousness of man? I tell you, no.
Now I say man, their creator, must destroy these inharmonious creatures. Man must kill and bury deep and forever these children of the perverted exercise of his will, and until then, sin and error and all their concomitants will continue to live and flourish and torment their creator.
And I say here with all emphasis and with a full realization of the great significance and responsibility in the sight of God, which I assume in saying it, that man can destroy these bastard creatures of his will so perverted and discordant. His natural love, if permitted to assert its God-given powers and functions, is sufficient to bring his will in accord with that of the Father and turn his thoughts away from these children of his, and to make him conscious of purity and truth. The dead desires and dead appetites will bury their dead children, and man will come into his own again.
But then comes the question, "How is man to accomplish this great end, so devoutly to be wished for?"
Well, it is late now, and I will write upon this important feature of this development of his natural love in my next message. So with all my love I will say good night.
Your brother in Christ,
Luke
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Ann Rollins Explains the Law of Forgiveness and Love and the Law of Compensation
March 31, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, your Grandmother Ann Rollins.
I came to write you about the forgiveness and pardon of the Father, and to enlighten you upon this subject, which is so little understood, since men first commenced to distort the teachings of the Master.
Forgiveness is that operation of the Divine Mind, which relieves man of the penalties of his sins that he has committed, and permits him to turn from his evil thoughts and deeds, and seek the Love of the Father; and if he earnestly seeks, find the happiness which is waiting for him to obtain. It does not violate any law that God has established to prevent man from avoiding the penalties of his violations of the law of God controlling his conduct.
The Law of Compensation, that what a man sows that shall he reap, is not set aside, but in the particular case where a man becomes penitent and in all earnestness prays the Father to forgive him of his sins and make a new man of him, the operation of another and greater law is called into activity, and the old Law of Compensation is nullified and, as it were, swallowed up in the power of this Law of Forgiveness and lLve. So you see there is no setting aside of any of God's laws. As in the physical world certain lesser laws are overcome by greater laws, so in the spirit world or in the operation of spiritual things, the greater laws must prevail over the lesser.
God's laws never change but the application of these laws to particular facts and conditions do seem to change, when two laws come into apparent conflict, and the lesser must give away to the greater. The spiritual laws are just as fixed as are the physical laws that control the material universe; and no law, having application to the same condition of facts, ever is different in its operation or in its effects.
The sun and planets in their movements are governed by fixed laws, and they operate with such exactness that men who make a study of these laws and comprehend them can, with almost mathematical precision, foretell the movements of these heavenly bodies. This only means that as long as the sun and the planets remain as they are, and surrounded by the same influences, and meet no law operating in a manner contrary to the laws which usually control them, these planets and sun will repeat their movements year after year in the same way and with like precision. But suppose that a more powerful and contrary law should come into operation, and influence the movements of these bodies, do you suppose for a moment that they would pursue the same course as if such greater law had not intruded itself?
The effect of this is not to set aside the lesser law, or even to change it, but to subordinate it to the operations of the greater law; and if these operations were removed or ceased to act, the lesser law would resume its operations on these planets again, and they would move in accordance therewith, just as if its power had never been affected by the greater law.
So, in the spirit world, when a man has committed sins on earth, the Law of Compensation demands that he must pay the penalty of these sins until there has been a full expiation, or until the law is satisfied. And this law does not change in its operations, and no man can avoid or run away from the inexorable demands of the law. He cannot of himself abate one jot or tittle of the penalties, but must pay to the last farthing as the Master said and, hence, he cannot, of himself, hope to change the operations of this law.
But as the Creator of all law has provided another and higher law, which under certain conditions may be brought into operation and causes the former law to cease to operate, and man may experience the benefit of the workings of this higher law. So when God forgives a man of his sins and makes him a new creature in his nature and love, He does not, for the particular case, annihilate the Law of Compensation, but removes that upon which this law may operate.
Sin is violation of God's Law, and the effect of sin is the penalty which such violation imposes. A man's suffering for sins committed are not the results of God's special condemnation in each particular case, but are the results of the workings and scourgings of his conscience and recollections and as long as conscience works he will suffer, and the greater the sins committed, the greater will be the suffering.
Now all this implies that a man's soul is filled to a greater or lesser extent with these memories, which for the time constitute his very existence. He lives with these memories, and the suffering and torment, which result from them can never leave him until the memories of these sins, or the result of them, cease to be a part of himself and his constant companions. This is the inexorable Law of Compensation, and man of himself has no way of escaping this law except by his long expiation, which removes these memories and satisfies the law.
Man cannot change this law and God will not. So, as I say, the law never changes. But remember this fact, that in order for the law to operate, a man must have these memories, and they must be a part of his very existence.
Now suppose that the Creator of this law has created another law, but which under certain conditions, and upon a man doing certain things, these memories are taken from him, and no longer constitute a part or portion of his existence; then, I ask, what is there in or of that man upon this Law of Compensation that can act or operate? The law is not changed. It is not even set aside, but upon which it can operate no longer exists and, consequently, there is no reason or existence of facts which call for its operation.
So, I say, as do your scientists and philosophers, that God's laws are fixed and never change, but I further say, which they fail to perceive, that certain conditions which may and do call for the operations of these laws today, tomorrow change or cease to exist, so that the laws are no longer effective.
And so when the truths of God's forgiveness of sin is declared, many wise men hold up their hands and shout, "God's laws do not change, and even God Himself cannot change them. And to effect a forgiveness of sins, the great Law of Compensation must be violated. God works no such miracle, or gives special dispensation. No, man must pay the penalty of his evil deeds until the law is fulfilled."
How limited is the knowledge of mortals, and of spirits as well, of the Power and Wisdom and Love of the Father. His Love is the greatest thing in all the Universe and the Law of Love is the greatest law. Every other law is subordinate to it and must work in unison with it; and Love, Divine Love of the Father, when given to man and he possesses it, is the fulfilling of all law. This Love frees man from all law except the law of its ownself, and when man possesses this Love, he is slave to no law and is free indeed.
The Law of Compensation and all laws not in harmony with the Law of Love, have nothing upon which to operate in that man's case, and God's laws are not changed but merely, as to this man, have no existence.
Now, let all men, wise and unwise, know that God in His Love and Wisdom has provided a means by which man, if he so will, may escape the unchanging Law of Compensation and become no longer subject to its demands and penalties; and these means are simple and easy, and within the comprehension and grasp of every living soul, be he saint or sinner, a wise man or an ignorant one.
Intellect in the sense of being learned is not involved, but the man who knows that God exists and provides him with food and raiment as the result of his daily toil, as well as the great intellectual scientist or philosopher may learn the way to these redeeming truths. I do not mean that a man by mere exercise of mental powers may receive the benefit of this great provision for his redemption. The soul must seek and it will find, and the soul of the wise may not be as capable of receiving as the soul of the ignorant.
God is Love. Man has a natural love, but this natural love is not sufficient to enable him to find these great means that I speak of. Only the Divine Love of the Father, and He is willing that all men should have this Love. It is free and waiting to be bestowed upon all men. but strange as it may seem, God will not, and I might say, cannot, bestow this Love unless man seeks for it and asks for it in earnestness and faith.
The will of man is a wonderful thing and stands between him and this love, if he fails to exercise this will in seeking for it. No man can secure it against his will. What a wonderful thing is man's will, and how he should study and learn what a great part of his being it is. The Love of the Father comes only into a man's soul when he seeks it in prayer and faith and, of course, this implies that he wills it to come to him. No man is ever refused this Love when he properly asks for it.
Now this Love is a part of the Divine Essence, and when a man possesses it in sufficient abundance he becomes a part of Divinity itself; and in the Divine, there is no sin or error and, consequently, when he becomes a part of this Divinity - no sin or error can form a part of his being.
Now, as I have said, man who is without this Love has his memories of sin and evil deeds and, under the Law of Compensation must pay the penalties. Yet, when this Divine Love comes into his soul, it leaves no room for these memories, and as he becomes more and more filled with this Love, these memories disappear and only the Love inhabits his soul, as it were. Hence, there remains nothing in him upon which this law can operate, and the man is no longer its slave or subject. This Love is sufficient of itself to cleanse the soul from all sin and error and make man one with the Father.
This is forgiveness of sin, or rather the result of forgiveness. When a man prays to the Father for this forgiveness, He never turns a deaf ear, but says in effect, "I will remove your sins and give you my Love. I will not set aside or change my Laws of Compensation, but I will remove from your soul everything upon which this law can operate, and as to you it becomes as if it had no existence."
I know by your personal experience that this forgiveness is a real, actual, existing thing, and when the Father forgives, sin disappears, and Love only exists, and that Love in its fullness is the fulfilling of the law. So let men know that God does forgive sin, and when He forgives the penalty disappears, and when they disappear as the result of such forgiveness, no law of God is changed or violated.
This was the great mission of Jesus when he came to earth. Before he came and taught this great truth, the forgiveness of sin was not understood, even by the Hebrew teachers, but their doctrine was an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. The Divine Love, as I have feebly described, was not known or sought for - only the care and protection and material benefits that God might give to the Hebrews.
The Divine Love entering into and taking possession of the souls of men constitute the New Birth, and without this no man can see the Kingdom of God.
My dear son, I have written you a long but imperfect communication, but there is sufficient in it for men to think of and meditate upon, and if they do so and open their souls to the Divine Influence, they will know God can forgive sin, and save men from its penalties, so that they will not have to undergo the long period of expiation, which in their natural state the Law of Compensation ever demands.
So without writing further, I will say that I love you with all my heart and soul and pray the Father to give you this Great Love in all its abundance.
Your loving Grandmother,
Ann Rollins
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, your Grandmother Ann Rollins.
I came to write you about the forgiveness and pardon of the Father, and to enlighten you upon this subject, which is so little understood, since men first commenced to distort the teachings of the Master.
Forgiveness is that operation of the Divine Mind, which relieves man of the penalties of his sins that he has committed, and permits him to turn from his evil thoughts and deeds, and seek the Love of the Father; and if he earnestly seeks, find the happiness which is waiting for him to obtain. It does not violate any law that God has established to prevent man from avoiding the penalties of his violations of the law of God controlling his conduct.
The Law of Compensation, that what a man sows that shall he reap, is not set aside, but in the particular case where a man becomes penitent and in all earnestness prays the Father to forgive him of his sins and make a new man of him, the operation of another and greater law is called into activity, and the old Law of Compensation is nullified and, as it were, swallowed up in the power of this Law of Forgiveness and lLve. So you see there is no setting aside of any of God's laws. As in the physical world certain lesser laws are overcome by greater laws, so in the spirit world or in the operation of spiritual things, the greater laws must prevail over the lesser.
God's laws never change but the application of these laws to particular facts and conditions do seem to change, when two laws come into apparent conflict, and the lesser must give away to the greater. The spiritual laws are just as fixed as are the physical laws that control the material universe; and no law, having application to the same condition of facts, ever is different in its operation or in its effects.
The sun and planets in their movements are governed by fixed laws, and they operate with such exactness that men who make a study of these laws and comprehend them can, with almost mathematical precision, foretell the movements of these heavenly bodies. This only means that as long as the sun and the planets remain as they are, and surrounded by the same influences, and meet no law operating in a manner contrary to the laws which usually control them, these planets and sun will repeat their movements year after year in the same way and with like precision. But suppose that a more powerful and contrary law should come into operation, and influence the movements of these bodies, do you suppose for a moment that they would pursue the same course as if such greater law had not intruded itself?
The effect of this is not to set aside the lesser law, or even to change it, but to subordinate it to the operations of the greater law; and if these operations were removed or ceased to act, the lesser law would resume its operations on these planets again, and they would move in accordance therewith, just as if its power had never been affected by the greater law.
So, in the spirit world, when a man has committed sins on earth, the Law of Compensation demands that he must pay the penalty of these sins until there has been a full expiation, or until the law is satisfied. And this law does not change in its operations, and no man can avoid or run away from the inexorable demands of the law. He cannot of himself abate one jot or tittle of the penalties, but must pay to the last farthing as the Master said and, hence, he cannot, of himself, hope to change the operations of this law.
But as the Creator of all law has provided another and higher law, which under certain conditions may be brought into operation and causes the former law to cease to operate, and man may experience the benefit of the workings of this higher law. So when God forgives a man of his sins and makes him a new creature in his nature and love, He does not, for the particular case, annihilate the Law of Compensation, but removes that upon which this law may operate.
Sin is violation of God's Law, and the effect of sin is the penalty which such violation imposes. A man's suffering for sins committed are not the results of God's special condemnation in each particular case, but are the results of the workings and scourgings of his conscience and recollections and as long as conscience works he will suffer, and the greater the sins committed, the greater will be the suffering.
Now all this implies that a man's soul is filled to a greater or lesser extent with these memories, which for the time constitute his very existence. He lives with these memories, and the suffering and torment, which result from them can never leave him until the memories of these sins, or the result of them, cease to be a part of himself and his constant companions. This is the inexorable Law of Compensation, and man of himself has no way of escaping this law except by his long expiation, which removes these memories and satisfies the law.
Man cannot change this law and God will not. So, as I say, the law never changes. But remember this fact, that in order for the law to operate, a man must have these memories, and they must be a part of his very existence.
Now suppose that the Creator of this law has created another law, but which under certain conditions, and upon a man doing certain things, these memories are taken from him, and no longer constitute a part or portion of his existence; then, I ask, what is there in or of that man upon this Law of Compensation that can act or operate? The law is not changed. It is not even set aside, but upon which it can operate no longer exists and, consequently, there is no reason or existence of facts which call for its operation.
So, I say, as do your scientists and philosophers, that God's laws are fixed and never change, but I further say, which they fail to perceive, that certain conditions which may and do call for the operations of these laws today, tomorrow change or cease to exist, so that the laws are no longer effective.
And so when the truths of God's forgiveness of sin is declared, many wise men hold up their hands and shout, "God's laws do not change, and even God Himself cannot change them. And to effect a forgiveness of sins, the great Law of Compensation must be violated. God works no such miracle, or gives special dispensation. No, man must pay the penalty of his evil deeds until the law is fulfilled."
How limited is the knowledge of mortals, and of spirits as well, of the Power and Wisdom and Love of the Father. His Love is the greatest thing in all the Universe and the Law of Love is the greatest law. Every other law is subordinate to it and must work in unison with it; and Love, Divine Love of the Father, when given to man and he possesses it, is the fulfilling of all law. This Love frees man from all law except the law of its ownself, and when man possesses this Love, he is slave to no law and is free indeed.
The Law of Compensation and all laws not in harmony with the Law of Love, have nothing upon which to operate in that man's case, and God's laws are not changed but merely, as to this man, have no existence.
Now, let all men, wise and unwise, know that God in His Love and Wisdom has provided a means by which man, if he so will, may escape the unchanging Law of Compensation and become no longer subject to its demands and penalties; and these means are simple and easy, and within the comprehension and grasp of every living soul, be he saint or sinner, a wise man or an ignorant one.
Intellect in the sense of being learned is not involved, but the man who knows that God exists and provides him with food and raiment as the result of his daily toil, as well as the great intellectual scientist or philosopher may learn the way to these redeeming truths. I do not mean that a man by mere exercise of mental powers may receive the benefit of this great provision for his redemption. The soul must seek and it will find, and the soul of the wise may not be as capable of receiving as the soul of the ignorant.
God is Love. Man has a natural love, but this natural love is not sufficient to enable him to find these great means that I speak of. Only the Divine Love of the Father, and He is willing that all men should have this Love. It is free and waiting to be bestowed upon all men. but strange as it may seem, God will not, and I might say, cannot, bestow this Love unless man seeks for it and asks for it in earnestness and faith.
The will of man is a wonderful thing and stands between him and this love, if he fails to exercise this will in seeking for it. No man can secure it against his will. What a wonderful thing is man's will, and how he should study and learn what a great part of his being it is. The Love of the Father comes only into a man's soul when he seeks it in prayer and faith and, of course, this implies that he wills it to come to him. No man is ever refused this Love when he properly asks for it.
Now this Love is a part of the Divine Essence, and when a man possesses it in sufficient abundance he becomes a part of Divinity itself; and in the Divine, there is no sin or error and, consequently, when he becomes a part of this Divinity - no sin or error can form a part of his being.
Now, as I have said, man who is without this Love has his memories of sin and evil deeds and, under the Law of Compensation must pay the penalties. Yet, when this Divine Love comes into his soul, it leaves no room for these memories, and as he becomes more and more filled with this Love, these memories disappear and only the Love inhabits his soul, as it were. Hence, there remains nothing in him upon which this law can operate, and the man is no longer its slave or subject. This Love is sufficient of itself to cleanse the soul from all sin and error and make man one with the Father.
This is forgiveness of sin, or rather the result of forgiveness. When a man prays to the Father for this forgiveness, He never turns a deaf ear, but says in effect, "I will remove your sins and give you my Love. I will not set aside or change my Laws of Compensation, but I will remove from your soul everything upon which this law can operate, and as to you it becomes as if it had no existence."
I know by your personal experience that this forgiveness is a real, actual, existing thing, and when the Father forgives, sin disappears, and Love only exists, and that Love in its fullness is the fulfilling of the law. So let men know that God does forgive sin, and when He forgives the penalty disappears, and when they disappear as the result of such forgiveness, no law of God is changed or violated.
This was the great mission of Jesus when he came to earth. Before he came and taught this great truth, the forgiveness of sin was not understood, even by the Hebrew teachers, but their doctrine was an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. The Divine Love, as I have feebly described, was not known or sought for - only the care and protection and material benefits that God might give to the Hebrews.
The Divine Love entering into and taking possession of the souls of men constitute the New Birth, and without this no man can see the Kingdom of God.
My dear son, I have written you a long but imperfect communication, but there is sufficient in it for men to think of and meditate upon, and if they do so and open their souls to the Divine Influence, they will know God can forgive sin, and save men from its penalties, so that they will not have to undergo the long period of expiation, which in their natural state the Law of Compensation ever demands.
So without writing further, I will say that I love you with all my heart and soul and pray the Father to give you this Great Love in all its abundance.
Your loving Grandmother,
Ann Rollins
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)