It is your forgiveness that will bring the world of darkness to the light. It is your forgiveness that lets you recognize the light in which you see. Forgiveness is the demonstration that you are the light of the world. Through forgiveness does the truth about yourself return to your memory. Therefore in your forgiveness is your salvation.
ACIM-W-62:1:1-5
Light of the World?
Many of us would have a hard time digesting the fact that we are "the light of the world". That is the role reserved for God's only Son, we assume. To assume that we are a part of that Sonship and part of that role is considered blasphemous to many Christian doctrines. Lesson 61 teaches that this is not blasphemous or grandiose arrogance. It is pure humility. Humility, as ego describes it, involves making ourselves small and meaningless; humility as A Course teaches involves making us aware of our God given role in salvation. Our only function here is to do what God asks us to do ...be the light of the world. Each and everyone of us is that light because we each have the power to forgive.
Forgiveness
Forgiveness is the function we take on as lights of the world. Our goal is to remember the truth and find out who we really are beneath all this surface illusion. This illusion leads to defense and attack thoughts; forgiveness frees us from that. Do you not then begin to understand what forgiveness will do for you? It will remove all sense of weakness, strain and fatigue from your mind. It will take away all fear and guilt and pain. (ACIM-W-62:3:2-4) If we want to be happy we need to do what we are here to do and that is forgive. (Lesson 62)
Starts with Each of Us
In order to bring peace into the world we need to bring peace and God's light into our own minds through forgiveness. One act of forgiveness...one act of seeing beyond illusion to truth...brings peace to everyone. (Lesson 63)
Tempted by Surface Distraction
The world we see on the surface level is very distracting, often tempting us away from true seeing to the images it offers us. ego tells us all this stuff we see is important and will bring us happiness. Truth tells us that happiness will only happen when we forgive/see clearly the world and ourselves with true vision. ( Lesson 64)
Our Only Real Function
In Lesson 65 we are reminded that the only function is the one God gave us. Salvation of the world is our only function. We save the world when we forgive it...we forgive it when we see beyond the illusions of it that pop up on the surface level to the truth beneath. When we do that we remember who we are and who others are. This true seeing is what the world needs. Yet our thoughts, conditioned beliefs etc often take us from this purpose and we get lost in ego's idea of function and purpose on the surface level. We need to remember that we only have one function and that is the one God gave us.
The Only Way to Be Happy
The thing is, the only way to be truly happy is to get beyond surface illusion to embrace the function God gave us. We will never have peace without forgiveness. We will never have forgiveness without seeing how the ego attacks the truth, and is constantly attempting to steer us away with all its false promises. We have to see how it does not and cannot make us happy. Only God can . If we want to be fulfilled in Life...all we need to do is accept the function God gave us. Forgive!!! ( Lesson 66)
God Is Love and So Are We
In Lesson 67 we are reminded that God is Love , and if Love created us like Itself than we too are love. This lesson guides us into awareness of Self. If God is holy, than so are we. If God is kindness than so are we. If God is helpful, than so are we...etc. Our goal is to become more and more aware of that Self.
No Grievances
The next lesson takes us into an understanding depicted in Paul's letter to the Corinthians 13:1-13: Love holds no grievances. The Self beyond the ego...knows no grievances. To hold a grievance is to forget who you are. (ACIM-W-68:1:2) Grievances take us from this forgiving, clear seeing Self awareness back into ego's world of illusion, distraction, a need to defend and attack. It takes us into guilt, fear and far away from peace. When we Love...we hold no grievances and we remember we are perfectly safe. ( Lesson 68)
Lifting the Veil
Grievances are like a veil over the light of who we really are. They prevent us from seeing what we have hidden within us. If we forgive, we lift this veil away so the light can shine from us to all. (Lesson 69)
Nothing Outside Us
Salvation comes from us. Nothing outside us can save us or bring us peace and nothing outside of us can hurt us either. Just as the Buddhists teach...our suffering begins and ends within our minds. ( Lesson 70)
Quick summary of the lessons...wonderful learning in there people. I hope you take it upon yourselves to study the workbook.
Foundations For Inner Peace ( 2007) ACIM: Workbook: Lessons 61-70.
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