ACIM Lesson 319 I came for the salvation of the world.
Here is a thought from which all arrogance has been removed, and only truth remains. ²For arrogance opposes truth.
I came for the salvation of the world.
Lesson 319
I came for the salvation of the world.
1. Here is a thought from which all arrogance has been removed, and only truth remains. ²For arrogance opposes truth. ³But when there is no arrogance the truth will come immediately, and fill up the space the ego left unoccupied by lies. ⁴Only the ego can be limited, and therefore it must seek for aims which are curtailed and limiting. ⁵The ego thinks that what one gains, totality must lose. ⁶And yet it is the Will of God I learn that what one gains is given unto all.
2. Father, Your Will is total. ²And the goal which stems from it shares its totality. ³What aim but the salvation of the world could You have given me? ⁴And what but this could be the Will my Self has shared with You?
Salvation Through Recognition
I keep my purpose in mind all the time now, and I live by it and for it. I came for the salvation of the world. My part is completed when I let go of whatever beliefs keep the idea of separation in place. This can be as simple as not looking at another as if they really are a stranger. After all, how could anyone be a stranger when we are all part of the One Self.
Salvation Through Letting Go of Competition and Judging
Another belief I can release is that anyone could be my competitor. For instance, have you ever walked into a party and without thinking about it began to compare yourself with the people there? Or maybe you meet someone for the first time and you check out how that person is dressed. I was standing in line one day and there were two men who were in suits.
I wondered what they were doing there as everyone else was dressed casually. Then, automatically, I noticed that the suits were ill-fitting and the shoes were cheap. On the basis of how they were dressed and knowing nothing else about them, I put them in a box, so to speak. Based on my perception of what I was seeing, I decided on their social status and made a guess as to what they did for a living. As a result, there was a subtle judgment as to their value which was less than or more than mine or someone else’s.
SalvartionThrough Releasing Grievances
Holding grievances is another way that we keep others separate. I think about the political situation, and all involved and I notice judgments in my mind. This needs to be forgiven because I cannot know who I am if I refuse to accept that all my brothers are part of God. As part of God, they cannot be guilty and there is no reason to hold a grievance. It is only imagination that makes it seem like any of the Sons of God are guilty. How lovely the world will be when we finally accept this simple truth. How peaceful my mind even now as I accept it.
The failure to forgive assures us that not only is the other guilty but that we are determined to keep them guilty. Our purpose in doing so is to project our own sense of guilt onto someone else hoping to be rid of it. With this as our goal, how could we ever see ourselves as one?
Salvation Through Goals
I can become distracted by little goals, such as losing weight or getting my curtains hung or finishing some writing. Sometimes my goals are far-reaching and may seem to encompass others. No matter what goal I think I need to accomplish if it is not God, it is not a worthy goal and it is a distraction to that which is worthy. Yes, I will do some of these things, but they are just things I do and they matter only in how I do them.
Will I do them in such a way that the doing brings me closer to God? Even a simple task like hanging curtains can be done in peace or in frustration. It is up to me to choose. Losing weight can be something I do, not a desperate need. It can be the way I discover hidden ego agendas. Or it can be an exercise in frustration and self-recriminations. It is up to me to choose. Through the strength of God in me, I can choose the more helpful response.
Salvation Through Identification
Identifying with the body is a certain way to keep separation in place and maybe the hardest belief to release. Jesus is very clear that we are not these bodies; we are not even in these bodies. And yet, we cling stubbornly to them, as if being a body is of great value. When we identify with the body, we are saying I am this separate self, and the idea of not being a self is frightening to us.
I remember my reaction when I first considered that in the end, God would take me into Him. The thought I had was that I didn’t want to be gobbled up by God and cease to exist. I think that is the real fear of God. It has taken a long time for me to let that belief go. I am already in God, dreaming of being something else. There is nowhere else to be. God is all there is.
We Are All Saviors of the World
So, how is it that I save the world? I imagine that I am in a body in a world. I notice all these beliefs being played out. There is a decision to be made. Which ones I want to continue believing and which ones I recognize as not true and am willing to release. I keep doing this until my mind is so clear that I wake up to the truth and know who I am. My awakening helps others to awaken as we all share the same mind. This truth spreads throughout the Sonship until no one is left in hell.
Am I arrogant to think of myself as savior of the world? No, I am not. I would be arrogant to think I could have a purpose not of God. My part is simple and is no different than anyone else’s part. We are all saviors of the world. This is true because this is God’s Will. What I am discovering is that it is my will, too, my will and my joy.
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