Part 2: The Principles and Their Role in Healing
Session 1: The Nature of God

The Recording

Recording 261A, “Nature of God” is from the 1959 Hawaiian Village Open Class. It is the basis of Chapter 7, “The Nature of God,” in The Foundation of Mysticism, and one of three classes used as the basis for Chapter 10, “The Consciousness of Truth Is the Healer,” in Consciousness Is What I Am.

• To listen to recording 261A at any time, click/tap here. The recording will be available through the end of the Spiritual Healing Study Program.
• To purchase the recording or the transcript from The Infinite Way Office, click/tap here.
• For the telephone listening extension, call 1-641-715-3900 and enter 604837#.

Optional Study and Practice Suggestions

To download or print these study suggestions, click/tap here.

It is important to understand that there are no special healing principles in The Infinite Way. While Joel does speak of “the healing principles,” when you look across the entire body of work, it is clear that the “healing principles” are the same as the foundational principles of The Infinite Way—the nature of God, the nature of individual being, the nature of error, and the nature of prayer—with particular emphasis on the nature of God and the nature of error.

Yes, there are healing practices, such as impersonalization, nothingization, and treatment, which we will address later. Joel sometimes refers to these as “principles,” but we find it helpful to think of these as practices in which we are practicing the principles of the nature of God, the nature of individual being, the nature of error, and the nature of prayer.

As we pointed out in the study material for our first session, Joel said that the essence of spiritual healing lies in the development of spiritual consciousness, from which healing naturally flows, and that spiritual consciousness is developed by working with the principles.

“The mystical approach to spiritual healing cannot be accomplished by anyone until the metaphysical principles of The Infinite Way are so much a part of them that they have become like flesh and bones unto them.”[1]

“If you concentrate exclusively on the idea of healing, you’re apt to lose the very thing you’re seeking; whereas, learning the principles, catching the entire vision, you have a background for healing, and then healing becomes just a part of the picture. And that’s the way it should be.”[2]

The first of these principles is the nature of God, which is the topic for this session (Recording 261A, “Nature of God”).
 

A Brief Review of the Major Points in the Recording and Their Implications for Healing

 As always, we encourage you to review the recording yourself and, as Joel says, “pick out the pearls,” or the key points. If you are still learning how to do that, you are welcome to use this review as an example.

• A mystical message or a mystical experience does not always result in healing work. Few mystics have been able to heal. While they might live in the atmosphere of God, be happy and joyous, and have their daily needs met, most are not able to manifest their experience in bringing forth healing. This is because they do not discover the principles on which healing is based. Buddha and Jesus were two exceptional mystics who found the principles and had the healing consciousness, and they performed remarkable healing work.

Implication for healing work: Learn and practice the principles.

 

• It is easier to enter the spiritual realm of life through healing, because most people seek God for a reason—physical, mental, moral, or financial health, or better human relationships. When you experience a spiritual healing, it stirs up a desire to go beyond just being healed—a desire to know God, to know more about the spiritual realm, to live a spiritual life, and to be able to help others.

Implication for healing work: Healing work should be an essential part of any mystical message.

 

• There are two basic Infinite Way principles that lead to healing. If you catch them, you will find it easier to be healed and eventually to do healing work These principles are the nature of God and the nature of error. This class addresses the nature of God.

Implication for healing work: Learn and practice these principles.

 

• There is no such God as the majority of mankind worships. People are praying to a nonexistent God, and so they cannot receive an answer. Praying to God for health, supply, wealth, home, or peace on earth is a waste of There is no God answering such prayers. To know God aright and to receive answers from God, we must discover what God is, the nature of God, and how to approach God so that our prayers are answered.

Joel presents the revelations that came to him on the nature of God, but he does not ask us to accept them blindly. He suggests that we work with these revelations to see if they hold up in our own experience. In other words, Joel worked with these revelations to prove their validity, and we must “go and do likewise.” We must practice the principles until we know for ourselves whether or not they are true and see if we receive any new revelations or refinements from within our own being.

Implication for healing work: Learn the nature of God as taught in The Infinite Way and “go and do likewise”—practice it and apply it in daily life.

 

• It is a waste of time to ask God for anything because God is not withholding anything. God is not withholding sunshine, moonlight, rain, or stars; not withholding the cattle on a thousand hills, the crops in the ground, the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, or the incoming and outgoing No one prays for these things because we know that God is not withholding them. So why believe that God is withholding health, success, happiness, or peace on earth? God is not withholding these things from anybody for any reason, and therefore, God cannot answer such prayers by giving them.

Implication for healing work: Never pray TO God FOR anything.

 

• God never punishes. The Old Testament can instill a fear of God, of God’s wrath, God’s punishment, God’s vengeance, and what God does to sinners, causing many to suffer from self-condemnation and guilt. But the New Testament presents a far more enlightened concept of God. Speaking in God’s name, Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you,” “Forgive seven times seventy.” Those who fear God’s wrath and punishment are living in the Old Testament and have not accepted the teaching of Jesus Christ. Only the God of the Old Testament wrought vengeance on sinners and destroyed enemies. Jesus taught, “Father, forgive them; they know not what they do,” and “Pray for your enemies.”

Implication for healing work: Know that God never punishes and that any discord is never a punishment from God.

 

• The nature of God is love. Just as God expressing Itself appears to us as the sunlight, moonlight, stars, and tides, so God expressing Itself appears to us as every good thing. Until you accept this, you will not realize the God that actually is, and you will not know how to pray. Your prayers will still be ones of petition, believing that God is withholding something, or fearing that God is exacting punishment.

Implication for healing work: Know that God is already and always expressing, and God’s expression appears to us as every good thing.

 

• The God of The Infinite Way is the God taught by Jesus Christ. This God has no pleasure in sacrifices and does not ask anyone to sacrifice anything—not burnt offerings and not even tithes. While tithing is a blessing, much of its value is in what it does for the one who tithes. In tithing, we share with some spiritual or benevolent purpose that reveals more of God to the world or serves God’s children, and “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

Implication for healing work: God never asks for any sacrifice, so do not believe that suffering a discord is God exacting a sacrifice.

 

• Man cannot influence God. God is infinite intelligence, so it is useless to tell God what you need. God already knows your need before you do, and it is “His good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” God is the only power, so there is no other power to overcome. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, so it is futile to try to move God to do anything that God is not already doing. God is omnipresent, so God is already within you, and wherever you are, God is. Thus, God does not have to be sought, only recognized. Go to God only for the joy of communion, of being consciously in the Presence.

Implication for healing work: Never try to get God to give something, overcome a perceived power, or do anything. Recognize the true nature of God and the presence of God within and as yourself and every individual.

 

• When you realize the nature of God, you recognize the nature of prayer. There is nothing to tell God or ask of God, so there is no need for words or thoughts. Prayer has one function: to be quietly, peacefully, and gently where God is, in the silence within your own being. “The place whereon I stand is holy ground,” and “Where I am, God is.”

At first, you can remind yourself that you are not trying to influence God, not trying to get anything, and not in prayer to tell God what you want, so words and thoughts are of no use. God knows your need, and it is His good pleasure to give you the kingdom. God’s grace is your sufficiency in all things. In believing that you had to pray for something or influence God, you were limiting God. You were not trusting the Infinite Invisible.

Implication for healing work: Let your prayer be a silent one of communion and listening. Lift yourself into the awareness of your oneness with God, rather than trying to bring God to the situation. Trust the Infinite Invisible to BE what it IS.

 

• We attain more light on the spiritual realm the longer we persist in spiritual living, so the New Testament is a better teacher on the nature of God than the Old. The Hebrews of the Old Testament were slaves, and most had little spiritual light. While they obeyed man-made rules, the rules had nothing to do with God, so their concepts of God had not evolved. Jesus gave the greatest light on the nature of God that had been given up to his time, especially in the Sermon on the Mount.

Implication for healing work: Study the teachings of Jesus on the nature of God.

 

• God-realization is possible for anyone who feels the hunger for it. The first requirement is to examine our concept of God, reject any erroneously held beliefs, and consider the nature of God as revealed by Jesus and Joel. Practice it through prayer, contemplation, and meditation until you are free of any desire to reach God, influence God, or seek something from God. Then you will settle into a state of peace, calm, and clarity, because there is no longer any seeking; there is just resting.

Implication for healing work: If necessary, correct your concept of God, and then practice the principle of the true nature of God until you no longer feel any desire to seek something of God and can rest in quiet, calm, and peace.

 

• If you fear God, stop Fear reveals a lack of understanding of the nature of God. God is loving, caring, and forgiving. God never wreaks vengeance or punishes. Do not suffer from past sins, even if some persist. God is always at hand to forgive, and eventually, the sin and the desire for it disappear.

Implication for healing work: Relinquish fear and guilt. Know God as pure love. Be in peace.

 

• God is life; there is no death. Life cannot end for any reason because God is life. God is the life of every individual, and God never destroys his own life. There is no power apart from God, and God’s power knows no death. Once we realize the nature of God, we recognize our immortality. Even those who experience what we call “death” realize that their life is just continuing along. It never ended, and it will never end, because God is life. God is the only power, so life is not at the mercy of any external condition.

Implication for healing work: Know that God is the life of every individual, so every individual is a spiritual being, and life as Spirit cannot end.

 

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Ideas for Reflection and Activity

Here are some ideas for reflection and activity that help reinforce the message of this lesson. You can simply consider these questions and reflect on them, or, if you are so inclined, you could write about your reflections or even express them through drawing or another creative form that you enjoy.

Consider your evolving idea of God.

• How was the nature of God presented to you as a child? What is the nature of God for you today?
• Do any remnants of your early conditioning ever crop up? How do you handle them?
• Does any particular aspect of the nature of God particularly resonate with you? If so, take some time to contemplate it deeply and see what revelations might come to you.

 

For you, how does the principle of the nature of God apply to spiritual healing?

• How does the nature of God as omniscience apply to spiritual healing?
• How does the nature of God as omnipresence apply to spiritual healing?
• How does the nature of God as omnipotence apply to spiritual healing?
• How does the nature of God as love apply to spiritual healing?
• Are there any other aspects of the nature of God that apply to spiritual healing? If so, what are they and how do they apply?

 

 Practice being still.

• In this lesson, we learned that prayer, especially in spiritual healing, is not about asking God for things, but about resting in the awareness of God’s presence.From time to time during this study period, set aside ten or fifteen minutes just for resting and listening—without asking for anything, without affirming, without seeking—just being still and receptive. What happens?

 

 Where and when are you most aware of God’s presence?

• Where and when in your day are you most easily able to perceive the presence of God? A walk in a garden, in the woods, or by the ocean? Playing with children or grandchildren? Choosing fruit and vegetables at the market or cooking them? Engaging in a creative activity? Watching a sunset? Sitting in meditation? Can you incorporate more of those activities into your day as a way to help you “pray without ceasing”?
• Have you had personal experiences in which you were particularly aware of God’s omnipresence, omnipotence, omniscience, or unconditional love? If so, it is helpful to remind ourselves of these to reawaken our awareness that God is always present and available within us.

 

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Related Bible Study

Many verses in the Bible point to the nature of God as Joel has presented it in this lesson. If you enjoy contemplation on Scripture as part of your spiritual practice, you may want to consider these quotations and select those that resonate with you the most. Others will most likely come to you as you contemplate.

God is omnipresent.

• “The kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21)
• “The place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” (Exodus 3:5)
• “I and my Father are one.” (John 10:30)
• “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)
• “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16)
• “Call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.” (Matthew 23:9)
• “I AM THAT I AM.” (Exodus 3:14)
• “If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.” (Psalm 139:8)
• “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms…” (Deuteronomy 33:27)
• “For in him we live, and move, and have our being.” (Acts 17:28)
• “Is there a God beside me? Yea, there is no God; I know not any.” (Isaiah 44:8)

God is love, a giving God.

• “He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love.” (1 John 4:8)
• “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
• “Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.” (Luke 15:31)
• “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32)
• “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. … Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:1–2, 4)
• “Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” (Matthew 6:8)
• “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (James 1:17)
• “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God.” (Romans 8:38–39)
• “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

God is trustworthy.

• “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.”  (Psalm 91:1–2)
• “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” (Isaiah 26:3)
• “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

 God does not punish or judge.

• “He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45)
• “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)
• “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more..” (John 8:11)
• “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” (Revelation 21:3–4)

God is omnipotent.

• “I am God, and there is none else.” (Isaiah 46:9)
• “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord.” (Deuteronomy 6:4)
• “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord.” (Zechariah 4:6)
• “Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.” (Psalm 147:5)
• “He uttered his voice, the earth melted.” (Psalm 46:6)

Know and practice the principles.

• “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32)
• “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” (John 13:17)
• “Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only.” (James 1:22)

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[1] Recording 551A,  1963 Instructions for Teaching The Infinite Way, “The Simplicity of the Healing Work.”
[2] Recording 203B, 1958 Adelaide Closed Class, “How to Heal – Side One Continued.”