Recording 431B, “Spiritual Power Unveiled,” from the 1961 Canadian Special Class, is the primary source material for Chapter 3, “Spiritual Power Unveiled,” in Awakening Mystical Consciousness.
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This chapter adds depth to our understanding of all four foundational principles of The Infinite Way: the nature of God, the nature of individual being, the nature of error and the nature of prayer. It focuses on the nature of God as omnipotence, the nature of individual being as the Christ, the nature of error as nothingness, and the nature of prayer as listening in quietness and confidence. It can be helpful to use these four principles as a lens for looking at this chapter.
Review the Chapter
One approach to reviewing a chapter is to take each subsection in the chapter and identify the key points that stood out for you. You can also note any new insights or questions that came to you. Questions can be good starting points for contemplation. Here is one example of a review of just the first four subsections in Chapter 3:
A Fear-Ridden World
The Nature of Spiritual Power
Question that arose while studying this section: Could we say that spiritual power is simply IS?
The Folly of Fighting Temporal Power
Question that arose while studying this section: If God is all, and there is nothing but God, why do we even talk about omnipresence and omnipotence?
Proving Spiritual Power Is the All-Power
In this section, Joel tells us what we must do to prove that spiritual power is the only power. He says that it may take a while to discipline ourselves to be able to look at any form of error and realize its non-power. This is because for so many centuries, we have lived in fear of temporal powers. But he makes these suggestions:
How Would You Explain Spiritual Power?
You may have noticed that our study book, Awakening Mystical Consciousness, has three parts. Part 1, “The Nature of Spiritual Power,” comprises the first three chapters of the book: “The Atheism of Material Power,” “Releasing Spiritual Power,” and ‘Spiritual Power Unveiled,” which is our current study chapter.
As we conclude our study of Part 1, “The Nature of Spiritual Power,” it is a good time to review what we have learned about spiritual power.
One way to see how well we grasped what was taught about spiritual power is to imagine how we would explain it to someone else.
Can Spiritual Power Dispel Fear?
The chapter subsection titled “Proving Spiritual Power Is the All-Power” addresses the topic of fear. Joel suggests that we have to get to the point where we can look at any form of error that we have feared, and realize that because God, Spirit, or spiritual power is the only power, the all-power, there are NO other powers.
As stated above, Joel recommends that we start with something simple, like a cold or indigestion, that does not frighten us and work up to the more serious issues. He suggests that we face them directly and refrain from trying to use any power, even God-power to fight it or overcome it.
Whatever I might fear, I am acknowledging a power other than God. But the kingdom of God is within me, so why do I fear anything? God, I, is within me, and no power is greater than I.
Realizing the Christ Within
In our study chapter, Joel emphasizes that the Christ is not something outside us that must be sought. The Christ is already within us, awaiting our recognition and realization. Its function is to live our life, to raise us up, to redeem us, to prepare paths for us, and to prepare mansions for us. This Christ is not here to glorify me; Its function is to glorify God and to prove what life is when it is governed, maintained, and sustained by God.
But how can we come to fully realize this Christ within? Joel suggests that one way is to contemplate questions such as:
He says, “The way is within us. The way is introspection, meditation, inner communion, and recognition that the son of God dwells in us and is ready at all times to speak to us. In fact, It is speaking to us even when we do not hear It.”
When we realize the indwelling Christ, we become witnesses to God’s grace. We can do all things through that Christ, and we have that “My peace,” the peace that passes understanding. Then there is no need to worry or fear. This Christ-presence makes our path straight. We let this indwelling Spirit do its work. We behold God at work and resist the temptation to look for a power to use. We relax in the assurance that God is Spirit, and this Spirit has promised It will never leave us or forsake us. We stop fighting error, or trying to overcome it, and we acknowledge “God in the midst of me is almighty.” Then we see the nature of spiritual power.
Contemplate the Bible Quotations from the Chapter
If you enjoy working with and contemplating Bible passages, here are some that Joel uses in this chapter. The full list for this chapter is in the “List of Scriptural References” at the back of the book.