A: And the answer is this: As long as there is a trace of material consciousness about us—whether we’re practitioners, whether we’re teachers, lecturers, or halfway up the ladder to masterhood—wherever we are, if there is a trace left in us of humanhood, that trace must be externalized. There is no such thing as un-externalized consciousness. Every bit of consciousness is externalized. If we are the Christ—by which I mean if we are continuously in a state of love, forgiveness, generosity, praying for enemies, blessing those that hurt us—if we are continuously in that state of Christhood, then in that degree do we manifest harmony of being, of body, of purse.
Now, because we are never in the full and complete Christhood, because to each one of us, there still clings traits of humanhood, be assured of this: It is for that reason that those traits are externalized as the problems which teachers and practitioners still must undergo. Jesus Christ, at this moment, is not experiencing a single discord or inharmony. Whether Paul is still carrying with him his thorn in the flesh, I do not know, but you know he did carry it with him, and that thorn in the flesh was his particular state of humanhood, not yet overcome.
The Master did say, “I have overcome the world.” I have never seen those words in the literature of any other teacher on the face of the globe. And so, it may be suspected that he is the only individual, or at least the only one we know of, who overcame entirely this world. So, never ask yourself, “Why am I going through this experience?” It is because, in some degree, the universal belief . . . now I don’t mean by that that you are sinning. I don’t mean by that that you’re not living up to the very highest concept of your realization. Oh, no. You may be and still have problems. But you have not entirely overcome—nor have I—the universal human beliefs for which we personally are not responsible.
Never forget that—that you and I are not responsible for our errors. You and I didn’t choose them; you and I didn’t seek them. As a matter of fact, there isn’t anyone in this room that wants a single error in their system that they know about. There isn’t anyone in this room that wouldn’t drop every single one of them right now if they had the capacity. We do not have that capacity for this reason: They are not your errors or mine. They are universal beliefs, and to some extent, they are operating in our consciousness as heredity, or the result of environment, or the result of false education, or the result of false theology.
Be assured of this: there are universal beliefs operating in us and taking their toll on us for which we are not responsible. And these will not be entirely overcome, except in the measure that we continue our study, our unfoldment, our touching of this Christ, until It wholly takes over and liberates us from all mortal beliefs. Then, of course, it may be said in us, “I have overcome the world.”
But of this, you may be assured: You will never make that statement, nor will I. You will never have the capacity to make that statement. If that statement is ever made in your experience, it will be made within you and through you. It will declare unto you, “I have overcome your world.” You will never say it. You will never be given the opportunity to boast that you overcame this world any more than you will ever be able to boast that you overcame a disease or healed someone. Never, never! But a voice may come in your ear and say, “I have now overcome your world. No longer are you subject to the aches and pains, the discords and inharmonies of this world. I go before you to make the crooked places straight.” Do you see that?
But that only comes in the degree of our reaching that height of consciousness. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” There you are. God is not mocked; Consciousness is not mocked. You can’t have one percent of material consciousness and a hundred percent of spiritual demonstration. You cannot mock this law. As long as there is a trace of humanness in you, there will be a trace of humanness externalized. And it may today be good humanhood, and tomorrow, it may be bad humanhood, but it will be humanhood. So, when there is no longer a trace of humanhood, then is consciousness full and clear in the Spirit, and then there is no longer material manifestation.
1This copyrighted excerpt is from Recording 78B: 1954 Honolulu Lecture Series, “Importance of Study and Meditation in Spiritual Living.” It is posted with kind permission from the Estate of Joel Goldsmith, which holds the copy protection on the recorded classes and the copyright on the transcripts. The full transcript of this recording is available from The Infinite Way website or by calling 1-800-922-3195.
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