Series 2 - Lesson 5 - Annotation 14
What is the place of man's overcoming?
14. The "place" of man's overcoming is in his own individual consciousness or soul (i.e., the conscious thinking and subconscious feeling phases of mind). Our consciousness has within it a "wilderness," or states of mind as yet unknown, and it is only as the Spirit guides us that we are able to handle the mass of subconscious thoughts that must be erased or put in order. There are in this "wilderness" beliefs that do not accord with the Truth standard, so it is in the consciousness that the work of erasing these beliefs and replacing them with Truth is to be done. Our consciousness is the "garden" that we are to tend, or as Gen. 2:5 puts it, "to dress it and to keep it."
Overcoming is the "coming up over" into the Christ consciousness, or into Truth. From this vantage point we are able to view all false beliefs that have been harbored in the subconscious and to deny them, at the same time affirming that which is true. The overcoming is done first in consciousness (mind); then a change takes place in our outer affairs, and the undesirable conditions brought about by adverse states of mind ("the devil") are dissolved.
After denial of error thoughts, affirmation of the truth that we are spiritual beings with a heritage of good becomes a vital process in overcoming. In reality, overcoming is the exercise of our Christ mastery in thinking (conscious phase of mind) and feeling (subconscious phase of mind), so that the ideas of the Superconscious or Christ Mind are handled in the right way. When this is accomplished we have the true "atonement." Charles Fillmore says of "atonement" in The Revealing Word, page 18:
"Reconciliation between God and man through Christ; the uniting of our consciousness with the higher consciousness."
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Preceding Entry: What is the basis of universal unity and cooperation?
Following Entry: Explain how one overcomes wrong beliefs of "the world," "the flesh," and "the devil" as mentioned in the temptation of Jesus recorded in Matt. 4:1-11. (Also recorded in Mark 1:12,13 and Luke 4:1-13).
