XI — Blessed By Grace
Grace is completness.
It is the power of God, active through a person’s faith in Jesus’ perfect realization as his own, to make all desired things complete, good, now.
We pray for this Grace of completion whenever we pray, as Jesus taught us, “Deliver us from evil.” Evil is anything that is not satisfyingly expressed, and so experienced.While, as one teacher has observed, it may be considered something that is the “eve” of our good, a thing is still evil if it is not satisfactorily tangible or visible—completed. And Jesus taught us to pray, “Deliver us from evil.”
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”
But what Lord, what Law, is the “shepherd” of the dearly beloved of the Father and the Son Apparent? Is it the ascended Lord, or the Lord still to be crucified? Whichever one we choose will be our shepherd, our leader. The Lord still to be crucified will lead us to Calvary’s hill—to our cross. The ascended Lord will lead us not through the crucifixion, but over it, to our heaven now. From His loving Hand we receive Grace, the master key to every kingdom we desire, or every “mansion” for which we long.
Shall we not take advantage of the Divine Grace to be delivered from evil?
When a problem faces us, no matter how apparently insoluble it is, let us understand and have faith that Jesus’ ascended consciousness has adjusted it perfectly for us. Let us know that He has provided in us a perfected realization that has solved all problems, triumphed over all difficulties, that may appear before man. Let us understand and trust that this “finished” Christ Jesus faith is in us; that the Word in us is now the Word made flesh, the awareness that the divine idea of the situation is now evident, as either the particular picture we have in mind or something better.
“Through Christ Jesus in me, I have reached the perfect solution, because I have overcome the ‘world’—the beliefs that the matter is not adjusted. In His Name in me, this is finished, perfected, now and forever.”
If illness is “seeming” in our body, let us put on the “seem-less” robe (consciousness) of the ascended Lord. Let us take our stand in Grace.
“Through Christ Jesus life in me, I have overcome all illness.”
If we appear not to be able to find our true place in life, our position in work, let us enter soulfully into our true position as a child of Grace.
“Through Christ Jesus ability in me, I have demonstrated my true position on earth as in heaven.”
If it seems hard to find our desired home, let us go in mind and heart into the “mansion” already awaiting us in Grace.
have already found my perfect home.”
If peace of mind escapes us, we may escape in thought and feeling from emotional turmoil in which, as one saved by Grace, we do not belong.
“Through Christ Jesus in me, I have found peace.”
If indecision plagues us, we may rise out of it by remembering:
“Through Christ Jesus wisdom in me, I have reached the perfect decision in this matter.”
If fear haunts us, let us banish that ghost by turning to the Holy Ghost (Spirit):
“Through Christ Jesus faith in me, I am already freed into everlasting truth and joy.”
If it seems difficult to accomplish something we desire, let us remind ourselves that it is done, in His Name.
“I have done all things desired, through Christ Jesus within, who has strengthened me.”
If discord is evident around us, let us turn in mind and heart to the inner Evidence of harmony.
“Through Christ Jesus love in me, I am already established in good-will and accord.”
If lack of any good in the outer faces us, we should face the Grace, of abundance manifest, within us.
“Through Christ Jesus substance in me I have overcome the world of lack. I am already surrounded by plenty of every good thing I desire and require.”
Yes, dearly beloved of the Father and the Son Apparent, let us take our stand and stake our “land,” in Grace.
“Through Christ Jesus in me, I live in a state of Grace.” Every year since the time of Jesus has been titularly accepted in the Christian world as a year of Grace.
We may accept that this year, and every year, for us is actually a year of Grace; a year in which nothing but Grace touches us and our life.
The Son of man (man not yet arrived at full consciousness of the kingdom) may not have “where to lay his head” (may not lay down the continual vigilance of mental overcoming) but he who knows himself to be the Son of God, hath found his rest in the eternal love. And the Master’s merciful and loving Hand holds out to each of us the kingdom’s master key of Grace.
It is a merciful and loving Hand, we may be sure of that.
Recently in the New York Times Sunday Book Review, there appeared a touching poem by Dylan Thomas from The War Poets (John Day) which grieves over the pitiless power by which men are ruled at the hands of other men in high places—and which seems to accuse the Deity of lack of pity for mankind generally when He permits such expression of “man’s inhumanity to man”:
THE HAND THAT SIGNED THE PAPER FELLED A CITY
The hand that signed the paper felled a city;
Five sovereign fingers taxed the breath,
Doubled the globe of dead and halved a country;
These five kings did a king to death.
The mighty hand leads to a sloping shoulder,
The finger joints are cramped with chalk;
A goose’s quill has put an end to murder
That put an end to talk.
The hand that signed the treaty bred a fever,
And famine grew, and locusts came;
Great is the hand that holds dominion over
Man by a scribbled name.
Five kings count the dead but do not soften
The crusted wound nor pat the brow;
A hand rules pity as a hand rules heaven;
Hands have no tears to flow.
Ah, but this poet does not know that the Hand of the ascended Lord that now rules heaven (and earth where men will accept His sovereignty) has no need for showing pity— for who needs pity in a realm of joy? Or who should weep where night is gone forever? (If tears could flow in heaven it would be no longer heaven.) His Hands “have no tears to flow”—we thank Thee, Father.
If it seems difficult to reach the key within us, unequivocally to take our stand in Grace, we may first ask for a realization of this fullness of God’s mercy. Jesus said, “Ask, and ye shall receive.” Ask for anything—this includes asking for a consciousness of Grace. Having asked, we should expect to receive it. We should anticipate that there will open up in our mind a spiritual “seeing” of wondrous truth—even the realization of the ascended Lord as our Lord and our God.
“Lord, open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law”—of Grace.
We should ask until we receive. When we receive, we shall be able peacefully, joyously, to stand fast in the spiritual discernment we have been given. Light will flash in the mind, dart of divine conviction will find lodgment in the heart. The incandescence of Grace will glow ever more radiantly in the soul. We shall stand—and we shall be delivered, quickly, in perfect ways; in whatever ways are best, most speedy and most satisfying for us at this time.
“I have done all things desired through Christ Jesus within who has strengthened me. ‘I have overcome the world.’”
"All hail the power of Jesus’ Name,
And crown him, crown him, Lord of all.”
And so this is our ascription of praise:
To God the Father, Divine Mind,
God the Son manifest, Christ Jesus in us,
And God the Holy Spirit Comforter, Christ Jesus living through us,
we ascribe all might, majesty, power and dominion, now, henceforth, and forevermore.
© 1947, Crichton Russ Boatwright
