Lessons In Truth - Lesson 4 - Annotation 2
Did Jesus teach that He was the means through which we may reach God?
2. Jesus did not teach that He was the means through which we may reach God. He said,
"But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thine inner chamber, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret, and thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee" (Matt. 6:6).
However, He also said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6), and "I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved" (John 10:9). In making these statements He was directing attention to the I AM, the Christ, the Spirit of God that dwells within every human being and which Jesus recognized as His own indwelling divinity and source of power.
The "way" represents the road that one must travel in fulfilling the plan; and the "means" refers to the resources that one must use. Jesus, the Man, is not the means of our reaching God, nor is He the "way" for the Christ Spirit within us is the "Way" or our "hope of glory" (Col. 1:27). Jesus is the Way-Shower, He teaches us how to make active the spiritual resources of our being, which are the ideas that are our divine inheritance.
When we follow Jesus' example and His teachings we consciously become aware of God, just as He did. Jesus said, "Follow me" (John 12:26), but He also said, "it is expedient that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you" (John 16:7). In His great understanding Jesus knew that so long as the disciples looked to Him as the "Way" rather than as the Way-Shower they would not turn to God's presence, the Comforter within, but would continue to look outside of themselves for the way to reach God. Jesus' entire ministry was focused on the premise that we are all God's children. Through His teachings and His example, He showed us how to apply the same spiritual laws that He used to fulfill Himself as God's perfect Son.
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Preceding Entry: What is the meaning of denial? What happens to inharmonious conditions when denials are used?
Following Entry: What is the real Self of every man? Is the real Self ever sick?
