A Course in Miracles Text Made Simple

To gain the most from A Course in Miracles Text Made Simple, we recommend that
you read the corresponding chapter and section in the Text of the Second or
Third Edition of A Course in Miracles published by the Foundation for Inner Peace.


Tell a Friend about this article or send the link with a
Printable Page

Click link to go to:
Previous SectionNext SectionChapter Index

Chapter 15: The Holy Instant

Section VII: The Needless Sacrifice

Read ACIM Chapter 15, Section VII (pages 317-320)

In truth, are there many different kinds of love?

In the first paragraph Jesus describes the Love between the Father and His Son. He reminds us that this Love is the only thing that will satisfy us. Mic Jagger sings the lament of the world when he says, “I can’t get no satisfaction.” We try and try again to get satisfaction from the special love relationships found in this illusionary world of separation. Jesus wants to help us understand that the false images of the ego are not reality and will never bring us satisfaction.

He says, “There is no other love that can satisfy you, because there is no other love. This is the only Love that is fully given and fully returned. Being complete, It asks nothing. Being wholly pure, everyone joined in It has everything.” (1:2-5) Let us think about what Jesus is telling us here. He is helping us understand that there is no other love than our Love for God and His Love for us. And because this Love is fully given and fully received, this Love is total and holds no reservations.

How do we become aware of God’s total Love for us?

Exercise: Relax and let the Holy Spirit bring you the awareness of God’s total Love for you and your total Love for Him. Open your mind to that awareness. Let in the feeling of your closeness to God. Let yourself become aware that, in your true Reality, you are receiving and giving all of God’s Love, now and for eternity. In truth, God’s Love for you and your Love for Him does not change. It does not come and go. Because this Love is all inclusive, It is not special. It is your Reality forever.

What does Jesus call the needless sacrifice?

What we call love in this world is just the specialness that the ego mind craves for. With special love there are differences. It comes and goes because it is not eternal. The needless sacrifice (separation from Love) that the ego asks of us is to give up, or sacrifice, our real Identity, which is eternally at one with all Love, at one with God and all our brothers. Within the oneness of God, Love is always fully given and fully received in a nonstop flow of communication to all of Itself. The ego sacrifices God’s Love in an attempt to establish a unique and separate identity. This can only seem to be accomplished by denying Love’s presence.

There is a very helpful description of the meaning of sacrifice found in Section XI of Chapter 15 that is useful to help us clearly understand what Jesus is telling us here in Section VII. He tells us, “You who believe that sacrifice is love must learn that sacrifice is separation from love. For sacrifice brings guilt as surely as love brings peace. Guilt is the condition of sacrifice, as peace is the condition for the awareness of your relationship with God. Through guilt you exclude your Father and your brothers from yourself.” (T-15.XI.4:1-4)

The ego is the belief that by separating from God (sacrificing the Self) it can become master of its own domain. It believes it can usurp the power of God. In this insane thought system, the ego perceives itself as the maker of all it looks upon. This gives the illusion of power. But what it does not recognize is that by separating from Love, it has cut itself off from the Source of all power. All that it has left is the capacity to make and believe in illusions. It is only belief that seems to give the illusions power. But the moment belief is withdrawn, the illusions disappear. The ego seems to have made a grand and complex universe, but this is accomplished only by sacrificing Reality through separating from It. Having attacked Reality (Love), guilt is inevitable and attack is expected in return.

Why is judgment and guilt so attractive to the ego?

Remember that the ego is the idea of separation. Consequently, it attempts to solve all perceived problems by using guilt as a means to make separation seem real. With separation as the foundation of its thought system, it teaches us that everything we see is separate from us and therefore what we do to others has no effect on us. “For it is the ego’s fundamental doctrine that what you do to others you have escaped.” (4:2) The ego would have us believe that if we judge another we are not judging ourselves; if we see guilt in another we have freed ourselves of guilt.

He tells us, “The sick attraction to guilt must be recognized for what it is. For having been made real to you, it is essential to look at it clearly, and by withdrawing your investment in [guilt], to learn to let it go [forgive]. (3:1-2) Most of the time we do not realize that when we become angry with someone, what is happening at an unconscious level is that we are joining with the ego’s idea of safety. Jesus tells us, “[The ego] counsels, therefore, that if you are host to it, it will enable you to direct its anger outward, thus protecting you. And thus it embarks on an endless, unrewarding chain of special relationships, forged out of anger and dedicated to but one insane belief; that the more anger you invest outside yourself, the safer you become.” (4:5-6)

In paragraphs 2 through 12 Jesus goes into detail describing the ego’s replacement for God’s Love for you and your Love for Him. He describes the ego’s relationships in such detail, not to make us feel guilty for what we are believing in, but to help us see it clearly for the insanity that it is. He wants us to see how hopeless it is to try to find satisfaction within the ego’s thought system. He wants us to see how depressing and stressful our projections of guilt really are and that they will never bring us the experience of the truly rewarding eternal relationship we have with God.

To break the chain of an endless series of unrewarding special relationships, we need to look closely at these relationships with the Holy Spirit Who will show us the truth behind the false stories the ego has made. Because the ego is dedicated to maintaining guilt, it carefully disguises the guilt in its special relationships, telling us that they are loving relationships. When we look closely at ego based relationships, we will see that this is not what we really want. We will recognize the guilt that these relationships hold in place. To the ego, relationships mean that bodies are together. It denies the communication the Holy Spirit would bring.

How does the Holy Spirit teach true communication?

To the Holy Spirit communication means union or joining as one Mind. The ego avoids this at all costs because the ego believes that minds must be kept private to maintain its separate identity. Jesus shows us how the ego thinks: “...if their bodies are together their minds remain their own. The union of bodies thus becomes the way in which they would keep minds apart.” (11:5-6) Because the Holy Spirit does not believe in bodies, He will always show you true communication, or union. He will always help you move past guilt, which is the cause of all feelings of loneliness and abandonment. The Holy Spirit teaches by bringing us the experience of the holy instant. The holy instant is the experience of true communication, of total union and completion. “And here it is that you experience yourself as you were created, and as you are.” (14:10)

Tell a Friend about this article.
Printable Page

Click link to go to:
Previous SectionNext SectionChapter Index

Has this page been helpful to you?
Your contribution to support this site is greatly appreciated. To make a tax deductible contribution with a credit/debit card, click here.
Click here to donate from your PayPal account.
Or send a check to Pathways of Light, 12530 Lions Chase Court, Huntley, IL 60142.

This section has been viewed 2251206 times

Reference Keys for
A Course in Miracles Quotes

How to Read References for Quotes from A Course in Miracles

Below are example references to specific sentences using the notation of the Second & Third Editions of A Course in Miracles published by the Foundation for Inner Peace:

T-26.IV.4:7 = Text, Chapt. 26, Section IV, paragraph 4, sentence 7.

W-pI.169.5:2 = Workbook, Part I, Lesson 169, paragraph 5, sentence 2.

M-13.3:2 = Manual for Teachers, Question 13, paragraph 3, sentence 2.

C-6.4:6 = Clarification of Terms, Term 6, paragraph 4, sentence 6

The above numbering system of the Second & Third Editions is © Copyright 1992, The Foundation for A Course in Miracles.
 

Free Online Resources

Electronic "Magazine"Sign up to receive periodic emails with thoughts to ponder, inspirational articles and the latest news.

Subscribe to daily emails of Workbook Lesson Insights.

ACIM Text Made Simple — answers to hundreds of questions about the Text. Click here.

Daily Inspiration Blog — Thoughts to inspire your day. Click here.

Inspiring journals by Pathways of Light ministers applying the principles of ACIM. Click here.

Miracles News — hundreds of inspiring miracle stories. Click here.
 

We'd Like to Hear from You

Request Free Printed Program & Product Catalog

Or call 1-800-323-7284 (US & Canada) or 386-615-7284.

Click here to email your questions.

United Kingdom: Click here to email your questions about Pathways of Light in the UK or call +44 (0) 207 7262 0209.

Give us your feedback or report site problems.
 

Pathways Ministers Audio/Videos

ACIM Spiritual Counselor Training

Inspired by the principles presented in A Course in Miracles, this ministry training focuses on accepting the mind healing that is guided by the Teacher within, the Holy Spirit. As our minds are healed, we become Holy Spirit’s instruments of healing. For more information click here.
 

ACIM Practitioner Courses

If you would like a deeper understanding of key principles of A Course in Miracles, the 24 Pathways of Light ACIM Practitioner courses provide a complete, multimedia package to help you make ACIM principles a ready resource to call upon in your mind throughout your day. Click here for more information.
 

Featured Items

Minister training based on A Course in Miracles Spiritual Counselor Training — based on principles of A Course in Miracles, including ordination. More….

Hey, Holy Spirit,
It's Me Again Hey, Holy Spirit, It's Me Again by Rev. Myron Jones. An indispensable guide for anyone on the path of ACIM with insights on the 1st 90 lessons. More….

Tru Eternal Life and A Course in Miracles by Jon Mundy, Phd. A Path to Eternity in the Essential Text. Learn more.

True Forgiveness True Forgiveness by Rev. Jennifer McSween. The Proven Path from Pain to Power in 5 Simple Steps. Learn more.

Listen & Receive 30-Day Home Study Listen & Receive 30-Day Home Study Learn to receive insight for your life in a form that is perfect for you …heal fears, find joy & peace. Learn more.

Minister training based on A Course in Miracles Spiritual Counselor Training — based on principles of A Course in Miracles, including ordination. More….

Miracles Practitioner courses24 ACIM Practitioner courses including 50-page study guide, CD's with facilitator. More….

Tru Live Your Happy by Rev. Maria Felipe. A real-world approach to living happily, based on A Course in Miracles. Learn more.

From the Christ Mind From the Christ Mind scribed by Darrell Morley Price. A simple, yet profound message that you can immediately apply to current circumstances. More….

Forgiving KevinForgiving Kevin Audio book by Rev. Larry Glenz. A moving and inspiring true story of a father/son relationship that withstood seven years of addiction, recovery, and relapse. More….

Healing Family
RelationshipsHealing Family Relationships Applying the Principles of A Course in Miracles 6 CD audio book by Rev. Myron Jones. Learn how family relationships offer fertile grounds for forgiveness and healing your judgments of the world. More.

 
 
Minister Courses | Studies of ACIM | Self-Study | FAQ | Miracles News
Membership | Ministers/Facilitators | ACIM Counseling | Relationship Counseling | Links | Healing Journals
ACIM Study Groups | ACIM Lesson Insights | ACIM Text Made Simple | Store | Daily Inspiration
Home | Contact Us | Donate with credit card | Donate from PayPal | © 1997-2024 Pathways of Light®