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.

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Chapter 9: The Acceptance of the Atonement

Section IV: The Holy Spirit’s Plan of Forgiveness

Read ACIM Chapter 9, Section IV (pages 168-170)

What does the ego’s existence depend on?

The ego’s existence depends on our belief in its fantasies. The core ego fantasy is that we have succeeded in separating from our Source and Creator. From this a whole universe of fantasies springs forth. Being dependent on these fantasies for its existence, the ego will never question their reality. Rather, it will always seek to make them more real. Naturally the ego’s plan for forgiveness fits into this scheme. By first believing that something happened and then trying to disregard it or put it out of mind, it holds the illusion in place.

Where does the ego keep what it wants to hide from our awareness?

The unconscious mind is the ego’s repository for all the illusions it wants to keep held in place but which we do not want to be aware of. By seeming to put thoughts and beliefs out of awareness, we have the illusion of overlooking them while still hanging on to them. The ego smiles happily at this charade because it keeps it safely entrenched in our mind. To break free from this imprisoning cycle, we need help from outside the ego thought system. This is why we need the Holy Spirit’s plan of forgiveness. The Holy Spirit gives no credence to any ego ideas.

What is the difference between the ego’s and the Holy Spirit’s plan for correction?

The ego’s plan for correction is to make the error unconscious rather than undo it. This allows the ego thought system to remain in place by making us unaware of the intense fear and guilt that we would surely reject if we were conscious of it. On the other hand the Holy Spirit’s plan for correction is to undo the error at its source in our minds. This is why it is important that we not hide from our errors, which are our mistaken beliefs in being a separate identity.

The initial error of believing that separation is real is played out in our life experience in myriad ways every day. That is why it is essential that we develop a habit of taking all our perceptions to the Holy Spirit for His reinterpretation. When we let Him, the Holy Spirit will reinterpret what we have perceived in His own Light of perfect Love. He will show us that what we thought confirmed our separation is not true. As we accept this, He will undo the effects of the error because the error was not real and therefore had no effect in truth.

How do we reach true perception?

This practice, done moment by moment, takes us back up the ladder that we have descended into the hell of separation. We undo all the images of separation until we reach the point of true perception, where we see that everything is in truth part of us and we stand at the threshold of the unity of Heaven. To the ego this process seems like it must be endless because there seem to be so many different forms to forgive. But as we work with the Holy Spirit, we learn to see more and more that what seemed to be different is really all the same. We come to the point of realizing that there is really only one error, the belief that separation occurred. With the Holy Spirit’s help we let that go and we return with joy to the welcoming arms of our loving Creator. We return to the awareness of reality.

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