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.

Chapter 30: The New Beginning

Section II. Freedom of Will

Read A Course in Miracles, Chapter 30, Section II. (pages 629-630)

What does the Holy Spirit tell us when we are willing?

The Holy Spirit lets us know our real will. When we joined with the thought system of separation, we lost sight of our real will and as a result, we experience an underlying sense of loss and lack. That is why we constantly feel a need to look for something outside ourselves for our happiness. Jesus explains: “[The Holy Spirit] tells you but your will; He speaks for you. In His Divinity is but your own. And all He knows is but your knowledge, saved for you that you may do your will through Him.” (1:2-4)

What is our true will?

In truth, joining with Heaven’s oneness is our will. Heaven is our Source, our beingness, our Essence. Heaven is our true Identity. Another way to put this is that Heaven is the Mind of God, Which we never left.

Our real will is to return to the awareness that we never left Heaven. We are still safe in the Mind of God and in Reality, we never left. When we are willing to let go of the false belief in separation, the Holy Spirit brings us back to the awareness that we never left Heaven. We never left God’s oneness. God is our Friend, not our enemy. God’s all encompassing Love is What we all are. Returning to our true Identity is our freedom from all the perceived limitation and lack that we find in our dream of separation from God’s oneness.

Why did God give us the Holy Spirit?

God gave us the Holy Spirit to insure that we would never lose our will. Jesus tells us, “Hear [the Holy Spirit] now, that you may be reminded of His Love and learn your will. God would not have His Son made prisoner to what he does not want. He joins with you in willing you be free. And to oppose Him is to make a choice against yourself, and choose that you be bound.” (2:7-10)

Here we see why it is so important to devote time to stepping back from our story to listen to our inner Teacher, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit only comes to us when we give Him welcome. As we are willing to relax and listen, the still, small Voice of Love will be there. You can tell you are truly giving Him welcome when you feel His peace, comfort and sense of well-being. As you rest in His peace, what you need to know will be there in your awareness. You will be able to laugh with Holy Spirit at the ego’s stories instead of taking illusions of separation seriously.

How do we extend freedom instead of bondage?

Jesus answers it this way: “This world awaits the freedom you will give when you have recognized that you are free. But you will not forgive the world until you have forgiven Him Who gave your will to you. For it is by your will the world is given freedom. Nor can you be free apart from Him Whose holy Will you share.” (4:6) Believing we are separate from God is bondage because we believe we are not free to express our real will which we share with God.

Why does Jesus say that when we forgive our brother, we are forgiving God?

We forgive God when we remember that our brother is not our enemy, but our friend. Because every brother is really the Christ and not the separated body that we think is there, when we let go of this false idea or forgive, we are allowing the truth to return to our mind. Because minds are joined and not separated, as we allow our mind to be healed by the Holy Spirit, our healed mind is shared by every brother.

Jesus tells us: “God turns to you to ask the world be saved, for by your own salvation is it healed. And no one walks upon the earth but must depend on your decision, that he learn death has no power over him, because he shares your freedom as he shares your will. It is your will to heal him, and because you have decided with him, he is healed. And now is God forgiven, for you chose to look upon your brother as friend.” (5:1-4)

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