IV. Your Function in the Atonement, P 1
1 When you accept a brother’s guiltlessness you will see the Atonement in him. For by proclaiming it in him you make it yours, and you will see what you sought. You will not see the symbol of your brother’s guiltlessness shining within him while you still believe it is not there. His guiltlessness is your Atonement. Grant it to him, and you will see the truth of what you have acknowledged. Yet truth is offered first to be received, even as God gave it first to His Son. The first in time means nothing, but the First in eternity is God the Father, Who is both First and One. Beyond the First there is no other, for there is no order, no second or third, and nothing but the First.
Journey
What I got from this paragraph is that I will not see my brother as guiltless until I believe in his guiltlessness. While I look with the ego I will see guilt because that is all the ego has to offer. If I decide with the ego that my brother is guilty, I will not be able to see innocence because what I decide on is true for me. This is why I ask the Holy Spirit to decide for me. I need a new decision in order to see differently. The ego will not give me a new decision, but the Holy Spirit will.
I will not see myself as innocent as long as I see my brother as guilty. Seeing the guilt undone in my brother releases me of my belief in my own guilt. The ego would keep the mind trapped in guilt. It argues that the other is guilty and so there is no innocence to see. It uses the same argument against me, so if I accept it for my brother I will accept it for me.
The Holy Spirit says that no matter what I think I see, it is not possible for us to be guilty because we were created innocent. If I accept His judgment instead of the ego’s I will see the innocence. Acceptance comes first, and then vision to see. This is so hard for us to accept because we have taught ourselves to believe that what the body’s eyes show us came first, then the reaction came next. But this is not how it actually works. We choose what to believe and then the eyes show it to us.
Here is an example of this. I see someone I know steal something from me. This seems to prove that she is guilty of being a thief. I saw it with my own eyes so it must be true. Now guilt has been reinforced in the mind. But I have been studying A Course in Miracles and I don’t entirely believe in guilt anymore. So I take a leap of faith. I ask the Holy Spirit to decide for me how to see this.
I realize that, in spite of appearances, my friend cannot be guilty, and this decision makes it possible for the Holy Spirit shows me her innocence. My friend wants to be happy, just like I want to be happy. She is confused about what will make her happy. Her confusion does not make her guilty. Her confusion cannot make her guilty. God created her innocent and therefore she is innocent. That must mean that my sins are meaningless as well, because I, too, was created innocent. First, comes acceptance of the truth, then comes the realization of the truth. It cannot be the other way around.
© Copyright 2017, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
You may freely share copies of this with your friends, provided this notice is included.
Has this page been helpful to you?
Your contribution in support of this site is greatly appreciated. To make a tax deductible contribution or become a member online, go to http://www.pathwaysoflight.org/polshop/home.php?cat=254.
Or send a check or money order to Pathways of Light, 6 Oak Court, Ormond Beach, FL 32174-2623 (USD only, please) Thank you for your support.