"Doing" Good or "Being" Good?
We all know the Christmas song, "Santa Claus is coming to town."
"He sees you when you are sleeping
He knows when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake!"
Or is it a disguised spiritual teaching rhyme devised to subliminally teach everyone that God wants them to be good? Maybe not.
Nonetheless, the above lyrics do vaguely reflect the age-old belief that only those who are good will know God.
But what if the truth is actually 180 degrees opposite such a belief? What if only by knowing God does one really become aware of goodness?
Jesus Christ, in A Course in Miracles, gives us a hint:
The ego sees SOME good, but never ONLY good. That is WHY its perceptions are so variable. It does not reject goodness entirely, for this you could not accept, but it always ADDS something that is NOT real TO the real, thus CONFUSING ILLUSION AND REALITY. (Text Chap. 11)
The conclusion is implied: If we could see as the Holy Spirit sees, free of ego perception, we would see only good. Why? Because only good is what is really there. All else is illusion.
The next question is begged: If our perception is faulty, how would we ever be able to know whether we were doing good?
Jesus in the Bible gives an answer:
And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. (John 5:29-30)
In this passage, doing good vs. doing evil is directly connected to stepping back from ego and seeking only the will of the Father. Jesus elaborates in A Course in Miracles:
To say "of myself I can do nothing" is to gain all power. As god created you, you HAVE all power. The image you made of yourself has none.
Who assumes a power that he does not possess is deceiving himself. Yet to accept the power given him by God is but to acknowledge his Creator and accept His Gifts. And His gifts have no limit. (ACIM Manual for Teachers)
But wait! Jesus speaks as if he does not do good, but rather lets himself be out of the way ... and good is. In A Course in Miracles, he reinforces this idea:
When peace comes at last to those who wrestle with temptation, and fight against giving in to sin; when the light comes at last into the mind given to contemplation, or when the goal is finally achieved by anyone, it ALWAYS comes with just ONE happy realization, - "I need do nothing." Here is the ultimate release that everyone will one day find in his own way, at his own time. (Text Chap. 22)
"Oh, do you mean I never had to fight against evil?" That's what Jesus says. "Do you mean my very attempt to live sinlessly was in and of itself a separation from good? All I had to do all along was quit trying and let God be all?" Now Jesus is smiling ... because now you are beginning to get the idea. You are good. You are a child of God and just as God is good so are his offspring. Here is how Jesus states it:
Your sinlessness is guaranteed by God. Over and over this must be repeated, until it is accepted. It is true. Your sinlessness is guaranteed by God. Nothing can touch it, nor can change what God created as eternal. The self you made, evil and full of sin, is meaningless. Your sinlessness is guaranteed by God, and light and joy and peace abide in you.
Salvation requires the acceptance of but one thought; you are as God created you, not what you made of yourself. Whatever evil you may think you did, you are as God created you. Whatever mistakes you made, the truth about you is unchanged. Creation is eternal and unalterable. Your sinlessness is guaranteed by God. You are and will forever be exactly as you were created. Light and joy and peace abide in you because God put them there. (ACIM Lesson 93)
Does this mean the only thing little children have to do for Santa Claus to come is be themselves? Does it mean that in reality Santa loves every little child and automatically forgives their behavior and gives his gifts regardless?
Jesus is smiling again. He doesn't want you watching yourself and worrying about sin, he wants you watching outside of yourself for God. He doesn't want you crying, he wants you choosing happiness. He doesn't want you pouting, he wants you experiencing joy. Here, listen:
"Oh! You better watch ... out,
You better not cry,
You better not pout,
I'm telling you why:
Santa Claus is coming to town!”
Each month our Holy Spirit gives a message of prophetic revelation which helps individuals open spiritually and understand Jesus' teaching.
If you would like to receive an email each month containing a link to the latest message from our Holy Spirit, please email us with "ADD" in the subject line: holyinstant@aol.com
"...nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:21)
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