Worship God in Spirit and in Truth [The Inner Jerusalem] - Part 3

[Guest guest]

Worship God " in Spirit and in Truth " [The Inner Jerusalem] - Part 3

(The Woman of Samaria, Part II)

 

Salvation comes to all

who have made sufficient

spiritual effort

 

(p.308) When Jesus said that " salvation is of the Jews, " he was not referring to

the Jews as a nation, but to the exalted class or caste of spiritually developed

souls. In India the highest caste, the Brahmins, originally designated those who

knew God (Brahma). Hereditary membership in that caste is not a guarantee of

such realization; only those who have made sufficient spiritual effort and have

become knowers of God can rightfully lay claim to the title of Brahmin; and for

them liberation is assured. So Jesus' statement that salvation is of the Jews

did not exclude the rest of mankind. He meant that salvation is for the

spiritually exalted--the position, socially speaking, generally accorded to the

Jews, who were held to represent the highest standard of spirituality in that

place and time. [1]

 

Jesus said: " God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in

spirit and in truth. "

 

The terms 'God' and 'Spirit', theosophically speaking, are mutually exclusive,

but are semantically interchangeable in common usage where no distinction is

required.

 

Definitions of " God "

and " Spirit "

 

'Spirit' signifies the unmanifested Absolute. In the darkless dark and lightless

light of eternal infinity--void of even the slightest ripple of thought or

vibratory activity to manifest creation; where even the categories of space,

time, and dimension are nonexistent--there abides only ever-existing,

ever-conscious, ever-new Bliss that is Spirit. " Where no sun or moon or fire

shines, that is My Supreme Abode. " [2]

 

'God' implies the transcendental Creator, beyond creation but existing in

relation to the manifestation that evolves from Him. When relative creation is

dissolved again into its Creator, then God becomes Spirit, the unmanifested

Absolute. [3]

 

God remains transcendental as both the source of cosmic becomings and immanent

as their sum and substance. In manifesting creation, when Spirit becomes God the

Creator, His transcendence is reflected in creation as the guiding Universal

Intelligence. Thus, God is Divine Intelligence manifesting creation. Spirit is

Divine Intelligence with creation dissolved in It. So, in truth, God is Spirit

become the Father of creation. He is all things in creation; but the

manifestations of creation are not God. His Spirit nature never changes, though

a portion of that Consciousness is garbed in a delusive medley of

diversification.

 

The Second Coming of Christ (The Resurrection of the Christ Within

You) Volume 1, Discourse 18, pg. 308-309

Paramahansa Yogananda

Printed in the United States of America 1434-J881

ISBN-13:978-0-87612-557-1

ISBN-10:0-87612-557-7

 

Notes:

 

[1] In the verses cited in the next Discourse, Jesus showed his willingness to

remain with the Samaritans for two days, during which his presence and teaching

so uplifted them that they acknowledged him as " Savior of the world " --not just

for one race or religion.

 

[2] 'God Talks With Arjuna: The Bhagavad Gita' XV:6.

 

[3] See Discourse 1.