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Mysteries of John
Chapter 8
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[Mysteries of John]
[Charles Fillmore's Works] [Unity on the Web Home Page]
John: Chapter 8
53 [And they went every man unto his own house: 1 but Jesus
went unto the mount of Olives. 2 And early in the morning
he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto
him; and he sat down, and taught them. 3 And the scribes
and the Pharisees bring a woman taken in adultery; and
having set her in the midst, 4 they say unto him, Teacher,
this woman hath been taken in adultery, in the very act. 5
Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such: what then
sayest thou of her? 6 And this they said, trying him, that
they might have whereof to accuse him. But Jesus stooped
down, and with his finger wrote on the ground. 7 But when
they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said
unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first
cast a stone at her. 8 And he again stooped down, and with
his finger wrote on the ground. 9 And they, when they heard
it, went out one by one, beginning from the eldest, even
unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman,
where she was, in the midst. 10 And Jesus lifted up
himself, and said unto her, Woman, where are they? did no
man condemn thee? 11 And she said, No man, Lord. And Jesus
said, Neither do I condemn thee: go thy way; from
henceforth sin no more.]
JESUS' GOING UP into the Mount of Olives means the soul's
ascending to the state of consciousness where absolute
Truth is manifest and from this high vantage point teaching
a lesson in brotherly love to the intellectual faculties.
Sometimes the intellectual faculties imagine they are in
supreme authority, as in this case, where the woman caught
in adultery is presented as an example. "Now, spiritual
man, what are you going to do about that?
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Under the law, we are told, we must stone her." Jesus, here
symbolizing the indwelling Christ, writes on the ground and
says, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast
a stone at her." The intellectual faculties, thus trapped
in their own conceit, slink away.
The Christ questions this adulterous state of
consciousness: "Woman, where are they? did no man condemn
thee?" The reply is "No man, Lord." The final injunction is
"Neither do I condemn thee: go thy way; from henceforward
sin no more." Thus the overcoming power of the Christ Mind
is doing its perfect work.
12 Again therefore Jesus spake unto them, saying, I am the
light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in
the darkness, but shall have the light of life. 13 The
Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest witness of
thyself; thy witness is not true. 14 Jesus answered and
said unto them, Even if I bear witness of myself, my
witness is true; for I know whence I came, and whither I
go; but ye know not whence I come, or whither I go. 15 Ye
judge after the flesh; I judge no man. 16 Yet and if I
judge, my judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I and
the Father that sent me. 17 Yea and in your law it is
written, that the witness of two men is true. 18 I am he
that beareth witness of myself, and the Father that sent me
beareth witness of me. 19 They said therefore unto him,
Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye know neither me,
nor my Father: if ye knew me, ye would know my Father also.
20 These words spake he in the treasury, as he taught in
the temple: and no man took him; because his hour was not
yet come.
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The Christ within is always declaring, "I am the light of
the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in the
darkness, but shall have the light of life." The first
lesson in spiritual development to be learned is that
everyone has within him the light of divine understanding.
Those who do not recognize that they have this inner light
are thinking intellectually instead of spiritually. The
Christ light comes forth from God and under all
circumstances is aware of its source. It places all
judgment in the Father, knowing that its light is from that
source alone. The intellectual man has no conception of
this truth but depends more on man-made judgment.
Jesus (symbolizing the Christ) was working in the substance
consciousness and under the light of Spirit and was master
of the situation. Therefore no man took Him, because His
hour was not yet come. He put all protection under God, who
was ever-present as His witness and defense.
21 He said therefore again unto them, I go away, and ye
shall seek me, and shall die in your sin: whither I go, ye
cannot come. 22 The Jews therefore said, Will he kill
himself, that he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come? 23
And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from
above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I
said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins:
for except ye believe that I am he, ye shall die in your
sins. 25 They said therefore unto him, Who art thou? Jesus
said unto them, Even that which I have also spoken unto you
from the beginning. 26 I have many things to speak and to
judge concerning you: howbeit he that sent me is true; and
the things which I heard from him, these speak I unto the
world. 27 They perceived not that he
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spake to them of the Father. 28 Jesus therefore said, When
ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I
am he, and that I do nothing of myself, but as the Father
taught me, I speak these things. 29 And he that sent me is
with me; he hath not left me alone; for I do always the
things that are pleasing to him. 30 As he spake these
things, many believed on him.
Jesus, symbolizing the I AM, the Christ, again is
proclaiming Truth from the absolute standpoint. As He
persists the light of Christ eventually does filter into
consciousness. Through self-righteous adherence to outer
forms man resists his true unfoldment or evolution. The
egotistical personality assumes that its world of phenomena
is real and that all talk about disappearing into spirit is
illusion. Sanctimoniousness develops from the belief that
intellect can be spiritually sanctified. The spiritual mind
(the I AM) is the Saviour and is working to come into
evidence. It is working to redeem the self-righteous,
Pharisaical, intellectual man. When this man has been
lifted up, "then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do
nothing of myself, but as the Father taught me. I speak
these things."
31 Jesus therefore said to those Jews that had believed
him, If ye abide in my word, then are ye truly my
disciples; 32 and ye shall know the truth, and the truth
shall make you free. 33 They answered unto him, We are
Abraham's seed, and have never yet been in bondage to any
man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? 34 Jesus
answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Every one
that committeth sin is the bondservant of sin. 35 And the
bondservant abideth not in the house for ever: the son
abideth for ever.
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36 If therefore the Son shall make you free, ye shall be
free indeed.
An understanding of Truth comes only to those who abide
faithfully in the teachings of Jesus. They alone are free
who persist in holding to the true view of life, regardless
of preaccepted theories, and who obey only the voice of the
higher self, which holds them to an unswerving performance
of the right, both mental and outer, instead of following
the voice of their own desires.
The subject of freedom is inexhaustible. The quest of
freedom is endless and is unfulfilled save in the Christ
consciousness. The Jews did not understand the teachings of
Jesus on this subject. As the chosen people, they were in
bondage to racial pride, and their intemperance in this
regard was difficult to uproot.
The "house" is man's body. No one who allows intemperate
desires to rule his life and to gain expression through his
thought and conduct can hope to remain long in the body or
to experience in it any measure of true satisfaction. Only
the "Son," the self-forgetting, loving, helpful
concentration of all the powers on the gaining of a higher
understanding of the forces that control mankind, can bring
full and complete freedom. Once this power of concentration
is gained and practiced, perfect freedom is indeed assured.
But concentration does not spring, perfect and
full-fledged, from beneath the fleeting wing of the random
resolve; it requires the faithful giving of oneself to the
practice of the presence
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of God. "Abideth" entails a continuing in the Christ state
of mind and heart.
Jesus in effect said, "If you live in the spirit of My
teachings, you will become truly My disciples, and you will
be freed from all your limitations through the
understanding of Truth that comes to you as the result of
your steadfastness."
37 I know that ye are Abraham's seed: yet ye seek to kill
me, because my word hath not free course in you. 38 I speak
the things which I have seen with my Father: and ye also do
the things which ye heard from your father. 39 They
answered and said unto him, Our father is Abraham. Jesus
saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do
the works of Abraham. 40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man
that hath told you the truth, which I heard from God: this
did not Abraham. 41 Ye do the works of your father. They
said unto him, We were not born of fornication; we have one
Father, even God.
Those who think of themselves as descended from human
ancestors are in bondage to all the limitations of those
ancestors, regardless of their claims to the contrary. It
is a falling short of the full stature of man to regard
himself as descended from the human family. This is a sin
that keeps the majority of men in bondage to sense
consciousness. The Jews were proud of their ancestors,
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who did things that in our day
would make them candidates for the penitentiary. Polygamy
might be mentioned as an example.
The worship of ancestors is observed in our own day by
those who eagerly search the records of royalty
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for a family coat of arms or trace their ancestry back to
William the Conqueror. The one and only way to get free of
this burden of race heredity is to proclaim your divine
sonship. If you believe that God is your Father,
acknowledge Him, and He will acknowledge you.
A short definition of sin is ignorance. If you knew your
spiritual origin and all the purity and power that it
includes, you would not be subject to the race tendencies
that sway the mind of the flesh. This is the freedom of the
Son of God; the shackles of false thoughts are loosed, and
there is the open light of heaven instead of the darkness
of sense consciousness.
It seems incredible that men should seek to destroy and
kill out of their thoughts this super-conscious mind, but
such is the self-sufficiency of ignorance identified with
human lineage. Mortality has failed generation after
generation, yet men cling to it as the summum bonum of
existence, and antagonize the Spirit.
42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would
love me: for I came forth and am come from God; for neither
have I come of myself, but he sent me. 43 Why do ye not
understand my speech? Even because ye cannot hear my word.
44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your
father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the
beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is
no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his
own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof. 45 But
because I say the truth, ye believe me not. 46 Which of you
convicteth me of sin? If I say
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truth, why do ye not believe me? 47 He that is of God
heareth the words of God: for this cause ye hear them not,
because ye are not of God. 48 The Jews answered and said
unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and
hast a demon? 49 Jesus answered, I have not a demon; but I
honor my Father, and ye dishonor me. 50 But I seek not mine
own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth.
It is hard for the intellect to realize the spiritual "I AM
THAT I AM." It always argues back and forth, endeavoring to
prove that the intellect itself is the highest authority.
Jesus condemned the sins of the intellect, of which
self-righteousness is the greatest, as worse than moral
sins. Compare this scathing arraignment of the arrogant
Jews with the ready forgiveness for the adulteress. The
pompous ecclesiastical dignitary is much harder to reach
with Truth than the repentant moral sinner.
Any thought that does not have its origin in the one divine
source is a liar and the father of all lies.
51 Verily, verily, I say unto you. If a man keep my word,
he shall never see death. 52 The Jews said unto him, Now we
know that thou hast a demon. Abraham died, and the
prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my word, he shall
never taste of death. 53 Art thou greater than our father
Abraham, who died? and the prophets died: whom makest thou
thyself? 54 Jesus answered, If I glorify myself, my glory
is nothing: it is my Father that glorifieth me; of whom ye
say, that he is your God; 55 and ye have not known him: but
I know him; and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be
like unto you, a liar:
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but I know him, and keep his word. 56 Your father Abraham
rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad. 57 The
Jews therefore said unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years
old, and hast thou seen Abraham? 58 Jesus said unto them,
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was born, I
am. 59 They took up stones therefore to cast at him: but
Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my word, he
shall never see death. The Jews said unto him, Now we know
that thou hast a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets; and
thou sayest, If a man keep my word, he shall never taste of
death."
If the would-be overcomer will diligently meditate on these
words, the light of Truth will gradually break in. Then he
will know that the Christ, the I AM THAT I AM, was before
Abraham and also that the old "church father" Abraham was
spiritually quickened to the degree that he was constantly
seeking the light. "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my
day; and he saw it, and was glad."
It was the Christ in Jesus who exclaimed, "Before Abraham
was born, I am." Christ, the spiritual man, spoke often
through Jesus, the natural man. We know that Christ, the
spiritual man, could not have experienced death, burial,
and resurrection. The experiences were possible only to the
mortal man, who was passing from the natural to the
spiritual plane of consciousness.
The word of God is the word that conveys to the world the
ideas of the Most High. It is not the Most High in His
wholeness, but it carries with it
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the power behind the throne, because "the three agree in
one," the Father (principle), the Son (the ideal), and the
Holy Ghost, (the formative word).
Jesus said, "If a man keep my word, he shall never see
death." The "word" here referred to is not comprehended by
the spoken or written word of Jesus but rather the original
creative Word of God, the Logos. This is the Logos or God
Word that the Gospel of John states "became flesh, and
dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the
only begotten from the Father)." According to the Bible,
the words of Jesus were more powerful than those of any
other man who ever lived. He infused the divine-life idea
into His words until they made direct union with the
creative Word of the Father.
When man in faith makes this intimate connection between
his mind and the Father's, he enters into what may be
termed the "river of life," and he has ability to take
others with him into the waters that cleanse, purify, and
vitalize so perfectly that death is swallowed up in life
and man lives right on without the tragedy of death. Such a
man was, and is, Jesus the Christ, and the promise is that
all who incorporate in mind and body the living creative
Word, as He did, will with Him escape death. This promise
of the overcoming power of the Word has been interpreted to
mean death of the soul after physical death, but there is
no foundation for this assumption. Jesus overcame death of
the body. His followers are expected to do the same.
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[Mysteries of John]
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