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Mysteries of John
Chapter 14
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[Mysteries of John]
[Charles Fillmore's Works] [Unity on the Web Home Page]
John: Chapter 14
Let not your heart be troubled: believe in God, believe
also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many mansions; if it
were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a
place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I
come again, and will receive you unto myself; that where I
am, there ye may be also.
WE BELIEVE IN God. It follows logically that we believe
also in the manifestation of God, the ideal man. This
proposition once accepted, there dawns on the understanding
the truth of an intimate relation existing between Father
and Son. The Father, God, "Spirit," is within the Son as
the animating principle. The full recognition by man of
this indwelling Spirit, as it was in Jesus, makes man the
central figure and ruling power in the manifest universe.
"The kingdom of God is within you."
"Many mansions" means many abiding places. "Mansion" comes
from the Latin manere, to remain. The meaning of Jesus was
that He was making a permanent abiding place for those who
believed in His teaching and accepted Him for what He
really was--God manifest. The idea usually held out is that
Jesus was preceding His disciples to heaven, where He would
await and welcome them. But there is no such meaning in the
text. The permanent abiding place to which Jesus invites
His friends is "prepared" by Him: He makes the place
Himself, in fact He is the place. "Where I am, there ye may
be also:
4 And whither I go, ye know the way. 5 Thomas
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saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; how
know we the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and
the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but
by me. 7 If ye had known me, ye would have known my Father
also: from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. 8
Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it
sufficeth us. 9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long
time with you, and dost thou not know me, Philip? he that
hath seen me hath seen the Father; how sayest thou, Show us
the Father? 10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father,
and the Father in me? the words that I say unto you I speak
not from myself: but the Father abiding in me doeth his
works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the
Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
"Whither I go, ye know the way." The intellectual man,
Thomas, claims ignorance and says he does not know the
place or the way. Then Jesus reveals the spiritual Truth to
which He has gradually been leading their minds, saying, "I
am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto
the Father, but by me." An understanding of man's spiritual
nature reveals his unity with the omnipresent principle of
life, the Father. Jesus the Christ is in the Father, and
the Father is in man. Whoever sees the spirituality of man
in himself or others sees the Father. The Father principle
may be so developed in man that it will move him unerringly
in all his ways, and the Father may even speak words
through his mouth. When this point is reached the question
of man's unity with the Father principle is wholly removed,
the manifestation of wisdom and
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power in him proving that a higher principle is at work
through him. "Believe me for the very works' sake."
But Philip (the power of the word) says, "Show us the
Father." This faculty must be raised to the realization of
the omnipresence of Spirit by an acknowledgment that the
word of the I AM spoken through it is not of the mortal but
of God. "The words that I say unto you I speak not of
myself: but the Father abiding in me, doeth his works."
12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me,
the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works
than these shall he do; because I go unto the Father. 13
And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do,
that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall
ask anything in my name, that will I do.
"Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do." There
is no limit here. "Whatsoever" covers everything. Then why
do we not receive at all times when we ask in His name?
Because we have not demonstrated the power of His name. The
name stands for the spiritual man, and it is this name or
sign of God with us that rewards our faith. Had we a check
signed by a well-known financier we should not hesitate to
present it at the bank and get the money. The same
confidence in the life-giving and success-producing power
of the risen Christ must be established in us. When we
reach out into the great invisible spiritual substance all
about us and think of ourselves as its expression,
confidently expecting it to manifest itself through us, it
will do so. If at the
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first trial we do not succeed, let us keep trying until we
do succeed; for the promise can be proved true, "If ye
shall ask anything in my name, that will I do."
15 If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments. 16 And I
will pray the Father, and he shall give you another
Comforter, that he may be with you for ever, 17 even the
Spirit of truth: whom the world cannot receive; for it
beholdeth him not, neither knoweth him: ye know him; for he
abideth with you, and shall be in you. 18 I will not leave
you desolate: I come unto you. 19 Yet a little while, and
the world beholdeth me no more; but ye behold me: because I
live, ye shall live also. 20 In that day ye shall know that
I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. 21 He that
hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that
loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my
Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself unto
him. 22 Judas (not Iscariot) saith unto him, Lord, what is
come to pass that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and
not unto the world? 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If
a man love me, he will keep my word: and my Father will
love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode
with him. 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my words:
and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's
who sent me.
In this Scripture Jesus, representing the I AM, gives
assurance of divine co-operation to those who are loyal in
thought and word to the Truth. You now know the relation in
which you stand to the Father. Spiritually you are one, but
to sustain this spiritual relation until it is fully
manifested in your body and environment requires attention.
The concrete aspect of Truth, represented by the personality
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of Jesus, must be taken away before you can understand
Truth in its abstract or universal sense. Then withdrawing
your attention from the letter or personality and centering
it on Truth in its spiritual essence, you find that there
is an intelligible side to that which seems vague and
indefinite. The Comforter, the Advocate, the Spirit of
truth is omnipresent as divine wisdom and power, which are
brought into active touch with our consciousness through
our believing in Him. In "the world"--on the phenomenal
side--we cannot know this guide and helper, but having
learned the truth about the omnipresence of Spirit, with
all the abundance of life, love, Truth, and intelligence
through which it is made manifest, we at once begin to
realize that the Mighty One dwells with us, and "shall be
in you."
The going away of the I AM was apparent to sense
consciousness only--the "world beholdeth me no more"--but
the larger range of consciousness beholds an expansion of
the sense of divine identity and life, "Ye behold me:
because I live, ye shall live also." With this expansion of
the sense of our divine identity comes a perception of our
unity with the Father, and the absolute identity of our
sense-limited I with the universal I AM, the Christ. "In
that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in
me, and I in you."
The question is frequently asked, Is it not presumptuous
for us, who have at first no realization of their truth, to
make the statements that Jesus made? No, it is not; because
in Spirit we are all
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that He claimed for Himself, and in no other way except
affirming this truth can we make it manifest. All who
experiment with words find that they generate force in the
mind and eventually affect the body. Jesus urged His
disciples to believe on Him, to keep His commandments, His
sayings, His words, and they went forth and did wonderful
works in "the name of . . . Jesus Christ."
In this Scripture Jesus says that those who keep His
commandments thus show their love for Him and that He will
love them and manifest Himself to them. Understanding as we
do the affinity that similar thoughts have for one another,
we perceive why keeping "my word" and believing "in me"
were so powerfully urged by Jesus. He transcended men in
His high statements, and His work corresponded to them, and
knowing this law that like thoughts and words swiftly seek
unity, He took advantage of it to lift us all up to His
high standard.
But we must get out of the "world" or letter before we can
touch this spiritual potency. Judas asked why it was that
Jesus would manifest Himself to them and not to the world.
Jesus' answer is right in line with this mental law of
words by which the speaker is put in contact with those who
have uttered similar words: "If a man love me, he will keep
my word: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto
him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not
keepeth not my words: and the word which ye hear is not
mine, but the Father's who sent me."
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25 These things have I spoken unto you, while yet abiding
with you. 26 But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom
the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all
things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto
you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you:
not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your
heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful. 28 Ye heard
how I said to you, I go away, and I come unto you. If ye
loved me, ye would have rejoiced, because I go unto the
Father: for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have
told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to
pass, ye may believe. 30 I will no more speak much with
you, for the prince of the world cometh: and he hath
nothing in me; 31 but that the world may know that I love
the Father, and as the Father gave me commandment, even so
I do. Arise, let us go hence.
The Father is principle. The Son is this Father principle
revealed in a creative plan. The Holy Spirit is the
executive power of both Father and Son.
The Holy Spirit is not all of Being, nor the fullness of
Christ, but an emanation or "breath" sent forth to do a
divine work. Thus circumscribed, the Holy Spirit may in a
sense be said to take on the characteristics of
personality, but personality that for capacity transcends
all man's conceptions.
The Holy Spirit was before the time of Jesus. However
Jesus' life and demonstration gave a new impetus to it. The
Holy Spirit or Spirit of truth is man's one sure guide in
his spiritual ongoing. An outpouring of the Holy Spirit
always brings peace and infinite faith in the Father
through the Son.
(See John 15:17-27 for further interpretation.)
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[Mysteries of John]
[Charles Fillmore's Works] [Unity on the Web Home Page]
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