Table of Contents
The Concept of Evil
- There is only one power in existence: God.
- Evil is not an opposing force to God; rather, it is the absence of God in awareness.
- Evil arises when free will allows the choice to reject love, creating illusions.
- Illusions, including evil, have no objective reality, akin to a shadow that only appears under certain conditions.
Biblical Foundations
- Isaiah 45:5: “I am the Lord, and beside me, there is none else.”
- Deuteronomy 4:39: “The Lord is God in heaven above and upon the earth beneath; there is none else.”
- The Bible aligns with the concept that evil is an absence rather than a presence, much like cold is the absence of heat.
The False Self and the True Self
- Jesus taught, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”
- The “self” to deny refers to the false self—the ego.
- Denying the false self is an act of aligning with the true self, which is one with God.
Illusion Versus Reality
- The true self is eternal, unchanging, and aligned with God.
- The false self is bound to the temporary and ever-changing material world.
- Reality is what is eternal and immutable; illusions depend on external factors and cannot exist independently.
Oneness with God
- God is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient.
- Humans, made in God’s image, share in God’s nature.
- Jesus emphasized the Oneness of all beings with God, inviting others to realize this truth.
- Passages such as “The kingdom of Heaven is within you” stress the internal nature of divine realization.
Practical Implications of Self-Love
- True self-love involves affirming the eternal, God-connected self and denying the false self of illusions.
- Aligning with the true self leads to peace, joy, and a harmonious state of being.
- Suffering arises from identifying with the false self.
Denying the False Self
- Denial of the false self means refusing to give power to illusions, such as fear, lack, or limitation.
- Recognizing suffering as an indication of false identification can guide one back to truth.
Affirming the True Self
- Affirming the true self involves identifying with eternal qualities such as love, peace, and existence.
- To affirm the true self is to live in alignment with divine law, as Jesus demonstrated.
Conclusion: The Greatest Act of Self-Love
- Self-love is recognizing and embodying the truth of one’s divine nature.
- Prayer and reflection can help release false identifications and align with the Christ nature within.
- Through this practice, one achieves peace and fulfillment by living in the truth of God’s presence.
“Self-love is the affirmation of truth and the denial of falsehood. It is the pathway to peace, harmony, and eternal connection with God.”