In our Cosmic Jesus study group on June 29, we finished reading and discussing Paper 140: The Ordination of the Twelve. Here, the Master lays out the foundations and guidelines for the ministry of the apostles. One key teaching is the steps a person needs to take to be reborn.
As we saw, these really are quite simple–remarkably simple. It must have been a gigantic relief, but somewhat confusing, for the apostles to hear this new way and the true nature of the Father. The Father is always with us and available for us. All we have to do is take the simple steps.
I was very pleased in our study since I gained new insights into the spiritual rebirth steps. Basically, all a person has to do is use their faith to believe that God is in control (is sovereign), that they are a child of God, and that their supreme desire to follow God’s will is effective: this is the Kingdom of Heaven; it is an internal spiritual experience with the outward repercussions of service to others. And, that when we use our faith, when we accept/believe the three key facts, we are reborn, we enter the kingdom or family of God.
And, even faith is gift from God.
140:10.9 John asked Jesus, “Master, what is the kingdom of heaven?” And Jesus answered: “The kingdom of heaven consists in these three essentials: first, recognition of the fact of the sovereignty of God; second, belief in the truth of sonship with God; and third, faith in the effectiveness of the supreme human desire to do the will of God — to be like God. And this is the good news of the gospel: that by faith every mortal may have all these essentials of salvation.” http://cosmicfather.net/ubsrc/ubtxt/ubpaper140.html
So, it’s really all about sitting still and accepting the divine experience within. And when we have a certainty (faith) that God is control, when we have a certainty (faith) that we are children of God, when we have a certainty (faith) that doing God’s will is the way to an eternal future, then we are reborn and cognizant that we are in the family of God, the kingdom of heaven.
Accepting the feeling of certainty (faith) is the key. Even faith is a gift from God. Even the hunger for more–for the truth–is a gift from God. All that we can control is our will–our decisions. Here’s how the Urantia Book summarizes taking the first step:
170:2.18 Jesus taught that, by faith, the believer enters the kingdom now. In the various discourses he taught that two things are essential to faith-entrance into the kingdom:
- Faith, sincerity. To come as a little child, to receive the bestowal of sonship as a gift; to submit to the doing of the Father’s will without questioning and in the full confidence and genuine trustfulness of the Father’s wisdom; to come into the kingdom free from prejudice and preconception; to be open-minded and teachable like an unspoiled child.
- Truth hunger. The thirst for righteousness, a change of mind, the acquirement of the motive to be like God and to find God. http://cosmicfather.net/ubsrc/ubtxt/ubpaper170.html
And, I think it’s this foundation of acceptance of God’s presence and leading, that makes all other progress possible.
Whenever I am feeling tired or sad or depressed, all I need to do is get down on my knees and listen: pray for more of a certainty about God and his leading (pray for faith), pray for a greater hunger for truth, and prayer for guidance. As long as I tend the garden and not try to avoid my destiny, then I am growing and happy.
As the Master said, we can all become the “liberated sons of God.”
–Chris Lepine
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