Library of Christ Mind Teachings
ACIM Original Edition
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1 It is your Father’s holy will that you complete Himself and
that your Self shall be His sacred Son, forever pure as He, of love
created and in love preserved, extending love, creating in its name,
forever one with God and with your Self. Yet what can such a function
mean within a world of envy, hatred, and attack? Therefore you have a
function in the world in its own terms. For who can understand a
language far beyond his simple grasp?
2 Forgiveness represents your function here. It is not God’s
creation, for it is the means by which untruth can be undone. And who
would pardon Heaven? Yet on earth you need the means to let illusion go.
Creation merely waits for your return to be acknowledged, not to be
complete.
3 Creation cannot even be conceived of in the world. It has
no meaning here. Forgiveness is the closest it can come to earth. For
being Heaven-borne, it has no form at all. Yet God created One Who has
the power to translate into form the wholly formless. What He makes are
dreams, but of a kind so close to waking that the light of day already
shines in them. And eyes already opening behold the joyful sights their
offerings contain.
4 Forgiveness gently looks upon all things unknown in Heaven,
sees them disappear, and leaves the world a clean and unmarked slate on
which the Word of God can now replace the senseless symbols written
there before. Forgiveness is the means by which the fear of death is
overcome because it holds no fierce attraction now, and guilt is gone.
5 Forgiveness lets the body be perceived as what it is—a
simple teaching aid to be laid by when learning is complete, but hardly
changing him who learns at all. The mind without the body cannot make
mistakes. It cannot think that it will die nor be the prey of merciless
attack. Anger becomes impossible, and where is terror then? What fears
could still assail those who have lost the source of all attack, the
core of anguish, and the seat of fear?
6 Only forgiveness can relieve the mind of thinking that the
body is its home. Only forgiveness can restore the peace that God
intended for His holy Son. Only forgiveness can persuade the Son to look
again upon his holiness. With anger gone, you will indeed perceive that
for Christ’s vision and the gift of sight no sacrifice was asked, and
only pain was lifted from a sick and tortured mind.
7 Is this unwelcome? Is it to be feared? Or is it to be hoped
for, met with thanks, and joyously accepted? We are one and therefore
give up nothing. But we have indeed been given everything by God. Yet do
we need forgiveness to perceive that this is so. Without its kindly
light we grope in darkness, using reason but to justify our rage and our
attack. Our understanding is so limited that what we think we understand
is but confusion born of error. We are lost in mists of shifting dreams
and fearful thoughts, our eyes shut tight against the light, our minds
engaged in worshipping what is not there.
8 Who can be born again in Christ but him who has forgiven
everyone he sees or thinks of or imagines? Who could be set free while
he imprisons anyone? A jailer is not free, for he is bound together with
his prisoner. He must be sure that he does not escape, and so he spends
his time in keeping watch on him. The bars which limit him become the
world in which the jailer lives, along with him. And it is on his
freedom that the way to liberty depends for both of them.
9 Therefore hold no one prisoner. Release instead of bind,
for thus are you made free. The way is simple. Every time you feel a
stab of anger, realize you hold a sword above your head. And it will
fall or be averted as you choose to be condemned or free. Thus does each
one who seems to tempt you to be angry represent your savior from the
prison-house of death. And so you owe him thanks instead of pain.
10 Be merciful today. The Son of God deserves your mercy. It
is he who asks that you accept the way to freedom now. Deny him not. His
Father’s Love for him belongs to you. Your function here on earth is
only to forgive him, that you may accept him back as your Identity. He
is as God created him. And you are what he is. Forgive him now his sins,
and you will see that you are one with him.