Teachings of Christ Mind

^12.1 Consciousness is a state of awareness. The statement “I am” is a statement of awareness of consciousness. Awareness preceded the statement of “I am.” “I am” preceded the creation of the Self. The Self preceded the establishment of the personal self.

^12.2 You exist within the time of consciousness of the personal self. Thus we begin our work with the personal self while also realizing that the personal self is a step in the chain of consciousness. The steps that came before that of the personal self did not come within time. The creation of time was simultaneous with the creation of the personal self. Because the steps that came before that of the personal self did not come in time, they are eternal, eternal levels of consciousness that still exist and have always existed.

^12.3 Temptations of the human experience exist only in time. What we are about to do is move the human experience out of the realm of time. For this to happen, we must remove the time-bound temptations of the human experience of the personal self.

^12.4 Matter or form is bound by time. Spirit is not. The House of Truth cannot be bound by time and be a House of Truth. How then can the personal self begin to realize the human experience outside of time? The answer is thus: by changing the consciousness of the personal self from a time-bound state of consciousness to an eternal state of consciousness. This change, as has been said before, is the miracle. This miracle is the goal toward which we now work.

^12.5 Realize that prior to this point, our goal was returning to your awareness the truth of your identity. By changing our goal now, I am assuring you that you have become aware of the truth of your identity. The goal of this Course has been accomplished. However, while your consciousness remains time-bound, your awareness is still limited. As has already been stated, in order to remove the limits that continue to exist, we must remove all time-bound temptations.

^12.6 These temptations are not temptations of the body. They may seem to be, but the body is neutral. All temptations originate in the mind and are transferred to the body. Temptations do not originate from love. While some temptations will seem to be of love they are not.

^12.7 As it dawns upon your once slumbering mind that change on a grand scale awaits you, you will grow fearful if you do not realize that what is being proposed to you here is something completely new, something you have not even dreamed of. This state you have not even dared to dream of is a state in which only God’s laws of love exist even within the realm of physicality. What this means is that all that in this human experience has come of love will be retained. All that will be lost is what has come of fear.

^12.8 Let’s return a moment to the choice that was made for the human experience, the choice to express who you are in the realm of physicality. You were not “better” or more “right” before this choice was made than you are now. You made a choice consistent with the laws of creation and the steps of creation outlined above. From this choice, many experiences ensued. Some of these experiences were the result of fear, some the result of love. The choice to express who you are in physical terms was not a choice made of fear but made of love. A physical self is not inconsistent with the laws of God or of creation. It is simply a choice.

^12.9 The life of the physical self became a life of suffering and strife only because the physical or personal self forgot that it exists in relationship and believed itself to be separate and alone. In its fear, it made an ego-self which, because it sprang from fear, was not consistent with the laws of Love or of creation. Knowing it existed in a state inconsistent with that of the laws of God, it made of God a being to be feared, thus continuing, and being unable to find release from, the cycle of fear.

^12.10 What would be a greater step in all of creation than a physical self able to choose to express the Self within the laws of love? A physical self, able to express itself from within the House of Truth in ways consistent with peace and love is the next step in creation, the rebirth of the Son of God known as the resurrection.

^12.11 While this would seem to say that mistakes may occur within creation, remember that creation is about change and growth. There is no right or wrong within creation but there are stages of growth and change. Humankind is now passing through a tremendous stage of growth and change. Are you ready?