Teach Us to Pray, by Charles Fillmore, [1941], at sacred-texts.com
Teach Us to Pray, by Charles Fillmore, [1941], at sacred-texts.com
"UNITY claims that the Bible teaches evolution; just where is the evolution of Jesus taught?"
The evolution of Jesus was a combination of mind and body unfoldment.
The body of Jesus developed from germs planted in Mary, His mother. Science says that all stages of unfoldment from the most primitive animal to man are illustrated in the development of the human organism. So we must conclude that the body of Jesus was an unfoldment from sense to Spirit.
However Unity teaches the evolution of both soul and body; an evolution summarized in the 1st chapter of John under the head of the unfoldment of the Word. Bible authorities say that "Word" is a poor translation of the Greek word Logos. Logos
conveys the idea of implanted God--Mind in man--from which the perfect man logically evolves.
God is Spirit. In creation Spirit takes the form of mind, implanting itself in substance and becoming manifest as perfect man. Here is condensed in a few words what would take volumes to describe. Here are epitomized all books on physiology and evolution, mental science and psychology, religion and spiritual philosophy.
In the rocks beneath our feet are preserved the bones of mammoth creatures that have been succeeded by finer types of animal life. Here is evidence of evolution from lower to higher types of life. Anthropology teaches that the earth has been inhabited by man for at least half a million years. Many hold that the present body of man has within it natural forces that would transform it if they were released. Those who read between the lines have discovered that the Bible veils evolution in rites, ceremonies, and acts of personalities.
As all words in every language have their root in the thoughts and acts of man, so all the rites and ceremonies of religion represent man's relation to his source, God, and the development of his soul.
The two baptisms, that of John and Jesus, represent the two common steps in the growth of the soul, denial and affirmation, the dropping of the old and the laying hold of the new. This is evolution.
In totality John the Baptist represents the perfected natural man who recognizes his finality and his willingness to surrender his personality so that
the superman Christ may supplant him, thus symbolizing the evolution of the soul from the personal to the spiritual.
It is essential that a clear understanding be had of the principles involved in the transition from the natural to the spiritual, otherwise the way will be difficult.
Jesus praised John as the most perfect of those born of women--that is, of the Adam or natural man--but He explained that John even in his perfection was not to be compared with the spiritual man. He also commented on the futile efforts of those on the natural plane who attempt by will force (violence) to attain the spiritual ("kingdom of heaven").
In the process of developing out of the natural into the spiritual not only the mind but the body also is affected. The energy locked up in the cells of the physical are released and the body of flesh is transformed into a radiant body of light. This is a day-by-day transformation of the cells until the whole body is "electrified" and passes over into the fourth dimension or kingdom of the heavens. Jesus accomplished this transformation of His body and it became an electrical dynamo broadcasting life germs through our race consciousness. We are to follow Him in this transformation.
These life germs of Jesus' body form the nucleus of a new race organism for all people. All persons everywhere may partake of (eat) the radiant body (bread) of Jesus by exercising faith in Him as the
great source of pure Spirit substance, sown as soul seed for the saving of humanity from sense consciousness.
Not only may one eat of this superbody substance but one may also drink through faith of His transcendent life. Such eating of His body and drinking of His life or blood is the "Holy Communion" of which sincere Christians partake daily.
The understanding that this very intimate relation exists between Jesus and His true followers is transforming the body of thousands of Christians who formerly labored under the thought that the new body in Christ was to be attained after death.
"I am the resurrection, and the life." "If a man keep my word, he shall never see death."
When man understands that he is always right in the presence of a supermind force that is perpetually pushing him into higher states of consciousness and finer physical radiations, he cannot help co-operating with it in the divine urge toward higher things.
No man can retard this universal upward sweep of the whole creation, but in the exercise of his inherent free will man can insulate his soul and body, separate himself from it, and thus become lost in the delusions of sense. To join the Holy Spirit in its efforts to gain the attention and co-operation of all men we make it a practice to join with people of like mind in every walk of life in affirming words that bind us to the mighty moving Spirit of Jesus Christ.