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ACIM Manual for Teachers - Section 22 (view source)
Revision as of 21:21, 8 November 2014
, 21:21, 8 November 2014Created page with 'Image:lighterstill.jpgright|frame <center>'''How Are Healing and Atonement Related?'''</center> Healing and Atonement are not related; they are ide...'
[[Image:lighterstill.jpg]][[File:Acim_small.jpg|right|frame]]
<center>'''How Are Healing and Atonement Related?'''</center>
Healing and Atonement are not related; they are identical. There is no order
of difficulty in miracles because there are no degrees of Atonement. It is the
one complete concept possible in this world, because it is the source of a
wholly unified perception. Partial Atonement is a meaningless idea, just as
special areas of hell in Heaven are inconceivable. Accept Atonement and
you are healed. Atonement is the Word of God. Accept His Word and what
remains to make sickness possible? Accept His Word and every miracle has
been accomplished. To forgive is to heal. The teacher of God has taken
accepting the Atonement for himself as his only function. What is there,
then, he cannot heal? What miracle can be withheld from him?
The progress of the teacher of God may be slow or rapid, depending on
whether he recognizes the Atonement's inclusiveness, or for a time excludes
some problem areas from it. In some cases, there is a sudden and complete
awareness of the perfect applicability of the lesson of the Atonement to all
situations, but this is comparatively rare. The teacher of God may have
accepted the function God has given him long before he has learned all that
his acceptance holds out to him. It is only the end that is certain. Anywhere
along the way, the necessary realization of inclusiveness may reach him. If
the way seems long, let him be content. He has decided on the direction he
wants to take. What more was asked of him? And having done what was
required, would God withhold the rest?
That forgiveness is healing needs to be understood, if the teacher of God is
to make progress. The idea that a body can be sick is a central concept in
the ego's thought system. This thought gives the body autonomy, separates
it from the mind, and keeps the idea of attack inviolate. If the body could be
sick Atonement would be impossible. A body that can order a mind to do as
it sees fit could merely take the place of God and prove salvation is
impossible. What, then, is left to heal? The body has become lord of the
mind. How could the mind be returned to the Holy Spirit unless the body is
killed? And who would want salvation at such a price?
Certainly sickness does not appear to be a decision. Nor would anyone
actually believe he wants to be sick. Perhaps he can accept the idea in
theory, but it is rarely if ever consistently applied to all specific forms of
sickness, both in the individual's perception of himself and of all others as
well. Nor is it at this level that the teacher of God calls forth the miracle of
healing. He overlooks the mind <and> body, seeing only the face of Christ
shining in front of him, correcting all mistakes and healing all perception.
Healing is the result of the recognition, by God's teacher, of who it is that is
in need of healing. This recognition has no special reference. It is true of all
things that God created. In it are all illusions healed.
When a teacher of God fails to heal, it is because he has forgotten Who he
is. Another's sickness thus becomes his own. In allowing this to happen, he
has identified with another's ego, and has thus confused him with a body. In
so doing, he has refused to accept the Atonement for himself, and can
hardly offer it to his brother in Christ's Name. He will, in fact, be unable to
recognize his brother at all, for his Father did not create bodies, and so he is
seeing in his brother only the unreal. Mistakes do not correct mistakes, and
distorted perception does not heal. Step back now, teacher of God. You
have been wrong. Lead not the way, for you have lost it. Turn quickly to
your Teacher, and let yourself be healed.
The offer of Atonement is universal. It is equally applicable to all
individuals in all circumstances. And in it is the power to heal all
individuals of all forms of sickness. Not to believe this is to be unfair to
God, and thus unfaithful to Him. A sick person perceives himself as
separate from God. Would you see him as separate from you? It is your task
to heal the sense of separation that has made him sick. It is your function to
recognize for him that what he believes about himself is not the truth. It is
your forgiveness that must show him this. Healing is very simple.
Atonement is received and offered. Having been received, it must be
accepted. It is in the receiving, then, that healing lies. All else must follow
from this single purpose.
Who can limit the power of God Himself? Who, then, can say which one
can be healed of what, and what must remain beyond God's power to
forgive? This is insanity indeed. It is not up to God's teachers to set limits
upon Him, because it is not up to them to judge His Son. And to judge His
Son is to limit his Father. Both are equally meaningless. Yet this will not be
understood until God's teacher recognizes that they are the same mistake.
Herein does he receive Atonement, for he withdraws his judgment from the
Son of God, accepting him as God created him. No longer does he stand
apart from God, determining where healing should be given and where it
should be withheld. Now can he say with God, "This is my beloved Son,
created perfect and forever so."
[[Category:Manual for Teachers]]
[[Category: Healing]]
[[Category: Atonement]]
<center>'''How Are Healing and Atonement Related?'''</center>
Healing and Atonement are not related; they are identical. There is no order
of difficulty in miracles because there are no degrees of Atonement. It is the
one complete concept possible in this world, because it is the source of a
wholly unified perception. Partial Atonement is a meaningless idea, just as
special areas of hell in Heaven are inconceivable. Accept Atonement and
you are healed. Atonement is the Word of God. Accept His Word and what
remains to make sickness possible? Accept His Word and every miracle has
been accomplished. To forgive is to heal. The teacher of God has taken
accepting the Atonement for himself as his only function. What is there,
then, he cannot heal? What miracle can be withheld from him?
The progress of the teacher of God may be slow or rapid, depending on
whether he recognizes the Atonement's inclusiveness, or for a time excludes
some problem areas from it. In some cases, there is a sudden and complete
awareness of the perfect applicability of the lesson of the Atonement to all
situations, but this is comparatively rare. The teacher of God may have
accepted the function God has given him long before he has learned all that
his acceptance holds out to him. It is only the end that is certain. Anywhere
along the way, the necessary realization of inclusiveness may reach him. If
the way seems long, let him be content. He has decided on the direction he
wants to take. What more was asked of him? And having done what was
required, would God withhold the rest?
That forgiveness is healing needs to be understood, if the teacher of God is
to make progress. The idea that a body can be sick is a central concept in
the ego's thought system. This thought gives the body autonomy, separates
it from the mind, and keeps the idea of attack inviolate. If the body could be
sick Atonement would be impossible. A body that can order a mind to do as
it sees fit could merely take the place of God and prove salvation is
impossible. What, then, is left to heal? The body has become lord of the
mind. How could the mind be returned to the Holy Spirit unless the body is
killed? And who would want salvation at such a price?
Certainly sickness does not appear to be a decision. Nor would anyone
actually believe he wants to be sick. Perhaps he can accept the idea in
theory, but it is rarely if ever consistently applied to all specific forms of
sickness, both in the individual's perception of himself and of all others as
well. Nor is it at this level that the teacher of God calls forth the miracle of
healing. He overlooks the mind <and> body, seeing only the face of Christ
shining in front of him, correcting all mistakes and healing all perception.
Healing is the result of the recognition, by God's teacher, of who it is that is
in need of healing. This recognition has no special reference. It is true of all
things that God created. In it are all illusions healed.
When a teacher of God fails to heal, it is because he has forgotten Who he
is. Another's sickness thus becomes his own. In allowing this to happen, he
has identified with another's ego, and has thus confused him with a body. In
so doing, he has refused to accept the Atonement for himself, and can
hardly offer it to his brother in Christ's Name. He will, in fact, be unable to
recognize his brother at all, for his Father did not create bodies, and so he is
seeing in his brother only the unreal. Mistakes do not correct mistakes, and
distorted perception does not heal. Step back now, teacher of God. You
have been wrong. Lead not the way, for you have lost it. Turn quickly to
your Teacher, and let yourself be healed.
The offer of Atonement is universal. It is equally applicable to all
individuals in all circumstances. And in it is the power to heal all
individuals of all forms of sickness. Not to believe this is to be unfair to
God, and thus unfaithful to Him. A sick person perceives himself as
separate from God. Would you see him as separate from you? It is your task
to heal the sense of separation that has made him sick. It is your function to
recognize for him that what he believes about himself is not the truth. It is
your forgiveness that must show him this. Healing is very simple.
Atonement is received and offered. Having been received, it must be
accepted. It is in the receiving, then, that healing lies. All else must follow
from this single purpose.
Who can limit the power of God Himself? Who, then, can say which one
can be healed of what, and what must remain beyond God's power to
forgive? This is insanity indeed. It is not up to God's teachers to set limits
upon Him, because it is not up to them to judge His Son. And to judge His
Son is to limit his Father. Both are equally meaningless. Yet this will not be
understood until God's teacher recognizes that they are the same mistake.
Herein does he receive Atonement, for he withdraws his judgment from the
Son of God, accepting him as God created him. No longer does he stand
apart from God, determining where healing should be given and where it
should be withheld. Now can he say with God, "This is my beloved Son,
created perfect and forever so."
[[Category:Manual for Teachers]]
[[Category: Healing]]
[[Category: Atonement]]