What is the Second Coming?
Our current special theme is about Christ’s Second Coming. That is symbolic language that points to an awakening, which is commonly referred to as awakening to consciousness. In the model I shared yesterday of The Four Principles of God, it is awakening to the Second Principle of God.
Two days ago, I shared four stages of the spiritual path as it is depicted in NTI. Today, let’s look at those four stages to see how they fit with awakening to the Second Principle of God.
Second Principle of God – Consciousness. This is the only direct creation of the Source. In A Course in Miracles it is called “Christ” and “the Son of God.” It is the unaffected, still witness. All things manifest are made of this principle; therefore, all things are consciousness.
Typically, when one begins the spiritual path, that one believes s/he is a person in the world. In other words, one believes the manifest realm is reality. That means that the process of awakening begins in the Fourth Principle of God, manifestation.
The goal of awakening, although the spiritual aspirant may not be aware of the goal yet, is to awaken from belief in manifestation as reality to the Second Principle of God, consciousness. This awakening includes three basic stages: the search, purification, and merging with spiritual intuition.
Some people appear to ‘pop’ into consciousness without going through these three stages. However, those people complete their maturation after awakening by completing the stages they have not yet completed. In some cases people find themselves at the beginning, in the search, after awakening. They experience it as searching for what has happened to them.
Whether one goes through the three stages of awakening and then awakens to consciousness or seems to awaken to consciousness and then complete the stages, one is not fully integrated as consciousness until all three stages have been completed.
Our special theme refers to the Second Coming of Christ as all-inclusive. That means that the Second Coming of Christ is a term that points to the completion and total integration of consciousness as self.
In NTI, the Second Coming of Christ is the fourth stage of the spiritual path. NTI says:
The fourth phase is a glorious phase, upon which your feet shall barely touch the ground. As you walk the earth, you know where you walk, so that the earth is merely a symbol within the mind. You shall not know brothers, but you shall talk to them. You will not need food, but you will eat with joy. Music shall accompany you in your every moment, and yet, you will have no need for your ears. Your sight will be changed from earthly sight to sight that is provided from Heaven. All things shall be new, and you shall have no need for any of them. In this, your joy shall be complete.
Or, as our special theme says:
It is the all-inclusive nature of Christ’s Second Coming that permits it to embrace the world and hold you safe within its gentle advent, which encompasses all living things with you. There is no end to the release the Second Coming brings, as God’s creation must be limitless.
The holy Christ is born in me today.
The prayer from today’s lesson says:
Your Son is welcome, Father. … He is the Self that You have given me. He is but what I really am in truth. … He is my Self as You created me. It is not Christ that can be crucified. Safe in Your Arms let me receive Your Son.
Near the end of our last special theme, I asked you to determine which stage of the spiritual path you are on, and based on that, what your primary function is.
If you are at the first stage, the search for truth, your primary function is reading and listening to spiritual teachings while feeling within for an inner confirmation regarding which teachings are for you.
If you are at the second stage, purification, your primary function is inquiring into your perceptions and thinking, giving willingness to let go of false thinking, learning not to act or speak from false thinking, and allowing repressed emotions to rise and heal.
If you are at the third stage, merging, your primary function is letting go of your personal will, including your thinking and conditioning, and surrendering to spiritual intuition until that surrender is complete, and you no longer experience a separate will.
If you are at the fourth stage, you know yourself as consciousness and the first three stages are completed.
Assuming that you are in the first, second or third stage of the spiritual path, spend today giving welcome to consciousness as your self by practicing your function as fully as you can. We are not here simply to say, “Let me receive Your Son.” We are here to back up that intention by doing our part to fulfill our function.
Tomorrow, I will talk about Grace’s role on the spiritual path. Today, just be aware that you are not alone as you do your part.
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