Lesson 6 - Faith, The Substance of Things Hoped For

To base our faith in material things - things that are seen - is to base it in effect or shadow, which is neither life, law, substance nor power. As temporal things pass away, the foundation upon which we have builded is as sand; disappointment, sorrow and pain follow such building, as the wheels of the carriage follow him who draws the carriage. Jesus called forth an expression of faith, or recognized it manifest by those he healed, before he spoke the words, "Be healed, sin no more. Thy faith hath made thee whole. According to thy faith be it unto thee." The word of faith called forth and acknowledged by him united their thought and consciousness with his, in order that the evidence of the unseen power of the Spirit might be made manifest in them instantly. God rewards openly by manifesting in us the condition hoped for.

"Through faith we understand that worlds were framed by the word of God." This text teaches us that faith is power, and that it is the substance of the thought which precedes the word or outward manifestation. Faith is the power and substance which frames planets. Then should not our every thought be based as the thought of Spirit is based? For if it be the power and substance of planets, it is the power and substance of all things that are seen, of all that is made manifest; therefore, planets and all that is manifest are the proofs of the faith of the unseen, the Unmanifest Spirit.

Here the question so often asked will arise, Whence comes the seeming inharmony, sickness, sin, and all imperfect manifestation? All that is called inharmony, sickness, sin and imperfect manifestation comes from mentally facing the wrong way, and from trying to make matter a cause, and believing that it can bring us pleasure or pain; that is, all so-called imperfect manifestation is due to or is the result of the false belief or position from which we calculate. We are trying to solve the problem of life according to the letter or example, i.e., matter, and thus ignoring Principle or Spirit. The result is, that the forms of our words, deeds, and sensations show forth many mistakes, because our mental solutions and pictures are simply copies of previously solved examples.

Dear students, it is clear, that as there is but one Spirit or manifestor, that inharmonious appearances are simply mistakes of wrong calculation made apparent in the body or on the blackboard of nature. Such out-picturing as neuralgia, headache, rheumatism, dyspepsia, etc., should be regarded as mistakes made in working out the problem of life, and that the remedy is that of turning from the out-picturing and erasing it by denying it a place in thought; then thinking or working according to the Principle.

To the pure all things are pure; perfection knows no imperfection. Cease trying to serve two masters, and you will cease trying to make effect cause, and your expressions of truth will be perfect ones, or your demonstrations will be correct. When the eye is single to truth - the Infinite One - the body will be seen to be full of light. "Be ye, therefore perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect," means to bear perfect witness of the Spirit - that is, to speak the truth of that which is; to do so is to find the Kingdom.

Obedience is the straight and narrow path that leadeth to Spirit and Faith. As by faith worlds were framed by the word of God, faith is the substance or power of the thought spoken; it invests the thought with power to manifest in the body. If thought be without faith, it is without substance. "According to our faith so is it with us." "Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein." But not until we lay aside personality and as children acknowledge the present Source or Spirit, through being obedient to truth, can we know understandingly and come to see with the eye of Spirit. To speak truth is to speak that which is true of all for all; it is truth alone that brings us near to God; yes, even unto Him.

• "Renouncing self for Me, full of Me, fixed
• "To serve only the highest, night and day;
• "Musing on Me - him will I swiftly lift
• "Forth from life’s ocean of distress and death,
• "Whose soul clings fast to Me, Cling thou to Me!
• "Clasp Me with heart and mind! so shalt thou dwell
• "Surely with Me on high. But, if thy thought
• "Droop from such height; if thou be’st weak to set
• "Body and soul upon Me constantly,
• "Despair not! Give Me lower service! Seek
• "To reach Me!"

He who is faithful by speaking the truth, doeth the will, and beareth the fruit of knowledge, power and harmony. But, if you cannot speak the whole truth, if you cannot clasp the Spirit heart and soul in every hour, despair not; every truth spoken is an acknowledgment of the Spirit, it will bear its fruit. But, dear student, remember - the peace of God is nigh thee, and by renouncing form, the manifest, for Spirit, the unmanifest, you will find the Kingdom of Spirit; through faithfulness to truth all come into God consciousness. All who live the life in full devotion, fixed to serve the Spirit night and day will know,

• "’Tis life to live
• "In single fervid faith and love unseeing,
• "Drinking the blessed Amrit of My Being!"

How well we know ‘tis life to live in undivided faith! To live in the Spirit of unity is to know that the One is all; to fully realize this is to feel as safe and secure as Being is safe and secure. To know that the One Spirit links all together with its unchanging love and life, is to realize the true meaning of the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of Man.

If it be that we have ears to hear, and hear the still small voice, we will hear it say, "I am the way, the truth and the life; My faith is thy faith, My word is thy word; bear witness of Me, and thou shalt know health, harmony and power." If we be ready to serve the Highest, night and day, in our thoughts, swiftly are we lifted above the ocean of distress, the stones of limitation are rolled away, and we witness a great flight of afflictions. He who lives in single or undivided faith or love,

• "Who hateth nought
• "Of all which lives, living himself benign,
• "Compassionate, from arrogance exempt,
• "Exempt from love of self, unchangeable
• "By good or ill;"

is doing the will and expressing the Father. And the expressions of the Father or Spirit prove that the Father or Spirit is, and that it is the Being which is expressing. Through faith do we see or perceive the Spirit; and as we cannot see God except with the eye of understanding, and as we cannot hear Him except with the eye of understanding, to see or to hear is knowledge. To get knowledge is to be faithful and live the life of being.

Faith is the prayer by which we receive, for it is the substance of all manifestation; it is the prayer which brings health, peace and harmony, for it is the recognition of all goodness, and must precede thought and word. In healing you should realize that as all truth, and only truth, as all power, and only power dwells in Spirit; and as Spirit is everywhere (omnipresent) at all times, there can be no other presence at any time than truth and power. All belief of an opposite nature is false - there is no weakness. You should affirm the truth of Spirit for your patient; speak your word with perfect faith, for truth spoken is Spirit manifest. God is manifest in His words; His word or manifestation is One; the word of God revealed; it is Harmony and Peace upon earth.

When healing, consult the prayer of understanding in the preface to his lesson.