1. The True and False Sense of "I"

Have you ever had a problem that did not involve the word "I"? Try to think — think now. Have you ever had problem that did not concern the word "I", or that wouldn't have been eliminated if there hadn't have been an I?

When a person commits suicide do they do away with the problem or the I that had the problem, in their own belief? They can't do away with the problem, can they? They do away with the I or at least they believe that. And that's the attempt — that's what they're doing when they attempt suicide — "I have a problem and if I'm out of the way that ends the problem." There's more truth to fiction in that. If I am out of the way, I can have no problem. And the only problem that anyone ever has is I. I — I am the only one that ever has my problem. And if there were just no I, I would have no problem. So the troublemaker is I. Oh, if I just do away with I, what a nice sweet life I would have — not a single problem. Now today that's what we hope to accomplish. Today we want to fulfill that part of Paul's teaching that says, "I die daily." Only let's hurry up the process. Instead of dying by bits and having it so drawn out and painful let's do it all in one job today, and see if we can't die one beautiful grand death, so that we may be reborn of the Spirit.

There is only one reason for discords or inharmonies of any nature. And that reason is a false sense of I. The correct sense of I would eliminate every problem from the face of the Earth — personal, family, community, national, and international. There's only one error on this entire Earth, and the error is a false interpretation or a false sense of I. As long as I think that I for instance must make a living or find a home or decide what to do next year, just that long will I be facing problems of one nature or another. If I ever come to a place of realization of the grand truth that has been revealed, not only by Christ Jesus, he was probably the last of the Masters on Earth to reveal it — it was revealed originally about 4,000 years B.C. — I don't even know about originally, but at least we have knowledge that the teaching of Krishna about 4,000 B.C. is all on the subject of "I", and of course, all of Shankara's Advaita teaching of India is entirely on the word "I".

Now these great revelations reveal that the only I is God. And that God as individual being is living its life as you and as me. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The word God became individualized as you and as me, and dwells here as us. But, we have entertained through the years a false sense of that I, and instead of recognizing that the I is God, we have taken the I to ourselves as person, built up an identity and then tried to maintain it and sustain it. We might say that it would be something like a millionaire forgetting that he was a millionaire and then starting to worry about how to make a living and how to pay his rent. And then somebody saying to him, "But you are a millionaire." And he says "Oh, yes, in reality I am, but of course, in belief I still [am poor]." Yes, but why have the belief if in reality you are a millionaire? Why not give up the belief? Well, so in our Truth teaching we all admit that in reality, "I am the Christ of God, the Son of God. If a child of God, then an heir — then joint heir with Christ in God." Well, then why have problems? "Oh, because in belief I am a mortal." Well, then why not give up the belief? Let the other fella believe it, and why not let us give up the belief since it's only because of belief that we are struggling with mortality.

Now this is very clearly illustrated in an incident in scripture. Judas Iscariot has committed suicide. There are only eleven disciples left, and they have met together for the purpose of selecting a twelfth to replace Judas. And as they meet a prayer is voiced. And the prayer is this, "Father, show us whom Thou hast chosen." Now there you have the whole sense of what I'm trying to bring out. Not one of those eleven thought that I am responsible for voting for the right fellow or selecting the right disciple. Not one fellow used the word "I". Not one of them thought that it was any of their business who was elected or selected. They all were in agreement, "Father show us whom Thou hast chosen."

Well, supposing we have a decision to make today. And I say to myself, "I must make that decision sometime today. I have only 'til noon to make that decision." And when I sit down and I might even turn to God and say, "God, what decision should I make?" or "Show me what decision to make." And you know, I am apt not to make a decision or apt not to make the right one — the word "I" is in there. Whereas why should I not accept the fact that since God governs and directs my experience, why shouldn't I say, "Father show me what decision you have made today, since this is your life, it's your universe, it's your world, how would you like it run in this connection? What decision would you like to have made manifest? Show me your decision." And, then of course, not only you'll show me your decision but you'll even carry it out. Whereas if I look for a decision I will then try to carry it out, won't I? Two blunders instead of one. First I'm making a decision and then I'm concerning myself with carrying out my decision and all this time I had no right to make the decision or to carry it out. So the word "I" got me into one blunder. The same word "I" got me into the second blunder.

Well now, in some of my writings you will find chapters on that, or at least one chapter in one of the classes, I think it's "Matthew Speaks," on the very subject of I as the devil. Well, that I is a devil that would try to make a decision isn't it? That I that concerns itself with how this universe should be run, how God's business should be run, that I is a devil. As a matter of fact to be completely correct, that I that I am entertaining isn't an I at all, it's a false sense of I. The real sense of I is God. Any other sense of I is an error. Therefore, there is not really a God and a devil. There's not really a power of good and a power of evil. There's no such thing as a power of evil. There is only the infinite power of good. But then there is that false sense of that power which we entertain called personal sense. Personal sense is really the only devil. And we eliminate all error the minute we eliminate the personal sense of I.

2. The Easter of Our Lives

And so on this Easter, when your attention is drawn to the story of the Master, remember this — that the greatest blessing that has come to the human world has been the denial of the Master by those he fed and healed, and the denial of the Master by his very disciples. Because in that experience we have learned not to trust man whose breath is in his nostrils, not to place our faith in the outer world, but always to turn within and become acquainted with our guardian angel, with our angel of the Lord, with our divine protector, with the very Christ of God which has been planted in the midst of us since the beginning of all time.

Men fashion their kingdoms of temporal power, of gold, silver, brass, and clay. We read of these temporal kingdoms in the seventh chapter of Daniel. We learn here of the finite temporary nature of the kingdoms of this world. The 34th verse of this chapter of Daniel we read that a new kingdom shall be set up which will never be destroyed. This kingdom is carved out of a stone that is cut out of a mountain without hands. This stone destroys all temporal kingdoms and the work of men. Think of this — a stone carved out of a mountain without hands. Is not this the work of God? And the kingdom that shall stand forever, is not that the reign and realm of the Christ? The power that rules not by might nor by power but by my spirit. The human life constituted of gold and silver and brass and iron, mixed with clay, is a kingdom divided against itself. And spiritual wisdom alone, the still small voice, can destroy it and reveal the kingdom of immortality under the government of love.

As faith and confidence in men and metals and minerals is displaced, and the understanding of God as substance replaces material sense, the power and glory of the new consciousness appears. My kingdom is not of this world. The ministering angels within our own consciousness, the impartation of the spiritual word within — this makes for us the safety, security, harmony, joy, and peace of our world.