Path to Oneness
The Question: Name the three main obstacles that keep us from becoming one with God?
Let us look at three categories which the average seeker can work on in practical terms in the state of present progress.
(1) Oneness with fellow humans.
The scripture wisely says:
“If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” I John 4:20
We could slightly alter the words here and yet retain a principle just as true:
“He who is not one with his brother who he has seen cannot claim to be one with God who he has not seen.”
If God is indeed in man (meaning, of course, both men and women) then it is the height of hypocrisy to remove yourself from human contact in order to become one with God as some supposed sages have done. That is like saying “I am going away from God to find God.”
Many there are who teach oneness with God yet fail to have a relationship with one other human with even a semblance of oneness, out of billions available.
Let me clue in those caught in this illusion to an important truth. To those centered in the personality, the yielding of the little will of the individual to the Will of God is much more difficult than it is to yield to a belligerent spouse, am unjust boss or a confrontational political leader.
To become one with our brothers and sisters does not mean, however, to support their error at the expense of our own truth, but to look upon their souls and from that point of oneness maintain an attitude of unity to the personality level wherever the opportunity presents itself.
To create oneness with fellow humans the trinity of maya, glamour and illusion must be surmounted. In a word these are the obstacles.
Maya – false oneness through the pull of the environment and matter must be bypassed.
Glamour – Feelings of negativity and hate must be neutralized
Illusion – The vision of separateness must be dispelled.
(2) We must develop a believing spirit.
Paul urged us to: “believe all things.” I Cor 13:7
Without belief a first step toward oneness will never be taken.
If one has a believing spirit this does not mean the person is gullible, but when a teaching is presented, no matter how outrageous, he will approach it with a believing attitude first and then filter it, with an open mind, through his perceptions and inner knowing.
If one automatically writes off, because of preconceived notions, a teaching or statement as being untrue, then he will miss many truths that will lead to the soul and oneness with God and man.
(3) Act on your beliefs with no hypocrisy.
If you seem to love your fellow man and have a believing spirit, but fail to act then progression comes to a standstill. Then too if you act, but because of the praise of the world you act contrary to what you know then retrogression sets in.
Seek to be one in the soul with your brothers and sisters, be believing and act on what you truly think and believe, and a major step toward oneness with God is at hand.
The Only Begotten
I thought I would bring some clarification on the term “Only Begotten.” The way this is translated in Bibles does make it sound as if Jesus has a lock on the term. A reader pointed out that perhaps Jesus was merely the first and the title was only temporary in reference to him.
But to understand what is meant by the term we must examine the Greek word from which it originated. It comes from MONOGENES. While it is true that this word can literally be translated as “only begotten” it is also an interesting fact that in the days of Jesus and some time before his birth this word was used by the Greeks to imply a meaning beyond the physical sense. It was often used to imply a unique or special position that one may have.
Therefore, if someone is close to your heart (as a firstborn usually is) then he is referred to as MONOGENES.
For instance, Joseph was Jacob’s 11th son, but because he was the closest to his father’s heart he would have been referred to as his “only begotten” or MONOGENES. A master could have referred to his favorite slave as his MONOGENES slave. An employer could have referred to his favorite employee by this same word.
Therefore, if we were to use the common usage of the word in that era what does the following scripture say?
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
We have a clue from the actual voice of God:
“And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matt 3:17
“Beloved” would be a good translation here which harmonizes with the Greek word MONOGENES and fits in with God’s actual description of Christ as well as John’s.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his beloved Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Because the bias and attachment to belief systems is so strong a true searcher will discover that every version of the Bible is translated in favor of the scholars’ own “beloved” beliefs.
April 11, 2001
Copyright by J J Dewey
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