Infinite Way Letter
December 1955
By Joel Goldsmith
Part 6 of 7
CHRISTMAS 1955
The True Source of All Good
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen….Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear….But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
(Heb. 11:1-3-3.)
By faith we mean that quality of spiritual consciousness which discerns even without physical evidence. Through spiritual discernment we apprehend and comprehend those things which the human mind cannot understand. Through spiritual consciousness we know that that which appears as visible form was made by that which is, and always will be, invisible to human sense. By faith, or spiritual discernment, we know that the world of form is an emanation of the invisible substance called Life, or Spirit, or God.
By faith, or spiritual awareness, we know that the inner Invisible is infinite, and that therefore the world of creation is infinite, forever unfolding and disclosing itself in infinite form and variety, character and nature. Because of the infinite nature of the Invisible, we spiritually discern the infinite nature of creation, and never become dependent upon anything that has form, because, knowing its Source and realizing the infinite nature of the Source, we are enabled to understand the infinity of the creation of form. The Source or substance of all creation is this Infinite Invisible Soul or Spirit, and through this understanding we realize that there is nothing of a destructive or evil nature in creation.
The seeker after spiritual wisdom, while grateful for all forms of creation and happy to make use of and enjoy all manifestations, soon finds it impossible to feel dependent upon person, thing or condition. Starting with happiness, ordinarily an individual’s happiness is dependent upon some person, circumstance, condition or thing, and when there is an absence of that which would arouse the sense of happiness, unhappiness is the result. The first lesson that must be learned is that happiness must not be made dependent upon person or thing, nor must unhappiness be permitted to follow the absence of person or thing. The seeker must reach a state of consciousness in which happiness springs from an inner illumination, an inner awareness which, in scripture, is called faith—the spiritual discernment of the nature of all effect through understanding the nature of cause. The seeker must be given ample time in which to transfer his happiness from that which appears in the outer, to the spiritual discernment of the inner. Progress is being made when happiness is evident without regard to the world of appearances.
This same lesson also applies to supply. In most cases, supply is dependent upon labor, investment, marriage, inheritance, etc. Spiritually, supply is understood to be the outward appearing of the infinite inner Invisible. The student must be given opportunity for making the transition from dependence upon money, to the realization of supply as the emanation of that which is already established within.
Health usually is understood as being dependent upon the normal functioning of the organs and functions of the body, but now the transition must be made to an understanding that health is a quality and an activity of Soul, Spirit, Life, manifesting and expressing as the harmony of the body. This eliminates fear when inharmonious conditions of body and health are met.
Peace, which ordinarily means absence of war, is no longer a condition of human conduct, but, rather, peace is understood as a state of the Soul—a continuing, permanent, eternal and immortal state of the Soul, never dependent upon outer conditions. Peace must first be sought within, then peace will appear without. When the disciples were concerned about the Master, He said unto them: “I have meat to eat that ye know to of.” And the same thought was conveyed by Paul: “…the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” The understanding of this wisdom will free you from all dependence on person, place, thing, circumstance or condition; and yet, will add to you the infinity of God, appearing as all the good things of this world.
End Part 6