Finding Freedom in Divine Understanding
When I sat down to write this article I wanted to drive home a specific point. I wanted to drive home the point that no matter who you are, where you are from or what you believe, you can be free. Free from all of the limits and boundaries of the physical world. This includes any mental and physical condition. This is especially true if you are down on your luck or if you are hitting rock bottom. You can be free from all suffering. Free from sin, sickness and death.
There are many challenges to living a mortal life. Being consumed by the thoughts and feelings of the mortal mind will make you feel, mortal. From societal trends to reaching a certain social status, there are pressures from society all around us all the time. The treasures of the flesh are plentiful. The pleasures of the flesh are abundant. But the promise of the material senses will leave you wanting more and more until you realize there is no way to quench your insatiable appetite. You will feel sick. You will feel tired. You will feel alone. Pursuing that which is perceivable only by the five senses leads only to suffering.
1 Corinthians 3:18-19
21st Century King James Version
18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written: “He taketh the wise in their own craftiness”;
Persuing the knowledge of the physical world will make you into a slave. The Bible tells us that the only true knowledge comes from God. By seeking false truth, you shackle yourself to a false sense of knowledge. You hitch yourself to the mortal believe that there is another source of knowledge in the universe. You subvert your own freedom to the false idea that your nature is material. God is the only creator in the universe and the scripture points this out in many places. If God is the only creator, then God is also the only source of knowledge. Do you want true liberty? If you do, then you must choose Divine Knowledge, which can only be imparted to you by God. Therefore, you must choose God and reject all other false representations of the Truth. Only then, will you be able to start the process that leads to freedom. The process to which I am referrring is the process of Spiritual Understanding. It is the process of changing the dependence of material knowledge to the dependence on Divine Knowledge.
1 Corinthians 1:19-21
21st Century King James Version
19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”
20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe.
1 Corinthians 1:25
21st Century King James Version
25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
The story of creation in Genesis tells us that man was created in the image and likeness of God. We are capable of receiving spiritual knowledge because we are His children. He loves us and wants us to be happy and free. The true nature of Man is Spiritual, not material. We must first recognize this fact about ourselves and then we must choose to accept God. This choice cannot be superficial. You must truly dedicate yourself, your heart and all that you do, to Him. There cannot be any doubt in your mind about it. God knows what is in your heart. God knows what is in your thoughts.
God is the Divine Consciousness.
Stop reading this for a moment or two and let that sink in.
Did you pause? God will know whether or not you did. God knows EVERYTHING about you. He has been with you since the moment you became you. God is with you all the time. He knows how truly devoted you are to Him. He knows how well you follow the teaching of His son, Jesus. He knows if you’re a follower in name only or if you actually live a life worth rewarding.
God knows if you’re chasing that which is not of the Divine Spirit. He knows if you’re not paying attention. He knows if you’re a slave to the mortality and physical nature of the world. God did not create you to be a slave. I believe that God loves each of us and wants each of us to be happy. Therefore, declare yourself to be free from materiality. Seek that which is of the Divine Spirit.
God sent us His son. His son showed us the way. He taught us how to be free and then he demonstrated it. It is not easy to live up to His example, but it is not impossible and we must try. We have already been forgiven for our sins. So, instead of worrying about what we’ve done wrong, let’s focus on what we can do right. As I stated before, “seek that which is of the Divine Spirit.”
When Jesus delivered His Sermon on the Mount he presented eight particular blessings called the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes can be found in Matthew 5 verses 3-11. They are as follows:
Matthew 5-7
New International Version
5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.
The Beatitudes
He said:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
There are a lot of interpretations of the Sermon on the Mount. I believe that Jesus spoke to the character within each of us. I believe He spoke about how each of us should live our lives. The Beatitudes in particular say to me that God will take care of me if my heart is in the right place. So, if God takes care of me, then He also fulfills my every need. I won’t need a big house, millions of dollars, or a fancy car. None of that is important. What is important is what awaits me in God’s Kingdom, the Kingdom of Heaven.
What’s in the heart is our character. It is who we are. If my heart is pure, God will know. And, if I live a good and moral life, then I won’t seek out things that are evil, harmful and sinful. I won’t be shackled to the pleasures of the material sense. I won’t be committing acts of murder or theft. I won’t hurt other people. Those “other people” are also the children of God.
It is important to live a life following and understanding the principles that Jesus outlined in his first sermon because that is the key to receiving God’s knowledge. The fruit of this tree will be shared once it is understood how to live properly. Living in sin is out of tune with God. He will not share His knowledge with sinners, but there will be signs from Him to stop sinning. Some of these signs will be subtle while others may be obvious. It is important to pay attention to those signs. They can be acted upon, by simply changing. Simply stop sinning and start praying and living a life that follows the principles in the Sermon on the Mount.
Jesus healed the sick, cleansed the lepers, raised the dead and then he died for our sins. His resurrection demonstrated to everyone for all time that all of those things can be overcome and conquered. He showed us liberation through purity and how receiving the only true knowledge of the universe liberates us all from sin, disease and death.
If you’re reading this and you have already dedicated yourself to God, then Bless you. Please continue to do good work in the name of our Lord. If, on the other hand, you haven’t yet dedicated yourself to God, then I invite you to do as I have and repent of your sins, accept Jesus as your Savior and invite God into your heart. It is not too late to change. All you have to do is believe you can.
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