Living Immortality by Rev. Christine 1/31/2021
There has been so much talk of the numbers of people having succumbed to this pandemic. This has created a sense of vulnerability; an overall fear of contagion. So I decided to speak on this; my talk today is Living Immortality.
I will start with the Statement of Being from Divine Science and Healing by Malinda Cramer; published 1902. This Statement of Being is in the Chapter on Being. It contains the basic Principle and teachings of Divine Science.
“There can be but one all. This all in all is God and God manifest.
One is the number of unity. Unity is forever the state of nature of one.
God being Infinite, there is no finite. He is all of Being, creative action, and Creation.
‘I and my Father are one’ (John 10:30), God is Spirit, all of Life, Love, Truth, Substance, Soul and Intelligence; all of knowledge, all of Power, all of Presence. Like expresses like; hence, man is Spirit, life, love, truth, substance, soul, intelligence, knowledge, power and Presence, the exact image and likeness of God, co-eternal and co-equal with Him.
Nothing can be manifested that is not before it is manifested. As God alone is, it is God who is manifested in an ever-present creation. That which is begotten of Spirit is spirit. I am before I am manifested. Man is potential in God, and is expressor, co-worker and capable of doing His will, demonstrating the nature of Spirit. Man is Being and existence, created in the image of God’s eternity and wholeness. There is one Spirit and one body. Individually, we are inseparable.”
Cramer goes on to say, “Being, therefore, is the permanent good that sub-stands the three divisions of Time, the past, present and future. That the omnipresence of Supreme Being has hitherto been accepted theoretically, is apparent in the feeling of helplessness and ungratified wants that people have. Truly, a God that we can only progress toward – a Life-giver whom we may possibly approach at some future time, in some far away place, has been replaced in Divine Science by the true God – the Good of our being, who is our Life, Love, Truth, Health, Breath and all things. A knowledge of this Truth, practically applied, must bring ‘Eternal Life and Immortality to light’ (2nd Timothy 1:10) to the individual, then to humanity, for humanity is the sum of individuality. The true destiny of Divine Science demonstration is individual immortality.”
You may ask, how did Malinda Cramer come to know this knowledge? Back in 1885, she had been ill for some 25 years. Malinda had gone to many doctors throughout the years. She even moved from the East Coast to San Francisco under the advisement of a doctor that the climate might better suit her, but her ill health continued.
One evening, Malinda asked “Is there anyway to be healed.” Then being raised a Quaker, went into silent meditation. This led to the first of many spiritual experiences. She saw this brilliant diamond like light, and asked questions. Profound truths were revealed, and her question was answered. Malinda now knew if she would be healed it would be by Spirit. She also realized a healing as false beliefs were released. Malinda began teaching and healing through prayer, and by1888 formed the teachings of Divine Science, published a magazine, and opened a school.
Malinda says, “The first step for the student of Truth to take, is to put away the belief in an evil power, and take his or her stand in the foundation of Unity–that good alone is real and is all there is. Then by forming all conclusions from that basis, permanent unfoldment of knowledge and power is assured.”
I started my spiritual studies with an open mind; realizing I knew nothing about this part of life. Everything I was learning I put it to the test. I practiced the truth I was learning; I meditated, I affirmed, I prayed the new way. I believe this helped me to grasp it all the quicker.
We can intellectualize this knowledge of truth, but it doesn’t do us any real good in our life experiences. It must become more than information or I know that. This truth is something to embody and live. We are to practice daily, hour to hour, minute to minute, and that is what gives it life in our lives. We study, we meditate and listen within. We gain new insights, and we affirm that which is true over and over again silently or speak it out loud. We also refrain from speaking that which is not of truth; that are opinions based on laws of physics, hearsay, and superstition. Rather than insights based on spiritual law.
Immortality means the quality of being immortal; exemption from death and annihilation; unending existence. It is self existence; life entirely exempt from death. Life that has always been, will always be.
Living immortality seems unrealistic from a view based on the laws of physics. Physics tells us our life begins when we are born, and it ends when we die. Much of Christianity tells us if we’re really good we may have eternal life after we die and go to heaven.
Then Jesus Christ tells us that heaven is at hand. Meaning heaven is available now, and not some far off distant future or place after death, as so many believe. He also said that heaven is within us. Heaven then is a state of mind within us. Depending upon the quality or vibration of our thoughts and emotions. We have the power within us to experience heaven here and now.
Spiritual law says, nothing can be manifested that is not before it is manifested. As God alone is, it is God who is manifested in an ever-present creation. Meaning, we are alive before we manifested a body. We can say that we were never born, and that we never die; we are eternally living in spirit -- in God. Regardless of the body we are expressing or wearing, it is Spirit as Substance, Divine Substance. So with a body or not; we our alive in spirit – in God, expressing life and more life.
The only thing that changes is the form we are taking at the time. Even what we call this life, we have many stages and changes to our form. Nothing stays the same except the building blocks of our DNA. According to Gregg Braden, our DNA is our imprint of God. DNA is a string of alphabetical letters, and these letters equate to the Hebrew letters that spell their name for God.
These letters are also the basic elements of creation. Science has found that parts of our DNA, that once considered to have no use, dynamically changes with our thoughts. It overlays the other parts of our stable DNA, and can effect how our DNA gives instructions to the cells of our body. We are very intelligent, creative, spiritual beings. Let us choose our thoughts wisely.
Building this sense of unity can start with realizing that all is living spirit. The following quote is by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “Earth’s crammed with heaven, and every common bush’s afire with God. But only he who sees takes off his shoes.” As Jesus said in Matt 13:16, “Blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.”
We must see past the appearance of non life, such as a rock, to seeing it as a creation of God, it is spirit substance as manifested form. It is consciousness, it is of Infinite Spirit, Infinite Mind made manifest. All is radiantly holy. All is good.
From the Bible 1st Corinthians 15:54, Paul speaks of immortality as something that already is, and is to be put on. “When this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory.”
Meaning there is only life and more life; regardless of what we believe at this time. It doesn’t matter what we believe for it is the truth of our being – we are immortal, incorruptible spirit. We are not speaking of reincarnation for we were incarnated once, and are eternal. We have unlimited experiences or chapters in our book of life.
The form of our body appears as solid, but if you look at a cell of this body through a super microscope you see something very different. You would see atoms swirling about, and within its nucleus are tiny particles of energy; there is no matter, just energy.
What holds all this together? The Divine Intelligence of Love. Love is the glue of all life everywhere. This invisible presence of love is the one and only power of all life; both invisible and visible.
We are more than our body. This body is within our consciousness, and is an expression of our consciousness. It is love in expression. God’s love is expressing as this body. Love is a Principle, an attribute of God. Therefore, love is eternal, ever lasting, all powerful, and has no opposites.
Prof. Amos Dolbear, (1837-1910) physicist and inventor says, “I think we are very near to a scientific basis of immortality that will transform most of our thinking.” Although, people today are still trying to have solid proof. While what it will take is a paradigm shift in consciousness from thinking of matter to spirit.
Dr. C. T. Stockwell, author of The Evolution of Immortality” 1906, says, “What a thought is this! As we look out into space we see God. In a rose, a lily, a sunset, we see God’s idea of beauty. Looking out among the swimming worlds of stars, the majesty of God is revealed to the open mind. This view leaves no room in the whole universe for death or dead matter. There is absolutely nothing but life anywhere. God has nothing but Himself to make His children out of. They are perfect because He is perfect. They live because He lives. There is only one Mind, and they share it; only one Spirit, and they are Spirit.”
When we come into our full realization of spirit, of immortality, like Jesus the Christ. Then we too can put on our immortality; meaning we know our true nature, and live as immortal beings - living by Spiritual Law; walk on water, bi-locate, astral travel, visit other realms, and so much more.
Some say Jesus took up his body with him. I see it as his body was transformed to a higher frequency of spirit. Then by his consciousness can manifest as form, and people can see him, and even touch him. I call this being multidimensional. Meaning we can at will transition from invisible to visible form, and back to invisibility. Just like spirit is both visible and invisible depending upon its frequency.
Living immortality is an everyday exercise and experience. To acknowledge the air we breath as sacred vital energy. To see the radiant life energy of a flower, a leaf, a tree, a stream or ocean, a raindrop, a snowflake; a grain of sand, or rocks and dirt; all animals, birds, fish, insects all life; the ground and floor we walk upon, and all physical things. It is seeing past the visible form to the Divine Presence that is within and throughout.
The more we see this living vibrant life around us, the more will be revealed to us to know. We still ourselves, quiet our mind, close our eyes to listen, and then hear the inner messages of inspiration and guidance. Spirit Divine is always revealing itself - we just need to quiet our minds to have the ears to truly hear, and the eyes to truly see.
Let us affirm: I am immortal living the holy now.