The Spiritual and Scientific Foundations of Higher Consciousness 339

       Our bodies reflect this same reality. Each body cell is a separate unit of awareness functioning as part of a collective in which we, as the predominate God-soul, attempt to direct and control its course. Often this mass of cells is more intent on following its own course than on functioning as a part of the whole. The harmony we seek within our own universe is achieved only when we understand the state of consciousness that stimulates inner unity and cooperation, then strive to live within this state. This is the goal of self-mastery, a state that many claim to have achieved, but few actually have, for the essential ingredient that propels God-soul to the state of mastery is love.

The Law of Love

      Aspects of this law are widely recognized in religious and modern literature. Love is the glue that unites and supports all that happens in the universe and in the lives of every living being. Thus, in that it defines the singularity of purpose and the ways for all life, the Law of Love is another expression of the Law of Unity. Most people conceive of love as an emotion, a feeling. In many respects, this identifies characteristics of this property of ALL THAT IS. But beyond what we experience as love from the human state of consciousness, love is a force, an energy field, a vibration, distinct from the emotion that human consciousness attaches to it. Thought of in this manner, love is a harmonic vibration. When we align ourselves with it, we contact, vibrate at the same level as, and connect with the highest qualities of ALL THAT IS. Any other state of consciousness separates us from the uniting force of the universe. We feel unconnected as we look for that elusive something. The problem is that we look somewhere else, rather than realize love is here and now — within us. We are the source of love and can tap its enormous power, the power of the universe, only when our conscious vibration, by choice of thought, is to love.

      As we move higher up the ladder of consciousness, from mineral to plant to animal to human, we are given assistance. In lower levels, it is in the form of instincts and genetic predispositions. Later, we are given the ability to make conscious choices that have instructive consequences, leading to increasing levels of choice and more instructive consequences. In the end, we learn to choose love as the binding, transcendent force that liberates us from the pain of earthly existence. In the state of consciousness of love, we rise above distractions of money and things. Our motivations and goals change. Serving the ONE becomes the most important aspect of our lives.

      This concept is initially difficult to grasp. How can everything be an expression of love when negativity and evil are rampant? How can the notion of a God of love be reconciled with occurrences that are hardly expressions of love? To better understand this, it is necessary further to explore the meaning of soul and spirit. As we have seen, soul is the animating principle in all-living things. It is composed of and is a vitalized unit of spirit. It expresses and is a spark of its divine creator. In its pure form, it is capable of expressing the characteristics of its creator: omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence. Spirit is the force that permeates the universe, sustains all life, and expresses itself
through and comprises all living things.

      The creation of the universe, all levels and aspects, is for the purpose of teaching soul its innate power and ultimately its role and responsibility in the operation of the universe. Without grasping this, it is impossible to understand life and soul’s purpose in being here. The seen and unseen universes make up a series of classrooms in which soul is provided the necessary experiences that lead to recognition of what it is, its inherent powers, and its ultimate purpose.

       That is why the notion of sin is so misguided. It may be comforting to believe that someone or something has taken away our sins, but it is a misleading palliative. For we have already seen how sin is the stuff from which lessons of spiritual growth emerge. Forgiveness becomes necessary only because of the fallacious idea that man is born in sin. Fortunately, saviors abound to grant the absolution that sinners need, forming a cycle of dependence for those with low self-esteem. The need for help in life is unquestionable, but not the variety peddled by most religions. Their help comes at a price, for we are kept from the truth that leads to spiritual empowerment, the recognition of ourselves as God-soul.

      Before soul is allowed to exercise the awesome powers that are its birthright, it must demonstrate, by the exercise of free will, decisionmaking, and choice, that it is prepared for this responsibility. The training is difficult and cannot be mastered in a single lifetime. Indeed, it requires numerous lifetimes, in many life forms. The support soul needs for this training is embodied in spirit. Spirit, in turn, is an expression of pure love. In other words, soul exists not because of God’s love for it so much as because soul’s existence is what gives conscious expression to ALL THAT IS. Soul is what IT is. They are ONE.

This section ends on page 344 of Confessions of a God Seeker Source — Confessions of a God Seeker: A Journey to Higher Consciousness