Episode:Jesus—The Legacy of His Life (Part 5)
A new and fuller revelation of the religion of Jesus is destined to conquer an empire of materialistic secularism and to overthrow a world sway of mechanistic naturalism. Urantia is now quivering on the very brink of one of its most amazing and enthralling epochs of social readjustment, moral quickening, and spiritual enlightenment.
Keywords: Urantia, Jesus, Christianity, Secularism, Future
Summary by Kermit
9. Christianity’s Problem
Christianity has evolved through centuries of political, social, and religious change, such that it contains much that isn’t Jesusonian and has lost much that is. Yet, even today it contains enough of Jesus’ teachings to immortalize it. However, what the world and Christianity need most, is to see the living Jesus manifested in the lives of his spirit-born disciples.
We discussed the use of the words quivering and brink in the much loved statement: “Urantia is now quivering on the very brink of one of the most amazing and enthralling epochs of social readjustment, moral quickening, and spiritual enlightenment.” Noting that, “Quivering” doesn’t sound like “moving forward steadily”, and “brink” is often used in conjunction with “disaster”. All of which underscores the emergency nature of our time.
The manifold reorganization of the world requires men and women devoted exclusively to the spiritual regeneration of mankind, who in turn can provide the necessary direction and leadership for such reorganization.
10. The Future
Souls will be won for the Master, through the free service and liberty loving devotion of genuine second-milers, who really live and love as Jesus taught.
Our discussion on really living as contrasted with just living took us back to a recurring theme on this program of cultivating the triunity of cosmic consciousness as opposed to the monocular vision of spiritual consciousness.
No social system or political regime which denies God can make a lasting and constructive contribution to the advancement of human civilization. Subdivided and sectarian Christianity represents the single greatest obstacle to its own advancement, particularly in the Orient.
The great teaching of Singlangton was of the “One Truth” which hardly resonates with Westernized sectarian Christianity.
The true church is the invisible Jesus brotherhood, characterized by unity not uniformity. It is destined to become a living organism, when the unity of true religion comes into relationship with uniformity of true science.
The spiritual renaissance could be greatly facilitated if secular education would focus on teaching character progression, life planning, and moral discipline as a foundation upon which religion could then contribute its spiritual incentives and enhancements to this life and the next.
The hope of modern Christianity is that should shun sponsorship of social and industrial activities of Western civilization and look to Jesus for the living gospel of the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man.
And many other things were discussed which await your perusal of the archives.
Summary by Kermit (longer form)
9. Christianity’s Problem
(2082.6) 195:9.1 Before casting out the superstitious creeds of past ages, do not neglect to recognize the value of our spiritual heritage and trust that the truth’s of Jesus’ gospel will persist and illuminate a new and better way.
(2082.7) 195:9.2 Modern Christianity is in need of new contact with the uncompromised teachings of Jesus. Urantia is now quivering on the very brink of one of the most amazing and enthralling epochs of social readjustment, moral quickening, and spiritual enlightenment.
Discussion: being on the brink rather than “steadily moving forward” should underscore the emergency we face. Brink often used in conjunction with the word disaster!
(2082.8) 195:9.3 The teachings of Jesus are even now slowly triumphing over materialism, mechanism and secularism of the twentieth century.
(2082.9) 195:9.4 Religion needs spiritual men and women, depending solely on Jesus and his teachings, and devoted to the spiritual regeneration of men. Such spiritually revived souls will then proceed to direct and inspire the social, moral, economic, and political reorganization of the world.
(2083.1) 195:9.5 Religion which is inconsistent with facts and out of harmony with the highest conceptions of truth beauty and goodness will not find acceptance in our modern age. The hour is striking for a rediscovery of the real life and teachings of Jesus.
(2083.2) 195:9.6 Civilized men fear being held by a religion and will attempt to control it through rationalization, traditionalization, and institutionalization. Today’s men and women of intelligence avoid the religion of Jesus for fear that it will, dominate and transform them, requiring of them, lives seeking the Father’s will, and unselfishly serving their fellows.
(2083.3) 195:9.7 Only when man becomes disillusioned with the sorrowful pursuits of selfishness and finds formalized religion barren will he turn wholeheartedly to the religion of Jesus.
(2083.4) 195:9.8 The world needs more firsthand religion. Even today’s Christianity about Jesus is largely practiced wholly as handed down by accepted religious teachers. What an awakening the world would experience if it could only see Jesus as he really lived and know, firsthand, his life-giving teachings!
(2083.5) 195:9.9 Christianity has lowered its ideals, but the religion of Jesus stands as a transcendent spiritual summons, calling to the best in man to the attainment of the moral heights of true human destiny.
(2083.6) 195:9.10 (2083.7) 195:9.11 Formalism, overorganization, intellectualism and other trends threaten Christianity with slow death. It has become a social and cultural movement as well as a religious belief and practice, acquiring many cultural elements and influences besides those of its supposedly exclusive source, first century Galilee.
10. The Future
(2084.1) 195:10.1 The world now needs to see Jesus living in the lives of his spirit born disciples. When Jesus is thus lifted up he will draw all men to himself.
(2084.2) 195:10.2 Jesus’ life of man-saving and God-revealing should not be subjected to the formation of creeds or theological systems of spiritual bondage.
(2084.5) 195:10.5 The transformation of the world through winning souls for the Master will require genuine second milers manifesting free service and liberty loving devotion. While Christianity now willingly goes the first mile, there are so few genuine second-milers who really live and love as he taught his disciples to live, love, and serve.
Discussion: What does it mean to really live, through the cultivation of courageous and independent cosmic thinking, not just spiritual thinking. Sad to record so few mortals!
(2084.6) 195:10.6 The call to the building of a new human society through the spiritual rebirth of Jesus’ brotherhood should thrill his disciples as they have not been stirred since the days when he walked the earth in the flesh.
(2084.7) 195:10.7 Social systems or political regimes which deny the reality of God can make no constructive and lasting contribution to the advancement of human civilization. Subdivided and secularized Christianity represents the single greatest obstacle to its own advancement, especially in the Orient.
Discussion: The authors go on to emphasize the unsuitability of Westernized Christianity for the Oriental peoples. Singlangton taught the One Truth, which hardly resonates with the sectarianism of Western Christianity.
(2084.8) 195:10.8 Ecclesiasticism is incompatible with the firsthand experience in the Jesus brotherhood. The preservation of olden traditions leads to the prevention of the development of new methods and means of satisfying the spiritual longings of modern men. Thus the Christian churches of the twentieth century stand as obstacles to the advance of the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.
(2085.1) 195:10.9 Jesus did not found the Christian church, though he has fostered it as the best exponent of his lifework.
(2085.2) 195:10.10 Thousands of apparently indifferent youths would enlist in the Master’s program if the Christian church would dare to espouse it.
(2085.3) 195:10.11 Sect-divided Christendom can hardly win over the non-Christian world. The true church is the invisible and spiritual Jesus brotherhood. It is characterized by unity not uniformity, and is destined to become a living organism.
Discussion: On the deeper implications of ‘unity’ or spiritual (religion), and ‘uniformity’ or material (science). Establish the unity consciousness in the inner life, and then bring unity into conformity with uniformity. Bring religion into relationship with true science. Begin with kindred spirits and develop kindred minds through bringing unity into relationship with uniformity, this is the living organism.
(2085.4) 195:10.12 (2085.5) 195:10.13 Christianity must not be despised. it still contrives to move the minds of reflective men with mighty moral emotions. But, the church’s involvement with commerce and politics, and their persecution of unorthodox truth bearers represent a flagrant betrayal of the Master.
There many in the world who prefer religions of authority and tradition and the Jesus brotherhood may well include these groups if they are willing to become truly spirit-led and abandon sectarian rivalry and assertions of moral superiority and spiritual infallibility. We are reminded again that these sectarian divisions of Christendom are problematic when attempting to carry the gospel to the Oriental peoples.
(2086.3) 195:10.17 The spiritual renaissance could be greatly facilitated if secular education would focus on teaching character progression, life planning, moral discipline as a foundation upon which religion could then contribute its spiritual incentives and enhancements to this life and the next.
(2086.4) 195:10.18 So-called high gear performances of Christianity must await the new revelation of the living Jesus, AND a more general acceptance of the real religion of Jesus.
(2086.6) 195:10.20 Christianity is handicapped by its perceived identification with a mal-aligned social, political and economic system which tolerates science without idealism, politics without principles, wealth without work, pleasure without restraint, knowledge without character, power without conscience, and industry without morality. Referred to in a putative source work as the seven deadly sins of modern society.
(2086.7) 195:10.21 The hope of modern Christianity is that should shun sponsorship of social and industrial activities of Western civilization and look to Jesus for the living gospel of the Fatherhood of man and the brotherhood of man.
