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BIBLE READING: John 8:23-28
ASFG Lesson 11: The Lord Thy God Is One
(page 84)
1. Unity and the Oneness of God
The lesson opens with the affirmation that “The Lord thy God is One.” Cayce’s interpretation emphasizes that everything in creation—every number, form, and atom—reflects the Oneness of the Creator. This “One” is not something that can be divided or multiplied; it is the foundation of all being and all law.
In biblical terms, this echoes Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord,” and John 10:30, “I and my Father are one.” Cayce interprets this not as a distant metaphysical truth but as a practical spiritual reality—human beings are meant to awaken to their unity with God, realizing that His Spirit moves through all things.
2. What Jesus Meant by “Ye Shall Die in Your Sins” (John 8:23–28)
In John 8:23–28, Jesus tells the Pharisees, “Ye are from beneath; I am from above… if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” Cayce’s notes explain this as a statement about spiritual ignorance, not condemnation.
To “die in sin” means to remain unaware of truth—to leave this world without awakening to divine understanding.
Sin, in this view, is separation: the state of mind that pursues material gratification over spiritual growth.
Those who reject truth must face the consequences of ignorance until they learn through experience.
Everyone experiences suffering caused by sin, but according to Cayce, knowing why we suffer transforms it into growth. Jesus’ life and teaching reveal that suffering can be redemptive when it awakens us to the Oneness of God.
3. Why Jesus “Learned Obedience Through Suffering”
Although Jesus never disobeyed, Hebrews 5:8 says that He “learned obedience by the things which he suffered.” Cayce’s interpretation views this through the concept of reincarnational fulfillment—that Christ, as the “second Adam,” had to complete the pattern of human experience to bring it into divine perfection.
The first Adam fell through desire for self-knowledge apart from God.
The Christ (as the perfected Adam) fulfilled the law of divine obedience through surrender and self-sacrifice.
Through suffering and experience, He restored harmony between the human and the divine.
Thus, “learning obedience” doesn’t imply disobedience—it means fully experiencing the process of aligning human will with divine will.
4. Death as the Last Enemy
Cayce’s commentary reflects 1 Corinthians 15:26, “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” He explains that death is feared by the “natural man,” yet all of nature accepts it as a passage to renewal. Trees, for example, appear to die but return in spring; so too does the soul move between states of expression.
Death is not the end but a transformation—a “quickening” into new life.
Only humanity fears death because we cling to the physical rather than the spiritual. The fall of Adam symbolized this attachment. Before the fall, the spirit could move freely “in and out of the body” as consciousness moves between dimensions. Once bound by matter, humanity forgot this truth, and death became a source of fear.
To “overcome death,” then, means to transcend the illusion of separation, realizing that spirit cannot die.
5. Temptation and the Fulfillment of the Law
Cayce parallels Jesus’ temptation with that of Eve in Genesis. When Peter rebuked Jesus for foretelling His death (Matthew 16:22–23), Jesus responded, “Get thee behind me, Satan.” This represented the same temptation: the voice of self-preservation over divine purpose.
“If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Matthew 16:24)
There are no shortcuts to divine union. Jesus had to fulfill the law of sacrifice and obedience, and so must every soul. The “cross” symbolizes this surrender of the personal will to the divine pattern.
6. “Whither I Go, Ye Cannot Come”
When Jesus told His listeners, “Whither I go, ye cannot come,” He meant that they were not yet ready—they had not begun the inner transformation that begins with belief. Only after His crucifixion (“when ye have lifted up the Son of Man”) would they begin to perceive who He truly was. The rending of the temple veil and the darkened sky in Matthew 27 symbolize the removal of barriers between God and humanity.
7. Realization of the Oneness
The ultimate goal, according to Cayce’s lesson, is to realize the Oneness of God through experience, love, and faith. This realization isn’t intellectual—it’s lived through service, meditation, and self-giving. Each soul must, through daily obedience, “take up the cross” and awaken to the divine within.
As Jesus said, “When ye have lifted up the Son of Man, then shall ye know that I am He.” (John 8:28)
This “lifting up” symbolizes both His crucifixion and our own spiritual awakening—seeing the divine in the human, the eternal in the temporal.
8. Conclusion: The Path Back to the Father
The lesson ends by affirming that God is One in all planes—physical, mental, and spiritual. To know God is to live in harmony with that Oneness, aligning thought and action with divine purpose. Those who do so move from fear to peace, from death to life, from ignorance to understanding.
The final affirmation declares:
“As my body, mind, and soul are one, Thou, O Lord, in manifestation in the earth, in power, in might, in glory, art one.
May I see in that I find, day by day, more of that realization, and manifest the more.”
Summary of Key Insights
Theme⟺Meaning
“Die in your sins”⟺To remain spiritually ignorant and separate from truth.
Suffering⟺A means of awakening; even Christ experienced it to fulfill divine law.
Death⟺The last illusion of separation; overcome through spiritual realization.
Temptation⟺The pull of self-will; overcome by surrender to God’s will.
Oneness⟺The realization that all creation is an expression of the same divine Source.
Affirmation
“The Lord my God is One — and I am one with Him.
In body, mind, and spirit, I move in harmony with the Divine.
Each thought, word, and deed becomes a reflection of His love.
I see God in all things, and all things in God.”
Prayer
O Father of Light and Life,
Help me to remember that You are One in all,
And that I am never apart from Your presence.
When I am tempted to fear or judge,
Let me feel Your Spirit moving within me,
Gently reminding me that love fulfills every law.
As Christ overcame through obedience and faith,
So let me learn to surrender my will to Yours,
That I may walk the path back to You — in peace, in truth, in joy.
Amen.
Meditation
Focus Thought: “I and my Father are One.” (John 10:30)
Sit quietly and breathe slowly.
As you inhale, imagine light filling your heart — the light of divine understanding.
As you exhale, release all thoughts of separation, fear, and judgment.
With each breath, silently repeat:
“The One Life flows through me.”
“The One Mind thinks through me.”
“The One Love expresses as me.”
Rest in this awareness for a few minutes, feeling yourself surrounded by a vast unity — God in you, you in God.
When your mind grows still, let gratitude arise. Know that this is the peace Jesus spoke of — the realization of Oneness with the Father.
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