The Unrecognized One,Part Two
Greetings and good morning, brothers and sisters. This is Dr. James Perry continuing with our series where we seek to explore the deeper meanings of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Over the years, the heavenly Father has revealed many revelations of spiritual truth to me, and I want to share them with you. This morning we complete the story of the unrecognized one.
And now, sit back and listen to today's message.
The Unrecognized One
"I, John who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the Isle that is Pathmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus." Revelations, Chapter 1, Verse 3.
Last week, we began the story of the unrecognized efforts of one to do God's will. Today we complete that story.
He thought about the characteristic of spiritual growth: "Spiritual growth is first an awakening to needs, next a discernment of meanings, and then a discovery of values. The evidence of true spiritual development consists in the exhibition of a human personality motivated by love, activated by unselfish ministry, and dominated by the wholehearted worship of the perfection ideals of divinity." And he realized that he was in compliance with that definition, that he had in truth made the acquirement of spiritual goals the supreme purpose of his life, but when he tried to share this goal with others, the thick darkness descended over their already dark material minds. But he also realized that the day would come as it had for him when they too would embark wholeheartedly upon this journey of divine perfection in response to the Father's command. Would this perfection that the Father commanded be physical, intellectual, moral, or spiritual? He meditated and arrived at the conclusion that intellectual and physical perfection were impossible of obtaining in the world today, but moral and spiritual perfection was a distinct possibility. How, then, could he transmute the possibility to probability and then to actuality?
He thought about the characteristics of moral and spiritual perfection. What would they be? Were they are such a nature that anyone could recognize them? Would they be like a big sign there for all to recognize, or might there be some other qualification for recognizing moral and spiritual perfection? Could an imperfect being recognize moral and spiritual perfection? And if so by what mechanism would this recognition occur? How would he define moral and spiritual perfection? And more importantly how would he recognize it when and if he achieved it? Then he thought about the process of recognizing goal achievement.
How does one know when the ABCs or timetables have been learned? When one is able to recite them and use them in different combinations of meaning, that goal has been achieved. For moral and spiritual perfection, the realization of those goals is the consistent execution of moral and spiritual mandates. For moral perfection, this means consistently carrying out moral responsibilities. For spiritual perfection, this means consistently carrying out the spiritual mandate, which is to allow the Father to reveal himself through you at all times and under all circumstances. He realized that this process of carrying out moral and spiritual mandates was a progressive experience and would continue until the supreme moral and spiritual decision was made. But what is the supreme moral and spiritual decision? The supreme and moral decision is the wholehearted dedication to doing the Father's will. “ . . . The highest moral choice is the choice of the highest possible value, and always--in any sphere, in all of them--this is to choose to do the will of God." The Father's will consists of the past, present, future, the everlasting now. So that in choosing the Father's will, one chooses that which includes the entire growth process.
Continuing with his meditations, he realized that he had chosen the Father's will, and therefore had made a choice for moral and spiritual perfection. Those who were traveling along the same road of sonship would most certainly recognize moral and spiritual perfection, even though they might lack the insight to define it, having been tainted with the an impossible definition of moral and spiritual perfection. And as he continued to reflect, he realized that of the many thousands of people that he had interacted with, only one had recognized his moral and spiritual perfection and only one had recognized that he was very close to being perfect. That being the case, he knew that his remaining time would continue almost in obscurity, revealing to those who knew not what was being revealed. But now he realized that quite possibly this trial might last either until he was translated or died.
And when he thought about translation, his mind went back to that far time when in a burst of super faith, he grasped the truth of translation while in the flesh. His whole life since that point had been dedicated to actualizing the faith-truth he had embraced so many years ago. He had asked his older brother-Father, Jesus, to show him the way to spiritual perfection, and not only did he have Jesus' Spirit of Truth enveloping his soul but he also had access to the intellectual knowledge as to how Jesus himself achieved this supreme goal. The essential thing was a life dedicated to doing the Father's will and a willingness to be and do all things necessary for its accomplishment. It was a test of faith to accept what he had to be and do to achieve this divine oneness. Already had his faith embraced its accomplishment, and he continued to reveal his heavenly Father through his older brother, Jesus, to his human brothers and sisters, and even his celestial friends on high.
He continued to meditate and recalled how he had overcome the problem of doubt in his mind concerning the revelation of the Father. He remembered how his faith had assured him time and time again that if it was truly his desire to reveal the Father, than that desire was proof in itself that he was actually revealing the Father. The Father being spiritual was not handicapped by the state of the material self. All that was required was a moral nature and a will submitted to His will. He recalled how he came to recognize the Father's spirit within him. First he recognized intellectually the fact of the Father indwelling him, revealed to him through revelation. Next he went on to recognize the Father morally. This was accomplished by recognizing the inherent obligation involved in creating a self conscious creature who longed to know his Maker. Then he recognized the Father spiritually. He recognized that those none-self urges, desires, impulses and unselfish affections were emanations of the divine spirit, this attitude of divine love for others was the presence of the divine spirit. This gave him the satisfaction of knowing that he was in partnership with the Father.
It was a joyful experience to do the Father's will, even though outside he suffered much from his isolation and his many handicaps of the flesh. He continued to pray and worship, seeking that high state that would qualify him to factually become one with his beloved divine spirit. Though in reality he realized that for all practical purposes on earth that had already happened. The Father's spirit being eternal and not handicapped by time or space looks beforehand to the time of actual oneness and reckons the union as an event of fact.
It was a marvelous and inspiring experience when he thought about it. It energized his faith, and justified his faith that the Father would trust him with the responsibility of revealing him to others. But he knew that every experience had an end, and he knew that the faith oneness would soon become the factual oneness of his soul with the Father's spirit. This would seal his eternal fate, would consummate courtship with his divine spirit. They would truly be one, and never would the flesh and blood and material mind separate them again. He would be translated like Enoch and Elijah. Who is this mortal of flesh and blood who dares to call himself a son of God? He is the unrecognized one by others but recognized by the celestial One. "He is a son in which I am well pleased."
This concludes part two of today's message on the Unrecognized One. We hope you find something in this message to ponder and pray about as you go about your day. Until next time, this is Dr. James Perry.
JHP 12/23/06
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By Dr. James Perry
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The Unrecognized One,Part Two,
