Prepared by William Cooper
Jesus’ discourse on true religion (UB p.1728) was delivered ten months before his crucifixion. The Urantia Book describes it as one of the most remarkable addresses which his apostles ever listened to throughout all their years of association with him. I think it is still very remarkable even after 2000 years of Christianity. His comments were prompted by a question from the apostle Thomas, which was “Master, I would really like to know just what is wrong with the religion of our enemies at Jerusalem? What is the real difference between their religion and ours? Why is it we are at such diversity of belief when we all profess to serve the same God?”
I am going to present Jesus’ response in seven sub-topics. I have indicated my comments and questions by presenting them in italics. An asterisk after a word indicates the word is defined at the end of the article.
My seven sub-topics are:
- Distinguishing the Forms of Religious Devotion
- Freedom*, Liberty*, Heroes* and Prophets*
- Unifying Effect of Religion of the Spirit
- All Things Are Sacred
- Proof You Are God Knowing
- Reassurance of Salvation
- Fruits of the Spirit, Consequences of Being Spirit Led*
I. Distinguishing the Forms of Religious Devotion
At any one time and among any one people there are to be found three distinct and coexisting forms of religious devotion. And these three are:
- Primitive religion. The semi natural and instinctive urge to fear mysterious energies and worship* superior forces. It is chiefly a religion of fear.
- The religion of civilization. This consists of the advancing religious concepts and practices of the civilizing races. It is the religion of the mind – the intellectual theology of established religious tradition. All organized religious traditions are in this category.
- True religion. This is the religion of revelation to your soul [by your personal Spirit Within and the spirit of Jesus]. What these spirits reveal is supernatural* values*, even a partial insight into eternal realities*. This is the religion of the spirit, whose truth* is demonstrated* in human experience*.
What are supernatural* values? (Look at fruits of the spirit, and spiritual weapons, below) What does “demonstrated in human experience” mean? In what forms does such experience come to us? Consider both inner experience and social or outer experience as well as sudden insight versus slow realization. Are the events in other people’s lives part of our experience if we view them with compassion and empathy?
The great difference between the religion of the mind and the religion of the spirit is that, while religion of the mind is upheld by ecclesiastical (churchly) authority, religion of the spirit is wholly based on human experience of spirit inspired insights into supernatural values, eternal realities, and our Heavenly Parent’s character. We must educate ourselves to know that we should accept the spirit’s leading.
[See fruits of the spirit, spiritual weapons, etc. below.] This experience of spirit inspired insights can come suddenly or as slow, accumulated recognition, what we might call the growth of wisdom.
The religion of the spirit means effort, struggle, conflict, faith*, determination, love*, loyalty*, and progress. The religion of the mind –the theology of authority – requires little or none of these exertions from its formal believers.
Why effort, struggle, and conflict? Can’t we avoid that? Maybe it is because this is what meaningful human experience consists of. These efforts, struggles, and conflicts are between higher values and immaturities in one’s self. These deal with our efforts to achieve self-mastery—to deal with life by faith and by trust in goodness. These are efforts and struggles in everyone’s life. These struggles and conflicts are contests within ourselves to establish reliable self-discipline to live according to higher values even when no other human knows the tendencies we struggle to control. The outcomes of these struggles determine our character which in turn has immense consequences in building our souls.
Jesus described his teachings as a new and very different religion that makes its chief appeal* to the divine spirit of our Heavenly Parent which resides in the mind of each person.
Why does religion of the spirit make its chief appeal to the Spirit Within and how? Perhaps it is because we get an attraction response to truth through the Spirit Within. Educating ourselves to identify that nudge gives us a way to recognize truth and God’s way.
This new religion will derive its authority*, it’s proof, from the spiritual fruits of its acceptance* that will so certainly appear in the personal experience* of all who really and truly become believers in the truths of this higher spiritual communion*. [See fruits of the spirit, below.]
Jesus calls upon us to be born again, to be brought into spiritual life by the experience of personal communion with the spirit of God within. [What will the experience of personal communion with God be like? Extraordinary or not?] Jesus has called us out of the darkness of authoritarian and traditional religion into the transcendent* light of the realization of making for ourselves the greatest discovery possible for the human soul to make – the supernal (celestial, heavenly) experience of finding God for* ourselves, in* ourselves, and of* ourselves, and of doing all this as a fact in our own personal experience*. [What do “for, in and of ourselves connote?]
The religion of the mind ties you hopelessly to the past; the religion of the spirit consists in progressive revelation and ever beckons you on toward higher and holier achievements in spiritual ideals* and eternal realities*. [See fruits of the spirit, spiritual weapons, etc. below for an identification of spiritual ideals and eternal realities.]
To summarize Jesus’ remarks on forms of religious devotion: Primitive religion is based on fear. The religion of civilization is founded on intellectual theology, tradition and rules. Religion of the spirit is constantly renewed by inner spirit revelation as clarified by the Spirit of Jesus. All three forms coexist in a culture and probably even in an individual’s spiritual life. The validity of the meanings and values revealed by your Inner Spirit is proved by the fruits of actually living such meanings and values. So, not actually living our meanings and values deprives our world and time of the spiritual fruits which would demonstrate their validity. The fruits flow from the living, not from the mere knowledge of meanings and values. There is power in our living this way because the Inner Spirit of each witness calls this behavior to its subject’s attention with approval and attraction.
II. Freedom, Liberty, Heroes and Prophets
While the religion of authority may impart a present feeling of settled security, you pay for such a temporary satisfaction the price of the loss of your spiritual freedom* and religious liberty*. The religion of the spirit leaves you forever free to follow the truth wherever the leadings of the spirit may take you. And be assured, this spirit has many things to impart to each generation which other generations have refused to hear.
Our Paradise Parent did indeed speak through Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, Amos and Hosea, but did not cease to minister words of truth to the world when these prophets of old made an end of their utterances. Our Creator Parent is no respecter of races or generations in that the truth is provided in one age and withheld from another.
Jesus admonishes us to give up the practice of always quoting the prophets of old and of praising historical spiritual heroes, and instead to aspire to become living prophets* of the Most High and spiritual heroes* of the coming kingdom of loving service and mutual encouragement and compassion. [What is a living prophet and what is spiritual heroism?]
We must cease to seek for the word of God only on the pages of the olden records of theological authority. Those who are born of the spirit of God shall discern the word of God regardless of where it appears to take origin. Divine truth* must not be discounted because the channel of its bestowal is apparently human. But all of the ways of knowing about the fact of God are less important than increasingly growing in the ability to feel the presence of God.
What does it mean “fact of God” and “feel the presence of God?” How is feeling the presence of God more revelatory of divine truth than knowing the facts about God? Doesn’t this suggest that one who feels the presence of God and responds, even without knowledge of the fact of God, is practicing religion of the spirit?
Summarizing Sub Section II: Religion of the Spirit liberates us from all restraints including religious traditions, holy books, priests and human teachers and prophets. We are encouraged to become living spokespersons for God and persons of courage and nobility of purpose regarding the coming kingdom of loving service and mutual encouragement.
III. Unifying Effect of Religion of the Spirit
Every race of mankind has its own outlook on human existence; therefore must the religions of the mind ever run true to these various racial viewpoints. Never can the religions of authority come to unification. Human unity and mortal brotherhood can be achieved only through the super endowment of the religion of the spirit. Racial minds differ, but all humanity is indwelt by the same divine and eternal spirit. The hope of human mutual encouragement and compassion can only be realized as the divergent mind religions of authority become impregnated with and overshadowed by the unifying and ennobling religion of the spirit – the religion of direct, personal spiritual experience. [What is spiritual experience as distinguished from nonspiritual experience? Look at fruits of the spirit and consequences of the spirit listed below for insights into spiritual experience.]
The religions of authority can only divide men and set them in conscientious array against each other; the religion of the spirit will progressively draw men together and cause them to become understandingly sympathetic* with one another. The religions of authority crystallize into lifeless creeds*; the religion of the spirit grows into the increasing joy* and liberty* of ennobling* deeds* of loving service and merciful* ministration.
Summarizing Sub section III: Loving unity is God’s goal. There are racial and authoritarian religious outlooks which interfere with unification of humanity into a spiritual family relationship. Substantial participation in religion of the spirit is the only remedy for this. Religion of the spirit promotes unification of purpose among various religionists at the level of doing God’s will even without agreement as to what God’s will is or how to do it. Creeds, theology and dogma attempt to enforce unity at the orthodox creedal level. That is not possible and involves intolerable interference with spiritual freedom which would itself contradict God’s will that we be free to pursue the truth wherever the spirit leads us.
IV. All Things Are Sacred
There is only one adventure which is more satisfying and thrilling than the attempt to discover the will of the living God, and that is the supreme experience of honestly trying to do that divine will. The will of God can be done in any earthly occupation. Some callings are not holy and others secular. All things are sacred in the lives of those who are spirit led; that is, subordinated* to truth*, ennobled by love*, dominated by mercy* and restrained by fairness – justice. [Did Jesus really mean “all things” are sacred?]
When you once begin to find God in your soul, presently you will begin to discover him in other people’s souls and eventually in all the creatures and creations of a mighty universe. But what chance does the Creator have to appear as a God of supreme loyalties and divine ideals in the souls of people who give little or no time to the thoughtful contemplation of such eternal realities.
Summarizing Sub section IV: We should give thoughtful contemplation to discovering supreme loyalties and divine ideals in all creatures and creations and act accordingly, and consequently all things will become sacred to us. We should remember, regardless of what we are doing, everything we do or say or think matters and should exhibit goodness.
V. Proof You Are God Knowing
There are two positive and powerful demonstrations of the fact that you are God-knowing.
First: The fruits of the spirit of God will progressively show forth in your routine daily life. [Spiritual fruits are treated below.]
Second: Your entire life plan will furnish positive proof that you have unreservedly risked everything you are and have on the adventure of survival after death in pursuit of the hope of finding the God of eternity, whose presence you have foretasted in time.
Summarizing Sub section V: We risk everything by acting in accordance with faith (the positive leading of the Spirit Within) that God is our Parent and has a Glorious plan for us in administering God’s universes. Allowing faith to dominate all priorities in our lives, we risk loss of material wealth, power, privilege and influence.
VI. Reassurance of Salvation
Now, make no mistake, our Heavenly Parent will ever respond to the faintest flicker of faith. God takes note of the physical and superstitious emotions of the primitive man. And with those honest but fearful souls whose faith is so weak that it amounts to little more than an intellectual conformity to a passive attitude of assent to religious authority, our Heavenly Parent is ever alert to honor and foster all such feeble attempts to reach out. But you who have been called out of darkness into the light are expected to believe with a whole heart; your faith* shall dominate* the combined attitudes of body, mind and spirit.
What does “attitudes of body, mind, and spirit” mean?
Attitudes of body: The things we apply our physical energies to.
Attitudes of mind: The ideas we apply our intellect to.
Attitudes of Spirit: The goals and values we pursue with our intellect and our physical effort.
VII. Fruits of the Spirit
Jesus said the fruits of the spirit would inevitably manifest and show forth in the lives of those who are born of the spirit and who therefore follow the leading of the spirit. [What does “born of the spirit” mean? It means brought into spiritual existence. Spiritual birth results from recognition of God. Spiritual growth results from appreciating and incorporating the admired qualities of God into our service to others. “Born of the spirit” is a literal, not a figurative, reference.] The Urantia Book provides several lists of the spiritual consequences when you live in cooperation with the spirit. These lists of the consequences of following spiritual leading provide partial answers to some of a religionist’s most basic questions. Such as:
- What thoughts or behaviors are spiritual?
- What is God’s will in this situation?
- What is real and permanent?
- How should I live my life?
- What behavior has power to transform the world?
- What are the benefits of living the spirit led life?
- What are the super mortal ideals I am supposed to strive to achieve?
So let’s take a look at some of these lists of the fruits of living the spirit led life. These originate (are inspired) by spiritual ministrations to us. When you see any of these fruits expressed in your life, or in someone else’s life, you may be sure that person is spiritually alive and is being led by their Spirit Within. It is a holy thing and a privilege to observe and recognize.
Some fruits of the spirit are: [Modifiers here are very important. The modifying words all indicate a second mile of involvement for the benefit of the other person]. These are super mortal* ideals dealing with relationships.
- loving service
- sincere fairness
- confiding trust
- forgiving tolerance
- courageous loyalty
- unfailing goodness
- unselfish devotion
- enlightened honesty
- merciful ministry
- enduring peace
- undying hope
Intense striving is involved in actively living to achieve these super mortal ideals of service to other persons. Conflict with self-centered motivations will arise. Intense striving for the attainment of super mortal* ideals is always characterized by increasing:
- patience
- forbearance
- fortitude
- tolerance.
The joy* of the Spirit of Jesus when consciously experienced in human life is a
- tonic for health
- stimulus for mind
- energy for the soul
You can consciously experience the joy of the Spirit of Jesus by focusing your attention on your delight in the insights given you by the spirit.
Spiritual weapons, [These are an endowment of the arrival of the Spirit of Jesus at Pentecost] They are fruits of the spirit too. Jesus in talking about why the heathen rage said religionists were too timid and should take the spiritual kingdom by spiritual assault. The spiritual weapons are the power to build the kingdom. They are the way to conquer the world and bring it into the kingdom. The enemies of the kingdom to be banished with spiritual weapons are evil, hate, anger, and fear. [Note the superlative modifiers below indicating these qualities are to be demonstrated in superabundant generosity and love.]
Spiritual weapons – Only these spiritual weapons have the power to spiritually conquer and transform the world. They include:
- unfailing forgiveness
- matchless good will
- abounding love
- overwhelming evil with good
- vanquishing hate with love [even for your enemies]
- destroying fear with courageous faith in truth
- goodwill of love and mutual trust
being active and positive in love and mercy [Positive refers to enticing or luring with love rather than demanding or forcing with fear, guilt or obligation.]
Fruits of divinity are fruits of the spirit. As we become more like God, more divine, we exhibit the actions, attitudes and goals of the divine.
As the love comprehension of deity finds spiritual
expression in the lives of God-knowing mortals there are
yielded the fruits of divinity which include:
- intellectual* peace*
- social* progress
- moral* satisfaction
- spiritual* joy*
- cosmic* wisdom*.
- As a spirit led person you will choose to be:
- subordinated* to truth*
- ennobled* by love*
- dominated* by mercy*
- restrained by fairness – justice
Religious unity and understanding sympathy are consequences (fruits) of the religion of following the leading of the Spirit Within.
Twelve spirit-like performances which reveal genuine spiritual faith – genuine active trust in the leadings of the Spirit.
- Ethics* and morals* progress
- Sublime* trust in the goodness of God
- Profound courage* and confidence
- Inexplicable poise* and sustaining tranquility
- Mysterious poise* and composure of personality
- Divine trust in ultimate victory
- Unswerving belief in God
- Undaunted faith in the soul’s survival
- Living and triumphing despite hardships
- Altruism* continues to survive
- Sublime* belief in universe unity & divine guidance
- Goes right on worshiping* God in spite of anything
Jesus on True Religion – Definitions
Acceptance – Undertaking as a responsibility or duty. Taking as true and satisfactory.
Altruism – Unselfish devotion to the interests and welfare of others, especially as a principle of action.
Appeal – To ask for help, sanction or corroboration.
Authority – Rightful influence. Validation. Verification. Reliability.
Communion – A sharing of thoughts or feelings. Intimate talk. Deep sharing.
Cosmic – Of or pertaining to the universe, especially as distinct from earth.
Courage – Commitment to follow higher values and to face danger, fear or challenges without giving in to fear.
Creed – Formal statement of religious belief.
Deed – An act as distinguished from words or thoughts.
Demonstrated – Making evident or proving. Described or illustrated by practical application.
Dominate – To rule over; govern; control. To permeate or characterize.
Ethics – A system of moral principles of right and wrong as applied generally to everyone in a large group.
Ennoble – To make finer or more noble in nature. Dignify. Elevate.
Experience – Active participation in events or activities leading to the accumulation of knowledge, understanding, or skill.
Faith – Dynamic and living trust in the reliability and guidance of God. Faith is beyond intellectual belief. It is belief sufficient that you act accordingly. Your faith becomes part of how you live. Faith is the positive leading of your Adjuster. Positive leading indicates the use of attractions or lures to virtue rather than motivation from fear or guilt (negative).
For – On behalf of.
Freedom – Lack of restraint.
Hero – One noted for courage or nobility of purpose. One who acts to benefit others especially where personal danger or risk is involved.
Ideal – A standard or model of perfection.
In – Identifies where.
Intellectual – Involving the intellect. Mental.
Joy – Feeling of high pleasure or delight. Happiness. Gladness.
Liberty – Right to act in a manner of one’s own choosing.
Love – The desire to do good to others. Friendship. Friendliness. Compassion. Respect. Kindness.
Loyalty – Faithfulness.
Mercy – Kindness beyond what can be claimed or expected and beyond what justice requires. Applied love which sets the guilt of evil doing to one side and forgives. (UB 2018:1)
Moral – Concerned with the judgment of right and wrong in human action or character.
Of – Originating from. Caused by or resulting from.
Peace – Inner freedom from annoyance, distraction or anxiety. Calm. Serenity. Tranquility. Freedom from strife or distress.
Poise – Steadiness, equilibrium, balance, dignity. Self-confident manner. Composure.
Prophet – One who speaks for God by divine inspiration.
Reality – Quality or state of being actual or true.
Social – Living together in communities.
Spirit led – Subordinated to truth, ennobled by love and restrained by fairness – justice.
Spiritual – Concerned with or affecting the soul.
Sublime – The highest degree. Majestic.
Subordinate – Subject to the authority or control of.
Super mortal – Spiritual. Divine.
Supernatural – Above, over or outside the natural.
Sympathetic – Showing kind feelings toward others.
Transcendent – Above and independent of the material universe.
Truth – An understanding of cosmic relationships, universe facts and spiritual values. (UB 1138:6) The living spirit relationship of all things and beings as they are coordinated in the eternal ascent Godward. (UB 647:4)
Value – A principle, quality or standard considered worthwhile or desirable.
Wisdom – Understanding of what is true, right or lasting. Combines insight as to what is real with experience as to how it works.
Worship – Reverent love and allegiance; Ardent, humble devotion. Very deep appreciation and gratitude regarding goodness.