Angelic Revelations—the Gospel of God’s Love
Chapter 12
Judgment—
the Law of Compensation & Forgiveness
After Death, the Judgment: What It Is and What It Is Not (Jesus)
True Forgiveness Is Forgetfulness (Peter The Apostle)
Divine Forgiveness (Ann Rollins)
The Law of Compensation (John Bunyan)
Judgment—
the Law of Compensation & Forgiveness
After Death, the Judgment: What It Is and What It Is Not
I am here, Jesus
I am here and desire to write a few lines in reference to the "great day of judgment," of which the preacher and teachers of theological things write so often. I know that the Bible, or rather some of the books, lay great stress upon this day when, as they claim, God will pour out His "vials of wrath" upon the ungodly and condemn them to an eternity of punishment.
There is, as you know, a very great diversity of opinion among these learned men as to what is the meaning and significance of this "day of judgment," and when, in a chronological point of view, it will take place. All these varied opinions are held by students and teachers who embrace and proclaim them to the world as being true and free from doubt.
Well, it is certain that all men must die and that there will come the judgment; and that which follows the death is just as certain as is the death itself, and just as reasonable as is the following of any cause by an effect. So men should have no difficulty in believing in the judgment as a fact that cannot be avoided, just as death cannot be avoided.
But the word and the fact, "judgment," when used as an effect or following of death, may have many meanings in the opinions and understandings of many men, depending upon what men may believe as to things that are called religious or scientific or philosophical. To the ultra-orthodox, this term "judgment" means, and necessarily involves, the active pronouncement of a "sentence" by God - this because of and determined by men's lives and thoughts while living in the mortal life, irrespective of any of His general laws and the workings thereof. God is, Himself, the "Judge" - personal and present - and by Him, in this capacity, is each man's life and works known and digested and made the basis of the "sentence" that He must pronounce in each individual case. God keeps the record of all these acts of men, or, if man is conceded to be his own record keeper, his records are, or will be at the time of the "great assemblage for judgment," opened up or brought into view so that nothing can be lost. Then, upon this record, men will be sent to eternal happiness or to everlasting punishment, or, as some believe, to destruction or annihilation.
Others, not orthodox, who believe in the survival of the soul and the continuing memories of the acts and thoughts of men, teach that the judgment will follow death as a natural consequence of the operations of the Law of Cause and Effect; and the effect cannot be escaped from until, in some way, there comes a realization to the consciousness of men that the effect, in their suffering, has satisfied the cause, and that there is nothing mysterious or unnatural in the appearance and workings of the judgment. They do not believe that God, by any special interposition or personal "punishing," will pronounce the judgment, or determine the merits or demerits of the one called to judgment.
Besides these views, there are others extant and believed in. But the two that I have mentioned are principal ones and are sufficient to show what the large majority of thinking, or, rather, believing, men conclude the term "judgment" should mean or be understood to mean, as used in the Bible.
Well, the judgment of the human soul is an important accompaniment of the human life, both in the flesh and in the spirit world. And as regards soul revealments and punishments, hardly anything demands more of the thought and consideration of men; for it is a certainty that these cannot be avoided by men, irrespective of the truth or falsity of their existing beliefs. Judgment as certainly follows what men call death as does night the day, and no philosophy or theological dogmas or scientific determinations can alter the fact, or in any way change the character or exact workings of this judgment.
But judgment is not a thing belonging exclusively to the after death period or condition, for it is present and operating with men from the time that they become incarnated in the human body until they become disincarnate, and thereafter continuously until the causes of effects have been satisfied and there remains nothing to be judged - which happy ending is also a fact.
All men are dependent upon their progress towards the conditions of harmony through established laws that pronounce the judgments. While these laws operate on earth, men are being judged continually for the causes they start into existence, and the after death judgment is only a continuation of the judgment received by men while on earth.
Of course - men may not know this - these judgments, or the effects thereof, become more intensified after men have gotten rid of the influences of the flesh existence and they become spirits having only the spirit qualities. Because of this fact, men must understand and try to realize that the expression "after death, the judgment" has a greater significance, and is of more vital importance, than the saying that "judgment is with men all during their mortal lives."
After death, the causes of the inharmony with the law become more pronounced, and appear in their true meaning and force. Consequently, with this revealment, the effects become more intensified and understood, and men suffer more and realize the darkness, and sometimes the gross darkness, that these effects produce. The inharmony appears in its unclothed and unhidden reality, and the law's workings bring the exact penalties to men that their violations demand.
Man is his own bookkeeper. And in his memory are recorded all the thoughts and deeds of his earth life that are not in accord with the harmony of God's Will, which is expressed or manifested by His Laws. The judgment is not the thing of a day or a time, but is never ceasing so long as there exists that upon which it can operate; and it diminishes, in proportion, as the causes of inharmony disappear.
God is not present in "wrath" demanding "reparation," as does the human who believes himself to have been injured by another. No, the Father is present only in love. And as the soul of the one undergoing the penalty (which his own deeds and thoughts have imposed upon him) comes more in harmony with the Father's Will, He, as you mortals say, is pleased.
Never an "angry" God, "rejoicing" in the satisfaction of a penalty being paid by one of His erring children, but always a Loving Father rejoicing in the redemption of His children from a suffering that a violation of the Laws of Harmony exacts with certitude.
Then as I say, the judgment day is not a special time when all men must meet in the Presence of God and have their thoughts and deeds weighed in the balance, and then, according to their goodness or evil, have the sentence of an angry, or even just God pronounced upon them.
The judgment day is every day, both in the earth life of man and in life as a spirit, where the law of compensation is still working. In the spirit world time is not known, and every breathing is a part of eternity; and with every breathing, so long as the law requires, comes the judgment, continued and unsatisfied, until man, as a spirit, reaches that condition of harmony whereby the law no longer demands a judgment of him.
But from what I have written, men must not suppose or beguile themselves into believing that because there is no special day of judgment when God will pronounce His "sentence," the judgment therefore is not so much to be dreaded or shunned. No, this state of thinking will palliate only for the moment, for the judgment is certain; and it is to be dreaded no less because the immutable law demands exact restoration instead of an "angry" God.
No man who has lived and died has escaped, and no man who shall hereafter die can escape this judgment unless, in a Way provided by the Father in His Love, he comes into harmony with the laws requiring harmony. "As a man soweth so shall he reap" is as true as is the fact that the sun shines upon the just and the unjust alike. Memory is man's storehouse of good and evil, and memory does not die with the death of the man's physical body. On the contrary, memory becomes more alive - all alive - and nothing is left behind or forgotten when the spirit man casts off the encumbrance and benumbing and deceiving influences of the only body of man that was created to die.
Judgment is real, and men must come to it face to face. Want of belief, unbelief, or indifference, or the application to men's lives of the saying "sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof," will not enable men to avoid the judgment or the exactions of its demands.
There is a Way, though, in which men may turn the judgment of death into the judgment of life, inharmony into harmony, suffering into happiness, and judgment itself into a thing to be desired.
Elsewhere we have written of this Way open to all men, and I will not attempt to describe it here.
I have written enough for tonight. You are tired and must not be drawn on further.
So, with my Love, I will say good night.
Your
brother and friend,
Jesus
True Forgiveness Is Forgetfulness
I am here, Peter the Apostle
Let me write a few lines, for I am very anxious to write you in reference to a truth which obtains in our spirit world, and with which you may not be acquainted .
As you may not know, there is a law in our world which makes the soul of one who has not yet been purified suffer the penalties for the acts of sin and evil of which he may have been guilty during his earth life. And there is no forgiveness of these acts in the sense that forgiveness is taught by the theologians and churches. The only forgiveness is the cessation of recollection of these acts, so that they become as though they had never been; and as the soul becomes naturally pure and in harmony with the laws of its creation, it then comes into its natural condition. Then, and only then, forgiveness takes place.
God does not forgive by the mere act of pronouncing forgiveness, or by any arbitrary and sudden blotting out of sins, thereby removing the condition which creates the inharmony. And so you will understand that He cannot forgive sin in this way, and neither can the popes, priests, teachers or churches. The pronouncing of forgiveness by these men constitutes a deception of, and an injury to, the persons who pray and ask for forgiveness; and for such deception, these men will have to answer when they come to the spirit world and realize the truth of forgiveness, and the great deception that they had practiced upon those who were their followers and believers in these false doctrines. Many spirits are now living and suffering in darkness in their purgatories just because of their beliefs in these misleading teachings and the results thereof.
There is no forgiveness until man makes the effort by struggling and succeeding in getting rid of these recollections. And such riddance can be obtained only by men realizing the fact that sin is only the effect of their having done those things, and thought those thoughts, which are out of harmony with the Will of God and the laws governing the creation of man.
There can be no sinning of the physical body, or of the spirit body, but only of the soul through the exercise of the will in a manner antagonistic to the Will of the Father. The body, of course, is affected by these inharmonious thoughts and impelling directions of the will, and is prompted thereby to commit the act which is the external demonstrator of the inharmonious exercise of the will. As God leaves to man the freedom of exercising his will (as such will may be influenced by the thoughts, desires, and affections of his appetites and lusts) so God leaves to man the application of the remedies that will free the soul from such influences and effects as are caused by the exercise of the will. And only when these thoughts and appetites and lusts become eliminated from his soul and desires does the soul come into its natural condition and in harmony with the Will of God.
Man, himself, must be the actor and the initiating force to bring about these changes in his will, and no assurances of forgiveness by popes, priests, or churches can eradicate these contaminating influences, or remove that which is the cause of the sin or the effect of the cause. You must see that there can be no relationship between the assurance of forgiveness and the sin, or the cause thereof.
Prayer to the Father for forgiveness, or supplication to priests and church, is supposed to effectuate the objects sought, but this belief is erroneous and does not bring the relief prayed for. Yet, prayer is a very important element in forgiveness. For while the Father does not, and the priests and church cannot, forgive sin in the manner mentioned, yet, true, sincere prayer to the Father for forgiveness will bring its answer. Such answer will affect not the sin, but the soul and the state of men, so that their will and appetites and desires may be influenced in such a way that they will receive and realize the fact of a wonderful help in changing these appetites and desires, and in turning their thoughts to those things that will enable them to remove from their recollections those acts and thoughts which are the causes of the existence of their souls in a state of sin.
If men would only realize these truths and, when they desire the forgiveness of their sins, pray to the Father for help in turning away from these thoughts and in exercising their will in accord with His will, and not expect any arbitrary forgiveness or removal of their sins, they would find themselves on the way to this forgetfulness and the true forgiveness.
Well, I desired to write this short message and am pleased that I could do so. Thanking you, I will say good night.
Your brother in Christ,
Peter
Divine Forgiveness
I am here, Your grandmother
I came to write you about the Forgiveness and Pardon of the Father, and to enlighten you upon this subject which has been so little understood since men first commenced to distort the teachings of the Master.
Forgiveness is that operation of the Divine Mind which relieves man of the penalties of his sins that he has committed, and permits him to turn from his evil thoughts and deeds and seek the Love of the Father; and if he earnestly seeks, to find the happiness which is waiting for him to obtain.
This does not violate any law that God has established to prevent man from avoiding the penalties of his violations of the law of God controlling his conduct. The Law of Compensation - that what a man sows, that shall he reap - is not set aside. But in the particular case where a man becomes penitent, and in all earnestness prays to the Father to forgive him of his sins and make a new man of him, the operation of another and greater law is called into activity. The old Law of Compensation is nullified, and, as it were, swallowed up in the power of this higher Law of Forgiveness and Love.
So you see, there is no setting aside of any of God's laws. As in the physical world certain lesser laws are overcome by greater laws, so in the spirit world, or in the operation of spiritual things, the greater laws must prevail over the lesser. God's laws never change, but the application of these laws to particular facts and conditions do seem to change. When two laws come into apparent conflict, the lesser must give way to the greater.
The spiritual laws are just as fixed as are the physical laws that control the material universe. And no law having application to the same condition of facts is ever different in its operation or in its effects. The sun and planets, in their movements, are governed by fixed laws, and they operate with such exactness that men who make a study of these laws and comprehend them can, with almost mathematical precision, foretell the movements of these heavenly bodies. This only means that as long as the sun and the planets remain as they are and are surrounded by the same influences, and meet no law operating in a manner contrary to the laws which usually control them, these planets and sun will repeat their movements year after year in the same way and with like precision. But suppose that a more powerful and contrary law should come into operation, and influence the movements of these bodies. Do you suppose for a moment that they would pursue the same course as if such greater law had not intruded itself?
The effect of this is not to set aside the lesser law, or even to change it, but to subordinate it to the operations of the greater law. And if these operations were removed, or ceased to act, the lesser law would resume its operations on these planets again, and they would move in accordance therewith, just as if its power had never been affected by the greater law.
So in the spirit world, when a man has committed sins on earth, the Law of Compensation demands that he must pay the penalty of these sins, until there has been a full expiation, or until the law is satisfied. This law does not change in its operations, and no man can avoid or run away from the inexorable demands of this law. He cannot, of himself, abate one jot or tittle of the penalties, but must pay to the last farthing, as the Master said. And hence, he cannot of himself hope to change the operations of this law.
But, as the Creator of all law has provided another and higher law (which under certain conditions may be brought into operation, and causes the former law to cease to operate) man may experience the benefit of the workings of this higher law. So when God forgives a man of his sins and makes him a new creature in his nature and love, for this particular case he does not annihilate the law of compensation, but removes that upon which this law may operate.
Sin is a violation of God's law, and the effect of sin is the penalty which such violation imposes. A man's suffering for sins committed is not the result of God's "special condemnation" in each particular case, but is the result of the workings and scourgings of his conscience and recollections. As long as conscience works, he will suffer; and the greater the sins committed, the greater will be the suffering. Now, all this implies that a man's soul is filled to a greater or lesser extent with these memories, which for the time constitute his very existence. He lives with these memories, and the suffering and torment which result from them can never leave him until the memories of these sins, or the result of them, cease to be a part of himself and his constant companions. This is the inexorable Law of Compensation. And man, of himself, has no way of escaping this law, except by this long expiation which removes these memories and satisfies the law.
Man cannot change this law, and God will not. So, as I say, the law never changes. But remember this fact: In order for the law to operate, a man must have these memories, and they must be a part of his very existence.
Now, suppose that the Creator of this law has created another law whereby, under certain conditions, and upon a man doing certain things, these memories are taken from him, and no longer constitute a part or portion of his existence. Then, I ask, what is there in or of that man upon which this Law of Compensation can act or operate? The law is not changed; it is not even set aside. But that upon which it can operate no longer exists, and consequently there is no reason, or existence of facts, which calls for its operation.
So, I say, as do your scientists and philosophers, that God's laws are fixed and never change. But I further say, which they fail to perceive, that certain conditions which may and do call for the operations of these laws today are changed tomorrow, or cease to exist, so that the former laws are no longer effective.
When the Truth of God's forgiveness of sin is declared, many wise men hold up their hands and shout: "God's laws do not change, and even God Himself cannot change them. To effect a forgiveness of sins, the great Law of Compensation must be violated. God works no such miracle, or gives any special dispensation. No, man must pay the penalty of his evil deeds until the law is fulfilled."
How limited is the knowledge of mortals, and of spirits as well, of the power and wisdom and Love of the Father! His Love is the greatest thing in all the universe, and the Law of Love is the greatest law. Every other law is subordinate to it, and must work in unison with it. And Love - the Divine Love of the Father - when given to man and he possesses It, is the fulfilling of all law. This Love frees man from all law except the law of Itself. And when man possesses this Love, he is slave to no law and is free, indeed.
The Law of Compensation and all laws not in harmony with the Law of Love have nothing upon which to operate in that man's case. God's Laws are not changed as to this man, but merely have no existence.
Now, let all men, wise and unwise, know that God, in His Love and wisdom, has provided a means by which man, if he so wills, may escape the unchanging law of compensation and become no longer subject to its demands and penalties. Further, this is within the comprehension and grasp of every living soul, be he saint or sinner, a wise man or an ignorant one.
Intellect, in the sense of being learned, is not involved. But the man who knows that God exists and provides him with food and raiment as the result of his daily toil, as well as the great intellectual scientist or philosopher, may learn the Way to these redeeming Truths. I do not mean that a man, by mere exercise of mental powers, may receive the benefit of this great provision for his redemption. The soul must seek, and it will find. And the soul of the wise may not be as capable of receiving as the soul of the ignorant.
God is Love. Man has a natural love, but this natural love is not sufficient to enable him to find these great means that I speak of. Only the Divine Love of the Father is sufficient, and He is willing that all men should have this Love. It is free and waiting to be bestowed upon all men. But, strange as it may seem, God will not, and I might say, cannot, bestow this Love unless man seeks for It and asks for It in earnestness and faith.
The will of man is a wonderful thing, and it stands between him and this Love when he fails to exercise this will in seeking for It. No man can secure this Love against his will. What a wonderful thing is man's will, and how he should study and learn what a great part of his being it is!
The Love of the Father comes only into a man's soul when he seeks It in prayer and faith. And of course, this implies that he wills It to come to him. No man is ever refused this Love when he properly asks for It.
Now, this Love is a part of the Divine Essence. And when a man possesses It in sufficient abundance, he becomes a part of Divinity Itself. In the Divine, there is no sin or error; consequently when man becomes a part of this Divinity, no sin or error can form a part of his being.
Now, as I have said, the man who is without this Love has his memories of sin and evil deeds, and, under the Law of Compensation, must pay the penalties. Yet when this Divine Love comes into his soul, It leaves no room for these memories. And as he becomes more and more filled with this Love, these memories disappear, and only the Love inhabits his soul, as it were. Hence, there remains nothing in him upon which this law can operate, and the man is no longer its slave or subject. This Love is sufficient, of Itself, to cleanse the soul from all sin and error, and to make man at-one with the Father.
This is forgiveness of sin, or rather, the result of forgiveness. When a man prays to the Father for this forgiveness, He never turns a deaf ear, but says, in effect: "I will remove your sins and give you my Love. I will not set aside or change my Law of Compensation, but I will remove from your soul everything upon which this law can operate. Then, as to you, it becomes as if it had no existence."
I know by personal experience that this forgiveness is a real, actual, existing thing. When the Father forgives, sin disappears, and only Love exists. And that Love, in Its fullness, is the fulfilling of the law.
So let men know that God does forgive sin. When He forgives, the penalty disappears. And when it disappears as the result of such forgiveness, no law of God is changed or violated.
This was the great mission of Jesus when he came to earth. Before he came and taught this great Truth, the forgiveness of sin was not understood, even by the Hebrew teachers. Their doctrine was, rather, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. The Divine Love, as I have feebly described, was not known or sought for - only the care and protection and material benefits that God might give to the Hebrews.
The Divine Love entering into and taking possession of the souls of men constitutes the New Birth. Without this, no man can see the Kingdom of God.
My dear son, I have written you a long and imperfect communication, but there is sufficient in it for men to think of and meditate upon. If they do so, and open their souls to the Divine Influence, they will know God can forgive sin and save men from its penalties, so that they will not have to undergo the long period of expiation which, in their natural state, the Law of Compensation ever demands.
So, without writing further, I will say that I Love you with all my heart and soul, and I pray that the Father will give you this Great Love in all Its abundance.
Your
loving grandmother,
Ann Rollins
The Law of Compensation
I am here, John Bunyan
Let me write a few lines.
I am much interested in you and your work, and I want to do all that I can to help.
I have heard your grandmother's message, and it is a beautifully encouraging one, filled with deep Truths which will benefit you very much if you will grasp and apply them.
I had my troubles when I lived on earth, but I never had the sustaining power of the Divine Love that she speaks of. Consequently I lived my life as best I could with only the help of my natural powers and a rather cheerful disposition. Had I possessed this Love, I now know that I would have been saved many hours of worriment, and would have enjoyed many hours of happiness then denied to me.
It seems to be the fate or destiny of mortals to experience trouble. As someone has said, "Man was born for trouble." But this is not quite true, for man makes his own troubles to a large extent. And as men come into a knowledge of the great Law of Compensation, they will realize the truth of what I say.
But, thank God, even though man makes his own troubles and the Law of Compensation works impartially, yet the Loving Father can still relieve him from his troubles and make him happy. And in doing so, I want to say that the continued existence of this law is not affected. Rather, this law is subject to a higher law, which specifies that unless causes exist, the Law of Compensation cannot demand anything from the mortal. In helping His children, the Father does not say to this lower law: "You shall not demand a penalty from this child whom I desire to help." Rather, He says to the child: "Receive my Love and Help, and the causes for the demand of this lower law will cease to exist."
If mortals would only understand this Truth, they would not continue to believe that the Father cannot help His children. They would also see that, in order to confer such Help, it is not necessary to set aside or suspend the Law of Compensation in its operations. The Father never grants a special dispensation to relieve mortals from paying the penalties of this lower law, but He does give His Great Love to them. And when they possess that Love, the causes that activate the penalties of the Law of Compensation cease to have an existence.
The Law of the Divine Love is the greatest law. It supplants every other law in the working upon the souls and minds of mortals.
Well my friend, I must not write more. So, with my Love, I will say good night.
Your
brother in Christ,
John Bunyan
The Law of Compensation Is Removed from the Scope of Its Operation When the Divine Love Fills the Soul in Sufficient Abundance
I am here, your own true Helen
You didn't think I could change the announcement of my coming, but you must know that I can do anything to please you, my dear Ned.
Yes, you have, and I have been so very happy. Well, sweetheart, I must tell you that I am very happy and am progressing very rapidly. I don't expect to remain in this sphere very much longer, for my love and faith are so great that I feel that I must get closer to God's Fountainhead in the Celestial Spheres. Doesn't it seem like some fairy dream? But it is all true, and I am so happy.
I will soon be with you in a long letter, telling you of this Great Love, and how much I love God and you.
You are progressing, too. You may not realize it, but it is true. And if you should come over now, you would be surprised to find yourself in a high sphere. I know how you feel, but you must believe that I can see your spiritual condition better than you can.
When you get this Great Love in your heart in sufficient abundance - and you have much of It now - your sins will be blotted out. This is the Law of Regeneration. Otherwise, the man who continues without this Love and the man who receives It would be in the same condition, and the New Birth would mean nothing. So do not think that this Great Love is not sufficient to cleanse the soul from the results of the sins of earth life. Best of all, it cleanses while you are a mortal.
I know that the Spiritualists quote and proclaim the Law of Recompense, or Compensation, but there is a higher law that nullifies that law. And when Love - this Divine Love - comes into the soul of a mortal, the Law of Compensation is removed from the scope of its working; for Love is the fulfilling of the law. So do not let that stumbling block make you believe that this Great Love is not sufficient to remove all sin and error, and to purify your soul so that you may become fitted to live in the Kingdom of the Father and become one with Him.
No, the Love is for the vilest sinner; and no man, by a mere act of restoration, can fit himself for the inflowing of this Divine Love. It is waiting for the sinner as well as for the saint. And even though your sins be as scarlet, they will be made white as wool. I mean that you will not have to wait to make recompense to mortals before this Great Love can do the cleansing work. Else, what is the use of having this Great Love provided for man? If he shall first make himself pure, what is the necessity for the work of the Holy Spirit?
Only pray for this Love and have faith, and you will get It. God is the Judge of what a man shall do to render justice and restitution. And when He says that this Divine Love, with all Its cleansing power, is for the sinner who seeks for It by true faith, who has the right to say that the sinner must first do what man may think is justice between himself and his fellowman?
I know whereof I speak, for the experiences of many spirits who have been redeemed by this Love show that they were sinners, and had not "paid the last farthing" when they received this Love. God is the Judge, not mortals or spirits.
So, my dear Ned, do not let the idea that you must render to every man that which you think he may be entitled to keep you from believing in the Mercy and Love of the Father.
Oh, how I wish I could be with you a little while in my bodily form, and tell you face to face what this Great Love means to you and to me, and to all of us!
So sweetheart, believe me when I say that, even though you may be a great sinner, yet the Father's Love is sufficient to remove all those sins just as soon as you can receive It. Such is the law of this Great Love.
Faith and prayer can open the very heart of the Celestial Spheres, and Love will flow down into your soul as the avalanche of snow that feels the warmth of the sun's bright rays rushes from its mountain heights when winter leaves with its chilling gloom and blasting breath for other climes.
Love is not only warmth, but It is the very burnings of the soul's great storehouse of God's Divine Essence.
I am not only the possessor of this Love to a large degree, but I also realize that, as I advance to higher spheres, there is a greater abundance awaiting to fill my soul with Its great, undying fires of never ending burnings - but burnings so great and free from everything that makes for unhappiness and discontent.
So, my own dear and precious Ned, love me as I love you, and we both will be so very happy that heaven will be with us and in us, even while we are writing in the earth surroundings.
Your
own
Helen
