A Course in Miracles (ACIM) is a spiritual text that delves into the assigned spiritual role of forgiveness. Lesson 192 of ACIM, titled ‘I have a function God would have me fill,’ explores the importance of forgiveness in fulfilling our Divine Purpose.
This lesson fosters an understanding of our Divine Purpose and the essentiality of forgiveness in fulfilling this role. It reflects the fundamental belief of ACIM in the Oneness of God and His creations.
The lesson begins by claiming that it is the Divine will for us to complete God Himself, highlighting the belief in the Oneness of God and His creations. However, it also acknowledges the difficulty of understanding such a spiritual function in a world of envy, hatred, and attack.
The concept of forgiveness is introduced as our primary function in this world. While forgiveness is not a part of God’s inherently perfect creation, it serves as a means to undo untruth and let go of illusions, thereby enabling us to return to a state of pure love and unity with God and our true selves.
The lesson suggests that the concept of divine creation cannot be fully understood within the confines of the physical world. However, through the act of forgiveness, we can come close to grasping this concept. The lesson also introduces the concept of the Holy Spirit, created by God with the power to translate the formless into form.
The transformative power of forgiveness is elaborated upon in the fourth and fifth paragraphs. It helps us overcome the fear of death, perceive the body as a mere teaching aid, and understand the mind’s independence from the body. This process enables the relief of anger, terror, and fear by reinforcing the mind’s identity as separate from the body.
The lesson posits that forgiveness is the only path to restore the peace that God intended for His holy son. Once anger is removed through forgiveness, we can comprehend the Christ’s vision and the gift of sight without any sense of sacrifice, only relief from pain. It reiterates the idea of Oneness and that everything has been given to us by God.
The need for forgiveness to truly perceive the Oneness with God is emphasized in the seventh paragraph. Without forgiveness, we dwell in darkness, using reason to justify our rage and attack, thereby becoming lost in a haze of confusion and error.
The eighth paragraph further explains the liberating power of forgiveness. It suggests that forgiveness is the path to spiritual liberation, as it allows us to free others and ourselves. Holding on to anger and resentment traps both the forgiver and the one being forgiven in a spiritual prison.
The ninth paragraph continues the theme of liberation through forgiveness, urging us not to hold anyone prisoner in our minds through anger or resentment. Instead, it advises us to release these negative emotions, as every person who tempts us to anger can also be our savior from the prison of death.
In the concluding paragraph, the lesson requests mercy and forgiveness for the Son of God, emphasizing that our function on Earth is to forgive him. This act of forgiveness allows us to accept him back as our identity, recognizing that we are one with him as he is as God created him.
Overall, ACIM Lesson 192 provides a profound exploration of the spiritual function of forgiveness. It emphasizes the transformative power of forgiveness in transcending the physical world’s illusions and facilitating our return to a state of unity with God and our true selves.
