You are chained to a basement wall, and a burly man comes in front of you with an axe in hand.
The man brings to you a baby in a bassinet and throws a knife in your hand.
The time you have spent in starvation renders you far too weak to try and defend yourself with this knife.
The man says to you: “I give you a choice. Kill the baby and I let you free.”
Well, for one, you don’t know if his promise is kept. For another, why would you do this?
Whether you choose to do this or not is not my concern. However . . .
THIS is the meaning when we speak about FAITH!
WHAT types of psychological torment. WHAT types of promises. WHAT types of experience will DRIVE you to do other things? WHAT types of actions can you be DRIVEN into performing? And another way of asking this question is: HOW easily controlled ARE you? HOW much of a slave ARE you? WHAT do you have to PROVE to yourself that you are more than a puppet. That you are a sentient beyond control.
By masking faith or “loyalty” as a religious imperative that you obey your authority to matter what is one of many TOOLS to BLIND and CONTROL you.
With REAL FAITH (!!) this man and his axe HAVE NO POWER OVER YOU. And THAT is the meaning of faith. You command your SELF the CHOICE of whether to obey him or not. And YOUR DEATH is but one of many small, insignificant factors by which you make your decision. It is not the threat which COMMANDS your choices.
Have FAITH in God, and have FAITH in yoruself! For you are one and the same. Draw the LOVE of God to SELF through FAITH and you can ascend along the pillar of light. FAITH is your SALVATION.
It is this teaching that is most esoteric sounding and strange. But when you are READY, it is this teaching that will become the most LITERAL, tangible, and PHYSICAL piece of advice that you could really consider. When your time approaches, you will come back to this phrase, and you will realize how very REAL and technically physical its meaning was!