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I AM HERE. Your Grandmother.
Ann Rollins, (Celestial Spirit)
I came to write you about the forgiveness and pardon of the Father, and to enlighten you upon this subject which is 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, find the happiness which is waiting for him to obtain. It 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 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, and the old law of compensation is nullified, and, as it were, swallowed up in the power of this 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, and the lesser must give away 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, ever is 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 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. And this law does not change in its operations, and no man can avoid or run away from the inexorable demands of the 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, AND 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, HE DOES NOT, FOR THE PARTICULAR CASE ANNIHILATE THE LAW OF COMPENSATION, BUT REMOVES THAT UPON WHICH THIS LAW MAY OPERATE.
Sin is violation of God's law, and the effect of sin is the penalty which such violation imposes. A man's suffering for sins committed are not the results of God's special condemnation in each particular case, but are the results of the workings and scourgings of his conscience and recollections and 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 his 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, that 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, but which 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 this law of compensation that can act or operate? The law is not changed, it is not even set aside, but upon which it can operate no longer exists, and consequently there is no reason or existence of facts which call 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, tomorrow change or cease to exist, so that the laws are no longer effective.
And so when the truths 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. And to effect a forgiveness of sins, the great law of compensation must be violated. God works no such miracle, or gives 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, 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 ITS OWNSELF--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, and God's laws are not changed but merely, as to this man, 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 WILL, MAY ESCAPE THE UNCHANGING LAW OF COMPENSATION, AND BECOME NO LONGER SUBJECT TO ITS DEMANDS AND PENALTIES; AND THESE MEANS ARE SIMPLE AND EASY, AND 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, 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 stands between him and this love, if he fails to exercise this will in seeking for it. No man can secure it 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; AND IN THE DIVINE THERE IS NO SIN OR ERROR, AND, CONSEQUENTLY, WHEN HE BECOMES A PART OF THIS DIVINITY NO SIN OR ERROR CAN FORM A PART OF HIS BEING.
Now, as I have said, 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 make man 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 laws of compensation, but I will remove from your soul everything upon which this law can operate, and as to you it becomes as if it had no existence."
I know by your personal experience that this forgiveness is a real, actual, existing thing, and when the Father forgives, sin disappears, and Love only exists, and that Love in its fullness is the fulfilling of the law.
So let men know that God does forgive sin, and when He forgives the penalty disappears, and when they disappear 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, but their doctrine was 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 CONSTITUTE THE NEW BIRTH, AND WITHOUT THIS NO MAN CAN SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
My dear son, I have written you a long but imperfect communication, but there is sufficient in it for men to think of and meditate upon, and 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 pray the Father to give you this Great Love in all its abundance.
Your loving Grandmother,
ANN ROLLINSVol. I, p. 125
