When the Earth was yet a part of the Sun, there was one common group spirit, composed of all the Creative Hierarchies which controlled the whole human family. But as it was intended that each body should be the temple and instrument of an indwelling spirit, it became necessary to have a division of rulership. Jehovah then came with his angels and archangels and made the first great division into races.

   Each race was put under a Race Spirit, and each group in the race was placed under a Tribal Spirit. Jehovah also appointed an Angel to act as guardian for each ego until the individual spirit had grown strong enough to be safely emancipated from all outside influence.

   A number of Archangels (Sun Spirits) were given to Jehovah as helpers in reflecting the spiritual impulses from the Sun upon the humanity of the Earth in the form of Jehovistic or race religions. All race religions were religions of law, and resulted in sin through disobedience of that law. This fundamental principle of a race religion is separation, inculcating self-seeking at the expense of other men and nations. If this principle were carried to its ultimate conclusion, it would necessarily have an increasingly destructive tendency, and finally frustrate evolution unless succeeded by a more constructive religion. Therefore the separative religions of the Holy Spirit must give place to the unifying religion of the Son.

   This is the reason why the intervention of the Christ became necessary. Under the regime of Jehovah, unity was impossible. Therefore the Christ, who ordinarily functions in a vehicle composed of the unifying Life Spirit, entered into the dense body of Jesus. He appeared as a man among men and dwelt in a human body because only from within is it possible to conquer the race religion which influences man from without.

   The expression, "the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ," means that as the blood flowed on Calvary, it bore with it the great sun spirit, Christ, who by that means secured admission to the Earth and since that moment has been its indwelling Planetary Spirit. He diffused His own desire body throughout the planet, thereby cleansing it from all the vile influences which had been created under the regime of the Race Spirit. Under the law all sinned as they had not evolved to where they could do right for love's sake. The desire nature had become so strong that it was an impossibility for them to altogether rule it, therefore their debts piled up to enormous proportions.

   Evolution would have been incalculably delayed and many lost to our life-wave altogether if some help had not been given. Therefore did Christ come "to seek and to save that which was lost." He took away the sin of the world (not of the individual) by His cleansing blood, which gave Him entrance to the Earth and its humanity. He purified the Earth's desire body, and we thus owe it to Him that we are able to gather for our desire bodies purer desire stuff than formerly.

   Christ is, therefore, in a very real sense the savior of the world as the Church maintains, for the reason that a large part of humanity had gone as far as they were able to go alone and were at the point of retrogression at the time when He came. Also the etheric rays of the Christ as indwelling Planetary Spirit, radiating outward constantly through man from the center of the Earth and being absorbed by him, constitute the "inner urge" to higher endeavor, which is the chief factor at the present time in impelling man in his evolution.

   The forgiveness of sins through the instrumentality of the Christ as taught in the orthodox Christian religion is an actual fact. It may be brought about through true repentance and reform, which clear the seed-atom in the heart of the records of past evil actions. When this seed atom is thus cleared, the pictures of these actions are dissolved and are not present after we pass out of the physical body in death to bring us suffering in the purgatorial region. Such forgiveness of sins, however, does not do away with the necessity of making restitution to people whom we have wronged. This restitution may be made direct to the individual in question, or, when this is impossible, it may be made indirectly through service to others, that is, service to the universe.

   Christ is the chief factor in making possible for us the forgiveness of sins through the fact that He gives us the inner urge and desire toward repentance and reform, and also makes these processes easier through having furnished us with purer desire stuff for our desire bodies, as stated in the earlier part of this self-study module. The help which Christ thus gives us day after day through this spiritual urge makes it possible for us to reform our characters and blot out our own sins. Christ thus becomes in a very real sense our personal savior, although he does not personally take away our individual sins.

   The help from Christ is given at the expense of much suffering to Him through the fact of His being confined in the cramping environment of the Earth as indwelling Earth Spirit. Thus the "Vicarious Atonement" is an actual fact, although its modus operandi is quite different from that described in church doctrine.

   The aid received from Christ, our Great Elder Brother, constitutes a cosmic loan, so to speak. This is what the Rosicrucians mean by "grace." This loan, however, is not in the nature of a gift. It must be repaid, and the means whereby it is to be paid is service to others and also to the life waves which follow ours, namely the animal, plant, and mineral kingdoms.

   During the regime of Jehovah, Initiation was possible only to a chosen few whose vehicles had been specially prepared. The mission of Christ, in addition to saving the lost, was to make Initiation possible for all.

  (You are welcome to e-mail your answers and/or comments to us. Please be sure to include the course name and Independent Study Module number in your e-mail to us. Or, you are also welcome to use the answer form below.)

1. What is the object of evolution?

2. How did races come into existence, and what are some of their disadvantages?

3. Why was it necessary for Christ to come to Earth?

4. What is meant by "the cleansing blood of Christ," and how does it purify mankind?

5. Why and how is Christ the Savior of the world?

6. What is the origin of the "inner urge" to spiritual endeavor?

7. How may sins be forgiven, and what part does Christ take in this process?

8. Are we under any obligations to Christ, and why? How may they be discharged?