At one time or another, we have all probably heard someone say the words "In the name of Jesus Christ". Perhaps they spoke with a loud voice for all to hear. Maybe they dramatically waved their arms through the air. Perhaps they half-heartedly ended their long repetitive prayer with those words. But what do those words really mean? And is there power just in saying them? Or is there something more that we need to know? We learn here what the name "Jesus Christ" actually means. We learn that being "in the name of Jesus Christ" is very different than merely saying "in the name of Jesus Christ". We learn what it means to be quickened by the spirit of God. We also learn the meaning of the word "Atonement".
Our great and glorious older Brother, Jesus Christ, the First Born of the Spirit children of our Father, the most perfect, the most loving, the most noble because He followed in every thought, word and act, the voice of the Christ, or light, or intelligence within. Thus He fulfilled all the laws of perfection, in all things. For this very reason He was chosen before the foundations of this world to be its Redeemer, or guiding teacher -- its leading example. "He was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." The only individual who never committed sin -- who never for a moment lost contact with His own true pattern of life.
No one has ever equalled Him in goodness, in love, in meekness and perfection. It is impossible to praise and honor Him enough. His unselfishness, His love, His understanding and compassionate mercy has so completely glorified light -- or the "Spirit of Truth" even that very "Spirit of Christ," of which all things are composed, including us, that He will stand forever a complete embodiment of it -- its eternal symbol -- symbol of light.
"Christ" means "Anointed" and "Anointed" -- the English translation of the Greek word "Christos" is given to Jesus on account of his being "Anointed" with the Holy Ghost -- and because of His Holy calling. He was anointed unto this end before the foundation of the world -- that anointing was reaffirmed in the flesh just following His baptism. It was after he had fulfilled this last, final law of righteousness that He received of the "fullness of the Father," or the fullness of the power and light of God.
Having followed that inner voice from grace to grace, or from one bit of instruction to another, until he had fulfilled all the laws and kept all the commandments, He received the fullness of light, and all power, both in heaven and on earth.
His work and mission was not to take away our free-agency and exalt us into glory by us simply saying we believed on Him, or to say that we know that he existed, or, that he is the Son of God. Such an idea is preposterous -- yet is the common belief of many. His entire mission was to show us just how the great power of that inner light worked, and how we could, by following the pattern He gave, receive the same power and do the very works that He did, even greater works.
Ask any Christian on the earth if he believes in Jesus Christ, and he will most emphatically answer, "Yes." Ask him to prove his statement and he will fail utterly. "If you believe in MY NAME, ye can ask anything and it will be done unto you." Is that statement false? Is His promise or word, a mistake, or a lie where He declared, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, that if you believe on me, the works that I do shall ye do also -- and greater works than these shall ye do -- because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the son. If ye shall ask anything in my Name, I will do it." Not for one instant are these statements or promises false. They are the most true promises ever uttered. It is man who has failed -- failed to understand or believe in THE POWER OF THE NAME.
The name "Jesus" is the Greek derivation of "Joshua" or according to the ancient Hebrew "Jehshua" or "Yehshua." "Jah" or "Yah" means literally, "I shall be." and "shua" means, "powerful." This Jesus is a promise -- the promise, "I shall be powerful." And the word "Christ" means "Anointed" or "Anointed with light" thus completing the promise and power of the name. "I shall be powerful when anointed with light!" Or in its complete fullness: "I shall be powerful when I am anointed with light!" Do you believe in that name? Have you ever believed in it? Or has any man ever understood or believed in the powerful name of Jesus Christ? If he has believed in that name then he has fulfilled that name within himself, and can do the works that Christ did. But most emphatically mankind has not understood its meaning and has not received the powers attached to it. They have believed the great Personage who symbolized the fulfillment of that power is the One who is to lift them into glory while all that is necessary is to sit weakly back and let Him do it -- all of it -- not realizing that each man must fulfill that NAME in his own life. He must follow that voice of light, faithfully, diligently, until all weaknesses and mistakes are eliminated -- and until he can, through his own faithfulness, also be "anointed with light."
It was through this "Christ" or "Light" that the worlds were and are created -- and most of them are far older than this little earth of ours. It is one of the youngest of the planets. It is the baby of the spheres, comparatively speaking. Yet it was not until just before the foundations of this earth of ours, that Jesus Christ, the individual who bears the NAME, was chosen to be the Redeemer of this world, the guide, the Great Shepherd, the Savior, by showing the way of salvation to all who would follow Him. The Shepherd never has to carry the sheep into the fold. They have to go in on their own power -- and it is done as they follow the shepherd. He was chosen before the foundations of the earth for this very mission and purpose, and the world will forever owe Him a debt of love and gratitude that can never be completely repaid. But this great "Light of Truth" or "Spirit of Truth" or "light of Christ," of which we are a part, and were a part, even from the very beginning (and there is no beginning, and no end), existed long before that time. For we too were with God before the works of creation began, "The Spirit of Truth." This will be explained more fully in the following chapter.
This light of life, or spark of the Divine Spirit of Christ, is the original source of our existence. That divine spark is often imprisoned in mortality instead of being clothed or endowed with mortality. This body is the kingdom bequeathed to this spirit for fulfilling the laws of progress and advancement in the past. This mortal heritage is a great and precious gift, and was meant to be glorified by the Spirit, even as the Spirit was meant to be glorified by the flesh. These two, inseparably connected can receive a fullness of joy -- or a fullness of the Father -- or power and light.
This destiny can only be completed in glory as we learn to let the voice of the Spirit direct the "without" as it abides in the "within." Or, as given in the Apocrypha: "For the Lord himself, being asked by a certain person, when his kingdom should come? answered, When two shall be one, and that which is without as that which is within." His kingdom, or the kingdom of heaven will be revealed to every man when he learns to abide by the laws of that inner kingdom, or the voice of the Christ, or light within.
For each person who learns to listen to that inner voice at all times, who heeds its loving, tender instructions until he has fulfilled all the glorious laws of righteousness, is to have the great privilege of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, to appear in person to him from time to time -- and even He will reveal the Father to him.
Jesus Christ chose the way of the crucifixion to prove that this great light and power of the Christ Light could fulfill all things -- and had life eternal, or was life eternal -- boundless, indestructible -- and as He fulfilled all the laws of righteousness and glorified that light within Himself He had the power over death -- that He could lay down His life and take it up again if he chose.
"On account of this the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may receive it again.
"No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have authority to lay it down and I have authority to receive it again." (John 10:17-18).
"For as the Father has life in himself, so he gave to the son to have life in himself." (John 5:26).
So He gives to every son to have life in himself who is truly born of the Spirit, if he will follow the pattern and fulfill all the laws.
Being born of the Spirit is being baptized into the very name of Jesus Christ, or anointed with light -- so that with full consciousness one realizes that "In Him we live and move and have our being." Thus as we live with a full understanding of the meaning of His Name, and truly believe in it -- we too shall begin to be able to do the works which He did -- even the greater works. Yea, "I shall be powerful when I am anointed with light," or "Spirit." Thus we begin to take upon ourselves that name and the power of it. When we truly believe in The Name of Jesus Christ and fulfill that name within ourselves our lives will no longer be barren and unfruitful, but will unfold in complete fulfillment of all the promises ever given -- and the divine pattern within us will be brought forth in all its unfolding glory. It is only the voice of the "Light within" that can guide us to this complete fulfillment.
The name "Jesus Christ" is the great key-word of power. Learn the power of the Name. The only name under heaven where mankind can be saved -- saved from their weaknesses as well as from their sins. Use the Name. Think it. Love it. Magnify it -- and Walk with Him in Light. How else could the following promise possibly be fulfilled? "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God -- the Spirit itself beareth witness with our Spirit, that we are the children of God; and if children, then heirs of God, joint-heirs with Christ." (Romans 8:14, 16, 17). And if we are "joint-heirs" then we must be equal with Him, if we fulfill the NAME in our lives, even as He did.
It is only as we each follow our own true pattern of life that we can hope for this complete perfection within us. The voice of the multitude, the praise of the world, the desire for wealth and fame so often sidetrack us from our own design of life. Despair or failure can never come to us as long as we live true to the pattern, not any more than it could come to Jesus. Every heartache, every trial was a stepping stone upward -- even the crucifixion -- the great, triumphant, final victory over death -- the victory awaiting all who will "overcome."
"He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the son of God hath not life." (I John 5:12).
"When the Anointed may appear, the life of us, then also you with him shall appear in glory." (Gal 3:4).
"Let the same mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God."1
"The light that shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not; nevertheless, the day shall come when you shall comprehend even God being quickened in him and by him."
"Behold, that which you hear is as the voice of one crying in the wilderness -- in the wilderness because you cannot see him -- my voice, because my voice is Spirit; my Spirit is Truth; Truth abideth and hath no end, and if you abide in it you shall abound."2 (D. & C. 88:66).
"For no man has seen God at any time in the flesh, except quickened by the Spirit of God."3 (Ibid., 67:11).
"Therefore it is given to abide in you; the record of heaven; the Comforter; the peaceable things of immortal glory; the truth of all things; that which quickeneth all things, which maketh alive all things; that which knoweth all things; and hath all power, according to wisdom, mercy, truth, justice and judgment."4 (Moses 6:61)
According to the dictionary, the word "Quicken" is given the following definition: "To revive; to cheer; to increase the speed of; to sharpen; to stimulate. -- (Verb); "To become alive; to move quickly, or more quickly." This is truly the inner voice within. It is the voice of conscience that cheers and approves our actions. It is the voice of the Christ, the very Light of God that is in the MIDST of all things. It is the power that will sharpen, quicken, stimulate and glorify our lives.
Thus to be quickened by the Spirit of God means to have our vibrations increased from the slow, mortal tempo to the Spiritual that we might be prepared to receive our anointing of light. This increasing of vibrations will be the power that will prepare us to comprehend even God -- to receive a fullness of His joy and power. This quickening power can translate us from mortal beings into translated beings, on whom death has no claim, unless, we like Christ, permit it. This quickening comes from within, and is the source of all high inspiration, for this is the divine light and life of the Christ light, the very power of God pouring through us as we prepare ourselves to receive it. It is given to abide in us, but we must bring it forth by a conscious awareness of it, and by our understanding of it and the glorious laws under which it operates in our lives. This is the only possible way we can PROVE that we believe in the name of Jesus Christ, and fulfill that name in our own lives.
"Behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:
"And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
"And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering of the cave." (I. Kings 19:11-13). Such is the power of God and His manner of speaking through that still small voice within.
We are told repeatedly throughout the scriptures, that we are the temples of the living God. Perhaps it would be well to give a brief description of the Holy of Holies in the temple of Jerusalem at the time of Christ's ministry. "The Holy of Holies in the temple of Herod retained the form and dimensions of the Oracle of the Temple of Solomon. It was therefore a cube, twenty cubits in each principal measurement. Between this and the Holy Place hung a double veil, of finest material, elaborately embroidered. The outer of the two veils was open at the north end, and the inner at the south; so that the high Priest who entered at the appointed time once a year could pass between the veils without exposing the Holy of Holies. This sacred chamber was empty save for a large stone upon which the high priest sprinkles the sacrificial blood on the Day of Atonement. This stone occupied the place of the Ark and its Mercy Seat." However, originally this spot belonged to the Ark and the record or Testament of the Lord that was contained therein. This had disappeared at the time of the Babylonian captivity 589 B. C. This Holy of Holies was the room, or sacred chamber within the temple where the voice of the Lord was heard when He had some message for the people. It was in this room where Zacharias received the announcement of the birth of his son, John, who was the forerunner of Christ. It was originally the place where the laws of the Lord were contained, the laws that had been written by His finger, in the days of Moses. (The House of the Lord, by Talmedge, p.59).
The above is quite adequate to give an idea of this inner sanctuary of God. It is interesting to note that it is the place in which the laws of the Lord were kept -- that it was entered only by the one appointed to officiate in the temple -- and on keeping the Day of Atonement or "At-one-meant."
We are the temples of the Living God, and within each one of us is the Holy of Holies, the Oracle, or place where God can contact us in the depths of our own souls. It is the place where His laws are engraved. It is where the voice of conscience dwells -- even "the Light of Truth." When we become sufficiently silent, sufficiently humble to hear that voice, and then have the courage to follow it at all times, it will become audible to us, and be a guide to us in all that we say and do, so that we, like Jesus will say nothing except it is given to us of the Father, and do nothing except He commands us. We will speak only His words, for His Holy place in our own souls is where our own true pattern or law of life is contained. This is a complete, individual pattern for each man. No two will unfold alike -- no two will have the same exact work to do, or mission to fill, or the same exact road to follow. I cannot live by your pattern, neither can you live by mine. We must each live by our own pattern, and follow it to its complete unfoldment of glory -- and thus we are eventually "anointed" with light, and the complete understanding and fulfillment may be accomplished.
"My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you." (Gal. 4:19).
". . . But we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is -- (and as we are).
"And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." (I John 3:2-4).
Christ never purifies any man. Each man must purify himself by following that Christ light of conscience within himself, as he learns to stand before God, rejoicing in a clear conscience that is perfected within him, as "the Spirit of Truth." Thus to be saved by grace is to be saved by obedience to the continued instructions that come daily from God, through the Vine -- or voice within. This voice is truly the "Word of God" -- and those to whom it comes "are gods."
It is not necessary for any man to ever seek to justify himself by words in anything he does, whether it be good or bad. If one has done wrong it can never be justified by words. If he has done right God will justify him in time, and his justification will be made apparent to the whole world.
If you have wondered, as I used to, what the writings of Jesus would have been like had He left a written message, you should rejoice as I have rejoiced in the "Odes of Solomon," from the New Testament Apocrypha. They were not written by King Solomon, but by a Gentile convert of the first century of Christianity, whose name remains a mystery. "All those will be astonished to see me. For from another race am I." (41:8).
"These writings contain the most beautiful and inspired words the world possesses. They have come down to us in a single and a very ancient document in Syriac language, and evidently the document is a translation from the original Greek. There has been much debate around these Odes. And there does not seem to be anything about which the scholars all agree unless it be that the Odes are of singular beauty and high spiritual value." All agree however that there was nothing else like them ever written, either in the Old Testament or in the Gospels. They were written by a man who believed in the Name of Jesus Christ and fulfilled that Name in his own life. I shall only quote a few of them.
"For as the Word of the Lord is, so is its end: for it is light and the dawning of thought;
"And by it the worlds talked one to another; and in the Word there were those who were silent;
"And from it came love and concord; and they spake one to the other whatever was theirs; and they were penetrated by the Word:
"And they knew Him who made them, because they were in concord; for the mouth of the Most High spake to them; and his explanation ran by means of it:
"For the dwelling place of the WORD is man; and its truth is love.
"Blessed are they who by means thereof understood everything and have known the Lord in His Truth."
"Behold! The Lord is our mirror; open the eyes and see them in Him: and learn the manner of your face;
"And tell forth praise to His Spirit: and wipe off the filth from your face: and love his holiness, and clothe yourself therewith:
"And be without stain at all times before Him."
"I have put on incorruption through His name; and have put off corruption by His grace.
"Death hath been destroyed before my face; and Sheol hath been abolished by my word;
"And there hath gone up deathless life in the Lord's land,
"And hath been made known to His faithful ones, and hath been given without stint to all those that trust in Him."
"And He who knew and brought me up is the Most High in all His perfection. And He glorified me by His kindness, and raised my thoughts to the height of His Truth.
"And from thence He gave me the way of His precepts and I opened the doors that were closed,
"And brake in pieces the bars of iron; but my iron melted and dissolved before me;
"Nothing appeared closed to me; BECAUSE I WAS THE DOOR TO EVERYTHING."
"And I put off darkness and clothed myself with light,
"And my soul acquired a body free from sorrow, or affliction or pain.
"And increasingly helpful to me was the thought of the Lord, and His fellowship in incorruption."
"Or who can rest on the most High, so that with HIS mouth, he may speak?
"Who is able to interpret the wonders of the Lord?
"For he who could interpret would be dissolved and would become that which is interpreted."
"Fill ye waters for yourselves from the living fountain of the Lord, for it is opened to you;
"And come all ye thirsty, and take the draught; and rest by the fountain of the Lord.
"For fair it is and pure and gives rest to the soul. Much more pleasant are its waters than honey;
"And the honeycomb of the bees is not to be compared with it.
"For it flows forth from the lips of the Lord and from the heart of the Lord is its name.
"And it came infinitely and invisibly; and until it was set in the MIDST they did not know it.
"Blessed are they who have drunk therefore and have found rest thereby."
"I rested in the Spirit of the Lord; and the Spirit raised me on high;
"And made me stand on my feet in the height of the Lord, before His perfection and His glory, while I was praising Him by the composition of His songs.
"The Spirit brought me forth before the face of the Lord; and although a son of man, I was named the illuminate, the Son of God:" (Received the anointing of Light or of Christ).
"While I praised amongst the praising ones, and great was I amongst the mighty ones.
"For according to the greatness of the Most High, so He made me; and He ANOINTED me from His own perfection:
"And I became one of His neighbors; and my mouth was opened like a cloud of dew:
"And my heart poured out as it were a gushing stream of righteousness.
"And my access to Him was in peace; and I was established by the Spirit of His government." (or by fulfilling His laws).
"And His word is with us in all our way.
"The Savior who makes alive and does not reject our souls:
"The man who was humbled and exalted by His own righteousness.
"The Son of the Most High appeared in the perfection of His Father.
"And Light dawned from the WORD that was beforetime in Him.
"The Messiah is truly one; and He was known before the foundation of the world,
"THAT HE MIGHT SAVE SOULS FOREVER BY THE TRUTH OF HIS NAME."
"No man could possibly write such messages of divine glory unless he had fulfilled those very things in his own life, and unless he wished to help others to do the same.
"And the Word of the Lord is Truth, and whatsoever is truth is light; and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ. It is this Spirit that is the guiding voice that will lead us to all truth. It will lead upward to God just as much today as in days of old. It contains the laws of perfection and is the law of Jesus Christ. It is the very name of Jesus Christ as it begins to be fulfilled in each man's life.
"We have all sinned and have come short of the glory of God." We have truly all failed, and have fallen short of His glory. But He never intended us to come short of it. We were meant to obtain "all power, both in heaven, and on earth, even as Christ did." (Romans 3:23; D. & C. 50:26-29).
His glory will become our glory when we fulfill the NAME of Jesus Christ in our lives, and we can only fulfill it as we believe in it. Then our glory will also be His glory -- "For this is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."5 Believe in this name and you will prove that you truly believe in His words, and in the power of His Name, and in the power of Almighty God, and in the promises of His Son Jesus Christ, for you will be able to do the works that He did, even the greater works.
This most sacred anointing of Light should be the greatest, most intense desire of every man. It can only be given when each individual has prepared himself for it through the sanctification of his life through righteousness. But every one who earnestly desires it and who purifies himself from all sin, who "ASKS" for it will as surely be led to it as the river finds its way to the sea, or the bee finds its way to the flowers. This is the one, sublime gift of gifts that God is most anxious to bestow upon His children. It is the gift divine, and anyone who asks for it, and continues to ask for it will automatically prepare themselves to receive it -- and to such it will be given. Anyone who can catch the divine vision of this gift will gradually be led to fulfill all the laws of righteousness, even to being led to those who have the authority direct from God to baptize in the NAME of His Beloved Son Jesus Christ. He will be led into all truth though he abides at the nethermost part of the earth, or in the heart of the African jungles -- "For everyone who asks receives and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened." This is the true heritage of every man. It is the greatest gift of God.
This anointing of light is not a thing of wild hysteria, of jumping and shouting and babbling. It is an anointing of divine majesty, of dignity and supreme power -- a majesty of divinity such as Christ wore. It is the power and light of God in all its unspeakable, enfolding glory.
This is the complete opening of the doors to the kingdom of God, within, in which all things are revealed -- and all power bestowed. It is the full and complete power of the Name of Jesus Christ fulfilled in man -- "For when you have become anointed with Light, you shall be powerful."
So be it, in the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
1. Philippians 2:5-6 IVB: Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus; Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; return to paragraph →
2. RLDS D&C 85:17: Behold, that which you hear is as the voice of one crying in the wilderness; in the wilderness, because you can not see him: my voice, because my voice is Spirit; my Spirit is truth: truth abideth and hath no end; and if it be in you it shall abound. return to paragraph →
3. RLDS D&C 67:3b: not with the carnal, neither natural mind, but with the spiritual; for no man has seen God at any time in the flesh, except quickened by the Spirit of God; return to paragraph →
4. Genesis 6:64 IVB: Therefore it is given to abide in you, the record of heaven, the Comforter, the peaceable things of immortal glory, the truth of all things, that which quickeneth all things which maketh alive all things, that which knoweth all things, and hath all power according to wisdom, mercy, truth, justice and judgment. return to paragraph →
5. RLDS D&C 22:23b: and there is no end to my works, neither to my words; for this is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality, and eternal life of man. return to paragraph →