Neville Goddard Lectures: “The Forming Of Christ In You” (1969)

30 May Neville Goddard Lectures: “The Forming Of Christ In You” (1969)

Neville Goddard – 06-23-1969

That which is profoundly spiritual is in reality most directly practical. Tonight I will tell you a story from scripture which is profoundly spiritual. It is misunderstood in the world, but I know its inner meaning and will show you how altogether practical it is.

In all the revelations which await you, there is none so fundamental as the forming of Christ in you. How is it formed? By whom and where is the sphere of the forming? In order to answer these questions we will turn to scripture.

In the 9th chapter of Romans, Paul takes an old story whose chronological time is placed at 1856 BC. He ties it in with another story, which time has placed at 400 BC, then gives his interpretation of what took place in the first century AD. Here we find a stretch of 2000 years.

Paul tells the story of the twins in the womb of Rebecca. Having prayed for a child, the Lord heard Rebecca’s prayers and answered them. Then there was a conflict within her, and as the two began to form there was a struggle and she asked the Lord why she should live; and the Lord replied: “Two nations are in your womb and two peoples born of you shall be divided. One shall be stronger than the other and the elder shall serve the younger.” And when the twins were born, the first one was covered with hair and named Esau. The second, smooth-skinned lad was called Jacob, and later renamed Israel by the Lord.

In telling the story, Paul speaks of predestination . . not of the outer man, but of the inner man. Listen to his words carefully: “Though they were not yet born and had done nothing either bad or good, in order that God’s election should continue, not because of works but because of his calling, he made one he loved and one he hated saying, ‘Jacob I love and Esau I hate.’” They had not yet been born and had done nothing that was either good or bad, but in order for God’s election to continue he loves the one he calls and hates the other.

Now Jacob, he who is called and loved by God, becomes Israel; so you see, Israel cannot be those who are descended from Abraham in a physical state. Israel is the inner man, the feminine part of your nature. I have seen that inner man and know he is my own wonderful human imagination. That inner man is he who is loved by and wedded to God. “Your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name. The Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer. The God of the whole earth he is called.”

Your human imagination is the Israel of scripture. That’s your inner man, the feminine part of your nature, to whom God is wed. It is to your imagination that God cleaves, and leaves all until the two of you become one. It is in this sphere that Christ is formed. He is the son, bearing witness to the union of your human imagination and the creator of the universe.

Your imagination is God’s emanation, yet his wife, till the sleep of death is past. But how will he know that this union is productive? By the forming of Christ in you, for your son is your hope of glory!

Paul tied the 25th chapter of Genesis with the 1st chapter of Malachi (a separation of over fourteen centuries). Then he began to show the predestined you, not the outer you . . for it is not loved by your Father, but the inner you . . who is your human imagination.

God hates Esau . . the outer man whose senses anchor him to his financial, social, and educational world; but he loves the one within . . who can, in the midst of hell, visualize harmony, health, and success.

The Lord of the whole earth is omnificent, with unlimited sperm. He so loves you . . his wife, that if you dare to assume anything that Esau . . the outer you . . denies, he will accept your vision and give it to you; for your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name. The Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called.