Neville Goddard Lectures: “The Unknown Actor”

08 Oct Neville Goddard Lectures: “The Unknown Actor”

5/25/65

Tonight’s subject is “The Unknown Actor.” We’re told that among you stands one whom you do not know” (John1:26). “One whom you do not know” is a reference to the unknown Christ. The one who made this announcement confessed that he did not know him…the one that he’d have to proclaim. He said, “I myself did not know him; but he who sent me said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he.’” And then we are told, “You will see the Spirit descend in bodily form as a dove, and that is he.” So he confessed he did not know who this one was that he had to proclaim. I tell you, that Jesus Christ is the only actor in this world. It’s a play, a drama of descent and ascent; and the only one who plays the part is Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ is your own wonderful human Imagination. Human Imagination is truly the true vine of eternity.

Now tonight, let us start with a story and show you how this works in our world. First of all, an actor is defined in your dictionary…the word hypocrite means “actor.” The word hypocrite is actor. A hypocrite is one that pretends to be other than he is to achieve his own personal end. That’s the hypocrite and that is an actor. I tell you, Jesus Christ is the only actor. Now is he a hypocrite? Yes, the Bible teaches that. “He was in the form of God…and he emptied himself, and took upon himself the form of a slave, and was born of woman and born in the likeness of man” (Phil.2:6-8). Here is God emptying himself and becoming man. A great actor emptying himself and playing ___(??) in Tobacco Road. You go to a picture, you go to a show, and here is a great actor, say a Burton, and he doesn’t play Burton, he steps upon the screen and he is Becket. But he doesn’t quite play it to the point of losing the sense of being Burton. When Jesus Christ empties himself and becomes you, he doesn’t pretend that he is you, he actually becomes you, and plays it one hundred percent.

So here is God in his fullness completely emptying himself and becoming you, 100%, no pretense. And yet, I can’t deny he is the hypocrite, because he is playing that he’s you and yet he is God. That is what the hypocrite is. It’s the actor who actually doesn’t pretend…he simply, well, disguises himself and plays the part to deceive you into believing that he is what he is not. That’s what the word would really imply. Now Blake, under inspiration, made the statement, “God only acts and is in existing beings or men.” That’s all that God does: “God only acts and is in existing beings or men. Let us to him who only is and who walks among us give decision.” If he will do that then, said he, bring on all your flames, bring on all your furnaces, it doesn’t matter. If I make the decision, then bring it on. I’ll play the part and I know I will bring it to its fulfillment if I remain faithful to the part to which I have committed myself.