GREETINGS! and welcome to all our Students. Before we begin, please take a quick look at our Student Notice Board
and make a note in your journal.  Now, settle down, and we will begin our Class.

Before proceeding with THE LESSON, we will first introduce it to you by explaining its purpose:

In HEAVEN, there is no place for FEAR.
This is so because there is no place for BELIEF.  Only KNOWLEDGE and CERTAINTY are here.

On earth, there is only BELIEF.  Belief, by its very nature, entails DOUBT.  Take, for example, the statement
"I believe that life is eternal and that there is nothing to fear".  Does this belief eliminate fear and all its thoughts?  NO.  Why?  Because it is DOUBT that causes FEAR and BELIEF cannot eliminate fear because it cannot eliminate DOUBT.
To believe is to be uncertain.  To be CERTAIN is to KNOW - not believe.

The purpose of THE LESSON, then, is to replace BELIEF with ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY
and thus eliminate DOUBT and FEAR completely.

Once the THE LESSON is understood, BELIEF will no longer be possible.  DOUBT will also be impossible
and FEAR will disappear - never to return. KNOWLEDGE and CERTAINTY will replace ignorance and doubt
as Heavenly Understanding takes its place in your awareness.

The test of your understanding will be this:

When you can say, with absolute confidence, "I know that life is eternal and there is nothing to fear",
and you are asked "How do you KNOW? If your answer is - "Well, I can't exactly explain it but I have a
good feeling and I really believe it, so that's how I 'know'", or something similar, you are still living on earth.
Doubt is still there and so is fear, - however unrecognized.

If your answer is - "I'll tell you exactly how I KNOW" and then proceed to explain your understanding
of the THE LESSON, you are living here in HEAVEN with us.  All doubt has disappeared along with fear,
and HEAVEN'S CERTAINTY goes with you wherever you go.

Now, we will proceed with the THE LESSON which requires your full attention and consideration
so that you will see it clearly and understand it completely.

You have been told "THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN is WITHIN". You have also been told "KNOW Thy Self".
Please bear both statements in mind as we continue.

"Where there is Certainty, there is Peace.  Herein lies the Peace of God and All of HEAVEN."
 

THE LESSON

QUESTION ONE: “WHAT  AM  I ?”

In order to find an answer to this Question, the first thing we must consider is the ABSOLUTE FACT
of our own existence. “I think therefore I Am” is accepted as beyond any possible doubt.

Next to be considered is what it means to say “I Am”.  “I Am” means “I am capable of functioning”
or, simply, “I Function”.  Thus, 'TO BE' means 'TO FUNCTION'.

We conclude, therefore, that when asking the Question “I AM WHAT?”, we can ask
the same question in another way, which is, “I FUNCTION AS WHAT?”.

Now, we are using “I” in its absolute sense incorporating ALL LIFE.  We must, therefore,
look to see how LIFE functions in order to find an answer to the Question.

LIFE functions in only two ways.  There is birth and there is death.
In other words, there is the Function of CREATION and the Function of DESTRUCTION.

These two Functions can be seen operating in other pairs of opposites such as Growth and Decline,
Health and Sickness, Peace and War, Happiness and Sadness, Love and Hate etc. etc.  In fact, everything
that is considered “good” or “positive”, can be viewed as LIFE'S Creative Functioning and, similarly,
everything that is considered “bad” or “negative”, can be viewed as LIFE'S Destructive Functioning.

We will now go back to our question “I FUNCTION AS WHAT?” and note that 2 Functions are not necessary.
Only 1 Function is needed.  We will, therefore, have to examine both these Functions in order to find out if:

             (A)     Both CREATION and DESTRUCTION are Real, or,
             (B)     Only DESTRUCTION is Real, or,
             (C)     Only CREATION is Real.

Before we begin, we will define the characteristics of both Functions as follows:

             The Function of CREATION is solely TO CREATE.
             Therefore, CREATION is completely unable to destroy.

             The Function of DESTRUCTION is solely TO DESTROY.
             Therefore, DESTRUCTION is completely unable to create.
 

Let us now examine the case of (A):

If Both CREATION and DESTRUCTION are Real, then these 2 opposing Functions must meet in Reality,
and we must look and see what happens:

First,   Step 1    -      Destructive Being destroys Creative Being.
Then,   Step 2    -      Destructive Being destroys itself.

After Step 1, DESTRUCTION continues to Function/Be and, as it cannot create anything
to destroy, it must destroy itself, because, as we have seen, To Be means To Function.
In other words, DESTRUCTION, having destroyed CREATION and having to continue destroying,
which is its only Function, destroys all that is left, which is itself.

The outcome of such a meeting would be that NOTHING would exist.  And, since we  can say and KNOW “I AM”
(beyond any possible doubt), we conclude it is impossible that Both CREATION and DESTRUCTION are Real.

We, therefore, dismiss the case of (A) as a possibility.
 

We will now examine the case of (B):

If Only DESTRUCTION is Real, then Destructive Being functions by destroying itself.

Again, this must happen. "BEING" means "FUNCTIONING", and so DESTRUCTION must destroy.
It cannot create anything to destroy and so it must destroy itself.

We reach the same conclusion here as in (A) which is that NOTHING would BE in existence and,
again, THE FACT OF OUR EXISTENCE proves it is impossible that Only DESTRUCTION is Real.

Therefore, we also dismiss the case of (B) as a possibility.
 

Finally, let us examine the case of  (C):

If Only CREATION is real, then Creative Being Functions by creating,
and continues to Function by continuing to CREATE,
with no possibility of any interruption or ending because CREATION cannot destroy.

We clearly see here it IS possible that Only CREATION is Real and,
as we know that both (A) and (B) are impossible, we admit the case of (C) as FACT.

ONLY  THE  FUNCTION  OF  CREATION  EXISTS  IN  REALITY
 

Let us now go back to our question “I FUNCTION AS WHAT?”.

We discovered that only the Function of  CREATION exists.
Thus, the answer to our question is “I FUNCTION AS CREATION”.

And, as “I Am” means “I Function”, we also have the answer to our Question
“I AM WHAT?” which is "I AM CREATION”.

We now conclude:

Question 1 - What Am I?
Answer: "I think, therefore I AM CREATION.

In our search for this answer, we discovered that LIFE, although appearing to function in two ways,
in Reality has only a Creative Function only.  All apparent destructive functioning is completely ILLUSORY.
 
 

QUESTION TWO: “WHAT IS THE NATURE OF BEING?”

In order to find an answer to this Question, the first thing we must consider
is the answer to Question One which is “I AM CREATION”.

As we have seen, when we say “I Am” we mean “I Function”, and when we say
“I AM CREATION” we mean “I FUNCTION AS CREATION”.

Let us clarify this a little further and look at some examples:

We can say “I am Life” and “I Live”, “I am Love” and “I Love”, “I am Light” and “I Light”,
“I AM CREATION” and “I CREATE”.  The first describes Being Itself, and the second, the Function of Being.
In this way we can see that Being and Function are one and the same.

Let us move on and look at HOW Being functions as CREATION:

CREATION CREATES.  LIFE creates LIFE and we see that what IT creates is what IT IS.
Thus, LIFE creates LIFE by sharing Its Being with Its Creation.
In other words, CREATION CREATES and IS what It Creates.

LIFE creates LIFE i.e. CREATION creates CREATION

From this, we can see that CREATION cannot create what does NOT share Its Being, or, what It IS NOT.
Creating only ITSELF (Its Self), CREATION cannot create Destruction.
And, because Destruction Itself (Its Self) cannot create,
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR DESTRUCTION EVER TO COME INTO BEING

Let us now look and see if there is any distinction between CREATION as the Creator, or (A),
and CREATION as the Created, or (Z):

In relation to Being, we know that CREATION (A) IS CREATION (Z) because Being is shared.
Here we can see that there is no distinction between the Two.

In relation to Function, we see that CREATION (A) creates CREATION (Z).
Thus, CREATION (A) functions as Creator only as It is not Created.
Similarly, CREATION (Z) Functions as Created only as It is not Its Creator (A).
Here we can see that there is a clear distinction between CREATION (A) and CREATION (Z).

Two identical Functions exist as ONE BEING, One Life. CREATOR and CREATED.
These two Functions can be described as:
“I FUNCTION AS CREATION-The Creator”  and
“I FUNCTION AS CREATION-The Created”,
meaning “I AM CREATION-The Creator” and “I AM CREATION-The Created”.

 We now conclude:

Question 2: "What is the Nature of Being?"
Answer: Two identical and distinct “I AM”s share Being, both Functioning as CREATION.

In our search for this answer, we have discovered the meaning contained in the phrases
“I AM THAT I AM” and"I Am Alpha and Omega".
 
 

QUESTION THREE: "WHAT IS THE DURATION OF BEING?"

We will consider a Beginning to BEING / CREATION / LIFE:

If Being has a Beginning, then there will be some point, i.e. before Its Beginning, when there is NO BEING.
At this point, there is NOTHING that can cause Being to Begin.

And so IT IS IMPOSSIBLE THAT BEING HAS A BEGINNING.
 

We will consider an Ending to BEING / CREATION / LIFE:

If Being has an Ending, then there will be, at some point, something in Reality which will cause Its destruction.
We know that CREATION Itself cannot destroy.  And we know that Destruction Itself cannot create.
We also know that CREATION cannot create what it IS NOT, which is Destruction.
Therefore, Destruction cannot come into Being.

And so IT IS IMPOSSIBLE THAT BEING HAS AN ENDING.

We now conclude:

Question 3: "What is the Duration of Being?"
Answer: Being is Eternal
 

SUMMARY
 

BEING / LIFE IS CREATION

CREATION can be thought of as inclusive of all creative (positive, good) qualities in Life
and exclusive of all destructive (negative, bad) qualities.
 

BEING / LIFE FUNCTIONS AS CREATION

CREATION Functions as Both Creator and Created, creating Their Image and Likeness
as an extension of Their Being with no separation possible.
 

BEING / LIFE IS LIMITLESS

CREATION, having the sole function of creating only the creative,
and Being what It creates, extends to Infinity, without the possibility of any interruption.
 

BEING/LIFE IS ETERNAL

CREATION extends for all Eternity, without the possibility of any ending as it can only create.
 
 

 FINAL QUESTION: “WHO  AM  I?”

We know there are Two distinct “I AM”s sharing Being.
So, is our answer not “I AM Who I AM"?
And is our Name not “I AM The CREATED"?

Of course it is.
“I AM The CREATOR” would not be asking these Questions.
 

In “A Course In Miracles” it states that:

                  "Nothing real can be threatened,
                Nothing unreal exists."

All that remains for us is to add our own "Q.E.D".
_____________

"In the beginning was the Word, CREATION (Christ), and the Word was with GOD, and the Word was GOD.
He was in the beginning with GOD; all things were made through Him,
and without Him was not anything made that was made.
In Him was Life and the Life was the Light of men.
The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it."

Of this you now have KNOWLEDGE and CERTAINTY.

_____________

Before we finish, we would like to tell all our students that "A Course In Miracles"
is the reference book for THE LESSON.
It provides the Answers to all Questions that could possibly be raised.

Now, thank you very much for your attention and please enjoy the rest of your stay in Heaven!