© 2020 Chuck Thurston
© 2020 The Urantia Book Fellowship
by Chuck Thurston
There’s a version of each of us that can only be brought to life by seeking and joining with the Adjuster presence within us. This version of ourselves is morontial - it is our soul identity. The greatest contribution we can offer to the angels of progress, I believe, is to become as Godlike as possible, which enables us to express qualities of divinity in all that we do in the world, to at least some extent.
God is not only with us, he is in us. As we consciously join our sense of identity with God’s inner presence, we not only become more Godlike, we also become more truly and fully ourselves. Our divine endowments of original nature become more fully and strongly expressed.
Personality is a unique endowment of original nature. UB 16:8.3
Thought Adjusters are of the essence of original Deity. UB 107:1.1
The combined importance of originality and individual initiative is stressed many times in the book. We’ll see that these imperatives not only support the stated mission of the progress angels, they also govern the evolution of this universe age - the age of the Supreme.
…during the present age of the unfinished evolution of the Supreme, the Ancients of Days provide the co-ordinated and perfect administrative overcontrol of the evolving universes of time and space. And the wisdom of originality and the initiative of individuality characterize all the decrees and rulings of the Ancients of Days. UB 18:3.9
Jesus wished to develop spiritual insight into eternal realities and to stimulate initiative in the originality of living… UB 140:8.31
Industrialism… should be so carried on as to promote initiative… Society should in every way possible foster originality. UB 70:2.18
He exhorted his hearers to strive for originality. UB 149:4.4
The forms of any serviceable symbolism must be those which the individual can carry out on his own initiative. UB 87:7.9
The book’s description of the progress angels tells us that they “are entrusted with the task of initiating the evolutionary progress of the successive social ages,” and that they “labor incessantly to make things what they ought to be.” UB 114:6.6
Both of these responsibilities involve the bringing of new and superior possibilities into existence. On the human level, this involves the cultivation of new (original) ideas and our willingness to take initiative to attempt their manifestation. In the absence of these human determinations, there can be no human progress.
The flow of this process, from the inner life to outer manifestation, is clearly suggested by these two fundamental truths:
- The doing of the will of God is nothing more or less than an exhibition of creature willingness to share the inner life with God. UB 111:5.1
- The advances of true civilization are all born in this inner world of mankind. It is only the inner life that is truly creative.UB 111:4.3
We know that our seraphim have the ability (somehow) to coordinate their ministry with the leading of our Adjusters. Even in the absence of direct communication with the progress angels, we can see how our Adjusterinspired originality (that grows as a result of sharing our inner life with God), when put into action through individual personality initiative, will no doubt assist the progress angels in their efforts to “initiate” evolutionary progress and make things “what they ought to be.”
Progress demands development of individuality. UB 48:7.29
Seraphim function as teachers of men by guiding the footsteps of the human personality into paths of new and progressive experiences. UB 113:4.3
While there is apparently no communication between the indwelling Adjusters and the encompassing seraphim, they always seem to work in perfect harmony and exquisite accord. UB 113:4.5
Mind, of course, is a huge factor in all of this. It is within our “mind arena” that original insights and realizations are born. Human mind, with its unceasing proposals and suggestions, is a living gift that is designed to support the formulation of original ideas. But it is up to us to evaluate and control this mental activity, and choose only those thoughts that are inspired by (or consistent with) the inner leading of our Adjuster.
This is why our ability to feel the presence of God is so important. Human mind is trustworthy only when it is directed by spiritguided choices and decisions that are born from our love for God. Original spiritual insights are inspired by our companionship experiences with God.
…love is the true guide to real insight. UB 195:5.14
As our human/divine soul identity becomes more real, and our conscious desire to work with the progress angels grows stronger, we will naturally find increasing value in our most original ideas and more willingly exercise initiative in our desire to bring them into manifestation.
