God Speaks Again by Kenneth E

Author:Kenneth E. [E., Kenneth]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9781931847957
Publisher: BookMobile
Published: 2011-10-27T07:00:00+00:00

All of the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith are built upon the foundation of love. The same is true for the teachings of all of the divinely revealed religions.

The True Meaning of Life

The reality of human beings is spiritual, and the key to our happiness is to develop our spiritual capacities and draw near to God. This process is conducive not only to happiness in the life beyond, but also in this world. Our spiritual progress depends upon our own efforts to know and love God, to love and serve others, and to lead lives characterized by the highest moral standards. In the end, each of us must answer to God for our own actions. Bahá’u’lláh writes, “Bring thyself to account each day ere thou art summoned to a reckoning; for death, unheralded, shall come upon thee and thou shalt be called to give account for thy deeds.”2

The only sure means for spiritual progress is to accept God’s Manifestation for this day and to strive to abide by His teachings. As we have already mentioned in an earlier chapter, spiritual progress requires sincerity of intent, selflessness, and eager effort. Another requirement is detachment from the world in the sense that we must not allow worldy things to become a barrier between ourselves and God. Yet another prerequisite is adherence to justice, which Bahá’u’lláh defines in part as the ability to discern the truth for ourselves and not to blindly imitate others.

Many passages in the Bahá’í writings make clear that each of us must assume responsibility for our own spiritual growth. But this is not to say that salvation comes entirely through our own efforts. Our progress is always dependent upon God’s love and mercy. Bahá’u’lláh upheld the principle of salvation by grace in the sense that we can never by our own deeds truly deserve eternal life. Nevertheless, God expects each of us to respond to Him. We are responsible for choosing whether to love and serve God. If we choose correctly, we can then progress spiritually and feel His love for us in our lives, as the following verse from Bahá’u’lláh suggests: “Love Me, that I may love thee. If thou lovest Me not, My love can in no wise reach thee. Know this, O servant.”3

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