When Jesus heard what had been done and how the priests had cast the man whom he had healed, out of the synagogue, he found the man and said to him, Do you believe in God and in the son of God? The man replied, I do believe in God; but who is he, the son of God, of whom you speak? And Jesus said, The son of God is he who speaks to you.
The man inquired then, Why do you say, The son of God? Is there but one? And Jesus said, All men are sons of God by birth; God is the Father of the race; but all are not the sons of God by faith. He who attains the victory over self is son of God by faith, and he who speaks to you has overcome, and he is called son of God, because he is the pattern for the sons of men. He who believes and does the will of God is son of God by faith. The man in joy exclaimed, Lord, I believe in God, and in the son of God. (Aquarian Gospel 139:1-9)
All men are sons of God by birth; God is the Father of the race; but all are not the sons of God by faith. God being the creator of all is the Father of all. All human beings are the children of God by virtue of that, but as Jesus points out, besides the mechanical side of sonship only those who have faith are the living sons of God, and only they will aspire to or attain that state of consciousness. This is why there is no lasting or effective virtue to be found in an atheist however ethical and sincere they might be. The twentieth century Japanese philosopher, Mokichi Okada, was adamant about this after a lifetime of careful observation.
He who attains the victory over self [ego] is son of God by faith, and he who speaks to you has overcome, and he is called son of God, because he is the pattern for the sons of men. Simple faith is not enough to fully be a child of God; ego must be conquered since God himself is totally without ego. So for the divine image to be revealed the ego must be dissolved. This was the case with Jesus. It is interesting that this is the fundamental requirement for fully operative divine sonship rather than so many noble-sounding traits and ways.
He who believes and does the will of God is son of God by faith. Those who truly believe act on what they believe. Otherwise it is not faith at all.
And Jesus said, I came to open prison doors, to make the blind to see; but, lo, the Pharisees are blind from birth. And when I put the salve of truth upon their eyes, and bid them go and wash, and speak the sacred Word they will not go; they love the dark. (Aquarian Gospel 139:10, 11)
It all comes down to free will in the end. We are masters of our destiny because we create it through our will.
A multitude of people pressed about the Lord, and he stood forth and said, You men of Israel, I say to you, The fold of God is large; its walls are strong, it has a gateway in the east, and he who does not enter by the gate into the fold, but climbs into the fold some other way, is thief and comes to rob.) The shepherd of the sheep stands by the gate; he gives the secret sign; he knocks; the watchman opens up the gate. And then the shepherd calls his sheep by name; they hear his voice and follow him; they enter through the gate into the fold. The sheep know not a stranger’s voice; they will not follow him; they flee away.
The people did not understand the parable that Jesus spoke; and then he said, Christ is the gateway of the fold; I am the shepherd of the sheep, and he who follows me through Christ shall come into the fold where living waters flow, and where rich pastures are. False prophets come and go; they claim to be the shepherds of the sheep; they claim to know the way; but they know not the word of power; the watchman opens not the gate; the sheep heed not their call. The shepherd of the sheep will give his life to save the sheep. A hireling flees to save his life when wolves infest the fold; and then the tender lambs are snatched away, the sheep are scattered everywhere.
I am the shepherd of the sheep; I know the sheep of God; they know my voice, as God knows me and I know him. The Father loves me with a deathless love, because I lay my life down for the sheep. I lay my life down when I will, but I may take it up again; for every son of God by faith has power to lay his mortal flesh aside and take it up again. These words I have received from God. (Aquarian Gospel 139:12-24)
The fold of God is large; its walls are strong, it has a gateway in the east, and he who does not enter by the gate into the fold, but climbs into the fold some other way, is thief and comes to rob. We are all in the fold of God, but there is an inner fold that we must consciously choose to enter. And we must do so through the eastern gate of spiritual consciousness developed by spiritual practice. Otherwise we are thieving children of God, not loving children of the Father.
The shepherd of the sheep stands by the gate; he gives the secret sign; he knocks; the watchman opens up the gate. There is a hierarchy in the universe by means of which those of higher evolution assist those of lesser evolution to ascend by the divine ladder. Therefore we all need a shepherd to guide us. Great liberated masters with universal powers such as Krishna, Amitabha Buddha, Gautama Buddha and Jesus are true shepherds. They alone know the secret signs so the gate becomes opened to their actual disciples.
And then the shepherd calls his sheep by name; they hear his voice and follow him; they enter through the gate into the fold. The sheep know not a stranger’s voice; they will not follow him; they flee away. We can apply Jesus’ words to this. “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:2, 3). Literally every true world savior (jagadguru) has a world of his own where his faithful disciples go after death (if their affinity with the master is strong enough) and work there to go on to higher consciousness and even liberation. The most renowned is the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha. The concept of the Pure Land, or Sukhavati, is long established in India where it is also considered that each deity has a personal realm in at least the astral world.
Christ is the gateway of the fold; I am the shepherd of the sheep, and he who follows me through Christ shall come into the fold where living waters flow, and where rich pastures are. Jesus is not the gate; the Only-Begotten of the Father, the archetypal Son of God, the Creator or Ishwara, is the gate. Jesus is the shepherd whom the Christ recognizes and opens the gate to. Jesus is not the goal: Christ Consciousness, oneness with the Christ, is the goal, the source of living waters and rich pastures.
True disciples will listen to none but their shepherd, for their intuition will alert them if an alien voice comes to them.
False prophets come and go; they claim to be the shepherds of the sheep; they claim to know the way; but they know not the word of power; the watchman opens not the gate; the sheep heed not their call. Om is a necessary secret to be known by the real masters.
The shepherd of the sheep will give his life to save the sheep. A hireling flees to save his life when wolves infest the fold; and then the tender lambs are snatched away, the sheep are scattered everywhere. The true teacher devotes his life to his disciples, not the other way around. He belongs to them, not they to him. It is just as it is with God and us.
I am the shepherd of the sheep; I know the sheep of God; they know my voice, as God knows me and I know him. So speaks a real master.
The Father loves me with a deathless love, because I lay my life down for the sheep. I lay my life down when I will, but I may take it up again; for every son of God by faith has power to lay his mortal flesh aside and take it up again. These words I have received from God. This is an awesome affirmation of divine fiat.
Again the people strove among themselves; they were divided in their views concerning Christ. They could not comprehend the words that Jesus spoke. Some said again, He is obsessed, or he is mad; why listen to his words?) And others said, His words are not the words of one obsessed. Can unclean spirits open up the eyes of one born blind? Then Jesus left Jerusalem and with Massalian he tarried certain days. (Aquarian Gospel 139:25-28)
Read the next section in the Aquarian Gospel for Yogis