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Friends have understood the Light in different ways. What follows is an attempt to articulate the deeper spiritual reality to which the traditional Quaker language of the Inner Light points.
The Light may be encountered without a name, and it may be understood through many different religious and nonreligious traditions. One need not begin with a particular doctrine, or even with belief in God, to recognize the reality of Love, Truth, Wisdom, and the inward transformation they bring. The many paths by which people seek what is ultimately true need not be dismissed or denied. Historically, for Friends this universal Light has come to be understood through Christ. What may first appear as an impersonal Truth, a universal Presence, or the deepest reality of consciousness can be recognized, in the Quaker understanding, as the living God who is Love. Thus, universalism does not require us to leave Christ behind; rather, it can lead us toward a deeper recognition of the Christ who transcends every boundary of culture, religion, and time. Quaker universalism is the conviction that this Christ is not the possession of one people or tradition, but the Light through which God is drawing all people toward Himself.
The Light of the world is understood to be Christ Jesus, the Messiah, the Anointed One: God come in the flesh to offer humanity salvation from evil. Christ is the Logos, the Word, the Inward Teacher, Emmanuel, and Creator of all. He is one with God, and His Spirit or Seed dwells within everyone. Christ is unconditional Love, the pure Light of awareness, eternally beyond all forms, times, and cultures. The Light is not an autonomous fragment of divinity belonging to the self; it is God's own living presence and activity within us. Christ was fully and consciously manifested in Jesus of Nazareth, the unique earthly incarnation of Christ, though His Spirit has been greatly embodied by others. The eternal Christ is at work throughout the world and has been revealed through many peoples, places, and traditions. The same divine Light is at work wherever Christ is encountered, and we recognize His presence by the fruits of Love, Truth, Wisdom, and Peace that it bears in the heart.
Where is Christ now? Christ is the living Presence of God within you. He meets each of us exactly where we are and leads us along our own authentic path toward God. We are all being drawn toward salvation through Christ, each according to our stage of realization. Jesus presented the Way, the Truth, and the Life: none come to the Father but through Christ. Yet each must come to Christ through the inward guidance of the Holy Spirit, following the Way that God gives to each of us. Christ's Way is authenticity and freedom governed by the Wisdom of Love: the realization of God's Will in our lives. Christ is the meeting place of the Absolute and the world, eternally transcending creation while realizing God's Love within it. Religion points us toward Christ within, and Christ leads us outward into a life of Love. The Spirit of Christ takes countless forms and expressions, yet remains one in essence because Christ is One. The Inward Christ is our True Self: not the separate ego or self-willed personality, but Christ's own Life dwelling within us. As we yield the false self to Christ within, we come to know ourselves in Him and participate in His eternal oneness with the Father.
This is the Gospel: surrender the limited self and give your whole being to God, trusting the guidance of the Spirit. Give up striving, grasping, calculating, and self-will, and what remains is Christ. In this surrender, Christ frees us from sin and leads us into the Way of Peace. The law of God is written in the heart by the Spirit; its expression is unique in every life, but its essence is always Love. Love cannot be imposed by outward law or religion. It must be known inwardly through the Inward Teacher and freely lived. This was the testimony of the early Friends: Christ is not merely an historical figure to be believed in, nor can He be fully known through outward creeds, dogmas, or explanations. Christ must be known inwardly, as the eternal Light and Spirit that was fully manifested in Jesus and dwells within us. The purpose of religion is therefore not to replace this inward knowledge, but to point us toward it.
Christ, who is God, is Love. Love is patient and kind, humble and selfless, peaceful and forgiving, truthful and faithful. Love trusts, hopes, perseveres, and seeks the good of all. This is Wisdom made manifest in the world. Fear seems to separate us from God, but this separation is ultimately an illusion, for God is Love. The same eternal Light of Christ has been revealed in different places, times, and traditions, according to their particular needs and capacities. We need not intellectually possess every detail of Christ Jesus's earthly history to know Him. What matters is that the Light of Christ—the God who was fully manifested in Jesus and who dwells eternally within us—is known, trusted, and followed in the heart. To know Christ is to surrender ourselves to God, to be led by the Spirit, and to allow Love to become our life. This is the Way of Christ Jesus: the Way, the Truth, and the Life. There is only one Light of Christ: the world is within God, and God is within the world. Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life—not because Christ is confined to Christianity, but because the eternal Christ is the universal Light through whom all people may come to the Father.
Christ is not merely the name of a historical teacher. Christ is the eternal Word and Light of God through whom all things are brought into being and through whom humanity is reconciled to God. Christ is therefore not absent from those who have never known the Christian story. The same divine Light may be encountered through conscience, love, prayer, contemplation, and the spiritual wisdom found in other traditions. Yet this does not make Jesus merely one spiritual teacher among many. Christians believe that the eternal Christ was uniquely and fully revealed in the life, teaching, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Other people may genuinely reflect Christ, and other traditions may preserve genuine glimpses of divine Truth, without having the same place in God's self-revelation. One may faithfully follow the Light without calling it by the Christian name of Christ. The names, doctrines, and religious forms by which people understand the Light may differ, but the divine Reality toward which the Light leads is not divided. This does not require us to say that all religions teach the same thing. Rather, it means that the Light of Christ is greater than any religious boundary. It can meet a person wherever they are, work within whatever tradition they have inherited, and lead them beyond the limitations of that tradition toward deeper truth. Thus, we can recognize Truth wherever it appears without diminishing Jesus. The Light is universal; its fullest revelation in history is Christ Jesus.
If the Light of Christ is within us, then knowing the Light cannot be merely an idea or belief. It must become a way of life. The Quaker tradition begins with this simple conviction: Christ can be known directly, inwardly, and presently, and His Light is sufficient to guide us. To follow the Light is therefore to become quiet enough to hear it, humble enough to obey it, and willing enough to let it transform us. The Quaker way is not primarily a system of doctrines or outward observances, but a life of attentive relationship with the Inward Teacher. In stillness, we turn toward the Light; in daily life, we test what we hear by its fruits. As the inward Light becomes outward Love, faith becomes practice, and Christ becomes not merely someone we believe in, but the Life by which we live.
We are the light of the world, broken into many shades, but united in the Pure Light of Christ. The goal of the Quaker way is perfection through the inward awakening to Christ and the growth of Christ within, whereby we are sanctified, restored to the divine image, united to God, and made partakers of the divine nature. We follow the Light by becoming silent and still within, turning inward toward the Inward Teacher and surrendering our self-will to God. As we let go of fear, grasping, and the illusion of separation, we become receptive to the Spirit of Christ working within us, upon us, and through us. To be empty of self is to be filled with Christ. How we treat others reveals our understanding of God. If we are not loving in all circumstances, regardless of the anticipated outcome, then we are not following Christ. The simplest and clearest teachings of Christ Jesus point us toward unconditional Love, compassion, forgiveness, meekness, peace, and trust in the Father. The proof of the Light is Love.
Christ Jesus showed us this Way by surrendering completely to the Father and bearing His cross in Love. We too must bear our own authentic cross, wherever God leads us, trusting the Spirit to guide us. This is not passive resignation, but a life of faithful participation in Love. When we trust God completely, we become free to live authentically in accordance with His Will. Christ Jesus presented the Way, the Truth, and the Life. None come to the Father except through this Way, yet each person must walk it in their own life, following the Holy Spirit. We recognize the presence of Christ by the fruits of Love, whether He is known by the name of Christ Jesus or encountered through the diverse names and forms by which the Light has been understood throughout the world. The eternal Christ is active wherever Love is realized.
There is one Divine Life, the Light of Christ, universally present and inwardly knowable. The illusory separation from God which underlies sin is what keeps us from this Life: it is ignorance of and lack of faith in Love. As the self-willed ego yields to the indwelling Spirit, we are transformed into the likeness of Christ and consciously realize our union with God. This is non-duality, or Oneness with God. Christ Jesus fulfills the Law and reveals God’s Love perfectly in human life. Through metanoia, the transformation of consciousness, He turns us from separation toward trust, surrender, and Love. Those who recognize this Love inwardly have already encountered Christ, even if they do not yet know Him by name. All souls are ultimately drawn toward reconciliation with God through Christ. We are therefore called not merely to know Christ inwardly, but to embody Him outwardly. The inward Light must become outward Love. Heaven and earth are not ultimately separate, and the life of Christ is made visible through those who love, forgive, serve, and live in harmony with the Spirit.
One God, One Light, One Life, with Christ within. Separation is overcome through surrender, and the proof is Love.
There is one Light, but human beings encounter and understand that Light in many ways. The spiritual traditions of humanity can therefore contain genuine wisdom and genuine encounters with God, even when they understand the Divine through different names, symbols, and doctrines. For Friends, this need not diminish Christ. The Light encountered through another tradition is not an alternative to Christ, but may be a partial or differently understood encounter with the same divine Reality that Christians know through Christ. We need not claim that every religion is equally true, nor that every spiritual teacher has the same role in God's purposes. We can recognize what is true wherever we find it while remaining rooted in Christ.
What Is the Light?
What Is the Light?
The Light may be encountered without a name, and it may be understood through many different religious and nonreligious traditions. One need not begin with a particular doctrine, or even with belief in God, to recognize the reality of Love, Truth, Wisdom, and the inward transformation they bring. The many paths by which people seek what is ultimately true need not be dismissed or denied. Historically, for Friends this universal Light has come to be understood through Christ. What may first appear as an impersonal Truth, a universal Presence, or the deepest reality of consciousness can be recognized, in the Quaker understanding, as the living God who is Love. Thus, universalism does not require us to leave Christ behind; rather, it can lead us toward a deeper recognition of the Christ who transcends every boundary of culture, religion, and time. Quaker universalism is the conviction that this Christ is not the possession of one people or tradition, but the Light through which God is drawing all people toward Himself.
The Light of the world is understood to be Christ Jesus, the Messiah, the Anointed One: God come in the flesh to offer humanity salvation from evil. Christ is the Logos, the Word, the Inward Teacher, Emmanuel, and Creator of all. He is one with God, and His Spirit or Seed dwells within everyone. Christ is unconditional Love, the pure Light of awareness, eternally beyond all forms, times, and cultures. The Light is not an autonomous fragment of divinity belonging to the self; it is God's own living presence and activity within us. Christ was fully and consciously manifested in Jesus of Nazareth, the unique earthly incarnation of Christ, though His Spirit has been greatly embodied by others. The eternal Christ is at work throughout the world and has been revealed through many peoples, places, and traditions. The same divine Light is at work wherever Christ is encountered, and we recognize His presence by the fruits of Love, Truth, Wisdom, and Peace that it bears in the heart.
Where is Christ now? Christ is the living Presence of God within you. He meets each of us exactly where we are and leads us along our own authentic path toward God. We are all being drawn toward salvation through Christ, each according to our stage of realization. Jesus presented the Way, the Truth, and the Life: none come to the Father but through Christ. Yet each must come to Christ through the inward guidance of the Holy Spirit, following the Way that God gives to each of us. Christ's Way is authenticity and freedom governed by the Wisdom of Love: the realization of God's Will in our lives. Christ is the meeting place of the Absolute and the world, eternally transcending creation while realizing God's Love within it. Religion points us toward Christ within, and Christ leads us outward into a life of Love. The Spirit of Christ takes countless forms and expressions, yet remains one in essence because Christ is One. The Inward Christ is our True Self: not the separate ego or self-willed personality, but Christ's own Life dwelling within us. As we yield the false self to Christ within, we come to know ourselves in Him and participate in His eternal oneness with the Father.
This is the Gospel: surrender the limited self and give your whole being to God, trusting the guidance of the Spirit. Give up striving, grasping, calculating, and self-will, and what remains is Christ. In this surrender, Christ frees us from sin and leads us into the Way of Peace. The law of God is written in the heart by the Spirit; its expression is unique in every life, but its essence is always Love. Love cannot be imposed by outward law or religion. It must be known inwardly through the Inward Teacher and freely lived. This was the testimony of the early Friends: Christ is not merely an historical figure to be believed in, nor can He be fully known through outward creeds, dogmas, or explanations. Christ must be known inwardly, as the eternal Light and Spirit that was fully manifested in Jesus and dwells within us. The purpose of religion is therefore not to replace this inward knowledge, but to point us toward it.
Christ, who is God, is Love. Love is patient and kind, humble and selfless, peaceful and forgiving, truthful and faithful. Love trusts, hopes, perseveres, and seeks the good of all. This is Wisdom made manifest in the world. Fear seems to separate us from God, but this separation is ultimately an illusion, for God is Love. The same eternal Light of Christ has been revealed in different places, times, and traditions, according to their particular needs and capacities. We need not intellectually possess every detail of Christ Jesus's earthly history to know Him. What matters is that the Light of Christ—the God who was fully manifested in Jesus and who dwells eternally within us—is known, trusted, and followed in the heart. To know Christ is to surrender ourselves to God, to be led by the Spirit, and to allow Love to become our life. This is the Way of Christ Jesus: the Way, the Truth, and the Life. There is only one Light of Christ: the world is within God, and God is within the world. Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life—not because Christ is confined to Christianity, but because the eternal Christ is the universal Light through whom all people may come to the Father.
Christ is not merely the name of a historical teacher. Christ is the eternal Word and Light of God through whom all things are brought into being and through whom humanity is reconciled to God. Christ is therefore not absent from those who have never known the Christian story. The same divine Light may be encountered through conscience, love, prayer, contemplation, and the spiritual wisdom found in other traditions. Yet this does not make Jesus merely one spiritual teacher among many. Christians believe that the eternal Christ was uniquely and fully revealed in the life, teaching, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Other people may genuinely reflect Christ, and other traditions may preserve genuine glimpses of divine Truth, without having the same place in God's self-revelation. One may faithfully follow the Light without calling it by the Christian name of Christ. The names, doctrines, and religious forms by which people understand the Light may differ, but the divine Reality toward which the Light leads is not divided. This does not require us to say that all religions teach the same thing. Rather, it means that the Light of Christ is greater than any religious boundary. It can meet a person wherever they are, work within whatever tradition they have inherited, and lead them beyond the limitations of that tradition toward deeper truth. Thus, we can recognize Truth wherever it appears without diminishing Jesus. The Light is universal; its fullest revelation in history is Christ Jesus.
How do Friends follow the Light of Christ?
How do Friends follow the Light of Christ?
If the Light of Christ is within us, then knowing the Light cannot be merely an idea or belief. It must become a way of life. The Quaker tradition begins with this simple conviction: Christ can be known directly, inwardly, and presently, and His Light is sufficient to guide us. To follow the Light is therefore to become quiet enough to hear it, humble enough to obey it, and willing enough to let it transform us. The Quaker way is not primarily a system of doctrines or outward observances, but a life of attentive relationship with the Inward Teacher. In stillness, we turn toward the Light; in daily life, we test what we hear by its fruits. As the inward Light becomes outward Love, faith becomes practice, and Christ becomes not merely someone we believe in, but the Life by which we live.
We are the light of the world, broken into many shades, but united in the Pure Light of Christ. The goal of the Quaker way is perfection through the inward awakening to Christ and the growth of Christ within, whereby we are sanctified, restored to the divine image, united to God, and made partakers of the divine nature. We follow the Light by becoming silent and still within, turning inward toward the Inward Teacher and surrendering our self-will to God. As we let go of fear, grasping, and the illusion of separation, we become receptive to the Spirit of Christ working within us, upon us, and through us. To be empty of self is to be filled with Christ. How we treat others reveals our understanding of God. If we are not loving in all circumstances, regardless of the anticipated outcome, then we are not following Christ. The simplest and clearest teachings of Christ Jesus point us toward unconditional Love, compassion, forgiveness, meekness, peace, and trust in the Father. The proof of the Light is Love.
Christ Jesus showed us this Way by surrendering completely to the Father and bearing His cross in Love. We too must bear our own authentic cross, wherever God leads us, trusting the Spirit to guide us. This is not passive resignation, but a life of faithful participation in Love. When we trust God completely, we become free to live authentically in accordance with His Will. Christ Jesus presented the Way, the Truth, and the Life. None come to the Father except through this Way, yet each person must walk it in their own life, following the Holy Spirit. We recognize the presence of Christ by the fruits of Love, whether He is known by the name of Christ Jesus or encountered through the diverse names and forms by which the Light has been understood throughout the world. The eternal Christ is active wherever Love is realized.
There is one Divine Life, the Light of Christ, universally present and inwardly knowable. The illusory separation from God which underlies sin is what keeps us from this Life: it is ignorance of and lack of faith in Love. As the self-willed ego yields to the indwelling Spirit, we are transformed into the likeness of Christ and consciously realize our union with God. This is non-duality, or Oneness with God. Christ Jesus fulfills the Law and reveals God’s Love perfectly in human life. Through metanoia, the transformation of consciousness, He turns us from separation toward trust, surrender, and Love. Those who recognize this Love inwardly have already encountered Christ, even if they do not yet know Him by name. All souls are ultimately drawn toward reconciliation with God through Christ. We are therefore called not merely to know Christ inwardly, but to embody Him outwardly. The inward Light must become outward Love. Heaven and earth are not ultimately separate, and the life of Christ is made visible through those who love, forgive, serve, and live in harmony with the Spirit.
One God, One Light, One Life, with Christ within. Separation is overcome through surrender, and the proof is Love.
One Light, Many Encounters
One Light, Many Encounters
There is one Light, but human beings encounter and understand that Light in many ways. The spiritual traditions of humanity can therefore contain genuine wisdom and genuine encounters with God, even when they understand the Divine through different names, symbols, and doctrines. For Friends, this need not diminish Christ. The Light encountered through another tradition is not an alternative to Christ, but may be a partial or differently understood encounter with the same divine Reality that Christians know through Christ. We need not claim that every religion is equally true, nor that every spiritual teacher has the same role in God's purposes. We can recognize what is true wherever we find it while remaining rooted in Christ.
Some Friends' Writings on the Light of Christ
Some Friends' Writings on the Light of Christ
“There is one, even Christ Jesus, that can speak to thy condition.” “Christ, the light, the life, and the power” “Nay; we are nothing; Christ is all.” "Christ came to fulfill them; that He was their teacher in the apostles’ days; and that He was come now to teach His people Himself by His power and spirit."“And when they shall say, ‘lo here,’ or ‘lo there is Christ,’ go not forth; for Christ is within you.” “the saints are the temples of God, and God doth dwell in them, that the scriptures do witness ... and if God dwell in them, then the divinity dwells in them; and the scripture saith, ye shall be partakers of the divine nature; and this I witness ... the saints are all one in the Father and the Son ... they that are joined to the Lord, are one spirit ... every man was enlightened by the Divine Light of Christ” “We do own and believe in God, the only wise, omnipotent, and everlasting God, the Creator of all things, both in heaven and earth, and the Preserver and Upholder of all things. And we own and believe in Jesus Christ, his beloved and only begotten Son, in whom he is well pleased; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary; in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins; who is the express image of the Invisible God, the first-born of every creature, by whom were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, principalities, or powers, all things were created by him.And we do own and believe that he was made a sacrifice for sin, who knew no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth; and that he was crucified for us in the flesh, without the gates of Jerusalem; and that he was buried, and rose again the third day by the power of his Father, for our justification; and we do believe that he ascended up into heaven, and now sitteth at the right hand of God. This Jesus, who was the foundation of the holy prophets and apostles, is our foundation; and we do believe that there is no other foundation to be laid but that which is laid, even Christ Jesus; who, we believe, tasted death for every man, and shed his blood for all men, and is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world... This Jesus ... is our life and salvation... He is now come in Spirit, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true... He rules in our hearts by his law of love and life, and makes us free from the law of sin and death... We have no life but by him, for he is our quickening Spirit, the second Adam, the Lord from heaven, by whose blood we are cleansed.” “According to the spirit I am the son of God, and according to the flesh I am the seed of Abraham, which seed is Christ, which seed is but one in all his saints, and the promise is to the seed, which seed is not many but one, which seed is Christ and Christ in you. The mystery which hath been hid from ages, but now is made manifest, which seed, though there be ten thousand, yet are all one... Christ is all and in all, and the promise of God here is fulfilled; according to the spirit I am the son of God before Abraham was, before Jerusalem was, the same which does descend, the same does ascend, and all the promises of God are yea, come out of time from God, into time to that which is captivated in the earth in time, and to it the seed which is Christ, they are all yea and amen, fetched up out of him, where there is no time ... and as many received the word, I say unto you: 'ye are gods', as it is written in your law ... Now wait all to have these things fulfilled in you, if it never be so little a measure, wait in it, that you may grow to a perfect man in Christ Jesus.” - Friend George Fox
“the light is taken for Christ; who truly is the fountain of light, and hath his habitation in it for ever.” "by this inward Light many of the Heathen Philosophers … Plato … Pythagoras … Plotinus … had a Knowledge and Discovery of Jesus Christ inwardly, as a Remedy in them, to deliver them from that evil Seed, and the evil Inclinations of their own Hearts, though not under that particular Denomination. Some called Him an Holy Spirit, as Seneca … Cicero calleth it an innate Light … Plotinus also calls Him Light, saying ... that it behooveth Man to come to Purity of Heart before he could know God; calling him also Wisdom [(Sophia)] …where Wisdom is said to cry, entreat, and invite all to come unto her, and learn of her: And what is this Wisdom but Christ? Hence, such as came among the Heathen, to forsake Evil and cleave to Righteousness, were called Philosophers, that is, Lovers of Wisdom. They knew this Wisdom was nigh unto them, and that the best Knowledge of God, and divine Mysteries, was by the Inspiration of the Wisdom of God. Phocylides affirmed, that the Word of the Wisdom of God was best … And much more of this Kind might be instanced, by which it appears they knew Christ; and by his working in them, were brought from Unrighteousness to Righteousness, and to love that Power by which they felt themselves redeemed; so that, as saith the Apostle, They show the Work of the Law written in their Hearts, and did the things contained in the Law; and therefore, as all Doers of the Law are, were no doubt justified, and saved thus by the Power of Christ in them … all such as lived according to the divine Word in them, which was in all Men, were Christians, such as Socrates and Heraclitus, and others among the Greeks, &c. That such as live with the Word, are Christians without Fear or Anxiety." “If we make a right definition of a Christian, according to the scripture, That he is one who hath the Spirit and is led by it...” “...we understand the Formation of Christ in us, Christ born and brought forth in us, from which good Works as naturally proceed as Fruit from a fruitful Tree. It is this inward Birth in us, bringing forth Righteousness and Holiness in us, that doth justify us... By this also comes that Communication of the Goods of Christ unto us, by which we come to be made Partakers of the divine Nature, as faith Peter, 2 Pet. i. 4. and are made one with him, as the Branches with the Vine... in which Jesus Christ is inwardly received, formed, and brought forth in us, in his own pure and holy Image of Righteousness, by which our Souls live unto God, and are clothed with him, and have put him on...” - Friend Robert Barclay
“...the life and virtue of God flow into every one of your hearts, whom he hath made partakers of his divine nature…” - Friend William Leddra
“the light is taken for Christ; who truly is the fountain of light, and hath his habitation in it for ever.” "by this inward Light many of the Heathen Philosophers … Plato … Pythagoras … Plotinus … had a Knowledge and Discovery of Jesus Christ inwardly, as a Remedy in them, to deliver them from that evil Seed, and the evil Inclinations of their own Hearts, though not under that particular Denomination. Some called Him an Holy Spirit, as Seneca … Cicero calleth it an innate Light … Plotinus also calls Him Light, saying ... that it behooveth Man to come to Purity of Heart before he could know God; calling him also Wisdom [(Sophia)] …where Wisdom is said to cry, entreat, and invite all to come unto her, and learn of her: And what is this Wisdom but Christ? Hence, such as came among the Heathen, to forsake Evil and cleave to Righteousness, were called Philosophers, that is, Lovers of Wisdom. They knew this Wisdom was nigh unto them, and that the best Knowledge of God, and divine Mysteries, was by the Inspiration of the Wisdom of God. Phocylides affirmed, that the Word of the Wisdom of God was best … And much more of this Kind might be instanced, by which it appears they knew Christ; and by his working in them, were brought from Unrighteousness to Righteousness, and to love that Power by which they felt themselves redeemed; so that, as saith the Apostle, They show the Work of the Law written in their Hearts, and did the things contained in the Law; and therefore, as all Doers of the Law are, were no doubt justified, and saved thus by the Power of Christ in them … all such as lived according to the divine Word in them, which was in all Men, were Christians, such as Socrates and Heraclitus, and others among the Greeks, &c. That such as live with the Word, are Christians without Fear or Anxiety." “If we make a right definition of a Christian, according to the scripture, That he is one who hath the Spirit and is led by it...” “...we understand the Formation of Christ in us, Christ born and brought forth in us, from which good Works as naturally proceed as Fruit from a fruitful Tree. It is this inward Birth in us, bringing forth Righteousness and Holiness in us, that doth justify us... By this also comes that Communication of the Goods of Christ unto us, by which we come to be made Partakers of the divine Nature, as faith Peter, 2 Pet. i. 4. and are made one with him, as the Branches with the Vine... in which Jesus Christ is inwardly received, formed, and brought forth in us, in his own pure and holy Image of Righteousness, by which our Souls live unto God, and are clothed with him, and have put him on...” - Friend Robert Barclay
“...the life and virtue of God flow into every one of your hearts, whom he hath made partakers of his divine nature…” - Friend William Leddra
“I cannot but call Christ, the living power and wisdom of God revealed in me…” “Mark this therefore diligently: the yoke is not one thing, and the liberty another; but one and the same. The power of God, the life everlasting, the pure light, the divine nature, is a yoke to the transgressing nature; but it is the ease, the pleasure, the rest, the peace, the joy, the natural center of that which is born of God.” “The divine nature of them springs up in the seed; … yea, here we … know the righteous spirit of Christ, the righteous nature of Christ, the righteous life of Christ, and feel him to be one with the Father, who begets of the same spirit, nature, and life in us.” “The knowledge of Christ is life eternal, and in his cross is the spiritual virtue, which cuts off the uncircumcision of the heart, whereby it is enabled to love the Lord. Now ‘Christ is the Lord from heaven, the quickening Spirit,’ who soweth the seed of the kingdom in the heart, and causeth it to spring up; out of which seed the faith, the love, the hope, the meekness, the patience, and every spiritual fruit springs and grows. And he that is thus born of this seed, and receives the knowledge of life which springs from this seed, he cannot but love him which begat him, and he reapeth the fruit of all that Christ did and suffered in that prepared body; and God is both just, and the justifier of him who is thus united to Jesus.” “And he that is thus born of this seed, and receives the knowledge of life which springs from this seed, he cannot but love him which begat him, and he reapeth the fruit of all that Christ did and suffered in that prepared body; and God is both just, and the justifier of him who is thus united to Jesus.” “The sum and substance of true religion doth not stand in getting a notion of Christ’s righteousness, but in feeling the power of endless life…” “Doth not Christ, revealed in the heart, and leavening the heart with the favour of life, teach love to enemies, to bear with them in love, to seek them in love, to forgive them in love, to pray for them in love, to wish good to them, and wrestle with God for mercy towards them, even while they are hating and persecuting?” “The seed of God is the word of God; the seed of the kingdom is the word of the kingdom. It is a measure of the light and life, of the grace and truth, which is by Jesus Christ, whereof in him is the fullness.” "The seed of God is the word of God; the seed of the kingdom is the word of the kingdom. It is a measure of the light and life, of the grace and truth, which is by Jesus Christ, whereof in him is the fullness. It is a heavenly talent, or manifestation of his spirit in the heart, which is given to man for him, in the virtue and strength of Christ, to improve for God. This which God hath placed in man, to witness for himself, and to guide man from evil unto good (in the pure breathings, quickenings, and shinings of it), this is the seed, which is freely bestowed on man, to spring up and remain in him, and to gather him out of himself, into itself.""The pure, living, heavenly knowledge of the Father, and of his Son Christ Jesus, is wrapped up in this seed. God is light; and this seed, which comes from him, is not darkness, but light; and in the springing light of this seed, God and Christ are revealed. The divine nature of them springs up in the seed; … yea, here we … know the righteous spirit of Christ, the righteous nature of Christ, the righteous life of Christ, and feel him to be one with the Father, who begets of the same spirit, nature, and life in us.""And he that is born of the spirit is spirit, and he that is united to the Lord is one spirit; and he that is united to the seed, to the measure of grace and truth from Christ (wherein and whereby the soul is united), is united to God, and ingrafted into Christ; and as the seed is formed in him, Christ is formed in him; and as he is formed and new-created in the seed, he is the workmanship of God, formed and new-created in Christ.” "Now, friends, this is an excellent thing indeed to come to and be acquainted with, and receive, that which the Scriptures testify of, to wit, to receive Christ, to feel union with him in his spirit, to enter into the new and holy agreement with God, into the everlasting covenant of life and peace, to feel the partition wall broken down, and the wall of salvation reared up, and the defense which is thereby; to find the law of God, the law of life, the law of the new creation, written in the heart; the pure fear planted there by God, which keepeth the mind and spirit from departing from him; to have his spirit put within, causing to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes and judgments, and do them; and so to have union and fellowship with the Lord."“The seed (or standing principle of life) in both covenants is the same. It is the same Christ by which Adam stood before the fall, and which was the promised seed after the fall.” “The glory of the kingdom of heaven, the glory of the everlasting kingdom, is hid and wrapped up in it as in a seed... The power is hid and wrapped up in this seed. The pure power of life is in this seed.” - Friend Isaac Penington
“that which is born of the heavenly, is heavenly, spiritual, eternal, and incorruptible; which is the state of the new man, which of God is begotten of the divine nature … and so he that is born of this seed is born of God…” “The love of God is but one, and in one, nor can any receive it but who receive that one, [namely,] the Son of God; and this [love] cannot stand with self, or any changeable thing; for God is that love, and none can dwell in it but as he dwells in God: so it’s pure and perfect.” “Christ is not divided; for if he be, he is no more Christ: but I witness that Christ in me who is God and man in measure” - Friend James Nayler
“Where this spirit is, that God s to be worshipped in, if it be not in man? And how it is, or can be attained to, any otherwise than by the light of Christ Jesus with which he hath lighted every man that cometh into the world, in whom is life, and this life is the light of men?” - Friend Margaret Fell
“that which is born of the heavenly, is heavenly, spiritual, eternal, and incorruptible; which is the state of the new man, which of God is begotten of the divine nature … and so he that is born of this seed is born of God…” “The love of God is but one, and in one, nor can any receive it but who receive that one, [namely,] the Son of God; and this [love] cannot stand with self, or any changeable thing; for God is that love, and none can dwell in it but as he dwells in God: so it’s pure and perfect.” “Christ is not divided; for if he be, he is no more Christ: but I witness that Christ in me who is God and man in measure” - Friend James Nayler
“Where this spirit is, that God s to be worshipped in, if it be not in man? And how it is, or can be attained to, any otherwise than by the light of Christ Jesus with which he hath lighted every man that cometh into the world, in whom is life, and this life is the light of men?” - Friend Margaret Fell
“There is an experience that can come to us inwardly when we come to the end of our own resources and ask for help. Christ can speak to us in the present day and the present moment and bring to us a message that is transformative and become a guide for us in our lives.” - Friend Chris Stern
"When I first joined with Quakers, I thought I had outgrown Christianity. Over time, however, I discovered that I had only outgrown the limits of mainstream Christianity, and that I was being called by the Light of Christ into a radical, experiential faith far more true and powerful than what I had known as a child." - Friend Marcelle Martin
"As for me, Jesus is a man so great that you may call him the only begotten Son of God, or Divine. We may call His Spirit Love, Light, Truth or Way. Yet that Spirit is so universal and eternal, that I cannot but believe that it has been prevailing everywhere, more or less in all religions, even from before the birth of the historic Jesus, and I believe that it is living more or less in all human beings in the world. This is why Jesus says all that he has taught us is our Father’s and not Jesus’ own." - Friend Yukio Irie
"The belief that the ordinary person became Christ, in some sense, was fundamental to early Quakerism." - Friend Richard Bailey
"As one fed by the Christian religion I find it necessary to distinguish between the historical Jesus and what could be described as the Christ Reality. I believe that the historical Jesus embodied Christ Reality to a unique degree. But I don't believe that the Christ Reality was confined to him or that he monopolized it. And I see that if I had been fed by another religion I should call the Christ Reality something else—the Buddha nature, for instance, especially with regard to the compassion shown by the Buddha when he refused Nirvana for himself in order to bring enlightenment to men. Many of the hymns addressed in the Japanese Buddhist tradition to Amida Buddha are in content identical to hymns addressed by Christians to Jesus. The historical Jesus embodied and bore witness to the Christ Reality, but it was found in many places centuries before he was born and continued to be found among people who had never heard of him: in the experience of the Hebrew prophet Hosea and the vision of that unknown prophet of the Exile whose words are found in our book of the prophet Isaiah. And in various degrees the Christ Reality was embodied and shown forth by the Buddha, Lao-Tse, Mohammed, Hafiz, Kabir, and countless others who have left no memorial." - Friend Harry Williams
"We talked about the many-faceted nature of the Divine, the omniscience and power of the Spirit. Sharing a little of my Quaker testimony, I commented that the symbolism of world religions only hints at the real incarnation of the Spirit in each one of us. Each one of us is, in a sense, a Buddha, a Christ..." - Friend Keith R. Maddock
"When the Divine gives us a task to do, it is because we are perfect for that thing at that moment. The fact that God wants to use us, including our foibles and imperfections, is what makes us perfect. The act of submitting ourselves—submitting our flaws along with our gifts—for Spirit to use lets the perfection shine through... I saw a roomful of people all doing what they could to love the Holy with their imperfect, perfect selves. Whatever we call It—God, Brahman, Christ, Goodness, Love, Spirit, Allah, Light—we’re all doing our best to live in It and let It live through us." - Friend Linda McKinney
"George Fox wrote in the seventeenth century, "Now consider, was not here something of God in these heathens, that learned them to know God though they had no writ-ten gospel?" Early Friends believed that the light of Christ in the spiritual sense has appeared to men of all religions both before and since the birth of Jesus. This Christ is "that of God in every man," spirit eternal and omnipresent. It flowered fully in Jesus." - Friend Rachel Fort Weller
"When I first joined with Quakers, I thought I had outgrown Christianity. Over time, however, I discovered that I had only outgrown the limits of mainstream Christianity, and that I was being called by the Light of Christ into a radical, experiential faith far more true and powerful than what I had known as a child." - Friend Marcelle Martin
"As for me, Jesus is a man so great that you may call him the only begotten Son of God, or Divine. We may call His Spirit Love, Light, Truth or Way. Yet that Spirit is so universal and eternal, that I cannot but believe that it has been prevailing everywhere, more or less in all religions, even from before the birth of the historic Jesus, and I believe that it is living more or less in all human beings in the world. This is why Jesus says all that he has taught us is our Father’s and not Jesus’ own." - Friend Yukio Irie
"The belief that the ordinary person became Christ, in some sense, was fundamental to early Quakerism." - Friend Richard Bailey
"As one fed by the Christian religion I find it necessary to distinguish between the historical Jesus and what could be described as the Christ Reality. I believe that the historical Jesus embodied Christ Reality to a unique degree. But I don't believe that the Christ Reality was confined to him or that he monopolized it. And I see that if I had been fed by another religion I should call the Christ Reality something else—the Buddha nature, for instance, especially with regard to the compassion shown by the Buddha when he refused Nirvana for himself in order to bring enlightenment to men. Many of the hymns addressed in the Japanese Buddhist tradition to Amida Buddha are in content identical to hymns addressed by Christians to Jesus. The historical Jesus embodied and bore witness to the Christ Reality, but it was found in many places centuries before he was born and continued to be found among people who had never heard of him: in the experience of the Hebrew prophet Hosea and the vision of that unknown prophet of the Exile whose words are found in our book of the prophet Isaiah. And in various degrees the Christ Reality was embodied and shown forth by the Buddha, Lao-Tse, Mohammed, Hafiz, Kabir, and countless others who have left no memorial." - Friend Harry Williams
"We talked about the many-faceted nature of the Divine, the omniscience and power of the Spirit. Sharing a little of my Quaker testimony, I commented that the symbolism of world religions only hints at the real incarnation of the Spirit in each one of us. Each one of us is, in a sense, a Buddha, a Christ..." - Friend Keith R. Maddock
"When the Divine gives us a task to do, it is because we are perfect for that thing at that moment. The fact that God wants to use us, including our foibles and imperfections, is what makes us perfect. The act of submitting ourselves—submitting our flaws along with our gifts—for Spirit to use lets the perfection shine through... I saw a roomful of people all doing what they could to love the Holy with their imperfect, perfect selves. Whatever we call It—God, Brahman, Christ, Goodness, Love, Spirit, Allah, Light—we’re all doing our best to live in It and let It live through us." - Friend Linda McKinney
"George Fox wrote in the seventeenth century, "Now consider, was not here something of God in these heathens, that learned them to know God though they had no writ-ten gospel?" Early Friends believed that the light of Christ in the spiritual sense has appeared to men of all religions both before and since the birth of Jesus. This Christ is "that of God in every man," spirit eternal and omnipresent. It flowered fully in Jesus." - Friend Rachel Fort Weller
Some Teachings of Christ Jesus, the Incarnated Light
Some Teachings of Christ Jesus, the Incarnated Light
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”
“Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”
“Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”
“The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”
“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”
“If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.”
“Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
“The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost... shall teach you all things.”
“Not my will, but thine [(the Father's)], be done.”
“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness.”
“Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink... Behold the fowls of the air.”
“Therefore take no thought for the morrow.”
“Judge not, that ye be not judged.”
“Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?”
“First cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.”
“Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
“Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.”
“Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.”
“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”
“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
“I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
“I am the resurrection, and the life.”
“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you.”
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
“If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me.”
“But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
“Love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again.”
“Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.”
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth... But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.”
“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
“Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
“Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life.”
“For your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.”
“Sell that ye have, and give alms.”
“Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister.”
“If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be.”
“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life.”
“Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”
“Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”
“The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”
“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”
“If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.”
“Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
“The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost... shall teach you all things.”
“Not my will, but thine [(the Father's)], be done.”
“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness.”
“Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink... Behold the fowls of the air.”
“Therefore take no thought for the morrow.”
“Judge not, that ye be not judged.”
“Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?”
“First cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.”
“Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
“Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.”
“Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.”
“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”
“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
“I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
“I am the resurrection, and the life.”
“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you.”
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
“If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me.”
“But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
“Love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again.”
“Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.”
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth... But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.”
“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
“Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
“Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life.”
“For your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.”
“Sell that ye have, and give alms.”
“Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister.”
“If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be.”
“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life.”
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
“The kingdom of God is like unto a grain of mustard seed.”
“The kingdom of God is like unto leaven.”
“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
“Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.”
“Those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart.”
“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”
“A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.”
“By their fruits ye shall know them.”
“For every tree is known by his own fruit.”
“When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret.”
“Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.”
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”
“For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth.”
“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father... give good things to them that ask him?”
“Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.”
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you.”
“Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart.”
“My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
“For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister.”
“Whosoever shall humble himself shall be exalted.”
“He that is greatest among you shall be your servant.”
“For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.”
“He that is greatest among you shall be your servant.”
“Why callest thou me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”
“Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.”
“Agree with thine adversary quickly.”
“If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.”
“If thy brother trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.”
“The Spirit of truth... dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
“I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”
“At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.”
“If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”
“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost... shall bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
“I am the vine, ye are the branches.”
“Abide in me, and I in you.”
“He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit.”
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
“The kingdom of God is like unto a grain of mustard seed.”
“The kingdom of God is like unto leaven.”
“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
“Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.”
“Those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart.”
“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”
“A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.”
“By their fruits ye shall know them.”
“For every tree is known by his own fruit.”
“When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret.”
“Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.”
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”
“For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth.”
“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father... give good things to them that ask him?”
“Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.”
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you.”
“Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart.”
“My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
“For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister.”
“Whosoever shall humble himself shall be exalted.”
“He that is greatest among you shall be your servant.”
“For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.”
“He that is greatest among you shall be your servant.”
“Why callest thou me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”
“Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.”
“Agree with thine adversary quickly.”
“If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.”
“If thy brother trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.”
“The Spirit of truth... dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
“I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”
“At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.”
“If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”
“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost... shall bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
“I am the vine, ye are the branches.”
“Abide in me, and I in you.”
“He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit.”
“I and my Father are one.”
“I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.”
“That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us.”
“I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.”
“That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us.”
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