from
One God — One Identity — I Am
Martin Exeter July 19, 1987
The hard of heart have, amongst other things, sought to find the historical Jesus, even though success in this regard might refute the precious beliefs of millions of people. What would the purpose be to discover the historical Jesus? On the one hand it might be that He never existed historically, or that He was not the character that has been portrayed. In any case this would be a second-hand memory at best. No one here now was present then, so it would all be hearsay anyway. The past does not exist now. There simply is what exists now. Whatever was portrayed by reason of the character of the One called Jesus can only be known now in this moment if it is to be valid. We all have lots of memories of events that occurred in the past. The elephant is supposed to have a good memory. But it is always what is present now that is real; all the rest is imagination. The only way by which the truth can be known is to experience it now. It can never be known by searching in a non-existent past. If it was present when some particular point in the past was now, it was only present because then it was now. The same is equally true in this moment.
The word “God” has been used in the English language referring to something unknown, certainly invisible. The word “God” refers to being, and everything is. Everything is as it is, now. The word “God,” referring to being, also relates to identity. That identity is articulated by the words I am. It isn’t articulated by the words “I was,” even though that may be true, nor even by the words “I will be,” even though that may be true. The only relatedness we have with God, with being, with identity, is in the present moment. Our identity cannot be known because of something in the past; it can only be known now. And the words “I am” are an indication of the presence of God. Our only contact with the meaning of that word, with the truth conveyed by it, is in this present moment, centered in the fact that there is an experienced identity: I am.
Every individual present within the sound of my voice now has very frequently used those words. Usually there was something else tacked on behind them, but there was an articulated statement of identity simply by using the words “I am.” This is the connection that everyone has with whatever the meaning of the word “God” is. It is the only connection, or at least I suppose it could be said to be the only conscious connection, we have. There are unconscious factors at work obviously, because we are still alive and are capable therefore of saying, “I am.”
A statement apparently was recorded in the Old Testament: “I am the Lord thy God… Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Here is an indication of the fact that there is, in truth, only one identity. Clearly this identity has become very scattered insofar as human experience is concerned. Each individual is inclined to think that he or she is unique; and it seems as though there are nowadays five billion separate human identities. All of these human beings are quite capable of uttering the words “I am”—whatever it is in their own language. There is one God. There is one identity—capable of being differentiated, but one identity.
Over the years I have sought to speak and to live from the standpoint of the fact that there is just this one identity. There are those who have endeavored to agree with me; there have been those who have disagreed with me. But insofar as I was concerned it made no difference. I have somewhat soft-pedalled the point of one identity, partly because of the extent of my own experience but also so as to allow whatever was working out in others to do so, to the point where all might be accepted into the experience of the fact of this one identity, of this one God. All kinds of good Christians are inclined to say they believe that there is one God, and in other religious persuasions there is the idea that there is just one God; but virtually no one has seen the implications of this truth, that there is in fact only one identity.
I am the Lord thy God. I am incarnate in the earth. We’ll narrow it down a bit here, perhaps making it a little more obviously acceptable: I am incarnate in the earth. I am incarnate in all the myriad animate forms of the earth. I am incarnate in the human form. If I articulate these things, to what extent as individuals do we know that they are true? It has been the common human attitude to assume that we are all separate: “I am me. You may be you, but I am me,” and I suppose never the twain shall meet. At least this has been the general experience. Human beings desperately try to get together, to agree— although no one would ever suspect this by looking at the state of affairs on earth—but have found it to be impossible.
I am incarnate—and we all may share this awareness, seeing that there is but One God and One Identity—I am incarnate in the earth, in all the animate forms of the earth, and in my human form. My human form was created so that I might be consciously incarnate. Being consciously incarnate, I may be unrestricted in the expression of myself and in the fulfilment of my purposes according to my will. My human form was created that this might be so. For it to be so, my human form had to be free to let it be so—built into the human form is this inherent freedom, that I might be free in the human form to do my will.
Obviously the human form has taken this freedom to itself. It was inherently present and therefore was available to be taken in this way, and it has been. We have described this as the freedom to do as one pleases—as the human form pleases, but not necessarily as the one I am pleases. This has been done, and so the state of separation exists in consequence. It exists in human experience. Even so, I love my human form. This is the attitude of the one I am. I love my human form, even though presently it merely has the potential of accommodating my freedom to express my will. My human form has denied me, rejected me, in favor of a counterfeit identity, a counterfeit identity which is clung to by virtually everyone. Sometimes it’s clung to with such fervor that cramp ensues, and there is what is called suicide. Of course the fact of the matter is that cramp sets in sooner or later anyhow. As we know, it’s called rigor mortis.
While we may laugh at such things, it’s not really a laughing matter. It is an indication of arrogance: “I can make a go of it on my own in this phony identity.” Virtually everybody has had the same attitude, so all have promoted each other in this undertaking. In fact the things that are achieved are honored in various ways, and rewards are offered, statues are erected, or whatever: the great men of the earth, the thieves, those who have stolen that inherent freedom for their own purposes. Most people have the attitude: “I am free to do as I please, within the confines of course of the particular state of affairs where I exist.” And those confines become more onerous all the time, more restrictive, more binding. The freedom which human beings seek is a pipe dream which ends in nothing. It always ends in nothing for the individual who insists upon this endeavor.
But I am present. I am incarnate. I am obviously very patient. But there comes a time when the rebellious children must be summoned from their deadly games. I am present in this day. I seek those who, as it apparently was put long ago, will worship me “in spirit and in truth.” This has been rather obscure. What does it mean? I seek those who are willing to lose their existence in this phony state for my sake, not particularly to benefit me but for the sake of being in the experience of the one identity: I am. As I say, there is clearly a differentiation of this identity (as long as there is more than one human being!). But agreement can never be found while this state of separation exists. It is a phony state. It isn’t the truth. It’s a human invention. It’s a human invention that has been sustained for millennia. But now the time comes when I, the incarnate one, say, “That’s enough.” There is no point to any further human nonsense.
In order to allow this statement to be absolute, there is the necessity that there be those human forms who accept it absolutely, who leave their deadly children’s games and come again to me, to the one I am—just one. What that experience might be is completely foreign to human beings, since they have all been existing in this phony condition for so long. I must find a human form—at least one—which will accept my word, which will sound my Tone of Life, that there may be found others who resonate with that tone. As there are those who do so, changes in attitude and consciousness occur. And, finally, an individual here or an individual there reaches the point where there is a willingness to return what has been deemed heretofore to be human freedom to the one I am, who is the only one who is free. Then that freedom may be shared on that basis; but there are no separate human ambitions and determinations to do this or that, no matter how good those determinations may seem to be to human beings.
There has been a very massive attempt to prove that human freedom as it has been known—that is, stolen freedom—can produce a condition of fulfilment on earth for human beings. It never has done, it never can, but still the endeavor has continued; and all sorts of methods have been used.
The whole complex of these methods is the human state. Some of these methods are deemed by some to be very good. Some of them of course are deemed to be very bad. There are the good, the bad, the indifferent. It doesn’t matter. None of it means anything. None of it will produce the anticipated experience. All it produces—and this should be obvious enough, particularly these days—is destruction, individually and collectively. That’s all that happens on this basis. It’s all that can happen on this basis.
It might be said that my hand has been stayed for a considerable period of time to provide opportunity for what has been described as repentance: Stop the nonsense! Nobody cares to do that apparently, or very few. But there have been some over the ages, and there are some in this day now. This is the important moment, because it is the only one. So, those who have begun to resonate with the sound of my voice, the Tone of my living, come to me. This has usually been translated in human consciousness as coming to some person. Well a person has to be present to make the statement. Isn’t that so? Isn’t that obviously necessary? How else could it be made? Is there still the childish and fanciful expectation that a booming voice is going to come out of the sky? Of course not. It comes through a person, always.
There is one identity, to be shared in differentiated expression by all who resonate with that tone of life. Then there is the experience of the reality of one God. Otherwise there can be only a belief in one knows not what, because there has been no experience of it. So all these fanciful beliefs are set in array, one against the other, and none of them mean anything. They are all excuses for failing to surrender what has been deemed to be human freedom. But human beings find that it is being taken away anyhow. In this hour there are those who are willing to relinquish their right to be, to do, anything. I am the Lord thy God. That is an absolutely accurate statement. It is the truth.
I am incarnate in this whole earth complex. As I say, we’ll restrict it to that for the moment, but this is a focused fact: I am incarnate. I receive those who come to me, willing to lose their lives in this wretched state. Why should there be so much concern about losing that? They may lose their lives for my sake, and find them in me. When you say, “I am this or that,” who speaks? A liar? Or is it the truth? There is one identity, in fact, in the whole universe. But there is one identity insofar as we are concerned, being conscious here on earth. And all animate forms on earth, and the very earth itself, are dependent upon this human form—whether it will acknowledge its awful arrogance and the worthlessness of all its good works, or whether it will insist upon the same old thing in the same old way, which comes ultimately to nothing. It comes ultimately to nothing for the individual and for the whole of mankind.
But we know there is a reality present, and we know the name of that reality: I am—something that each one can say. Is it true? Is it true for oneself? I have sought over the years to let it be revealed as true for me. That’s nice, for me presumably. But what was the reason for that? So that each individual might let it be true for him-or herself. It’s the only way it works. It doesn’t work because there is some great figure called Jesus, for instance, or Buddha or somebody else. It works because of me, and only because of me. Each one may say this and make it stick. Who has what it takes to do so? Who is a man and who is a woman? That is the question. We have had lots of imitations around. We’ve all been imitations. Are there any real people here present this morning, because they abide in the sanctuary which has been brought into this setting? Let it be so. The one I am, always says, “Come unto me. Don’t come unto so-and-so, come unto me. I am the one.” That is the only way that that one can be present in expression.
Lillian Exeter — I am present.
Martin Exeter — This is the name of God, the one identity. There is no other. I take the responsibility for everything. I am present. And any human beings—there have been billions of them over the ages—who have sought to make it stick that there was some other identity have failed. Isn’t it about time one should face up to failure and accept the truth? We have known this in whatever measure, in the measure that we have proved it. We have not known it if we have remained in this miserable state, bewailing our lot, complaining about it, blaming other people and all this. Obviously here is a wimp who hasn’t taken any responsibility. But I take the responsibility for everything. I am present. Is there anyone here who could not say that?
Grace Van Duzen — Martin, I take responsibility for everything, for one reason: that there is a voice on earth which says, “I am.” I have heard your words this morning, and without your voice, in your body, this would not be available for anyone on earth. And I am profoundly thankful for that. I am. And I can say those words and mean them truly because you utter them now.
Martin Exeter — There must be someone who speaks those words. I have sought over the years to do it, and there are others who now accept the same responsibility with me. I am not particularly impressed with my aspect of responsibility, as though it was something greater or more vast than the responsibility that anyone else may accept. That’s not really the point. The point is as to whether one accepts it or not. And I am thankful that there are those who come to the point of accepting it, so it is not a statement of a lie: “I am a human form who tries to serve God.” That’s blasphemy. It is assumed, and was assumed apparently long ago for one particular individual, that to say “I am” would be to blaspheme. But it’s the truth. Let us say it and make it stick, that the One who is incarnate in the earth and in all the animate forms of the earth, and particularly in the human form, may be known once more in creative action. And what that is is discovered only as it is done.
© emissaries of divine light
