There are five fundamental Truth Principles which, when understood, form the foundation on which the teaching of Unity rests.
All other ideas flow from these five Truth Principles.
The First Principle
There is One Presence and One Power in the universe and in my life – God the Good.
There is one Power: God. Unity believes that God is omnipresent (all Present), omnipotent (all Power), and omniscient (all Wisdom) so there cannot be an opposing power in the universe, there cannot be a struggle between two powers of good and evil. Evil, as we know it, is simply the result of our mistaken belief in separation from God and it emerges from our fears. There is only the Presence of God, and God is Good. God is the power of Love at work in the universe. God is the Source and Creator of all.
The Second Principle
Our essence is of God; therefore, we are inherently good. This God essence, called the Christ, was fully expressed in Jesus.
All human beings have the spark of God within us, known as our Christ Spirit within. We are created in the image and likeness of God… We are always connected directly to the indwelling Presence of God without needing anyone to intercede for us. Therefore, we can receive guidance directly, and we are always worthy to receive God’s good. We have the potential to follow the example of Jesus who shows us how to perfectly express our Divine nature just as he did, and thus become a clear conduit for the flow of God’s Love in the world.
The Third Principle
We are co-creators with God, we create our own reality through our thoughts and beliefs.
Because our minds are connected to the creative Mind of God, we have the power to create our experiences by the activity of our thinking. Everything in the material world has its beginning in thought. Said in other ways: thoughts held in mind produce after their kind; what you sow, so shall you reap; what goes around comes around; do unto others as you would have others do unto you; as a man thinks in his heart, so is he; as you give so shall you receive; forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. The energy (of thoughts, intentions and actions) that we put out acts as a magnet and draws to us like energies. What we focus on expands… therefore, if we want a life filled with love, we must intentionally extend love to others and to the world.
Free Will. Each of us has been given the gift of free will and so it is up to us what we choose to hold in our mind. When we choose to focus on negative things, on judging others, of criticizing, of seeing ourselves as “victims,” then we can expect to live in a world of negativity, where we feel judged, criticized and victimized. However, when we choose to align our thoughts and feelings with the divine ideas of God, we begin to produce good fruits and positive results and we live in a world of peace and harmony.
The Fourth Principle
Through prayer and meditation, we align our heart-mind with God. Denials and affirmations are tools we use.
Affirmative prayer is a process of creative thinking that heightens and aligns our mind’s connection with God-Mind and, through that greater alignment, brings forth greater wholeness, abundant good, and enhancement of our life purpose and our full spiritual expression. Thus, prayer is not seen as a technique for changing and persuading God, but for expanding and transforming our minds, and thus changing us.
Affirmations and denials are techniques that we use in prayer to support the Law of Mind Action. They help us redirect our thoughts from mistaken beliefs in the power of appearances (such as thoughts of lack, limitation, separation, sickness), and to affirm the truth of our divine connection to God and all life. Affirmations and Denials help restructure our subconscious mind and allow us to enter into a special state of surrender, receptivity and communion with God, where we listen in silence for guidance and we experience our divine connection to Spirit.
Some Unity denials are:
- There is no Truth in evil; there is no evil in Truth.
- Pain and sickness cannot master me, for they are not real.
- This (condition, belief, situation) has no power over me.
- There is nothing in all the universe for me to fear.
- There is no lack or limitation in my life.
- I deny that life is hard.
Denials create a vacuum in consciousness which needs to be filled with positive thoughts and feelings, therefore, it is important to follow up a denial with an affirmation.
Some great Unity affirmations are:
- God’s current of healing love flows through me now, making me whole and free.
- I am centered in Spirit and nothing can disturb the calm and peace of my soul.
- I am a radiating center of divine love.
- I attract my good and radiate good to others.
- I am a spiritual being, living in a spiritual universe, governed by spiritual laws.
- I am a child of God, beautiful, perfect and loved unconditionally.
- I expect good. I accept good.
- The joy of living fills my soul and is reflected in my life.
- I am open and receptive to God’s living Spirit of Truth.
- I am free, I am unlimited.
- God’s will for me is perfect happiness.
The Fifth Principle
It’s not enough to know these Truths; we must also practice the Principles through prayer and meditation, then in every thought, word and action.
Unity emphasizes Practical Christianity – that is, the importance of actually applying and demonstrating truth principles in our daily thoughts and actions. Reading, studying and discussing are inspiring, but that’s not enough. We believe we must walk our talk daily… keep practicing, without judging ourselves – see our mistakes and start over. Unity teaches us to live and think as Jesus our Way-Shower taught us and showed us in his life. Until we experience the power of actually living our truth, our lives will remain unchanged.
Unity is centered in affirmative prayer, which is the alignment of our consciousness with the perfection of God’s consciousness. Prayer is a natural and simple thing to do. Prayer time can be short and upbeat, or longer and more reflective. Remember, we are not praying for “things,” or to change God, but simply to remember that God dwells in us and wants to give us nothing but good. Prayer is talking to God; Meditation is silently listening for His answers, it helps us discern the “still small voice within.” This is a daily activity.