VIII. The Conditions of Peace

T-17.VIII.1. The holy instant is nothing more than a special case, or an extreme example, of what every situation is meant to be. ² The meaning that the Holy Spirit's purpose has given it is also given to every situation. ³ It calls forth just the same suspension of faithlessness, withheld and left unused, that faith might answer to the call of truth. ⁴ The holy instant is the shining example, the clear and unequivocal demonstration of the meaning of every relationship and every situation, seen as a whole. ⁵ Faith has accepted every aspect of the situation, and faithlessness has not forced any exclusion on it. ⁶ It is a situation of perfect peace, simply because you have let it be what it is.

T-17.VIII.2. This simple courtesy is all the Holy Spirit asks of you. ² Let truth be what it is. ³ Do not intrude upon it, do not attack it, do not interrupt its coming. ⁴ Let it encompass every situation and bring you peace. ⁵ Not even faith is asked of you, for truth asks nothing. ⁶ Let it enter, and it will call forth and secure for you the faith you need for peace. ⁷ But rise you not against it, for against your opposition it cannot come.

T-17.VIII.3. Would you not want to make a holy instant of every situation? ² For such is the gift of faith, freely given wherever faithlessness is laid aside, unused. ³ And then the power of the Holy Spirit's purpose is free to use instead. ⁴ This power instantly transforms all situations into one sure and continuous means for establishing His purpose, and demonstrating its reality. ⁵ What has been demonstrated has called for faith, and has been given it. ⁶ Now it becomes a fact, from which faith can no longer be withheld. ⁷ The strain of refusing faith to truth is enormous, and far greater than you realize. ⁸ But to answer truth with faith entails no strain at all.

T-17.VIII.4. To you who have acknowledged the Call of your Redeemer, the strain of not responding to His Call seems to be greater than before. ² This is not so. ³ Before, the strain was there, but you attributed it to something else, believing that the "something else" produced it. ⁴ This was never true. ⁵ For what the "something else" produced was sorrow and depression, sickness and pain, darkness and dim imaginings of terror, cold fantasies of fear and fiery dreams of hell. ⁶ And it was nothing but the intolerable strain of refusing to give faith to truth, and see its evident reality.

T-17.VIII.5. Such was the crucifixion of the Son of God. ² His faithlessness did this to him. ³ Think carefully before you let yourself use faithlessness against him. ⁴ For he is risen, and you have accepted the Cause of his awakening as yours. ⁵ You have assumed your part in his redemption, and you are now fully responsible to him. ⁶ Fail him not now, for it has been given you to realize what your lack of faith in him must mean to you. ⁷ His salvation is your only purpose. ⁸ See only this in every situation, and it will be a means for bringing only this.

T-17.VIII.6. When you accepted truth as the goal for your relationship, you became a giver of peace as surely as your Father gave peace to you. ² For the goal of peace cannot be accepted apart from its conditions, and you had faith in it for no one accepts what he does not believe is real. ³ Your purpose has not changed, and will not change, for you accepted what can never change. ⁴ And nothing that it needs to be forever changeless can you now withhold from it. ⁵ Your release is certain. ⁶ Give as you have received. ⁷ And demonstrate that you have risen far beyond any situation that could hold you back, and keep you separate from Him Whose Call you answered.