1. The holy instant is nothing more than a special case, or an extreme example, of what every situation is meant to be. 2The meaning that the Holy Spirit’s purpose has given it is also given to every situation. 3It calls forth just the same suspension of faithlessness, withheld and left unused, that faith might answer to the call of truth. 4The holy instant is the shining example, the clear and unequivocal demonstration of the meaning of every relationship and every situation, seen as a whole. 5Faith has accepted every aspect of the situation, and faithlessness has not forced any exclusion on it. 6It is a situation of perfect peace, simply because you have let it be what it is.
2. This simple courtesy is all the Holy Spirit asks of you. 2Let truth be what it is. 3Do not intrude upon it, do not attack it, do not interrupt its coming. 4Let it encompass every situation and bring you peace. 5Not even faith is asked of you, for truth asks nothing. 6Let it enter, and it will call forth and secure for you the faith you need for peace. 7But rise you not against it, for against your opposition it cannot come.
3. Would you not want to make a holy instant of every situation? 2For such is the gift of faith, freely given wherever faithlessness is laid aside, unused. 3And then the power of the Holy Spirit’s purpose is free to use instead. 4This power instantly transforms all situations into one sure and continuous means for establishing His purpose, and demonstrating its reality. 5What has been demonstrated has called for faith, and has been given it. 6Now it becomes a fact, from which faith can no longer be withheld. 7The strain of refusing faith to truth is enormous, and far greater than you realize. 8But to answer truth with faith entails no strain at all.
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. 2This is not so. 3Before, the strain was there, but you attributed it to something else, believing that the “something else” produced it. 4This was never true. 5For 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. 6And it was nothing but the intolerable strain of refusing to give faith to truth, and see its evident reality.
5. Such was the crucifixion of the Son of God. 2His faithlessness did this to him. 3Think carefully before you let yourself use faithlessness against him. 4For he is risen, and you have accepted the Cause of his awakening as yours. 5You have assumed your part in his redemption, and you are now fully responsible to him. 6Fail him not now, for it has been given you to realize what your lack of faith in him must mean to you. 7His salvation is your only purpose. 8See only this in every situation, and it will be a means for bringing only this.
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. 2For 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. 3Your purpose has not changed, and will not change, for you accepted what can never change. 4And nothing that it needs to be forever changeless can you now withhold from it. 5Your release is certain. 6Give as you have received. 7And demonstrate that you have risen far beyond any situation that could hold you back, and keep you separate from Him Whose Call you answered.