“Jesus said: The will of God is the way of God, partnership with the choice of God in the face of any potential alternative.” (The UB, 130:2.7)

   A unique feature of The Urantia Book (The UB) is the unusual emphasis on our partnership with God and other associated spiritual energies, angels, midwayers, etc., in the universe. We who grew up in the 50’s and 60’s remember what we learned from our religious training (when we got any) about God’s relationship with his people and how different it was then. God (or Jesus) was given the position of unquestioned authority. To act with wisdom, we waited for God’s will to be declared to us, to hear the call as if it was a proclamation from the throne. The Christian Church has grown much in its understanding of “the call” since I was young and often teaches it more wisely now.

   The UB, declaring itself to be an epochal revelation, “Revelation as an epochal phenomenon is periodic; as a personal human experience it is continuous,” (101:2.12) makes a thorough disclosure of the evolving Supreme, and how our decisions contribute to the growth of God the Supreme; “upon the steadfastness and wisdom of decision-actions the Supreme Being depends for the actuality of experiential evolution,” (112:5.5) experiential as in emerging, not perfected or complete.

   “And so, as we strive for self-expression, the Supreme is striving in us, and with us, for deity expression.” (117:4.6)

   In The UB there are repeated references to reciprocated actions, mutual interdependence.

   “All mortals who are indwelt by Thought Adjusters are potential worshipers; they have been "lighted by the true light," and they possess capacity for seeking reciprocal contact with divinity.” (52:1.7)

   The important idea about the reciprocal nature of the relationship is that our contribution to the partnership with God is equally important. Reciprocal means equivalent, complementary, balanced.

   “Do you not comprehend that God dwells within you, that he has become what you are that he may make you what he is!” (148:6.10)

   The episode of Peter’s confession in The UB (157:3), Mark 8:29, or Luke 9:20, changed the course of Jesus ministry. Here we see the power of a personal revelation in his confession. “You are…the Son of the living God,” was “a revelation of the Spirit of my Father to your inmost souls,” Jesus responded (157.3.3-7 and 4.1-5; pg. 1745). It was only after his human apostles experienced this revelation that Jesus changed the course of his ministry and openly announced his divinity.

   Why didn’t Jesus make it a part of his “epochal revelation” and declare it without waiting for their insight? Because it would have abrogated the partner relationship of God and man.

   Revelation as a reciprocal process from this new point of view found in The UB is also a way of assisting in the evolution of the Supreme, a key fact The UB wants us to understand, to experience the significance of this relationship.

   “You can consciously augment Adjuster harmony by: … honest recognition of your progressive obligations to the Supreme Being, awareness of the interdependence of evolutionary man and evolving Deity. This is the birth of cosmic morality and the dawning realization of universal duty.” (110:3.6-10)

   “One of the most intriguing questions in finite philosophy is this: Does the Supreme Being actualize in response to the evolution of the grand universe, or does this finite cosmos progressively evolve in response to the gradual actualization of the Supreme? Or is it possible that they are mutually interdependent for their development? that they are evolutionary reciprocals, each initiating the growth of the other? Of this we are certain: Creatures and universes, high and low, are evolving within the Supreme, and as they evolve, there is appearing the unified summation of the entire finite activity of this universe age. And this is the appearance of the Supreme Being, to all personalities the evolution of the almighty power of God the Supreme.” (117:2.9)

   “All experiential creations are interdependent in their realization of destiny. Only existential reality is self-contained and self-existent. Havona and the seven superuniverses require each other to achieve the maximum of finite attainment;” (117:6.20)

   If God is revealed in the UB to be more of a partner with the indwelt human being, less of an authority figure, do we still obey his commandments by subsuming our own desires to his will? I’d like to hear what you think on this question.

   “Ever bear in mind--God and men need each other.  They are mutually necessary to the full and final attainment of eternal personality experience in the divine destiny of universe finality.”

(195:10.3)