BahÃĄâ•Žuâ•ŽllÃĄh and the New Era - Knowledge Rush

Devotion to GodIn order to attain to the Bahá’í life in all its fullness, conscious anddirect relations with Bahá’u’lláh are as necessary as is sunshinefor the unfolding of the lily or the rose. The Bahá’í worshipsnot the human personality of Bahá’u’lláh, but the Glory of Godmanifest through that personality. He reverences Christ andMu%ammad and all God’s former Messengers to mankind, buthe recognizes Bahá’u’lláh as the bearer of God’s Message for thenew age in which we live, as the Great World teacher Who hascome to carry on and consummate the work of His predecessors.Intellectual assent to a creed does not make a man a Bahá’í,nor does outward rectitude of conduct. Bahá’u’lláh requires ofHis followers wholehearted and complete devotion. God alonehas the right to make such a demand, but Bahá’u’lláh speaks asthe Manifestation of God, and the Revealer of His Will. PreviousManifestations have been equally clear on this point. Christ said:“If any man come after me, let him deny himself, and take up hiscross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shalllose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the sameshall save it.” In different words, all the Divine Manifestationshave made this same demand from Their followers, and thehistory of religion shows clearly that as long as the demand hasbeen frankly recognized and accepted, religion has flourished,despite all earthly opposition, despite affliction, persecution andmartyrdom of the believers. On the other hand, whenever compromisehas crept in, and “respectability” has taken the place ofcomplete consecration, then religion has decayed. It has becomefashionable, but it has lost its power to save and transform, itspower to work miracles. True religion has never yet been fashionable.God grant that one day it may become so; but it is stilltrue, as in the days of Christ, that “strait is the gate, and narrowis the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that findit.” The gateway of spiritual birth, like the gateway of natural