Neville Goddard on Psalms 31:5

Executive Summary

Neville Goddard explains that the gospel of Luke substitutes Psalms 31:5 for the cry of forsakenness found in other gospels. This verse, “Into thy hand I commit my spirit; thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God,” is not a plea but a declaration. It reveals that the one being crucified—who is God buried in humanity—is fully aware that his redemption is an already accomplished fact. This cry affirms God's faithfulness to His promise, made even before the drama began.

Key Concepts

• Luke's gospel uses Psalms 31:5 as the final cry from the cross.
• The verse is a statement of knowing one is already redeemed.
• Redemption is an experience that has already occurred, even though the crucifixion is the first act of the drama.
• The cry affirms the faithfulness of God to His promise to raise His son.
• The one crucified is God, who became you and is buried in all of humanity.

Detailed Explanation

In his analysis of the crucifixion narrative, Neville Goddard highlights a significant substitution made in the gospel of Luke. While other accounts use Psalms 22 (“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”), Luke uses the fifth verse of the 31st Psalm: “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!”

Neville emphasizes that the full verse reveals a deeper meaning: “Into thy hand I commit my spirit; thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.” This is not a cry of despair or a hope for future salvation, but a statement of absolute certainty. The speaker knows, even in the midst of the crucifixion, that redemption is not a future event but an accomplished reality. He has already had the experience of redemption.

The crucifixion is presented as the first act in the divine drama, not the last. Therefore, this cry from the very beginning of the story establishes that the outcome is already known and guaranteed. It is an expression of kept faith, acknowledging that God is a “faithful God” who will fulfill his promise. This promise involves raising His son—which is humanity itself, in which God is buried—after he has been laid down. The cry from the cross is the voice of this son acknowledging his redemption is complete.

Important Quotes

“Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!”

— The Crucifixion

“Into thy hands I commit my spirit. Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.”

— Question And Answer

So, he cried out, knowing that he is already redeemed because he has had the experience of redemption, but the Crucifixion is the first act.

— Question And Answer

“Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.”

— The Pattern Man2

Related Concepts

This interpretation connects directly to several core concepts:

• The Promise: The verse is an affirmation of God's faithfulness to His promise to raise His son, which is humanity. The cry “Thou hast redeemed me” is the meaning of that promise coming to fruition.
• I AM: The teaching that God is buried in humanity is central. The one on the cross is God, who “became you in the most literal form.” The redemption spoken of is the redemption of God (your own wonderful human imagination) from his self-imposed limitation within man.
• States: The crucifixion is described as the “first act” of a drama, not a final event. This aligns with the idea of moving through states of consciousness. The cry signifies knowledge of the final state of redemption even while experiencing the state of crucifixion.

Common Misunderstandings

• A Plea for Future Redemption: A common misunderstanding would be to interpret this verse as a plea for God to redeem the speaker in the future. Neville clarifies that it is a statement of a past event: “Thou hast redeemed me.” The speaker knows redemption is already an accomplished fact.
• Crucifixion as the Final Act: The source material corrects the idea that the crucifixion is the end of the story. Neville states it is the “first act,” and the knowledge of redemption is present from the beginning.

Practical Applications

The source material presents this teaching as a framework for understanding the divine pattern, rather than a specific technique for manifestation. The application for a student is to cultivate a deep-seated faith, similar to the one expressed in the verse. It is to understand that God's promise of redemption (the awakening of God within you) is not something to be earned, but something that is already an accomplished fact within the divine plan. This understanding fosters a state of knowing that the end is secured from the beginning.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Neville Goddard say the gospel of Luke uses Psalms 31:5?

He states that Luke substitutes Psalms 31:5 for Psalms 22:1, using it as the final words spoken from the cross.

What is the key insight Neville draws from this verse?

The key insight is that the cry signifies the speaker's certain knowledge of being already redeemed, based on a past experience, even as the drama of crucifixion begins.

What is the full verse of Psalms 31:5 that Neville references?

He quotes the full verse as: “Into thy hand I commit my spirit; thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.”