The understanding that man is God's image and likeness awakens sluggish thought to activity, and gives joy and a realization of his reflection of divine capacity, which confers a power nothing else can. Life is then not simply a sense of existence but a sense of dominion and freedom. In the history of mortals great men have been great because of some inherent quality of good. Viciousness has never been considered great, though bad men have been prominent in this world's affairs. It is not an evil quality that has brought renown, but some germ of Godlikeness that has overshadowed and prevailed over evil. To express God is to manifest all the strength, wisdom, and greatness there is. All the good that man has done has been accomplished because of the grace of God. It is possible to do all things well because God is Good, and man is found to have retained his heritage of power, understanding, and righteousness.
A so-called sinful man does not gain a sense of the spiritual likeness of divine Love. "The old man with his deeds" must be put off before an accurate knowledge of God and man can be obtained. The claims of evil must be discerned and destroyed, not as realities but as illusions. Christian Science teaches us that evil has no personality, is not an individual or a quality. When the thought of man as material and sinful is abandoned, the spiritual senses drink in the sweet and certain assurance of divine Being. "Know thyself" must mean to know God's image and likeness, for goodness is all the self there is or can be. God is Love, and man is loving, because like God; God is Truth, and man is truthful, for he is the image of Truth. The appropriation of these God-like qualities puts man in touch with infinite Life, Truth, and Love. Drawing upon this inexhaustible source we have divine power. Whatever unfolds God to us teaches what man is. We understand by reflection. Man reflects infinite understanding. Through Christian Science we know God as we have never known Him before, and as we know God better we love and trust Him more, just as we trust and love a well-known and well-tried friend.
Our desire to become Godlike increases. This is the first step towards bringing into our lives our ideals, and our ideals form our characters. Holding in thought perfect God and perfect man, drives out all belief in sick, sinning, dying humanity. The constant work of the Christian Scientist is to destroy the false conception of man, and to manifest the true idea of God, free from all taint of unholiness, abiding safely in divine Love. "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." Realizing the meaning of these words, we are hidden away from all malicious, angry, jealous, envious, covetous thoughts. No evil can enter into the reflection of infinite Good. God is indeed everywhere. What a glorious thing it is to know that nothing evil can touch man any more than it can touch God, and that as man co-operates with God he can do no evil. Hidden away in omnipresent Good, man's dwelling place is Spirit and there is no mortal mind to perceive a false image or false abiding-place.
