The sick and the sinful are asking, "What must I do to be saved?" Christian Science replies in the language of Scripture, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Believe and be saved. How simple the statement, and yet who can measure the length and breadth and height and depth of its meaning? Herein is revealed not merely a possibility or even a probability; the statement is positive that a specific result will follow. The believer will be saved.
This sweet promise comes as a ray of light dispelling the darkness. It inspires hope and quickens honest endeavor. In the awakened consciousness numerous questions arise, demanding satisfying and scientific answers. Most important among them are, What does it mean to be saved? How much can a man reasonably hope to be saved from? When may he expect to be saved? Can he know salvation as a present reality, or is it something for him to look forward to with joyous anticipation? What is it to believe? Can a man know that he believes? if so, how can he know? what is the proof that he knows?
The way in which a man answers these questions, if he answers them at all, shows whether the teachings of the Bible have for him any practical application to the affairs of to-day or whether they relate merely to the doing of that which must be done now if one would be saved in the future.
Mortal man desires to be saved from all that to his sense is not good. Everything that in any way disturbs his sense of harmony, either by causing him to suffer, mentally or physically, or makes impossible the enjoyment of that which he believes will afford pleasure and satisfaction, he calls evil, and he seeks to be saved from it. His sense of the salvation that is to be desired to-day is circumscribed within the limits of his ideal of harmonious existence. His first effort is to save himself; failing in this he appeals to others, resorts to any and all means and methods within his reach. If he still fails, he sometimes turns to God for help, but it is generally with fear and trembling. He is not sure that he deserves to be saved and he is in doubt as to whether it is God's will that he should be.
As to what a man can reasonably expect to be saved from, Christian Science teaches that if he complies with the conditions divinely imposed he can expect to be saved from anything and everything unlike God. All evil, comprised in the belief of sin and sickness; all inharmony of mind and body, results from the belief of a power apart from God. It is not the Divine will that man should be in bondage to any evil. A way of escape is provided and that way has been revealed. The earthly life of Jesus was a demonstration of God's power and willingness to save from all evil. He taught humanity to pray, "Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven." The law of infinite good reigns supreme in the kingdom of eternal harmony; God's will is done and there is no sin, sickness, or death. He who prays as the Master taught his disciples to pray, hopes for salvation from all evil.
Many are heard to say, Yes, I believe that those who accept Jesus as the Saviour of the world will finally be saved from all sin and sickness, but that will be when they have passed away from earth and gained heaven. This shows how deeply rooted is the belief that salvation belongs to the future and that heaven can be reached only by passing through the "valley of the shadow of death."
Paul says, "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." With Jesus, salvation was a thing of the present. In the hour of temptation. Life, Truth, and Love were with him, saving him from the subtle suggestions of evil. He "was in all points tempted like as. we are, yet without sin." He proved that it was not necessary for a man to yield to temptation and become a sinner before he can be saved from sin. Jesus was saved from sinning, and when the battle was over and the eternal victory won, the angels of God "came and ministered unto him."'
He fed the multitudes with the loaves and fishes and saved them from the pangs of hunger. He rebuked the winds, and there was a great calm and he and his disciples were saved from the violence of the storm. He healed all manner of diseases and physical infirmities, and saved the unfortunate ones from the evils which had held them in bondage. He destroyed the sinner's belief in the pleasure and power of sin, and thus saved him from sin and the evil consequences that would have resulted from its continued indulgence. He raised the dead, proving that even the last enemy had no power over God's man created in His image and likeness.
At all times, in all ways, in all conditions, and under all circumstances, salvation was to Jesus a present reality. He never intimated by word or deed that it was ever God's will that any man should be denied the blessing of a present salvation. If in a certain place "he did not many mighty works." it was not because God was unwilling to save them or had not the power to do so, but "because of their unbelief," because they were not ready to be saved.
What does it mean to believe? How can a man know that he believes? The belief that the day of salvation belongs to the future renders it impossible for a man to know that he has done all that is required of him and he is fearful that some sin of omission or commission may rob him of heaven. On the other hand, when he is convinced that "now is the day of salvation" and is assured that it is God's will that he be saved from all evil, he knows that if he is not saved it is because he does not believe. By this we do not mean that because he does not experience a full salvation he concludes he is altogether without faith. He knows that he has faith and that his faith is effectual, but he realizes that he must have more faith, more spiritual understanding, if he would experience a greater degree of freedom and harmony.
An incident in the life of the Master will serve as an illustration. A certain man brought his lunatic son to the disciples, requesting them to cast out the evil spirit. Their efforts were unsuccessful and the man afterwards turned to Jesus for help. In response to his appeal, "If thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us," the Master said, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." "And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father." "Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said. Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief."
It cannot be that the Master meant that his disciples were unbelievers in the sense that they did not believe in him or his teachings. He had called them to be his followers because he saw they were ready and willing to follow him. He taught them the eternal truths of being and they accepted his teachings. They went out into the world and proved by their works that they believed in Jesus and in some degree understood what he had taught them. If they had not believed they could not have understood and could not have done the works which he declared would be the signs following them that believe.
They believed and they were able to prove that they believed, but their understanding was limited. It was not possible that in so short a time they would be able to give the full and complete demonstration of Truth. Here was a case that demanded more faith, a higher spiritual understanding than they at that time possessed. He told them what was necessary to gain the higher understanding that was equal to such demonstrations. "This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting." That they grew in wisdom and understanding is proven by the fact that in after years even the dead were raised to life.
What then does it mean to "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ"? To believe in Jesus; to believe that he was the best man the world has ever known; that he came in fulfilment of prophecy; that he lived a pure life, even a sinless life; that he did the many wonderful works recorded of him in the Scriptures; that he was anointed of God and that his earth mission was to show mortals the way of salvation, is certainly commendable, but it is not enough. Such a faith as this is not a saving faith. To "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ" means to believe as he believed. He believed in God and nothing else. His teachings show what he believed and his life and works proved that what he believed is the truth, even the truth that makes free from all error and its effects.
If a man believes as Jesus believed he will do as he did. What a man does is the only thing that can reveal, even to himself, what he really believes. A man's actions, and not his words, not even what he thinks he believes, are the proof of what he is. Let a man put into practice all that he can comprehend of the teachings and life of the Master and he will know that he is possessed of a saving faith. Salvation will be to him a present reality and the measure of its fulness will be in proportion to his faith. More faith will bring greater freedom. The manner in which he goes to work to increase his faith shows how great is his desire to be saved. A feeble desire begets a feeble effort, but an earnest desire is faithful and persistent in its endeavors.
Humanity's greatest need is to believe more in the life and teachings of the humble Nazarene. He proved that his faith was a saving faith, not merely from some evils but from all the discords of earth. The divine Principle underlying his teachings and demonstrations has been revealed to the people of God. It remains for each one to gain the understanding and give the demonstration thereof proving that "now is the day of salvation." "And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."
