CHRIST JESUS said, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." Many times have the thoughts of mortals been directed to this concept of love as the highest possible expression of one's devotion to others, but with the feeling that the Master meant the yielding up of a human sense of life. We have rightfully felt that those who have endured to the end, in order that others might enjoy the advantages of freedom, security, and peace, have thus given all they knew how to give; and it is well for us to have real gratitude and love for all who have thus contributed to our welfare. And yet, in the greater light which Christian Science throws on the Scriptures, we perceive that the laying down of our lives for others has a larger meaning than the commonly accepted concept of yielding up a human sense of life.
Let us consider the example of Christ Jesus. Is the laying down of his life confined to the final experience on the cross? or is it to be seen in all of the words he uttered, in all of the works he performed, and in all of the pure life he lived here, that others might understand what God, Life, really is? Every part of Jesus' demonstration on earth was necessary; hence it stands as a whole. In all of his words and works he assuredly enabled us to perceive the false sense of life in a manner which could scarcely otherwise have been made so plain. And so we may very properly conclude that the living of the life of the Master, and the doing of the good works he did and commanded us to do, are of vital importance if we would lay down, or give, our lives for others in a manner which we know will really benefit them. Without the Christ. Truth, in our lives, what have we to give under any circumstances?
In his epistle to the Romans Paul writes: "None of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. . . . Whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's." And in his epistle to the Ephesians are these words: "That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; . . . and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." Paul elsewhere refers to this process of correction as one of dying daily. If we are following Christ as Christian Science shows us how to do, we are daily putting off a false sense of life on the one hand, and proportionately increasing our manifestation of the true sense of Life on the other hand; and both are required in the laying down of our lives for others. Mrs. Eddy has stated in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 84): "The Science of Life, overshadowing Paul's sense of life in matter, so far extinguished the latter as forever to quench his love for it. The discipline of the flesh is designed to turn one, like a weary traveller, to the home of Love. To lose error thus, is to live in Christ, Truth."
