Man, the Bible teaches, is created "in the image of God," of Spirit. Manifestly, then, man is in reality spiritual. To the true Christian Scientist spiritual life is, thus, not a vague, indefinite, remote, and indefinable state of existence, entirely out of reach, to be obtained only after what is called death. Spiritual existence is a mental condition, not only hoped for, but now within the grasp of every true seeker of pure thoughts. Therefore, spiritual existence may be experienced in the present in proportion to the purity of thought entertained; for mental purity and man's eternal spiritual selfhood are inseparable.
Though in some degree man has always been acknowledged to be God's image and likeness, it was not until the advent of Christian Science that the individuality and identity of the spiritual real man was scientifically and demonstrably revealed to the world. Christian Science teaches that man reflects pure spiritual mental qualities, and that his identity is in his eternal unity with Spirit, God.
Mary Baker Eddy classifies in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 116) certain mental qualities which are reflected by spiritual man in God's image. She says that these qualities are "wisdom, purity, spiritual understanding, spiritual power, love, health, holiness." Now these pure spiritual qualities are always within our reach, and quite within the range of our ability and power to express. These and other Christlike qualities latent in individual consciousness may be developed and expressed, here and now, to an unlimited degree by every sincere Christian, through study and application of the teachings of Christian Science.
