IN the twelfth chapter of his epistle to the Romans, Paul states the way whereby mankind may come under the will of God and prove its efficacy. He writes, "Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." The renewing of the mind, the changing of one's way of thinking, is the way. There must be a turning from former beliefs and practices not in accordance with the divine will, to reliance on revealed truth.
What, more particularly, is the way of thinking from which mortals must break away, the erroneous thinking from which they must turn? It might be summed up in the phrase, all unspiritual thinking; and unspiritual thinking is thinking which is material in its nature, thinking which has matter as its basis. Thus sin, which is unspiritual, is the result of believing that matter is real and that material indulgence gives pleasure. Similarly, disease is the effect of unspiritual thinking, notwithstanding the fact that many argue that some forms of it may have nothing whatever to do with thought. Christian Science proves conclusively that if men thought no thoughts except those which are spiritual, if they thought only thoughts which are good, pure, true, loving, just, and compassionate, sickness would be unknown. It is thinking based on the fallacy that matter is real which is responsible for every form of disease. It is thinking based on the truth that Spirit alone is real and that man is the reflection of Spirit that heals disease.
Now the renewing of the mind, which ultimates in the spiritual consciousness which is able to prove that the will of God is good, acceptable, and perfect, may be regarded as including three stages, namely, "repentance, spiritual baptism, and regeneration." Mrs. Eddy so regards it. She says on page 242 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures": "Through repentance, spiritual baptism, and regeneration, mortals put off their material beliefs and false individuality. It is only a question of time when 'they shall all know Me [God], from the least of them unto the greatest.'" Repentance is regret for the evil one has thought and done, and a turning away from the evil. Spiritual baptism takes place through spiritual understanding of the allness of Spirit and man's unity therewith. Regeneration is the new birth, continuous and progressive, which accompanies spiritual baptism. All three are necessary steps in the process of renewal.
