What hope for the human race is contained in these words which Isaiah uttered in the name of the Lord: "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else" (Isaiah 45:22)! They are no less than a promise of universal salvation, to be brought about by looking to God. So simple on the face of it is the promise! But how to realize it? That is the question which throughout the centuries has presented itself to mankind.
Christian Science today holds out the very same hope to humanity as did the prophet. It does more; it shows the manner in which it, the hope, can be scientifically fulfilled. The problem which is set mankind for solution is, How is it to be saved from sin, disease, suffering, sorrow, lack, death—inharmony of every sort? And if one analyzes the nature of these afflictions, one finds that they all have a common origin, namely, materiality—belief that matter is real. Destroy the belief that matter is real, and sin in its every phase vanishes; so do sorrow, fear, lack—all inharmony.
The problem, then, becomes, How is the belief that matter is real to be overcome? At once Christian Science answers, By gaining an understanding of reality—God and His creation. How familiar to the Christian Scientist is this line of thought! For Christian Science has revealed to him the true nature of God and His creation. It has shown him that God is infinite Mind, Spirit, Soul, infinite Life and Love, and that His creation, including individual man, is the universe of spiritual ideas. But what of matter? It is not of God, infinite Spirit; hence it does not really exist. Matter is an unreal concept of mortal or material sense. And as with matter, so is it with all of matter's apparent derivatives: they are not of God, therefore they are unreal. Sin, disease, suffering, sorrow, fear, death are unreal; all of them are but false concepts of supposititious mortal mind. As we understand these things, we see how the divine promise to redeem or save mankind will be fulfilled, how it is certain to be fulfilled.
