"Now are we the sons of God." This inspired statement of John awakens thought and demands active acknowledgment of God's presence, and faithful witnessing to our sonship. Yet, mortal belief would tempt us to come down from realization of our establishment as sons of God and accept a sense of a possible later attainment of sonship. But there stands the imperative "now." God is, and man is His son, His heir, His image and likeness now. Every loving, Godlike thought establishes in our consciousness our sonship at the point where it is entertained and expressed. Watchful and alert detection and correction of any belief of material sense are required of us, in order that we may now maintain and manifest our sonship, everlastingly established in Mind, God.
Yet, have we suffered, rebelled, repined, because at some point where we have risen to spiritual heights and attained a clear consciousness of our divine relationship we have suddenly found ourselves precipitated into depths of regret, confusion, discouragement? Let us count such experiences as tests of our understanding of divine Science. Exalted inspiration and mountaintop vision must be practically sustained through scientific demonstration. We rejoice in moments of glorious spiritual illumination. They are evidences of our realization of true being, our sonship. They bring to us the glow and grandeur of the Christ-idea, which reveals our true selfhood. Abiding in this realization that as sons of God we are forever established in Love's plan enables us to demonstrate the allness of Spirit and the nothingness of matter. The clear conviction of the eternality of our sonship, glimpsed even momentarily, gives us a happy sense of victory seen in increased spiritual strength, courage, and the priceless treasure of humility.
Mrs. Eddy states with comforting assurance (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 201), "Paul took pleasure in infirmities, for it enabled him to triumph over them;" and, "He took pleasure in 'reproaches' and 'persecutions,' because they were so many proofs that he had wrought the problem of being beyond the common apprehension of sinners; he took pleasure in 'necessities,' for they tested and developed latent power."
