"Immortal man was and is God's image or idea, even the infinite expression of infinite Mind, and immortal man is coexistent and coeternal with that Mind" (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 336). The foregoing is one of the many statements in the published writings of Mary Baker Eddy which affirm that man, the image, reflection, or idea of God, forever coexists with and expresses God, his divine source or Principle. As we individually affirm and contemplate this divine fact, and look out more and more consistently from this point of view, we shall become proportionately less conscious of erroneous beliefs and human limitations with their resultant woes. If we seem at present to express little of the presence, power, and dominion of good, it is because we have not maintained in our thinking the divine reality which we have at times glimpsed.
Much of what comprises human experience would tempt us to desert the spiritual standpoint and look out from personal sense, think and talk about mortal mind phenomena—the very opposite of that which is spiritually and scientifically true. Indeed, without the convincing example of our Way-shower, Christ Jesus, we might believe that it is humanly impossible to maintain to any appreciable degree the spiritual point of view, gained by the recognition of man's coexistence with and reflection of his Maker. Mortal mind whispers that, even if possible, it would be impracticable and of no substantial benefit.
The Master's whole career was a fruitful demonstration of his ability, and therefore ours, to maintain these truths in his consciousness and express them humanly. He said, referring to the Christ, "I and my Father are one," and, "Before Abraham was, I am." He knew that the Christ, the spiritual idea of God, in other words, his true individuality, had always existed with and reflected the Father. His unequaled success in demonstrating the presence and power of God in the healing of all manner of disease and the overcoming of sin and death proved that he consistently maintained this spiritual point of view. Mrs. Eddy says of him in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 189), "The meek Nazarene's steadfast and true knowledge of preexistence, of the nature and the inseparability of God and man,—made him mighty." Jesus understood pre-existence to be man's eternal coexistence with God, his divine Principle.
