The Christian Scientist rejoices in his understanding of God, in the knowledge of the nature of Deity which Christian Science has given him. It is impossible for him to tell all that this knowledge has meant to him, of comfort, protection, and health. Without it, how inscrutable was the past, how uncertain the present, how undefined the future! Besides, with the nature of God unknown to him, or but imperfectly understood, his faith was feeble, which meant that he was unable to place wholehearted reliance on God. In short, before taking up the study of Christian Science the student's spiritual outlook was vague and uncertain; whereas, after he became informed of the great spiritual truths of being, he was able, his consciousness having become illumined, to regard existence in an entirely new light, understanding God as the source of all that really exists, including his own immortal selfhood.
In its revelation of God, Christian Science lacks nothing in clarity. It declares Him to be infinite Mind or Spirit, the source, cause, or creator of all real being. Thus, there is but one source, one cause, one creator. And God being Spirit or Mind, His creation consists entirely of ideas, and thus is altogether spiritual. From this it follows that what is regarded by mortals as a material creation has no reality, because it has no source, cause, or creator. Material objects but hint the existence of spiritual ideas, the so-called material objects themselves being only false concepts of supposititious mortal mind, illusions of material sense. "Divine Mind is the only cause or Principle of existence," writes Mrs. Eddy on page 262 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." "Cause does not exist in matter, in mortal mind, or in physical forms."
The truth which Christian Science reveals about God and His creation may seem to be the very antithesis of truth to those who do not know God as infinite Mind and His creation as consisting of spiritual ideas, and who still believe that matter is real. That does not disturb the Christian Scientist, however, for he is certain that all will yet subscribe to the spiritual truth which Christian Science reveals, since it is based on an understanding of God which is faultless. He sees in the knowledge he possesses of real spiritual being, the way whereby victory will be won over material sense and over all the difficulties, trials, perplexities, sorrow, and suffering which are attendant upon this erroneous sense. That is saying a great deal. But not otherwise than through spiritual understanding will earth's problems be solved; not otherwise than through knowledge of God and His perfect spiritual creation will earth's sorrow and suffering be overcome.
