On page 591 of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mary Baker Eddy defines "man" as "the compound idea of infinite Spirit; the spiritual image and likeness of God; the full representation of Mind;" and on page 258 she writes, "God expresses in man the infinite idea forever developing itself, broadening and rising higher and higher from a boundless basis." And she adds, "We know no more of man as the true divine image and likeness, than we know of God." It is important to know that man is not dependent upon material organization. All that has any claim to real existence is in and of God, and manifests Him; in other words, it is the expression of infinite, perfect Spirit or Mind.
Man, as "the full representation of Mind," God, expresses immortality, spirituality, perfection, completeness, harmony; he lacks nothing, and nothing can be added to or taken from him. The common misconception of man as material and mortal is known by its fruits; it is not the truth of being as revealed in Christian Science.
Man as God's idea expresses ability, intelligence, excellence, perfection. God's man is without material bounds; he is unlimited in knowledge, capacity, power. He is not a mortal, striving to express intelligence and life, but the actual expression of divine intelligence and Life, which is Spirit, indestructible Love, eternal, omnipresent, omniscient, all-powerful Mind.
