CHRISTIAN SCIENCE reveals to humanity man's God-given spiritual power. Anyone who earnestly studies the teachings of this practical religion and lives in obedience to its divine Principle can approximate the marvelous works of Christ Jesus, as recorded in the Bible. An understanding of the letter of Christian Science is gained by a consecrated study of the Bible and the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy. The student soon finds that this study reveals the ever-avail-ability of spiritual power and the spiritual nature of man, who manifests God-given dominion over the whole earth.
The Bible records how Jesus, the highest human concept of true manhood, met the situations that confronted him. And Science and Health shows the student how he can practically utilize in his own life the truth which Jesus taught. For example, the Master's wilderness experience (Matt. 4:1-11), studied in the light of Christian Science, reveals the purity of purpose which motivated Christ Jesus' life and makes clear that the Christian metaphysician's motives must be spiritual and unselfish in order to do efficacious healing work.
The tempter appeared to Jesus after forty days and nights of consecrated prayer, suggesting that he use spiritual means to obtain material food to satisfy a material appetite. Christian Science teaches that the tempter is false belief, which argues that man, the image and likeness of God, is mortal and needs material sustenance to exist. Knowing that true substance is spiritual, Jesus' reply to the tempter was, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."
Purity of purpose demands that one pray for spiritual ideas, which in turn meet the human need. The Christian Scientist does not use his understanding of the truth to seek ease in matter. Neither does he use his knowledge of metaphysics to satisfy a selfish desire for an increased income, to procure a more commodious home or a new automobile. Jesus knew that human needs are met by spiritual understanding and divine intelligence. The Scientist would be going contrary to God's law, whereby one demonstrates Christian Science, if he prayed for material things. The realization of the spiritual good which God provides for man is the truth which lessens one's belief in and fear of evil's arguments and so brings to light improved human conditions.
Through prayer spiritual ideas unfold which enable the student to discern God's great goodness. The omniscience of Mind is understood only by the spiritually-minded. Spiritual understanding educates human thought out of its sense of finiteness and reveals God's spiritual ideas, which by uplifting human thought supply whatever is necessary to one's present need. As proof of this, Christian Scientists have retained or regained health in the midst of epidemics, prosperity in the midst of depression, and peace of mind in the midst of war.
Returning to the wilderness experience, we find that the devil, mortal mind, suggested further that the Master cast himself down from the pinnacle of the temple in order to draw attention to his spiritual power. The Master, aware of the spurious nature of such a suggestion, immediately rejected it.
Does erring mortal sense suggest to us that we pray to reflect the healing power of divine Mind in order that we may perform spectacular cures? The Way-shower knew that something greater than the healing of what mortal mind denominates irremediable physical disorder was necessary to convert the materially-minded to the transforming Christ. Aware of the vacillating faith of followers who were attracted by miracles alone, he said that some would not be converted to right thinking, "though one rose from the dead" (Luke 16:31).
The present-day Mind-healer can profit from what Mrs. Eddy says on page 51of Science and Health regarding Jesus' motives in healing: "His purpose in healing was not alone to restore health, but to demonstrate his divine Principle." It is not enough, therefore, for the practitioner to have as his goal only the healing of sick material bodies. His first concern should be for the spiritual regeneration of the patient. At the same time he will not neglect to do prayerful work to correct the specific mental inharmony which is manifested in the human body as disease.
The physical change occurs as the practitioner spiritualizes his own thought, replaces the false concept of man as a sick mortal with the true concept of man as the perfect reflection of Spirit. Once the erroneous concept is cast out of thought, health is demonstrated. Christ Jesus taught his followers that spiritual motives demand that they take no thought for their mortal bodies, but rather that they seek first to establish in consciousness the kingdom of heaven, or reign of harmony.
Again, the tempter offered the Master material glory and temporal power if he would fall down and worship him. Sometimes similar temptations come to the student of Christian Science. Mortal mind suggests that the healing power is personal rather than God-reflected. It whispers that it would be pleasant to gain the praise and adulation of one's church or community. It has sometimes suggested that the student desert the leadership of Mrs. Eddy and set himself up as the discoverer of an "advanced" form of metaphysical healing. But when lying mortal sense presents such suggestions, the wise student remembers and heeds Jesus' summary command, "Get thee hence, Satan."
It was Christ Jesus' unstinted devotion to divine Principle that made possible his wonderful works. He proved his purity of purpose when he said, "It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Our Leader, another great spiritual healer, also realized the importance of working from the right basis. She clearly defines what the Scientist's motive should be in the following statement (Science and Health, p. 454): "Love for God and man is the true incentive in both healing and teaching."
A further study of Jesus' wilderness experience shows us that the devil, or erring mortal sense, continues to tempt mortals only so long as it has a chance of being believed. Mortal mind, the belief in a mind apart from God, using multiple arguments, would demoralize the pure motive of the Christian Scientist and dethrone the healing power which he reflects.
In mathematics there is only one right answer to a problem, even though careless or ignorant pupils believe an incorrect answer to be the right one. Similarly, Christian Science reveals that man is the reflection of the one perfect God, even though mortal mind ignorantly claims that its false concept, called physical personality, is man.
The Christian Scientist, as did Christ Jesus, rejects the suggestion that man is poor, sick, and dying. He refutes material sense evidence and clings to the fact that God makes man in His own image and likeness, pure, perfect, and whole. Firmness in the truth assures victory, for mortal mind has only the power one gives it by accepting its lie as the truth. Truth destroys error just as light dissipates darkness.
Jesus' example proved for all time that we must never give credence to mortal mind or its suggestions. The limiting belief in the existence of matter is only an illusion in so-called mortal mind. No false belief can affect him who refuses to accept it. As we serve God as did Jesus, we shall increasingly demonstrate the truth of our Leader's statement (Science and Health, p. 340): "One infinite God, good, unifies men and nations; constitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfils the Scripture, 'Love thy neighbor as thyself;' annihilates pagan and Christian idolatry,—whatever is wrong in social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes; equalizes the sexes; annuls the curse on man, and leaves nothing that can sin, suffer, be punished or destroyed."
God's man is conscious of his God-given dominion over the whole earth. Successfully to demonstrate this dominion we must have the purity of purpose, the undefiled motive, that Christ Jesus manifested in his wilderness experience.
