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."
