The Master's unequivocal declaration and demonstration of man's inseparable relationship to God not only was misunderstood, but constantly aroused the intense opposition of false theology, as witnessed in the antagonism of the rabbis and the dogmatic resistance of the Pharisees. Demanding his crucifixion, they said (John 19:7), "We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God."
Jesus not only set forth and exemplified the Christ, or spiritual idea of sonship, in his own life and works, but declared this spiritual idea of sonship for all men. In the Gospel of John the Master declares (5: 20-26): "The Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will....For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself."
The false theology of his time resisted this teaching, and the false theology of today, conceiving of man as a material, sinning human being separated from God and needing a material system of religion to effect his salvation, therefore resists the teaching of man's incorporeal, spiritual being, one with and inseparable from God. The teaching of Christian Science reveals distinctly man's present eternal and indissoluble oneness with the Father. It was from this standpoint that Christ Jesus declared his spiritual unity with God. Referring to this, Mary Baker Eddy writes in her textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 333): "The divine image, idea, or Christ was, is, and ever will be inseparable from the divine Principle, God. Jesus referred to this unity of his spiritual identity thus: 'Before Abraham was, I am;' 'I and my Father are one;' 'My Father is greater than I.' The one Spirit includes all identities."
