Deliverance from evil has ever been a prayer of the human heart. Fear of evil and pleasure in sin have seemed to enslave mankind, but the advent of Christianity brought a joyous way of freedom from evil. Christian Science enlivens this essential function of Christianity through giving humanity a provable understanding that God, good, is not the author of evil and that evil therefore has neither power nor presence. The revelation of Christian Science to this age is the coming of the Comforter, prophesied of old, which is to conquer forever the belief of wickedness.
The humble Way-shower, Christ Jesus, laid the foundation of Christianity in the Lord's Prayer and brought out God's way of deliverance from all evil. The petition (Matt. 6:13), "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil," should not be considered a timorous pleading but a powerful declaration that the all-loving and all-wise Father-Mother God knows no evil and that the knowledge of evil is not included in His offspring.
Mary Baker Eddy followed in the footsteps of Christ Jesus to bring to this age through the revelation of Christian Science the spiritual meaning and effectual power of his teachings. In the spiritual interpretation of the Lord's Prayer, found in the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mrs. Eddy interprets the statement just quoted as follows (p. 17): "And God leadeth us not into temptation, but delivereth us from sin, disease, and death." The triad of error —sin, disease, and death—is substituted for evil, and it is this interpretation of evil with which Christian Scientists are most familiar.
