Mary Baker Eddy states in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 2), "Goodness attains the demonstration of Truth." What a wonderful statement to study in our quest for Truth!
Only through goodness do we reach worthwhile goals. And the attainment, or demonstration of the truth, is surely the reward of goodness. The questions are: Do we understand goodness? From whence does it come? How can we acquire it? The thorough knowledge and application of Christian Science will answer such questions.
We approach the demonstration of Truth by a consecrated effort to understand God, Truth, and to follow the Christ in our daily living. Mortal opinions do not alter Truth. Nor is Truth affected by egotism or rhetoric. The faith shown in the simple words of a trusting child often demonstrates the power of Truth. Wisdom, fruitful experience, and the ability to express God are the outgrowths of -prayer and childlike trust in God, the Father.
Goodness is often associated with an individual. We say, "She does a lot of good"; "He is a model man"; "Wasn't that a kind and good deed?" and so on. These glimpses of the goodness of God expressed by men are evidences of the one God, or good.
In the Bible we read (Matt. 19:16), "One came and said unto him [Jesus], Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?" Jesus answered, "Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." In order to utilize God's power, we must gain the realization of man's purity as the son of God. And we must express humility, which eliminates the false belief of personality and tiresome effort and lets the Christ, Truth, draw us to God. Thus we progress toward real attainment, or the demonstration of Truth.
A thorough study of the chapter entitled "Atonement and Eucharist" in the textbook, Science and Health, shows the steps which are necessary in order to attain goodness. This chapter truly leads one to the demonstration of Truth. By reasoning and right deductions we become convinced of that which is true.
Attainment, or demonstration of Truth, through Christian Science is really the result of the unfoldment in consciousness of the true concept of perfection, the realization that God's nature is expressed by man. By manifesting in daily life the qualities of love, purity, and sincerity, we gain a better understanding of God and man. Then the pretenses of evil, humanly evidenced in pride, conceit, fear, revenge, or debility, disappear from our experience, and we have a clearer view of man's unity with God, good. We must live above sordid thoughts, beliefs, and evil suggestions in order to attain our God-given right of freedom, normality, and dominion. In our hard-fought battles with self we must remember that we have God's ever-present help. Since God is no respecter of persons, each individual has His help at all times. We must exercise our true rights through the understanding of God's law.
Why do we wish to attain goodness? Because as Christian Scientists we know that basically goodness affords the most peaceful, harmonious, and healthful experience there is. We know that the desire for goodness— the desire to be free, successful, of beneficial service, to be better in every way—is a natural state of thought. Why? Because the attraction of Spirit is actually ever present. We read in Science and Health (p. 102), "The pointing of the needle to the pole symbolizes this all-embracing power or the attraction of God, divine Mind."
Ignorance often deters one's progress. Seeking spiritual knowledge is good, but it takes spiritual understanding in order to attain our goal. Earnest prayer for enlightenment leads one to Truth; but a mere desire for something better is not enough. It takes effort to express true understanding, good will, co-operation. These qualities, if made a part of daily living through the study and demonstration of Christian Science, will lead an individual or a nation out of the fog of false domination into the light of true love and right action. In the midst of the upheaval of mortal mind, the quest for Truth will go on. Eventually all must know God, Truth.
The real man is good, for God is good. Divine logic shows that man, the reflection of God, must be good. But humanly we must scientifically demonstrate harmony. To attain peace, we must understand and prove man's spiritual and harmonious relationship to Principle.
What are we going to do about the attainment of goodness? We cannot afford to let apathy, fear, pride, covetousness, self-will, or domination rob us of our divine heritage of freedom. With the promise of freedom, there is always Principle's demand to accept and follow good. The practice of virtue is needed. We cannot continue to ignore what we know to be right action and then expect that when we turn to Christian Science we shall find immediate healing and harmony without ceasing to do wrong. In our Leader's words previously quoted, "Goodness attains the demonstration of Truth." I had read this statement many times, but one day, while praying as we are taught in Christian Science, the sentence suddenly stood out with new meaning for me. The words "goodness" and "attains" seemed to arrest my attention. The statement was exact and yet simple.
Salvation is gained through the demonstration of goodness. Step by step we attain that which is rightfully ours. We must use the power of Love to reverse false beliefs for ourselves and others. All the luminaries in sacred history had to prove their power to perform miracles, or do good, through their individualized expression of God, Love.
The truth, revealed by Mrs. Eddy in Science and Health, finds lodgment in the receptive thought. We all need to demonstrate Truth. We need loving, simple, childlike goodness to do so. In reality God's work is done. In human experience we attain the realization of the truth in the degree of our virtue and of our understanding and practice of Christian Science. In the words of the Bible (Eccl. 12:13), "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."
