When one obeys God completely and understandingly, he cannot do anything which would place him in a position of jeopardy. Compliance with the laws of God is an ever-active immunity to danger, disease, distress, or disaster. The Bible declares (Job 22:21), "Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee." Yes, gain a spiritual understanding of God and human problems will be solved.
Christian Science offers the method by which mankind can be protected from discords of every nature. This protection does not mean that one will not have problems to solve, but to the degree that the rules of God are understandingly applied one will be delivered from distress or danger. It shall be even as Isaiah pointed out (43:2), "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee."
When Joseph was sold by his brothers into slavery and taken to Egypt, he had serious problems, but no permanent harm came to him. These trials served but to forward his mission of saving a people from starvation. Joseph did not endanger his life and destiny by resentment toward those who had apparent dominion over him. He came through the experiences untouched by evil, because he loved God and trusted in His care. His love for God included love for his brothers and others who persecuted him. He would not have been the benefactor of a nation had he succumbed to the hatred and jealousy poured out upon him by his enemies or had he answered them in kind.
It is intelligent for one to establish his oneness with and inseparability from God even though there seems to be no imminent problem for him to solve. As one orders his life in harmony with God, no evil can harm him, and as the years pass it will seem that God has individually taken him in His hands to preserve and prosper him. Actually guidance and protection evidence God's hand, but His care is manifested in one's experience only insofar as one is willing to harmonize his life with God. One's obedience to the laws of God prevents him from making mistakes, which would bar his progress, place him in jeopardy, or extinguish his human sense of life. One who walks in the light of day is not plagued by the darkness of night. So to the degree that one walks in harmony with God's law of good, he is not harmed by evil.
Mary Baker Eddy writes in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 369), "The prophylactic and therapeutic (that is, the preventive and curative) arts belong emphatically to Christian Science, as would be readily seen, if psychology, or the Science of Spirit, God, was understood." More and more is it being acknowledged that the cause of disease is mental. Christian Science not only affirms this fact, but it asserts that disease and discord of every nature can be prevented and cured by prayer or spiritual means.
The best preventive of disease is in one's keeping diseased beliefs and pictures of disease out of consciousness. To do this, one must keep thought filled with the spiritual facts of being. Mrs. Eddy says in. "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 229), "A calm, Christian state of mind is a better preventive of contagion than a drug, or than any other possible sanative method; and the 'perfect Love' that 'casteth out fear' is a sure defense."
We have always at hand our sure defense, and it is not found in a physical fortress. "My defence is of God," the Psalmist said (Ps.7:10). Our defense is in knowing God and living by God's rule of Life and Love. God's law of goodness is always at hand, because God is omnipresent. His beneficent law of order cannot be seen; but it can be felt. It is the ever-present urge in our thinking which compels us to be good, to be wise, and to be loving. We intuitively know that if we obey the law of Truth, our individual lives will unfold safely and harmoniously.
The inducement in human consciousness to be good and do good is Christ, Truth, in action. It is the ever-present power of God ordering our lives, removing the stumbling blocks in the way of our safety, progress, health, freedom, and welfare. Manifestly if one chooses not to follow the biddings of Christ, Truth, his life will seem to be a struggle. But struggle is not God's will for anyone. His will in earth and in heaven is eternal joy, wisdom, love. His will can be enjoyed here and now to the degree that we obey the Lord our God and follow Christ in the way. A sweet immunity awaits those who love God and follow His beneficent rule.
Mrs. Eddy declares in Science and Health (p. 219), "Entire immunity from the belief in sin, suffering, and death may not be reached at this period, but we may look for an abatement of these evils; and this scientific beginning is in the right direction." Because of the leavening influence of Truth, mankind have gone far in the direction of the abatement of evil. This progress is evident from the improved health and welfare of people in general today; in the fact that in the past ninety years the span of life expectancy has increased greatly; and in the scientific developments overcoming the beliefs of time, distance, material struggle and toil.
If these are the present fruits of more scientific and Godlike thinking, what will the results be as we all more thoroughly adjust our lives, in advance of apparent need, to the harmonies of God's laws of good for all? What hinders one in doing that which preserves and harmonizes his life? Accepting, not just momentarily while the mood holds, but continuously the law of God, good, is our sure defense, our immunity against danger and distress, and our sure way to the ultimate victory over sin, sickness, and death. Let us say with the Psalmist (Ps. 59:17), "Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy."
