The Bible tells us how to obtain harmony Christ Jesus said (Matt. 6:33), "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." The important step is to "seek . . . first the kingdom of God." Spiritual growth and a preparation of the heart are requisite for the reception of the facts pertaining to spiritual, harmonious existence, and this growth is attainable here and now through Christian Science.
In referring to scientific facts, Mary Baker Eddy writes in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (pp. 207, 208): "The spiritual reality is the scientific fact in all things. The spiritual fact, repeated in the action of man and the whole universe, is harmonious and is the ideal of Truth. Spiritual facts are not inverted; the opposite discord, which bears no resemblance to spirituality, is not real. The only evidence of this inversion is obtained from suppositional error, which affords no proof of God, Spirit, or of the spiritual creation."
According to Science, our true being is right now perfect and forever harmonious, untouched by any phase of materiality. We become conscious of scientific facts through the realization of our at-one-ment with our Father-Mother God. With this recognition of the truth of being, we defend ourselves against aggressive suggestions of mortality, embracing discord of every kind. When the material senses make their claims for recognition in myriad ways, we do not have to accept them as real, for our true selfhood is not and never can be affected by any claim of mortality.
As we maintain the facts of our real, spiritual being, we free ourselves from the mesmeric suggestions that we are sick, sinning mortals, subject to ills of the flesh. Identifying ourselves as spiritual ideas and maintaining our individuality as the expression of God's being, we demonstrate harmonious existence as a present, scientific fact.
The realization of this scientific fact enabled the writer to heal himself of a growth which suddenly appeared on one of his hands. It continued to grow in size and became quite discolored, causing great fear. Holding steadfastly to the realization that his true being was the perfect, spiritual expression of God and therefore could not actually express or reflect anything apart from God, the writer was freed from the false bondage of fear. With this release from fear he recognized the manifestation as merely a suggestion or illusion of the human mind and not the truth of being. Within a very short time the growth dried up and fell away.
Mortal consciousness must eventually yield to the law or fact of harmony through the transforming power of Christ, Truth. We utilize this law by knowing its verity. Mrs. Eddy points out the necessity for true thinking in the following statement from Science and Health (p. 324): "Unless the harmony and immortality of man are becoming more apparent, we are not gaining the true idea of God; and the body will reflect what governs it, whether it be Truth or error, understanding or belief, Spirit or matter. Therefore 'acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace.'"
Today much thought is being given to various forms of security. Many are placing reliance upon the material sense of security as a means of meeting all their requirements. Let us rather turn to the Bible for the assurance which we need. We have confidence in ever-available security as expressed in the ninety-first Psalm (verse 1), "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." One will notice, however, that the awareness of spiritual security is contingent upon dwelling in "the secret place." We must be conscious of God's omnipotence and omnipresence.
Whatever is known by immortal Mind is spiritual fact and is harmonious. Whatever is known by mortal mind is merely "the opposite discord," the counterfeit, which results in inharmony. Knowing the facts of being enables us to detect at once the sense dream of human existence and to bring it into subjection to the harmonious laws of Spirit. There is and can be no conflict when inharmony is recognized as unreal. Discord is replaced with the harmonious facts of being, even as darkness is eliminated without conflict by the presence of light.
We must defend ourselves, however, from the suggestion that there is or can be any power apart from God. The belief in any other power is based on the concept of God as less than All and has no foundation in Truth. The law of harmony is in operation here, now, and forever, but this law must be recognized and utilized in order to demonstrate its beneficent effects. We may well ask ourselves these questions: "Am I fulfilling my purpose by expressing completeness? Am I maintaining that the spiritual consciousness of man and the universe is the perfect and harmonious expression of the perfect and harmonious Principle?" The only consciousness there is or can be is the divine Mind and its expression. We must be aware of Mind and reject as merely illusion any erroneous state of thought, thereby establishing the fact of harmony in our individual experience.
In Revelation (21:1) we read that St. John "saw a new heaven and a new earth" through the spiritually illumined consciousness of reality. In referring to this revelation, Mrs. Eddy states (Science and Health, p. 573), "Accompanying this scientific consciousness was another revelation, even the declaration from heaven, supreme harmony, that God, the divine Principle of harmony, is ever with men, and that they are His people."
It follows, therefore, that we too can become conscious of the kingdom of God and receive the promised blessings by becoming aware of the ever-present harmony of God's universe. We must recognize that all that truly exists is in and of God and is completely controlled by Him and by nothing else. We do not have to make ourselves perfect, but we must strive to know that as God's ideas we are so already.
Jesus based all his work upon the premise of perfect God and perfect man. He always refuted the testimony of the material senses by establishing in consciousness the fact of harmonious, spiritual existence. He knew that God is forever perfect and therefore that His creation is forever perfect. The scientific fact for us to recognize and to demonstrate is that God's universe is perfect, harmonious, and complete right here, right now, and forever.
