"To be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." These words of Paul (Rom. 8:6) would seem to indicate that death is not something over which men have no control, but that it is intimately connected with their mortal consciousness, or material way of thinking; in fact, that it is part of it.
The Bible records Moses as saying (Deut. 30: 19), "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live." Let us see, then, in the light of these words in what way mortals can exercise an influence on the outcome of their individual experience.
Christian Science reveals that God is Life and that God is All; therefore all is Life. Hence death is but a false belief, an illusion. It behooves each of us to grow out of that illusion by eradicating from consciousness any thought which would deny the allness of Life. We are helped in so doing by understanding that the only real basis of existence is spiritual and that what seems to be our material existence is but a dream of material sense.
The definition of "death" in the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, reads in part (p. 584), "An illusion, the lie of life in matter; the unreal and untrue; the opposite of Life."
Christian Science is based on Christ Jesus' teachings. Jesus came to show the way of eternal Life. Of his redemptive mission Mrs. Eddy writes in "Unity of Good" (pp. 59, 60): "Jesus came to rescue men from these very illusions to which he seemed to conform: from the illusion which calls sin real, and man a sinner, needing a Saviour; the illusion which calls sickness real, and man an invalid, needing a physician; the illusion that death is as real as Life. From such thoughts—mortal inventions, one and all—Christ Jesus came to save men, through ever-present and eternal good."
Jesus searched deep into thought to uncover the lurking error, or lie, which would seem to hinder the appearing of Truth and harmony, the coming of the kingdom of heaven on earth. It was in mortal mind that the Master found the culprit. In the dark recesses of mortal consciousness he could detect such evils as hatred, malice, lust, envy, fear, revenge, self-importance, ingratitude, and hypocrisy. These evils proceed from the belief that man has an existence of his own, apart from God.
The Bible brings out the fact that sin not only leads to death, but that sin is already a state of death. The sinner is not awake to the magnitude and glory of God and of His perfect creation of spiritual ideas. He is not aware of spiritual life, which is harmonious. To that one, however, Science or suffering, or both, as our Leader says, will sooner or later bring the healing touch of Christ.
When the sinner no longer clings to his sinful habit, he will awaken to the reality of good. In the words of John the Baptist (John 3:36), "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life."
Overcoming such false traits as self-love, pride, selfishness, hatred, indifference, impatience, all negative qualities which would accentuate the belief of life in matter, we shall gradually rise into the consciousness of eternal Life. In the proportion that material thinking gives way to the consciousness of perfect Mind, we shall become alive to the allness of Life. This is the awakening or resurrection in which we take part.
Mrs. Eddy states in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 154), "It is the purpose of divine Love to resurrect the understanding, and the kingdom of God, the reign of harmony already within us." There are signs today that false, mortal thinking, which is doomed to extinction, is giving way to the establishment of the reign of Christ. We shall find the way of perfect living of more immediate application if we remember, as Christian Science teaches, that God is good and that God is Life; therefore Life is synonymous with good. We truly live only in the measure that we express good.
At a time of stress, when it seemed that the phraseology of Christian Science had lost the glorious hue which it once had, the writer clung to the little word "good" as a beacon. Substituting the word "good" for God, he endeavored to feel and express more good. He found his inspiration returning. In due time, through his persistent study, each of God's synonyms in turn yielded a rich harvest of inspiration hitherto unknown.
The Comforter—Divine Science, or the spirit of Truth—is working as a leavening agent everywhere, even in the darkest corners of human consciousness, for the eventual awakening of all to the perfect bliss and harmony of spiritual being. Let the student examine himself and see if he can detect in his own thinking any deterrent to the revealing of "the kingdom of God, the reign of harmony already within [him]." We have the promise in Revelation (2:7), "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God."
If we would experience a more satisfying sense of existence, we may well ask ourselves how the light of Truth can penetrate our consciousness if we insist on blocking its entrance with the rubble of material thinking. Let us then resolve to manifest more of Life divine by expressing more of the Godlike qualities, thus purifying mortal consciousness from its sinful thoughts.
We shall do well to remember that we should guard against the lesser forms of sin, such as fear, worry, and self-condemnation, with the same vigilance that we guard against the more odious forms, since sin of whatever nature tends to perpetuate mankind's enslavement to the belief of life in matter. We should not open the door to any form of evil, since evil, under whatever guise, has the tendency to rob us of our rightful inheritance of God-given peace and joy.
Students of Christian Science are learning that each demonstration of Truth lifts one to a higher understanding of existence. The Father's behest is that all acquaint themselves with Him and His allness. This is possible, even though it seems a gradual process. These words of the Psalmist should fill us with the awareness of Life eternal (Ps. 23:6): "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever."
