MAN, we learn from the Scriptures, was created in God's image and likeness. This creation is complete and wholly good. The man of God can never alter his character. He necessarily remains from everlasting to everlasting exactly as he was in the beginning—perfect, upright.
The Psalmist perceived the nature of God's man and sang (Ps. 37:37), "Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace." Of what value is it to behold the man of God's creation if in so doing we merely take note of the nature of that man and forthwith forget or shun his perfection? Christian Science, with a spiritual and practical view of the Bible, shows clearly how one may not only regard or look upon perfect man, but also use what he beholds to improve his health and to better his human situation in general.
Perhaps Paul, in his many allusions to man in his writings, had in thought the Psalmist's plea. For example, in Ephesians (4:13), after speaking of the gifts of God which are given to us, Paul envisions the time when "we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." And again, he said to the Galatians (3:26, 27): "Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." The only logical reason an individual has for giving heed or attention to the man of God's creating is that he may exemplify in his own experience the qualities of God which he beholds. The more he knows of man in God's likeness, the more closely he can pattern that infinite design in his daily life.
The builder frequently turns from his work to the plans and specifications of the architect in order correctly to fit each detail of the structure into a compact whole. So the one who frequently considers the nature of God's perfect man and gives close heed to that model of excellence demonstrates in increasing measure the full stature of God's image and likeness.
Mary Baker Eddy writes in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 304), "The perfect man—governed by God, his perfect Principle—is sinless and eternal." It is incumbent upon each one of us not only to look upon and appreciate the sinless, eternal, harmonious man of God's creating, but to express in our lives that perfect nature. In order to do so, we must eliminate from our thoughts and lives the errors of personal sense, such as hate, fear, envy, jealousy, lust, self-will, which are the source of discord, disease, and death.
In her sermon entitled "Christian Healing," Mrs. Eddy, after alluding to certain errors of personal sense, goes on to say of the distinction between the real man, created by God, divine Love, and mortal man (p. 17), "Love makes the spiritual man, lust makes the material so-called man, and God made all that was made; therefore the so-called material man and these personal senses, with all their evidences of sin, sickness, and death, are but a dream,—they are not the realities of life; and we shall all learn this as we awake to behold His likeness."
The destruction of sin and sickness is found in an appreciation and exemplification of the ever-present Christ, our Model. One can do no better in his conquest over errors of thought and body than to accept the Christ as his pattern of excellence or to put on Christ. The more we know of God, the more we understand His ideal, the Christ. This divine ideal, the Son of God, is the ever-present Model for us to follow in molding our individual nature and character.
Errors of belief, whether they are manifested as sickness, sorrow, disease, or death, do not really belong to any individual, for they are unreal. They are cast out and destroyed in one's personal experience on the basis that they do not belong in God's creation. As one casts out these inharmonies, he is putting on his true selfhood, or Christ.
We demonstrate perfection in our daily affairs as we grow in the understanding of God and man. When we awaken to the truth that perfect man is created by infinite Mind, God, and hence is infinitely wise, we awaken to our own capacity to exemplify wisdom. The immortal wisdom reflected in the man of God's making is the true pattern of wisdom for us to demonstrate individually. The more of divine wisdom we understand, the more foresighted we become, and the more expert we are in what we are called upon to do.
The perfect man created by God is infinitely loving and lovable. Do we then have any real basis for being unloving or unlovable? The real man is pure, perfect, just, harmonious in every respect. In order to progress heavenward, we must demonstrate the attributes of perfection. By so doing, we mark and behold the perfect man, or put on Christ.
We cannot afford to avoid the demand to exemplify perfection. The act of letting perfection operate in our experience means increased health and strength to us all. Mrs. Eddy points out in "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" (p. 262): "God creates man perfect and eternal in His own image. Hence man is the image, idea, or likeness of perfection—an ideal which cannot fall from its inherent unity with divine Love, from its spotless purity and original perfection."
In the measure that we exemplify in our human experience all that we observe and understand of God's likeness, we are unfolding and demonstrating our true selfhood, which is sinless and harmonious. "Mark," then, "the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace."
