A Good citizen is one who abides by the laws of the country in which he lives; and, by his obedience, the laws of his country protect him. One's higher sense of habitation is the recognition of the spiritual fact that man, God's likeness, lives in the kingdom of God. Therefore as a citizen of this kingdom, he is subject to its laws and preserved by them. As any civil law must be known and invoked to be effectual, so God's laws protect us and keep us free when we acquaint ourselves with them and avail ourselves of their ever-present power.
In one of the first commands of his ministry the Master, Christ Jesus, set out a law of the kingdom of heaven: "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matt. 5:48). We are all seeking perfection in every avenue of life. Christian Science reveals to us the truth which, in demanding recognition of its allness, enforces this search.
Mankind have been led to believe that perfection can be attained in a universe outside of consciousness, seen as persons and things. Consequently, human laws have been enacted in an attempt to enforce such a conclusion. Many human relationships break under the strain of constant demand for perfection in others who we believe cannot see or measure up to our own standard of behavior or perfect personality! Crowded courts of justice evidence the belief that man-made laws can legislate perfect harmony in a material universe.
