The Hebrew patriarch Abraham breached the wall of pagan mythology and proclaimed the revolutionary doctrine that there is but one true Deity, Almighty God. Centuries later, the fearless Moses, under God's directing, made another major contribution to the spiritual progress of mankind. Faced with the growing need of a stabilizing moral code for his confused and rebellious people, he was divinely led to proclaim what have been known down through the ages as the Ten Commandments.
The First Commandment (Ex. 20:3), "Thou shalt have no other gods before me," is of immediate interest to the serious student of Christian Science because this Science rests squarely upon it. The student does not go very far in his study of the Bible and the writings of Mrs. Eddy before he comes face to face with this commandment. Slowly he begins to understand Mrs. Eddy's words: "The First Commandment is my favorite text. It demonstrates Christian Science" (Science and Health, p. 340). On the same page our Leader enlarges upon the thought when she writes, "The divine Principle of the First Commandment bases the Science of being, by which man demonstrates health, holiness, and life eternal."
With Scriptural authority, Science affirms that God is the divine Principle, Love. Thus scientific reasoning would suggest that the First Commandment may also be rendered, "Thou shalt have no other gods but divine Love." Unless we are aware that in reality we reflect divine Love and habitually express it, we shall continue to live in the darkness of nonintelligent materialism, helpless to free ourselves permanently from its pains and pleasures. But with infinite Love as our God, controlling our aims and affections, we can be satisfied that we are obeying the First Commandment.
One of Mrs. Eddy's great contributions to a workable understanding of God, man, and the universe is known as "the scientific statement of being," found on page 468 of Science and Health. It is in effect an amplification of the First Commandment, declaring the allness of God, Spirit, and the absolute nothingness of matter, which is Spirit's opposite. We must understand these basic truths of spiritual being, or we shall remain captive in some degree to the ills and discords of matter. We must know that God, good, is Spirit, Mind, and that therefore the universe, including man, is spiritual and good.
The First Commandment is a divine, unchanging law, which, when consistently obeyed, establishes order, health, and virtue in human experience. It changes the affections from love of matter to love of Spirit and spiritual values. There are man-made laws for practically everything under the sun; but since they are of human origin, all fall short of their goals. Only the law of God, good, is infallible and able to meet every human need—to reform the sinning and heal the sick. As we obey the law of Love, order and peace will control every detail of our existence.
Governed only by divine thoughts, we shall have no other gods, no other idols to beckon and confuse us, for we shall be conscious of the kingdom of heaven within, within our consciousness. We shall be walking in the footsteps of Jesus, free, happy, and unafraid, doing good and proving by our Christly works that we love God, good, to the exclusion of all else. Thus we shall be daily living our religion and joyfully obeying its basic laws. Mrs. Eddy points out on page 5 of Miscellany, "The First Commandment of the Hebrew Decalogue, 'Thou shalt have no other gods before me,' and the Golden Rule are the all-in-all of Christian Science."
In Science, God's idea, the real man, the perfect expression of Life, Truth, and Love, has no lesser loyalties and pays allegiance only to divine Mind. However, the mortal man, such as we appear to be and are not, is daily tempted to worship many idols of material sense, even as Jesus was tempted. But the alert Scientist will recognize these enslaving arguments as the works of the devil, or mortal mind, and will not only resist them with vigor but quickly destroy the tempter with the firm command of Jesus (Luke 4:8), "Get thee behind me, Satan."
The other gods referred to in the First Commandment are identified in Science as mortal beliefs, which would claim our attention, either consciously or unconsciously. These false beliefs are of mortal origin, not immortal. They promise wisdom, pleasure, and security to the believer, but they will not and cannot fulfill their promises. Only Mind, good, is all-wise, all-loving, all-powerful and able through its ideas to supply what is needed in our present state of human experience. A false belief of fear, pain, or lust, in fact, any belief we may entertain which violates Truth and Love, is a false god; and by expecting it to supply our real needs and pleasures, we are likely to be disappointed, because we have broken the First Commandment.
The conviction that matter has power and is substance is a stubborn one to master, but it ultimately capitulates to the truth of God's allness. The only altar ever erected to the gods of matter is the illusion built in one's own consciousness. The false gods—hate, jealousy, criticism, envy, lack, loneliness, or selfishness—are found only in human consciousness.
Of the many erroneous beliefs of mortal mind, some are more subtle and deceiving than others. For instance, one may have made a god of status or things or money. And with the emphasis today on youthful appearance and the human form, the body has become an object of worship. Only the scientific knowledge of God as Spirit and of man as His likeness can bring us release from the idols of the flesh. No healing of human ills is possible without some realization of this fact. Unveiling and healing the false mental images of mortals, classified as sin and sickness, is the prime purpose and glory of Christ's Science.
How long will it take us to purge ourselves of what are called other gods? The time for our complete release depends upon our honesty, desire, and persistence in the practice of Christliness. As we work our way out of sin and sickness, out of matter worship, let us follow our Leader's advice, "Emerge gently from matter into Spirit" (Science and Health, p. 485). Until the belief of mortality has completely vanished from thought, let us maintain a fair working balance between the spiritual and practical aspects of Christian Science—between what is absolute and what is relative. A lopsided Scientist, a self-righteous student, does little to advance either himself or the Cause of Christian Science.
One way to destroy the false gods that arise in our thinking is frequently to remove ourselves, mentally and physically, from the raucous noises and tempting subtleties of everyday living. Every great thinker has found it necessary at times to get away from the crowd, to be alone, to pray, to listen. Everyone, regardless of his work or responsibilities, needs to take time out for quiet meditation and silent communion with his Father-Mother God. For only by locking the door on materialism and living the truth can we graciously obey the laws of God and glimpse the joy of heavenly peace on earth.
