Among the many thought-provoking incidents in the Bible is John's brief, yet vivid, account of the two disciples of John the Baptist who followed Jesus and inquired of him (John 1:38), "Rabbi,... where dwellest thou?" The record continues: "He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day."
It is quite conceivable that as the two disciples remained with Jesus the entire day, he not only showed them where he was staying at the time, but also enlightened them regarding his mental dwelling place, the spiritual trend of his thinking, his constant consciousness of good.
To be conscious only of that which is good and never to know evil as real would indeed be a blessed state of existence. The average individual may deride such a possibility, but Christian Science teaches and maintains that the forever consciousness of good is possible and is, from God's standpoint, our present real state of being.
As one considers the Master's human experience, a great fact stands out clearly, namely that he dwelt constantly in the consciousness of what God, good, and His creation really are, and, consequently, he could rebuke and prove powerless that which claimed to be imperfect and evil. He healed the sick, raised the dead, fed the multitudes, and overcame the claims of matter in many wonderful demonstrations.
Mrs. Eddy reveals to us in Science and Health that Jesus' remarkable healings were not miraculous but based on divine law; hence they could be repeated by her and her followers to the extent that divine law was understood, lived, and properly applied.
One requirement, as we learn from studying Mrs. Eddy's writings, is the need to dwell constantly in the consciousness of the reality of good, the steady, persistent right thinking, holding to pure, unadulterated spiritual ideas, free from beliefs in evil, error, mortality, or material concepts.
Mrs. Eddy writes in Miscellany (p. 210): "Beloved Christian Scientists, keep your minds so filled with Truth and Love, that sin, disease, and death cannot enter them. It is plain that nothing can be added to the mind already full. There is no door through which evil can enter, and no space for evil to fill in a mind filled with goodness."
The consciousness of good, as Christian Science teaches, includes an understanding of God as Soul, Spirit, Mind, Principle, Truth, Life, and Love. It includes an awareness of the unreality of matter and of the qualities of God as true substance. It acknowledges that the allness of God and of His power means the complete nothingness of evil and of the belief in another presence or power. It glories in the assurance that individual consciousness is now and forever the reflection of divine Mind.
A consciousness filled with spiritual good will not be unduly disturbed by discordant situations in the home, in business, in the church, or in local, state, national, or international affairs. The Christian Scientist does not overlook or merely turn his back on discordant conditions, for he is learning the nothingness of all falsities, and he is also learning how to replace them with spiritual facts and so bring about scientific healing and harmony.
A consciousness filled with good typifies to some extent the true humanhood which our great Way-shower, Christ Jesus, so wonderfully portrayed. When the consciousness of good is held to steadfastly, it annihilates aggressive, persistent suggestions of evil and frees the earnest worker from any error that may be assailing him.
A sincere student of Christian Science found himself at one time much disturbed by various evil suggestions, materialistic thoughts, which he knew were harmful, unnecessary, and certainly unwanted. No doubt because of the worried state of his thinking, a troublesome skin condition appeared and caused considerable distress.
One day as he was praying humbly and fervently for more divine light and guidance, the incident with which this article begins came to mind. As he pondered the Bible account, he saw more clearly than ever before that Jesus dwelt in the constant consciousness of good. As the student strove to understand what is meant by the consciousness of good, his thinking slowly but steadily and surely changed for the better. A sense of peace and harmony soon pervaded his thought, and to his great joy, as definite proof that he was on the right track, the skin condition improved and before long was completely healed.
As the student of Christian Science dwells more and more in the consciousness of God as eternal good, he will find that all aggressive mental suggestions of evil will gradually diminish in intensity and frequency, and he will gain a greater measure of spiritual freedom, peace, and harmony. Mrs. Eddy writes in Science and Health (p. 264), "When we realize that Life is Spirit, never in nor of matter, this understanding will expand into self-completeness, finding all in God, good, and needing no other consciousness."
