Christ Jesus threw wide the door to the realization of immortality when from the cross he prayed God to forgive all who had taken part in his crucifixion. Indeed his physical resurrection may be looked upon as merely the outward appearance of the mental resurrection that was expressed in his forgiveness. In this act of supreme exemplification of divine Love, which was the culmination of his career, he showed forth God's holy purpose.
Then may we not consider that His holy purpose for each one of us "is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel"?II Tim. 1:10; Is not our resurrection from the belief of life and intelligence in matter—with its concomitant hatred, sensuality, and general inhumanity to our fellowmen—the door through which our own immortality must come to light?
Within the teaching of Christian Science we find that immortality is not a perpetuation of so-called life in matter, for there is, in reality, no such life. Life is Spirit, God, which in its essence must be eternal, and each individual reflects divine Life. Jesus both defined life to his disciples and assured mankind of its realization. He said, "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."John 17:3; As we define life as an understanding of God and His Son, we will find that eternal life is the perpetual unfoldment in consciousness of an understanding of God, good, and of nothing else. Then we can see the necessity for the redemptive action of forgiveness that purges human thought of its criticism and condemnation in order that we may be conscious of good alone.
