Many of us have been taught from childhood to seek our heavenly Father's forgiveness for having sinned, although the definition of sin differs considerably from one creed to another and from one generation to the next. Many have discarded the fundamentalist concept of a wrathful God who punishes wrongdoing by eternal damnation. In fact, the modern trend is to claim that moral values have changed with the times, that acts once considered sinful are now an accepted part of our social structure. How do Christian Scientists approach this problem of sin and its punishment? What do they find when they turn to the Bible and the writings of Mrs. Eddy?
The basic premise in Christian Science is perfect God and perfect man. Because God is only good and knows no evil, and because the creator must produce a creation that expresses Himself, the one Being who is Spirit, Love, Truth, it follows that our heavenly Father has made His children in His image and likeness, spiritual and good, as is related in the first chapter of Genesis. This is the absolute fact.
As one views the world through material eyes, however, the very opposite appears true. Mankind seem to be material and too often to be sinful, sensual, and indifferent toward moral codes. What we thus see is the human being with a consciousness composed of a belief in a mixture of Spirit and matter, of immortal good and mortal evil, of obedience to God conflicting with sinful self-will. Christ Jesus taught us we are seeing incorrectly when we accept this view as real. God's spiritual, perfect man has never sinned, nor will he.
