Have you ever felt you would like to start all over again?
The Bible tells of several individuals whose natures became more Godlike because of deep spiritual regeneration. Their characters changed to such an extent that only a new name could indicate the difference. And their lives were transformed.
Christian Science shows us that, in these cases, phases of negative mortal-mindedness were abandoned for spiritual-mindedness, which better represents God, divine Mind. For example, when through spiritual sense Jacob glimpsed true individuality, he was healed of the fear of his brother, Esau. Jacob was able to say to Esau, "I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me." Gen. 33:10; This state of consciousness identified him as Israel. In Science and Health Mrs. Eddy writes of Israel, "He was to become the father of those, who through earnest striving followed his demonstration of the power of Spirit over the material senses; and the children of earth who followed his example were to be called the children of Israel, until the Messiah should rename them." And she adds, "If these children should go astray, and forget that Life is God, good, and that good is not in elements which are not spiritual,—thus losing the divine power which heals the sick and sinning,— they were to be brought back through great tribulation, to be renamed in Christian Science and led to deny material sense, or mind in matter, even as the gospel teaches." Science and Health, p. 309;
